Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/261559
R e s t a u r a n t D a i l y N e w s 1 7 S u n d a y, A u g u s t 1 8 , 2 0 1 3 REWARDS NETWORK SUITS MARKETING STRATEGY NEEDS Rewards Network is your marketing solutions partner, providing you with a number of valuable marketing channels and strategies. Rewards Network under- stands that it's important for you to reach your diners not only while they're in your restaurant dining, but also long after they've finished their meal. Rewards Network focuses on build- ing customer engagement and loyalty with all of our marketing techniques. The company sends customized emails based on your customers' pref- erences and relevant geo-targeting. Rewards Network's social media plat- forms, including Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, act as instant marketing for your business, which spread the word about your restaurant across the digital world. Rewards Network also creates web pages dedicated to your restaurant on every one of its partner sites, providing additional engagement and exposure. And with Rewards Network's new mobile app, everyone can now have immediate access to search for participat- ing restaurants, menus, photos, and more. For more information, visit www.rewards network.com. SPARROW LANE: A STAPLE IN KITCHENS EVERYWHERE Why are Sparrow Lane artisan vinegars and olive oils today's choice in the kitchen? It's natural! In a worldwide mar- ketplace of evolving food ideas and unique ingredients, Sparrow Lane Vinegars has long been a trusted and valuable ingredient to great chefs, home cooks and food enthusiasts for years. Sparrow Lane is a true crafted natural line of varietal vinegars using only the best of Napa and Sonoma wines, plus fruits and herbs from throughout the California cen- tral valley. Crafted in the Orleans method, Sparrow Lane keeps the "art" in artisan. Sparrow Lane also offers a line of premier California Extra Virgin Olive Oil, as well as three distinctly flavored oils to accentu- ate the beauty of the food and vinegar. Available in both food service and retail, you'll find the entire line of Sparrow Lane products at sparrowlane.com. And now available just in time for the holidays: new premier gift packs! Experience what nature has always known, that only the best ingredients will do—naturally. Come by Booth # FTE1063A at the Western Hospitality Food Expo and experience for yourself. For more information about distributors or retailers in your area, call directly at 866-515-2477 or email info@spar- rowlane.com. Sparrow Lane can be found in booth FTE 1063A at the Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo. MAKE A GOOD GLUTEN-FREE MENU GREAT It's no secret that competition is high in the restaurant industry. With so many dining options to choose from, successful restaurants need something to set them- selves apart from the crowd. What if edg- ing out the competition was as simple as a menu and protocol change? Enter "gluten-free." It's a term that floats around in the media often and odds are you've heard customers ask for it. In 2012, gluten-free requests accounted for more than 200 million restaurant visits, and annual sales of gluten-free products exceeded $12.4 billion. Gluten-free men- tions increased 245 percent from 2009- 2012 and are continuing to climb. These are statistics restaurants can't ignore. Many people are jumping on the gluten-free "bandwagon," but there are roughly 21 million Americans who need a gluten-free diet 24/7 – that's every meal, every day. These are people living with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity ('gluten sensitivity'), two different conditions with only one treatment: a 100 percent, lifelong gluten-free diet. For these gluten-free customers, a tiny amount of gluten is enough to cause debilitating symptoms that can last for days, and in the case of celiac disease, even cause intestinal and long-term damage. With more people getting diagnosed with these conditions regularly and the general public adopt- ing the diet for the perceived health ben- efits, the demand for gluten-free options will only continue to grow. Restaurants are introducing gluten- free options at a rapid pace, but they run the risk of losing customers if the staff isn't trained on safe gluten-free food preparation. Cross-contact is a serious problem for people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. Something as sim- ple as using the same colander to drain gluten- free pasta and wheat- based pasta is enough to cause a reaction – and that reaction isn't always immediate. To avoid these pit- falls, the most successful restaurants seek training for gluten-free food preparation. GREAT Kitchens (www.CeliacCentral.org/GREAT) is a gluten-free training program created and operated by the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA), a national non- profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for individuals with celi- ac disease and gluten sensitivity. The pro- gram teaches a team-based approach to gluten-free safety, so everyone from the chefs to the servers know their role in the process – and that brings customers com- ing back for more. "Working with GREAT Kitchens has really been one of those experiences that, as a restaurant owner, doesn't hap- pen very often. They do exactly what they say they will do, they're cost effective, and of course, experts in the field of celiac disease," said Gregg Johnson of Minsky's Pizza, a multi-unit pizza chain with loca- tions in Kansas and Missouri. "They've made my job easier, and my customers happier, which translates to greater sales and more frequent repeat visits." GREAT Kitchens is available online for on-demand learning. The course includes five multimedia mod- ules, a 70-page manual, a comprehen- sion exam, and certificate. Upon com- pleting GREAT Kitchens, staff mem- bers will know how to verify ingredi- ents, avoid cross-contact, and provide superior customer service that puts gluten-free diners at ease. For you, that means more loyal cus- tomers and more revenue. And that can make your kitchen truly GREAT. Learn more about GREAT Kitchens at www.CeliacCentral.org/GREAT or by visiting booth 447. RENAU EXPANDS UCM-1000 FAMILY OF TOUCHSCREEN CONTROLS Renau Electronic Laboratories has expanded the highly acclaimed UCM- 1000 Series of TFT resistive touchscreen displays with a variety of different sizes to meet any commercial foodservice equipment control application. Now available in a compact 3.5-inch (UCM-1035), standard 4.3-inch (UCM- 1043), or jumbo-sized 7-inch (UCM- 1070) display, the UCM-1000 Series offers equipment operators a sophisticat- ed control that can be configured and installed either horizontally or vertically on the front of a controlled appliance. Measuring less than an inch deep, the UCM-1000 Series is compact and versa- tile enough to allow equipment manufac- turers to mount it on virtually any avail- able panel space. Using Renau's Single Wire Communication Network, the UCM- 1000 Series connects to any of Renau's compact, powerful hybrid microprocess controllers to power even the most inten- sive and demanding applications. Equipment operators and customers see a sleek, vibrant color display that can easily be mounted anywhere on the appliance while keeping the process controller out of sight within the controlled equipment. With the ability to quickly and easily access and select programs, as well as full support for Day Part Programming, train- ing equipment operators to use the UCM- 1000 Series is fast and simple. Equipment operators can quickly and easily read the UCM-1000 Series' high-resolution color display from across the kitchen, and because the screen is the interface, use is incredibly intuitive and easy and designed to help reduce operator error and food waste. The UCM-1000 Series can even help guide a service technician through troubleshooting and repair. Easily upgradeable and fully repro- grammable, the UCM-1000 Series allows recipe menus and system configurations to be quickly updated through the mediation of Renau's Universal Host Adaptor (UHA) and custom Windows-based software, which allows for the creation of custom recipe menus, warning alarms, sound files, and system configurations that can be stored on an authorized user's hard drive for future use and reference, or for larger organizations, emailed to a remote col- league. When it comes time to update the system, simply save the desired file onto a USB flash drive and reprogram the prod- ucts with the use of a Renau UHA Series Adaptor. The UCM-1000 Series is also completely compatible with the Renau's new WHA Series of WiFi adapters. For more information about Renau Electronic Laboratories, visit www.renau.com or call 818-341-1994.