So why not experience coffee on the same level?

This approach, known as the “third wave of coffee,” aims to educate coffee enthusiasts in order to help them look for the subtle tastes of coffee.  Gone are the days of coffee as simply a means to a jolt of energy in the morning or late afternoon (replaced by the Starbucks and other coffee shops “second wave” of coffee), and even as we speak the second wave is waning.  The evolution of crafting the perfect cup of coffee, of finding that “sweet spot” of flavor when roasting, is breaking in to the coffee scene and craft shops are cropping up nation-wide, emulating such establishments as Stumptown Coffee Roasters of Portland, Oregon, who are seeking out ways to help their consumers more fully understand the coffee they are drinking.

Like wine and its grape counterparts, coffee has regional nuances that aid in determining the flavor profile.  Coffee beans grown in Kenya will impart different flavor notes than coffee from Latin America, and Hawaiian coffee will vary from that hailing from India.  Teasing out the subtleties is part of the allure of a good cup of coffee, and those well-versed in tasting can detect such flavors as herbs, chocolate, caramel, plums, and even lemon grass.

Roasting these delicacies is a big part of the third wave of coffee, and knowing where the coffee is grown in part determines how it is roasted.  Light roasting African coffee that has a typical grapefruit/coconut flavor, for example, is going to draw out the citrusy aroma characteristics because the acids and oils will be more prominent.  The roast allows the sweetness to develop to optimal levels, and enhances the natural subtle flavors of the bean.

Coffee roasters are also starting to share information about the growers whose beans they roast—information about the farm and about the relationship between roaster and the farm, as well as pictures of the production process of the beans that they buy serve to deepen the enjoyment of consumers, and, maybe even more importantly, to know a little bit about the grower—who they are, what they do, what they stand for, and other tidbits of information that help to form a relationship.  It’s the coffee-world version of “going local,” a way to ensure quality beans without exploitation of the growers, and it’s a trend that is rapidly grabbing a toehold among coffee lovers.

This third wave of coffee, then, proves that coffee can be a culinary experience similar to that of beer or wine tasting, and it’s likely just a matter of time before we start to see a trend of pairing coffees with foods to enhance their flavors.  Are you as excited as I am to see where this third wave leads?

The post Have You Caught the Wave? appeared first on Houston's Blog.

This change has had strong effects on the foodservice industry, as operators are burdened with the task of keeping up with the wants and needs of their consumers in order to maintain their business and thus put money in their banks and keep their restaurants operational.  Below are just a few of the things operations need to keep in mind when exploring different options within the industry.

Healthier Foods Equal Changes in Equipment

As society demands healthier food that tastes better, gone are the days of fryers and steam lines, especially in hospitals and schools.  This is good news for students and hospital-stayers as, following this equipment out the door are the mushy foods we usually associate with our school days.  Be prepared to see heated shelves in the kitchens, and with them, roasted and grilled foods that are much more appealing to the consumer.  Also expect to find more intense flavors as kitchens are utilizing more marinating equipment or smokers as a means to add flavor without taking away from the value of the food.

Locally Grown and Raised

Fresh vs frozen.  Local vs imported.  Whole vs processed.  More and more often, consumers are insisting on fresh, whole, local foods and this demand requires changes to how food is handled in the back-of-the-house.  Larger cooler spaces but less freezer space for storing the onslaught of fresh produce while cutting back on the need to store frozen commodities.  Labor costs may change as operators need to wash and trim produce before cutting and chopping, since locally grown food will generally come as-cut from the farm.  Chefs will need to be creative and flexible when designing their menus, accommodating what is in season or a food item that may not be considered “mainstream,” such as root vegetables.

Catering to the Diners’ Desires

If you’ve been following Technomic’s trends for 2015, you already know that consumers, especially younger consumers, “desire to have what they want when they want it.”  While this movement is manageable in the fast-food and fast-casual industry (add this, please, or take away that please), formal and casual dining has had to conform to a more focused menu if the operation opts for locally sourced foods.  This is contradictory to the trending attitudes towards variety and flexibility, but what seems to be happening is that restaurants are specializing in their culinary selections and diners can choose their restaurant based on the type of culinary experience they are looking for on any given day.  Going to eat at an establishment with few menu items, knowing that the food will be authentic and fresh, is trumping the larger-menu operations whose huge variety causes one to wonder about the origin and freshness of the dish they order.

Educational Marketing

The increase of allergies in children and adults has changed the way food is approached, prepared, and processed.  Responsibly operating a restaurant requires that chefs separate allergen ingredients and ensure the proper equipment is used to manage their dietary needs.  For example, for someone with a life-threatening nut allergy, it is imperative that different pans, utensils, grills, or other kitchen implements are used in preparing food for this particular guest, as any residue of nuts could cause a reaction.

Additionally, there has been a shift in food preparation that relates to food origins—and how to avoid the less-than-stellar practices of some of the larger animal farming companies, where overcrowding  affects the quality of animals, and the subsequent slaughter of such ill animals is at issue.  FDA menu labeling requirements that mandate restaurants show the calorie counts of their menu items have done wonders to educate consumers about their calorie intake.  Further requirements about the food—such as where the beef you are about to eat comes from, and whether or not the cows were grass fed—can also help to educate the consumer and give them reason to trust your operation and therefore want to return.

What’s Next?

Operators will need to remain vigilant in their research into customer trends and how these trends will affect their establishment, and if so, how should they adapt in order to accommodate them?  Technomic sees “more focused and local menus in the future…[and] a decline in the traditional chain segment that doesn’t adapt to the consumer evolution.”  Because while there is still a segment of the dining industry that eats fast, fried, and processed food, and wants them for cheap, these numbers will continue to dwindle over time as more and more customers are seeking out the healthier alternatives.

