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R e s t a u r a n t D a i l y N e w s 7 5 F r i d a y, M a y 1 5 , 2 0 1 5 JUST DESSERTS DOUBLES PRODUCTION SPACE WITH MOVE TO FAIRFIELD, CALIFORNIA San Francisco Institution and award- winning baked goods producer, Just Desserts, will open a new, 75,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Fairfield, California this month. The plant, which includes some administra- tive offices, will take over production from the company's previous facility in Oakland. Just Desserts will maintain a presence in San Francisco, retaining its innovation center – including the com- pany's test kitchen – and some adminis- trative offices. "Our business enjoyed double digit growth in 2014 through the introduction of our new organic and vegan product offerings," says Michael J. Mendes, CEO of Just Desserts. "With the introduction of new products, our new proprietary- packaging platform and expanded pro- duction facility, we expect accelerated growth in the future." The company, which produces cakes, including single serve cakes; cupcakes, and brownie and cake bites, is moving from Oakland because of its need for a larger facility. The Fairfield site is double the size of Just Desserts' current bakery in Oakland. It has been designed and equipped to handle the company's new organic and premium vegan baked items and will have enhanced production capabilities, as well as an in-house quality control lab- oratory. Mendes says the company con- ducted an exhaustive search for a new site, scouting out possible locations as far away as Nevada and Texas. "We chose Fairfield because of the value of real estate, the city's business-friendly environment, and the fact that the transportation lanes are attractive for shipping and transporting product," says Mendes. "We also found that the access to skilled workers in the area is well-suited to our needs." At full pro- duction, Just Desserts estimates it will create over 100 new jobs at the Fairfield facility. "We are pleased that Just Desserts will be joining our community of top food and beverage companies that have found a sweet spot in Fairfield," says Ken Cantrell, Senior Economic Development Project Manager with Fairfield's economic development department. "We have attracted compa- nies because of our commitment to build- ing a strong infrastructure that includes an ample supply of water and a state-of- the-art wastewater system." JOHN HEATH JOINS MEDITERRA'S ADVISORY BOARD John Heath, the former Senior Vice President of Innovation at CHOBANI, is joining the corporate advisory board of Mediterra ® . "It's a privilege to have John join our advisory board," says Telemaque Lavidas, founder of Mediterra. "As an accomplished innovator and marketing expert, John's expertise is highly coveted and he is a stellar addition to our team." Heath was among the first few exec- utives hired early on at CHOBANI and in his time he helped grow the brand to number one in the category with more than $1 billion in sales. He handled many responsibilities at CHOBANI that spanned consumer insights and innova- tion strategy, to product/packaging/design development and commercialization. During his tenure, Heath helped to con- ceive, commercialize and launch more than 50 new products including four new product platforms and many different packaging formats. Prior to CHOBANI, Heath worked with top communications and advertising agencies helping clients to solve business problems, position brands, create new products and develop advertising com- munications. He has consulted with some of the most prestigious brands in the world including ABSOLUT, AT&T, General Mills, Johnson & Johnson, Lindt Chocolate, MasterCard, Nabisco, Newman's Own, Nikon, and more. Heath joins other Mediterra advisory board members who possess a wealth of knowledge in different areas related to food and wellness. Other advisory board members include Connie Diekman, RD, Chef Diane Kochilas and Inventor Spiros Fotinos. Mediterra is growing quickly and in seven months since its launch, already has national distribution in several retail- ers. Most recently, Mediterra was named one of Grocery Headquarters' "2015 Selling Trailblazers," an annual award competition that recognizes innovation in the grocery segment. INSTACART OFFERS DELIVERY SERVICE TO DENVER NATURAL GROCERS CUSTOMERS Instacart (www.instacart.com), the fast- growing grocery delivery service whose Personal Shoppers hand pick and deliver items from trusted local stores, has part- nered with Natural Grocers to provide grocery delivery service to customers in Denver in as little as one hour. Natural Grocers is the sixth Denver- area grocery store offering delivery serv- ice through Instacart. This announcement comes just a month after Natural Grocers and Instacart announced a partnership in the Portland area. Customers can choose from the full selection of Natural Grocers' local, natural and organic products