Americans are drinking less soda and sweetened beverages, preferring instead to grab a cup of refreshingly cold iced tea, especially as temperatures rise. Sales have surged over the past twenty years—more than quadrupling during that time frame according to the US Tea Association. More than half of the American population drinks tea on a daily…
“He was a bold man that first ate an oyster.” ~Jonathon Swift In 17th century New York the island of Manhattan was covered with oyster beds and the salty shellfish was enjoyed by rich and poor alike, and by the 19th century oysters could be enjoyed from the street carts of the city, in saloons,…
Having a hard time finding and keeping good employees in your restaurant? You might not be alone. As the economy in the United States is on the upswing, and restaurant growth is projected to grow for the 16th straight year, one would think that employees would be easy to come by, but it seems there…
It’s no secret, Americans love their beer. Just ask anyone who drinks alcohol and I bet they can tell you their favorite. It seems, though, that all beer would taste essentially the same, since all beer is made in about the same way, whether you choose to drink a macro-brewed Coors or micro-brewed ale from…
2015 is gearing up to be a crazy, erratic year of trends in food, drink, and in the industry overall. The Millennial generation has made them more about “I want what I want, when I want it,” and this leaves restaurant operators perplexed as to which direction to go. Combine this with a growing number…
Just when restaurant owners started to figure out how to appeal to the Millennials, in march Generation Zers, with their emoticons and emojis, their iPads and YouTube, SnapChat and Instagram, their tech-savvy minds and digital wherewithal. Before snarling and grumping over these new young diners and all their quirks, perhaps it will be best to…
Often toxic or poisonous items have a bitter taste, and evolution has taught us to spit out the flavor as a defense mechanism against illness or possibly even death. Babies, especially, have this natural tendency, and it is thought that this is because only a small amount of toxins can be harmful to them. But…
Asian food is not new to the United States, and in fact can trace its American roots back to 19th century San Francisco, when Chinese immigrants came in hopes of striking it rich during the gold rush. Chinese restaurants were first patronized only by the Chinese but some operations modified their foods, hoping to cater…
If you haven’t yet heard of fast-casual dining, please crawl out from under your rock. Sit-down and fast-food dining are losing ground as fast-casual gains momentum in a race to feed Americans the best quality food at the most reasonable prices. Rising in popularity during the 2008 recession, when casual dining sales plummeted, the fast-casual…
Bigger is not always better. Whether or not you agree with this statement matters not—the truth is that downsizing is winning the race in many aspects of the foodservice industry. From menu size to portion size, restaurants are cutting ties with the “bigger is better” motto and changing things up in order to conform to…