Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/825195
Restaurant Daily News Tuesday, May 23, 2017 8 0 IT'S SHAWARMA TIME! HAND-STACKED, WHOLE MUSCLE MEATS ARE HEATING UP RESTAURANT SALES Shawarma is coming near you in 2017, declared Food and Drink Resource. It is predicting that this authentic Arab-style meat is a trending new-ish restaurant concept trend for the year. NRA's What's Hot 2017 supports this claim by calling out Middle-Eastern flavors as a top glob- al flavor trend for the year. Authentic Shawarma is a natural and halal product made from stacking gently tumbled and marinated whole-muscle, hand-carved layers of meat on a spit, then slow roasting and carving to serve. Grecian Delight's portfolio of whole muscle, hand-stacked meats include authentic Natural Halal Shawarma in Beef & Lamb or Chicken, plus a line of Old World™ Gyros made with an authentic Greek flavor profile that were introduced in the last year. "Our Old World Gyros are the authentic street-food you would find in Athens," declares Peter Parthenis Jr., Grecian Delight President & Chief Executive Officer. "We marinate our Old World Gyros in Greek yogurt and spices to tenderize and flavor the meats, then our artisan carvers hand stack the layers to create our authentic cones." Grecian Delight ® Old World Gyros are available in Beef & Lamb, Steak, Chicken or Pork – the most popular flavor in Greece, but a newer gyro profile in the U.S. These hand-stacked European style cones capture the growing trends towards artisan butchery and "real" food that have been growing on menus for the last few years. The trend towards fast casual- style, open-kitchen designs are very con- ducive to the vertical broilers needed for cooking authentic cones. The visual impact of the broilers and spinning meat engages and delights restaurant patrons. "The theater and authenticity of a gyro carving station is something that really appeals to consumers today," explains Parthenis. This authentic global food experience is something particularly appeal- ing to Millennials and Gen Z consumers. "We are seeing more and more gyro, Mediterranean or rotating ethnic stations with the vertical broilers on college campuses and in office buildings." Whether you call it shawarma, döner or gyro, this authentic Mediterranean street-food is thriving and the gourmet whole muscle, hand-stacked cones are leading the growth. The popularity for this authentic butcher tradition has even lead Grecian Delight to launch Al Pastor – an authentic pork street food of Central Mexico. "It is believed that Al Pastor was brought to Central Mexico by Lebanese immigrants based on their authentic shawarma," states Parthenis. "The unique shared craftsmanship of the hand-stacked cones and Mediterranean origins of the Al Pastor inspired us to bring this special prod- uct capability to our cus- tomers." Grecian Delight, A Pure Mediterranean Foods Company, brings you the very best of Greek and Mediterranean cuisine with products including gyros and specialty meats, pitas and flatbreads, tzatziki, hummus and spreads, falafel and additional Mediterranean specialties. Visit Grecian Delight at booth #4848, South Hall, to experience the pop- ular Mediterranean Street Food Station and see its wide variety of products and menu solutions. For more information, go to www .greciandelight.com, call 800.621.4387 or stop by booth #4848. SOUTHERN VISIONS INTRODUCES FRESH BREWED LEMONADE An interview with Adam Stewart of Research & Development at Southern Visions, Loxley, Alabama. RDN: Tell us a little about your company. AS: Southern Visions, LLP was founded in 2004 and is the exclusive manufactur- er of the Sweet Brew ® System. RDN: What is the Sweet Brew System? AS: The Sweet Brew system has two components – the Sweet Brew pouch & the Sweet Brew funnel. The patented sugar sweetened filter pouch is used for fresh brewed, all-natural commercial brews of sweet and flavored teas. Using the proprietary funnel, the customizable Sweet Brew Pouch works with commer- cial tea brewing equipment for one-step simultaneous brewing and sweetening. RDN: Are there other beverages that use the Sweet Brew System? AS: This year, we've introduced our all- natural Fresh Brewed Lemonade™ – a combination of pure sugar and our all- natural lemonade blend in the easy-to- use Sweet Brew pouch. Just use the lemonade pouch like you would our all- natural pre-sweetened tea pouch. RDN: What is your goal for the show? AS: Selling sweet tea and lemonade in restaurants is a no brainer – but before now the beverages have always been a hassle to make and extremely inconsis- tent. Owners and operators