Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/310737
Re s ta u ra n t D a i l y N e ws 5 5 M o n d a y, M a y 1 9 , 2 0 1 4 disposable foodservice products for thousands of retail business accounts, including several Fortune 500 restau- rant franchises. RDN: What would you say makes your company unique? AY: As one of the few manufacturers to offer direct container services to cus- tomers worldwide, we successfully oper- ate three warehouses locations in Sumner, Wash., Summerville, S.C. and Chino, Calif. [HQs] and are able to service the entire U.S. quickly and efficiently. With a new state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in-house at our headquarters, we began to manufacture our Karat brand domestical- ly, and are proud to say many of our prod- ucts are made in the USA. With multiple well-positioned manufacturing facilities worldwide, we are also able to reduce costs and lead times, fulfill max capaci- ties, provide stability and offer value, convenience and direct container ship- ments for customers internationally. RDN: What was the most significant event or series of events affecting your company in the past year? AY: We relocated our headquarters to a new 300,300 square foot facility in San Bernardino County, Calif., which houses a new manufacturing plant, bringing pro- duction back to the U.S. Production and Lollicup ( Cont'd. from p. 1) warehouse areas take up over 90 percent of the new headquarters, increasing our inventory and allowing us to improve upon current order lead times. We were also named on the prestigious entrepre- neurial Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing privately held companies in America! We were selected based on our success in improving our annual percentage rev- enue growth by 117 percent from 2009 to 2012. RDN: To what do you attribute your company's success? AY: The key to our success is our satis- faction-guaranteed approach to each and every one of the thousands of customers we've worked with across the nation. As the QSR-leader for paper and plastic food packaging, we have become the single- source solution for all beverage and food- service needs. RDN: How can our readers find out more about your company? AY: You may call 800-857-1988, email info@lollicup.com, or visit www.lollicu- pusa.com to find out more about our company, or www.karatcup.com and www.lollicupteazone.com to learn about our brands. For more information, visit www .lollicupusa.com, call 626-065-8882, email info@lollicup.com or stop by booth #1657. brownie recipe that drew rave reviews from family and friends whenever he baked a pan of the homemade treat. Yet he never marketed the delicacy until the response it received at a special event in January 2013. Fast forward to today, and Barry's Gourmet Brownies represents one of the nation's most remarkable business sto- ries. The company now makes four delectable flavors. Its brownies are cur- rently being sold on QVC, and Barry's Gourmet Brownies can also be found in restaurants, grocery stores and conven- ience stores around the world. The first-of-its-kind brownie bites, which feature a package of bite-size brownies in a microwaveable cup, will soon be available in vending machines, and convenience and grocery stores nationwide. Barry's Gourmet Brownies have been a fixture in gift bags and sampling rooms at prestigious events like the Daytime Emmy Awards, the News Emmy's, the Sports Emmy Awards and prominent food and wine festivals, most recently in the Loews Hotel guest celebrity penthouse at the SOBE event in Miami. This growth explosion was launched after Barry received a call from a Festival of Chocolate representative. The woman from the Tampa-based event said she was told that Barry was "the king of brown- ies," and asked if he could send her sam- ples and serve them at the MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry) event. Barry called longtime friend Doug Byrd, who is a veteran sales and market- ing executive, and asked for his help in preparing brownies for the MOSI event. They appeared at the festival with a four- ounce double chocolate chunk brownie, and the response was phenomenal. "The demand was much more signif- icant than anyone anticipated," Byrd Barry's G ourmet Brownies ( Cont'd. from p. 1) said. At the festival, a representative from another event in Orlando asked that Barry's Gourmet Brownies participate in their fundraiser. At the same time, anoth- er company that provided box lunches for an event at Disney requested that the brownies be included in the box lunches. "That is when I especially recognized that there was tremendous potential," Byrd said. "People were telling us that they had never tasted a brownie that was as deli- cious as Barry's Gourmet Brownies." During his travels around the coun- try meeting with retailers, distributors and event representatives, Byrd noticed the number of people drinking coffee, which gave him an idea. "Why not give consumers a fast and convenient way to enjoy hot brownies with their coffee?" Byrd thought. The result was Barry's Gourmet Brownies' innovative brownie bites, which are packaged in a cup that Byrd created, and can be warmed in 10 to 15 seconds and have the same effect as a home baked brownie. In fewer than 10 months, Barry's Gourmet Brownies has evolved from a man with a homemade recipe to a bustling global company that