How will your restaurant manage these changes, if they haven’t already begun the process of change?  And how will you continue to adapt to the ever-changing foodservice industry?

The post New Food Trends Equals New Operational Needs appeared first on Houston's Blog.

So what, you may ask, is a food hall?  It is like a public market, but it is more.  It is a comparable to a food truck, but it is more.  It shares similarities with a mall food court, but it is more.  It is an extended galleria of local vendors, convened for the same purpose—to sell their craft to consumers.  Local, sustainable shop ranging from soaps to cheese to fish to beef, and everywhere in-between.  Restaurants, artisan bakeries, coffee shops, wine and beer stalls, butchers, produce grocers, and much more, all under one roof, where vendors are eager to talk to customers, to share the stories behind their craft.

Food halls, though, aren’t a new concept.  They have been a staple in Europe, Japan, and other places throughout the world.  But in America, we were drawn to the convenience of “fast food” or to the elegance of “fine dining,” and therefore there was no need for any sort of food hall in our culture.  A shift is being made, though, as we are developing a hunger for authentic, homegrown products, real food that we can connect to via the farmers who grow produce without chemicals or even to those who raise livestock in a humane manner.   Food halls give us the opportunity to feed that hunger.

Also, according to the New York Eater, food halls are “another sign of an urban and culinary renaissance that’s happened over the past decade,” that food markets and restaurants have been successful when they are a “destination” for consumers. Customers can find every gourmet food item imaginable, all in the same place, all ready to eat at communal dining areas or ready to take away and be prepared at home.    A food hall is a haven for artisanal and specialty purveyors, buzzy food stalls and upscale restaurants, and as Anthony Bourdain, American chef and television personality, tells M Live, “I think there’s a real appetite for more low-impact, more casual, yet good-quality meal options.  That goes along with a shift in dining habits in general.  On one hand we demand more variety, better quality, more options.  On the other, we seem fatigued with the conventions and time investment of a multi-course, full-service meal.”  So really, we aren’t heading in a direction opposite of convenience, but rather in the direction of local vendors and restaurateurs available to us in one single location.

In short, the food hall trend catching fire across the United States will allow consumers to shop for groceries, for toiletries, for beer, for wine, that is grown or made locally, while also having the option to dine on meals of the same quality.  When all is said and done, who won’t appreciate the convenience?

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In recent years, though, diners have navigated toward eating foods more locally sourced. The trend has grown out of a desire for a variety of fresh, pure food. A desire to eat food whose nutritional value isn’t depleted because it was picked before ripening, and then loses what little nutrients it had because it was first transported across the United States to a superstore that will then mist it to keep it from wilting before it is sold. What vitamins and minerals remain are overshadowed by the flavorless mass of vegetables and fruit we have come to view as “food.” Food that is grown locally is picked at the peak of its ripeness, then eaten before the nutrients have withered away. It is healthier for you, and tastes better too.

For many, the locavore lifestyle has become an ethical choice: a passion for environmental protection and energy conservation; a yearning to keep local farmers employed and to provide jobs within their communities; an eagerness to create and sustain fertile soils; a hunger to become less dependent on far-away food sources; and an inclination toward holding food sources accountable for the items they produce. Locally grown foods are often farmed by workers who live within the community, on fertile loam that doesn’t lose its potency because crops are regularly rotated. And these foods are often purchased directly from the landowner, who is able to answer questions about how it was grown or raised, what pesticides—if any—were used, what the cows or chickens were fed and how they were housed.

And there are still others who believe that choosing locally produced vegetables and fruit, meats and seafood, even beer and wine, strengthens communities, and creates bonds between farmers and consumers that can’t exist on a global level.

Restaurant chains, especially those which depend on low cost menu items to create high traffic, stand to suffer from the trend. Customer demand for consistency, predictability, and low price doesn’t allow operations to veer too far from standard items being purchased for the lowest prices and stocked year round.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, high end restaurants are able to cater to customers who are willing to pay higher prices for foods produced close to home. Their already higher priced menu items don’t need to be substantially raised in order to accommodate the higher cost of produce and meats grown and raised locally.

What is interesting to observe, then, are the middle-of-the-road dining establishments, who are moving to buy from regional providers. Chipotle is an excellent example of successfully easing into small-farm purchasing programs. The restaurant chain has “transitioned from purchasing 10 percent to 15 percent of seasonally available produce from farms to 75 percent in some markets,” according to qsrmagazine.com. Their incremental approach shows that establishments can take steps, even if only at a slow pace, toward responding to consumer demand for locally sourced foods. And Chipotle has also proven that customers will pay more for quality food—although they are quick to point out that although the cost of food may be higher, that cost is nearly offset by the lesser transportation costs incurred.

The biggest opportunities for success in sourcing local menus, though, lies with the single-unit (or local chain) restaurants. These operations have the ability to remain flexible with their food choices as the local food sources fluctuate from season to season. A good example may be Salt and Straw, an ice cream joint with three locations in Portland, Oregon and a fourth location in Los Angeles, California. The shop purchases “as many local products as possible…(to…help create stronger local economies),” and their menu varies depending on what is available in the local market. In Los Angeles, enjoy a Santa Ynez Valley Walnut Oil scoop or a Tomato Water and Ojai Olive Oil Sherbet cone, while in Portland you can choose a Stumptown Coffee and Burnside Bourbon treat. Outside of ice cream, there are many restaurants, from city to city across the nation, who offer the same type of varietal choices based on what they purchase from regional farmers.

In just another day we will welcome 2015. It’s time to put new ideas into action, to resolve to make the upcoming year the best one yet. What steps will you take toward locally sourcing your menu in the new year?

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