of foodservice businesses need to be exposed to the Sweet Brew System and the immense profit potential that comes with properly prepared fresh brewed beverages. RDN: What makes your company most proud? AS: Our Sweet Brew pouch – the pouch has endless flavor possibilities for fresh- brewed, sweetened beverages. The key to the Sweet Brew system is that it makes the complicated task of preparing these beverages simple, cost effective and most of all, always consistent. RDN: Who are the ideal customers for the Sweet Brew System? AS: Our ideal customers include food- service owners & operators, multi-unit foodservice operations, hospitals, hotels, C-stores and entertainment venues. RDN: How do your products or services help your customers compete in their marketplace? AS: The Sweet Brew pouch takes the has- sle out of preparing fresh-brewed, sweet- ened beverages. The Sweet Brew system is easy, it ensures consistent great taste, it functions as a cost-control mechanism and it takes less time to prepare than tra- ditional methods. This allows their employees to spend less time at the brew- er and more time ensuring a great cus- tomer experience. RDN: How can foodservice owners and operators get the Sweet Brew System? AS: Customers can contact us at 800.219.3870 to find out more about our nationwide network of distributors. For more information, stop by booth #626, go to www.sweetbrewtea.com or call 800.219.3870. WHY YOU NEED SLIPGRIPS' MANAGED CORPORATE SHOE PROGRAM SlipGrips is a leading designer, manufac- turer and provider of slip-resistant footwear. As a division of Lehigh Outfitters, it is also a leader in managed corporate shoe programs. Here's why: SlipGrips values your employees and will help you maximize their safety by supplying shoes that achieve only the best non-slip test results. Slip, trip and fall injuries are the most common type of workplace injury, resulting in 724 deaths on the job in 2013, according to the National Safety Council's 2016 edition of "Injury Facts." SlipGrips appreciates your business and wants to help you mitigate the risk of worker's compensation claims, insurance premiums and lost productivity from employee injuries. In 2013, there were 229,190 cases involving days away from work, according to the NSC's 2016 edi- tion of "Injury Facts." SlipGrips helps you cut your budget by passing on the lower overhead of its online solution to save you an average of up to 25 percent over traditional retail prices. SlipGrips saves you time by taking you out of the shoe business and allevi- ates the burden of typical shoe programs. It can be a time-consuming headache and hassle. SlipGrips can fix that – it's what it does. All of its tools and services work together to provide flexibility so that you can customize and control as much or as little as you want or need to fit your par- ticular business and workload. Utilizing the Data Exchange service, you can opt to order your employee's shoes or have them order their own. They can ship to your work loca- tion or direct to the employ- ee's home so that you don't have to touch them. You can customize your footwear selection by department or location to avoid employees ordering the wrong styles for their specific jobsite. You can set employee eligibility to automatically reset to increase security and eliminate abuse. The Command Center shows you individual stats, orders, purchases, returns and more for easy reporting, tracking and control. You can confirm your employees have ordered, see when they received their shoes, know which styles are more popular – all allowing you to more accurately plan and budget. SlipGrips offers several employee payment options, including subsidy, pay- roll deduction and vouchers and can cus- tomize to your company's specific allot- ments and restrictions. It also offers par- tial pay for orders with any remaining balance. Along with premium SlipGrips styles, it offers over 18 in-demand slip- resistant footwear brands. Choose to offer the entire catalog to your team or a select group that specifical- ly fits your work environ- ment and guarantees they wear the right shoe for the job. Your staff can order their work shoes through your dedicated website via desk- top, tablet, phone or one of the free on- site kiosks. SlipGrips' mission is to alleviate your burden of managing a safety footwear program with customized tools, services, selection and savings. It does it exceptionally well and is always a step ahead. To learn more about the customized shoe program, visit booth #1259, call 800.444.4086, email customfit@lehigh outfitters.com or go to www.lehigh customfit.com.