expects to have more than 200 employees by the end of 2014. The company is seeing a growing presence in restaurants and throughout the country in all avenues for distribution. Byrd says he is especially excited about the 9.2-ounce brownie that will be available in hotels and restaurants in the very near future. "We have grown by making smart decisions, and conducting extensive product development to make sure that our brownies taste just as fresh and fudgy from the East to West Coast as they do here in our bakery," Byrd said. For more information, visit www .barrysgourmetbrownies.com or stop by booth #3290. and take-out containers, responsibly serv- ing every aspect of foodservice. While some suppliers use vague terminology such as biodegradable, Green Wave's nationally recognized compostable certifi- cations such as ASTM and BPI [Biodegradable Products Institute] ensure that the products being used adhere to strict safety and testing standards. RDN: What do you anticipate to be your greatest challenge in the year ahead? MH: Education. People desire to be more environmentally conscious while business owners and institutions work hard to pro- vide certified compostable packaging and the means to properly cycle it back into the earth. Our website, Greenwave.us.com, provides detailed information on how our products are made, and it is a resource that brings foodservice establishments and local composters together. RDN: To what do you attribute your company's success? MH: Innovation and quality. Green Wave is the leader of introducing new compostable technologies and products throughout the industry. After harvesting food and fuel from rapidly renewable resources [sugarcane, bamboo, wheat and corn] Green Wave utilizes 'leftovers' to produce high quality, compostable tableware and cutlery. Free from aller- gens, our products are FDA approved. RDN: Who is using your compostable products? MH: Nearly every aspect of foodservice utilizes Green Wave products. From smaller mom-and-pop restaurants to large, national chains, Green Wave is a trusted manufacturer of compostable plates, bowls, trays, cutlery and take-out containers. Our nationwide sales force provides assistance in meeting environ- G reen Wave ( Cont'd. from p. 1) mental goals in hospitality, education, institutional and foodservice segments. RDN: How do the economy and regula- tions work for or against Green Wave and its customers? MH: Foodservice operators and institu- tions are always seeking ways to lower costs. Moving from foams and plastics to Green Waves compostable products can actually lower costs! Utilizing environ- mental grants, reductions in waste removal costs and the eagerness of local composters to pick up your products are just a few ways to offset any product cost differential. Furthermore, with a stark increase on the bans of foams and plas- tics, many end users have been caught off guard, facing mounting fines for the con- tinued use of petroleum based products. No trees or plastics are used in the man- ufacturing of Green Wave products. RDN: Is Green Wave introducing any new products? MH: Green Wave is excited to announce new product introductions and line expansions. To complement an extremely successful launch of our Ovation line of products, Green Wave has expanded the offering within this category. Ovation, made from sugar- cane and gluten free wheat stalk, and having an attractive marble like appearance, is our fastest growing line of plates, bowls and take-out contain- ers. Designed as a responsible, cost- conscious alternative to plastic and tree-based products, Ovation can be used across many market segments and we expect to see a significant impact within educational foodservice by the introduction of the five-compartment serving tray. For more information, email greenwave @greenwave.us.com, visit www.green wave.us.com or stop by booth #5412. lighting and custom décor to fit that par- ticular moment in time. The Perfect Candle for Any Situation: Lumina FX2 By far the most versatile product in SternoCandleLamp's line of candles is the Lumina FX2, which is available in two sets as well as in tea lights. The Lumina FX2 is perfect for any restaurant situation as it is completely wax-free, thus avoiding any messy clean up associated with soiled wax. "The Lumina FX2 is particularly well suited for places where there are flame restrictions, like Las Vegas, where clearance by local fire departments is needed for any kind of live flame," said Thad Smith, SternoCandleLamp Executive Chef and Communications Manager. "No staff required for lighting Ambiance ( Cont'd. from p. 4) and replacing candles, or cleaning, and the colors of the lamps can be changed simply by using a remote control." Additionally, the Lumina FX2 is per- fect for outdoor use where wind and other elements can routinely blow out traditional flame candles. They can be lit in four different colors (white, amber, purple and red) to provide ambient light- ing for any color scheme. Important to many restaurateurs is that the Lumina FX2 comes with a rechargeable stand that provides for easy storage and unlimited use. One of SternoCandleLamp's first products to be endorsed by the Green Restaurant Association, the Lumina FX2 is the per- fect, environmentally sound, ambient lighting for any situation. For more information, stop by booth #7225 or visit www.sternocandlelamp.com.