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R e s t a u r a n t D a i l y N e w s 2 3 F r i d a y, M a y 2 0 , 2 0 1 6 MARRA FORNI: REVOLUTIONIZING THE BRICK OVEN EXPERIENCE Marra Forni is an artisanal oven compa- ny that builds innovation and an under- standing of the needs of today's American chefs on a foundation of the traditional materials and methods that have been used in Italy for hundreds of years. "We make gas-fired, wood-burn- ing and very innovative rotating ovens," says Anthony Pilla, Marra Forni's Business Development Director. "We're a manufacturer, not an importer. We bring all the materials from Italy — the brick, the sand, the volcanic ash — and we use all those materials to construct all of our ovens using United States-grade steel." Marra Forni's Rotator ovens are cur- rently in use in the majority of fast-casu- al and big chain restaurants around the world. The innovation behind the Rotator and the addition of new products such as flue pipes and — industry first — electric ovens helped the company increase its market share. The company's rapid growth is built on the success of The Rotator, an inno- vative high-performance rotator deck oven. "Our rotator deck oven is an inno- vation in the oven, and it allows you to customize the rotation, so that by the time it does one rotation, the pizza is ready — you never have to touch it," says Francesco Marra, the company's Chief Executive Officer and Founder. "We are the first company in the U.S. to make touchscreen brick ovens with a deck that rotates, which allows you to make up to 250 pizzas in an hour with consistent high quality and great execu- tion." The Rotator deck is made from authentic Italian refractory brick, and the oven is available in single- or dual-burn- er models and offers customizable one-, two- or three-cycle rotations and auto on/off. The company's Italian design made in America is particularly valuable for American chefs who depend on their ovens to perform, accord- ing to Enzo Marra, Chief Operating Officer and Founder. "If you were to ever have any issue, you're not dealing with an importer, you're dealing with a manufacturer right here in the United States," he said. "Most artisanal ovens are built in Italy, so if something goes wrong, you have to call Italy. If some- thing goes wrong with one of our ovens, we can provide much faster service from our warehouse in Maryland. We own ample manufacturing spaces in the Metropolitan Area of Washington, DC, the capital of the United States of America. Our presence and clientele are strong in United States and very signifi- cant around the globe and continues to grow more every day." Its headquarters include a full test kitchen where customers can come and try out a Marra Forni oven before pur- chasing and also see a full complementa- ry range of equipment that includes refrigerated tables, specialty mixers, specialty slicers, cur- ing cabinets and, of course, pizza tools. "It's the whole Marra Forni experience," Marra says. "Whenever you come to our Marra Forni warehouse, you have a knowledge of our company, a great culinary experience and you feel the passion in our company cul- ture." He just expanded the warehouse to 24,000 square feet and is planning to expand his space to 50,000 to 75,000 square feet within the next year or so. In the meantime, he's opening a West Coast office in Los Angeles that will also include a demonstration kitchen. "We expect that to be open by the end of this year," Marra says. "We like to think of ourselves as a young company but very experiences," Marra adds. "We like to think we are changing the industry and we definitely pride ourselves to be the leaders in our industry." Visit Marra Forni in booth #4479. After the show, visit www.marraforni.com. HAIL MERRY WINS THIRD FABI AWARD Dallas-based Hail Merry returns to the NRA Show at booth #10324 to introduce its 2016 FABI Award-winning Salted Brownie Merry Bites™. This is Hail Merry's third FABI Award in the last four years, and the company is thrilled to once again be highlighted for its innovative and truly great tasting plant-based snacks and desserts. Its new Salted Brownie Merry Bites are the ultimate in dark chocolate chewy snacks. Previously only found aboard Virgin America flights, these delicious and decadent bites are now available to the foodservice industry. Hail Merry's innovative low-temperature dehydration process keeps them super moist (like raw cookie dough) while protecting the nutri- ent-rich dietary fats, like organic virgin coconut oil and raw almond flour. Fair Trade dark cocoa and vegan dark choco- late chips add texture and complexity, and they're finished with a light dusting of organic Celtic sea salt. These rich and chewy dark chocolate bites are one-of-a- kind, and give foodservice operators the ability to offer an elevated and unparal- leled snacking experience to their con- sumers. Hail Merry's national-award win- ning recipes are certainly no stranger to this highly-coveted recognition from