on the Instacart mar- ketplace. In addition to offering only USDA Certified Organic fresh produce and natural and organic meat and grocery items, customers can find a large selection of body care products and dietary supplements. "We're excited to offer Instacart delivery to our customers in the Denver metro area, while at the same time pro- viding the highest quality organic and natural products available," said Kemper Isely, co-president of Natural Grocers. "Our partnership with Instacart comes with the added convenience of same-day delivery to a home or office – which is especially valuable to our customers who are busy and don't have time to make it into our store." Customers can place orders on the online or through Instacart's iOS and Android apps. Instacart Personal Shoppers receive orders on their smart- phone, handpick the items at Natural Grocers, and then make the delivery. "We partner with companies like Natural Grocers that have the same com- mitment to excellent customer service and fresh organic groceries that support a healthy lifestyle," said Nilam Garenthiran, Head of Business Development and Strategy, Instacart. "We are thrilled to expand our store and gro- cery options for Denver residents through this partnership with Natural Grocers and look forward to expanding our partner- ship with them into more cities." Customers can open an account at www.instacart.com and get free delivery on their first order of $10 or more. Instacart also offers Instacart Express – an annual membership that eliminates delivery fees for all orders of $35 or more. The cost is just $99. HARD ROCK CAFE ANNOUNCES LINEUP FOR FIRST WORLD BURGER TOUR For the first time ever, Hard Rock Cafe gives guests a backstage pass to sample Local Legendary™ Burger offerings, showcasing the flavor and ingredients at Hard Rock locations across the globe as part of its new World Burger Tour menu. These unique burger "acts" from five continents are taking center stage at Hard Rock Cafes in the United States begin- ning on Friday, May 1 through Tuesday, June 30, 2015. Hard Rock gives chefs at their cafes the freedom to create a unique Local Legendary Burger that captures the local flavors of their city and is only available at that cafe location…until now! More than 150 local burgers were evaluated by Hard Rock's culinary team, with fan favorites selected to star on a limited- time World Burger Tour menu. From the Java Lava Legendary Burger in Seattle to the Schnitzel Legendary Burger in Germany, Hard Rock's Local Legendary Burgers are packing their bags (or buns) and heading out to Hard Rock Cafes across the country. "As a global brand, Hard Rock understands the importance of tailoring its menu and embracing the different taste profiles of guests at each of our loca- tions," said Michael Beacham, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Corporate Cafes for Hard Rock International. "The World Burger Tour provides us with a new way to share a taste of the Local Legendary experience with burger fans around the world!" Sizzling headliners featured as part of Hard Rock Cafe's World Burger Tour menu include the Java Lava Burger, an American Legendary from Seattle that features a Certified Angus Beef patty grilled and dressed in a house-made espresso rub and topped with lava sauce, crunchy java onions, bacon, melted Tillamook Cheddar cheese and gar- nished with a fried jalapeno; the Haggis Burger, which features a Certified Angus Beef patty topped with savory haggis, melted Monterey Jack cheese, golden turnip frazzles and a whisky maple glaze; the Schnitzel Burger, which fea- tures two stacks of tender pork schnitzel lightly breaded and made crispy to order, topped with crunchy sauerkraut, spicy brown mustard and savory bacon; and the Aussie Burger, an Australian Legendary that features a Certified Angus Beef patty topped with caramelized onions, a fried egg, Cheddar cheese, crispy bacon and beetroot as well as several more. Local Legendary Burgers are served with lettuce, tomato and paired with the ultimate sidekick – Hard Rock's Savory Artisan french fries. Throughout the World Burger Tour, each french fry selec- tion is paired with a complementary sig- nature dipping sauce. Guests in select markets can choose from Hard Rock's classic seasoned french fries or addition- al new offerings, including Chili Seasoned Fries with Chipotle Garlic Ketchup, Parmesan Romano Fries with Garlic Aioli and Herb and Garlic Fries with Chimichurri Mayo. "Local chefs at Hard Rock Cafes take great pride in conceptualizing and creating a Local Legendary Burger that perfectly captures the culinary essence of their home city," said Russell Booth, Executive Chef for Hard Rock International. "I speak for each of them when I say we're excited to take our Legends on the road this summer!" World Burger Tour menus vary by loca- tion. Guests can stop by Hard Rock Cafe to try out the latest items or visit www.hardrock.comfor more information.