the National Restaurant Association. In 2013, the Chocolate Miracle Tart ® gar- nered the company its first FABI Award for its innovation (and incredibly deli- cious taste) in using consciously-sourced ingredients that also meet special dietary restrictions, like gluten-free, vegan and Kosher. Miracle Tarts remain the No. 1 selling product in the refriger- ated dessert category within the natural foods retail market, and are currently launching in a variety of foodservice-friendly sizes. Additionally, Hail Merry was tapped for its second FABI Award in 2015 for its innova- tive line of nut hummus. Made from cashew nuts rather than traditional gar- banzo beans, these dairy- and gluten-free vegan dips are available in several savory flavors, like Red Pepper and Green Chile. They pair well with vegetables, crackers and other crunchy snacks, but are equal- ly great as a sandwich spread, soup base or pasta sauce to provide consumers with the beneficial fats and protein derived from raw nuts. Hail Merry is a category redefining snack food company born out of the raw foods movement that celebrates the ben- efits of plant-based dietary fats. Prepared using an innovative dehydration process, its products taste super fresh and are perfect for everyone seeking delicious, pure ingredient desserts and snacks. "Hail Merry develops and commercializes innova- tive products with modern snacking in mind," explained Sarah Palisi-Chapin, Chief Executive Officer. "We make all our food in our Certified Gluten-Free, Certified Kosher, Dairy-Free and Verified Non-GMO facil- ity, providing assurance to restaurants and their guests." All of its products are currently Certified C.L.E.A.N., Certified Gluten-Free, Certified Vegan, Certified Kosher, Dairy-Free, Grain-Free, Peanut- Free, Paleo-Friendly and Non-GMO Verified. For more information about the company and its products, visit www.hailmerry.com, go to booth #10324 or email sales@hailmerry.com. NASDA CELEBRATES 100 YEARS OF ADVOCATING FOR AMERICAN AGRICULTURE IN 2016 2016 brings about a landmark anniver- sary for the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) as it celebrates its 100th anniversary of advocating for American agriculture. Armed with a new mission, a new strategic plan and new momen- tum, NASDA will be taking a closer look at the partnerships it can leverage to address current and upcoming chal- lenges to American agriculture. NASDA grows and enhances agricul- ture by forging partnerships and creat- ing consensus to achieve sound policy outcomes between state departments of agriculture, the federal government and stakeholders. NASDA kicked off celebrations of its 100th anniversary in February at its Winter Policy Conference in Washington, DC. It also launched a "100 Days of NASDA" social media campaign on National Agriculture Day (March 15) in celebration of how NASDA's efforts have advanced agri- culture in the states. The understanding of the direct connection that American agriculture plays in the global food and nutrition arena has grown extraordinar- ily in the past century. This is evident through our diverse and successful American Food Fair at the National Restaurant Show, which allows small businesses focused on value-added food products to either take a dip or make a huge splash in the global mar- ketplace. Good food does not exist without good policy. NASDA will work with a spectrum of partners to advance its policy priorities in 2016. Implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and funding for states will continue to be a top priori- ty for NASDA. NASDA com- mends Congress for taking a critical step in the implementa- tion process by investing $104.5 mil- lion in FDA's food safety budget. NASDA will continue to be fully engaged in partnership with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure successful implementation of this new preventive approach to food safety. "Educate before you regulate," has become a key message for NASDA, and it will continue to focus on food safety for years to come. NASDA will continue to focus on pollinator health and advance State Managed Pollinator Protection Plans (MP3s) during its 100th year. NASDA recently partnered with the USDA, EPA and the Honeybee Health Coalition to host a stakehold- er symposium on the devel- opment of MP3s to ensure informed and workable solu- tions for protecting bee health are developed and embraced by growers, beekeepers, applicators and the agricul- tural stakeholder community at large. Finally, it will be agriculture that carries the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) across the finish line. The agree- ment, which is pending passage by Congress, would reduce tariffs and other trade barriers, open foreign mar- kets to U.S. goods and services and establish robust, science-based rules for trade among countries representing 40 percent of global GDP. TPP will yield huge results for the exhibitors of the American Food Fair and NRA Show collectively. Learn more at www.nasda.org.