Blogging was a new concept for me. I have never done this before for any class or socially for that matter. I approached it with an open mind and have come out with a better understanding of what it is, how it works, and why people use it. Blogging for this assignment was better than writing article reviews because it allowed us to read and research articles that are relavant to the food service industry. I would recommend doing this for future classes.
In blogging for the last several weeks, my knowledge in the food service industry has grown, especially in the qsr/onsite section. I have learned new ordering concepts, the popularity of vegetables during the superbowl game, and the come back of flavored teas. This is only a small portion of what I have read throughout this term. In order to keep current in this ever changing industry I am planning to follow a Food & Beverage blog that is powered by the New York Times. This features postings by professionals as well as average people who can provide a wide array of experience to the table.
The use of a blog in the future can become a great asset for any F & B professional. It will allow us the use of communicating with our competitiors as well as our dinning guests. We will become capitable of staying on the edge and pushing the boundries of the food and drinks.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
LAST BLOG EVER!
Well this was my first time blogging, and to be honest it wasn't that bad at all. I mean it is a no-brainer. I found it very easy and actually got a lot of knowledge out of it. Reading new articles every week and posting my opinion about them as well. What I really liked about blogging was voicing my opinion. I liked to be heard and it was great because not many classes you are graded on your opinion. What I absolutely hated about blogging was trying to find the right article to post. I know that may seem kind of strange but I always look for an article that really grabs my attention but once I find one its smooth sailing. I can use blogging in the future by finding different blogs that are related to my field of work or interest. Even trying to find somewhere new to eat or maybe even live I can find out what people think about the area and get opinions and points of view from others. This blog that i will probably follow because I live in the New York City area Eater NY Is a website with many different types of blogs about the nightlife, new restaurants that are opening, and even job postings. This is a great site to keep track of and I definitely plan on it.
Final Post
Over the past few months, I have really enjoyed the blogging experience. It has opened my eyes up to the advantages of the internet. I never really thought about how important reading was for the hospitality industry. Throughout the blogging experience I discovered a number of different resources which will help me in the future. These resources can provide me with information relavent to the industry including those issues effecting the industry, new trends, and success stories within the industry. Through my research for the blog I discovered some interesting information. One of my favorite articles was about the new concepts Johnny Rockets has developed, for the upcoming year. It was interesting to me to see how Johnny Rockets are transforming market trends and economic trends to benefit their business. In the future, I hope that by reading articles I will be able to make my restaurant more appealing to consumers, by staying current with the market.
Although I felt like the blogging experience was positive, I did not like the fact that I was limited to my specific topic. I also feel like I would enjoy blogging better if I could do it in my leisure time. Overall, I enjoyed blogging and feel like I may continue to blog in the future. It is a way to express new ideas and recieve feedback from outside sources, which I believe can be beneficial to me and my business. I also hope to continue reading different industry related article and blogs. One blog which I have started to follow and will continue to do so is the Voltaggio Brothers. The blog looks into different trends and tools of the trade. I have enjoyed this experience and hope to use these skills in the future.
Although I felt like the blogging experience was positive, I did not like the fact that I was limited to my specific topic. I also feel like I would enjoy blogging better if I could do it in my leisure time. Overall, I enjoyed blogging and feel like I may continue to blog in the future. It is a way to express new ideas and recieve feedback from outside sources, which I believe can be beneficial to me and my business. I also hope to continue reading different industry related article and blogs. One blog which I have started to follow and will continue to do so is the Voltaggio Brothers. The blog looks into different trends and tools of the trade. I have enjoyed this experience and hope to use these skills in the future.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Superbowl Carrots
In this article i found its talks about what the top ten foods eaten at past Sundays Superbowl. surprisingly it wasn't pizza, chicken wings, or beer. Vegetables was the food of choice for this years big game. People have gone years with the same old party food, but now more and more people are worrying about their health. In the survey taken chicken was #7 and pizza was #9. I feel like people have changed there ways because with all these trends and new nutritional ways of eating are becoming more wide spread. People are caring more about what they look like and are looking at the facts of what is healthy and what isn't. I liked this article because it really surprised me that people steered away from junk food on the biggest sports holiday of the year. I don't care how health conscious you are its Superbowl Sunday its meant for wings, pizza, and beer. Binge for one day its not going to hurt.
Within all of the upheaval of new trends for this year colleges and the students within are desiring new and different foods for the cafeteria. This list of trends, in this article, may be surprising to many people across the country, but the company Sodexo believes they are up to challange. Some of the dishes include apricot glazed turkey, meatloaf with frizzle fried onions, and vegetarian lentil shepards pie, not only are these dishes some that you might find in a restaurant, they also feature a variety of vegetarian dishes.
This article has brought to my attention the changing diet of the average college student, they do not just want the normal staple of every day college life, ramen noodles and pizza, but want more of a variety of dishes that have to be eaten while sitting.
This article has brought to my attention the changing diet of the average college student, they do not just want the normal staple of every day college life, ramen noodles and pizza, but want more of a variety of dishes that have to be eaten while sitting.
Dunkin Donuts
In recent years, the food service industry has seen a shift in the way consumers approach food. Today consumers not only expect their food fast, but they also expect its comply to a healthier lifestyle. In the past, Dunkin Donuts was known for its production of fresh coffees and high carb items such as donuts and bagels. Today, Dunkin Donuts is trying to alter their image and provide consumers with more optinions. Over the past year Dunkin Donuts has introduced new items to their menu such as their flat bread sandwhiches and hashbrowns. Although these items added an interesting twist to the menu they still did not display the healthy choice consumers hoped for.
On January 1, 2010, Dunkin Donuts announced the introduction of the new DDSmart menu. The new menu, which will be offered at all location, will offer consumers a "better-for-you" food and beverage menu. This menu will include items such as low fat Cranberry Orange and Apple Caramel Muffins. The menu will also offer consumer an egg white wrap and other breakfast sandwhiches with egg white options. All of the items on this menu must meet the following: "25 percent fewer calories; 25 percent less sugar, fat, saturated fat, or sodium than comparable fare, and/or contain ingredients that are nutritionally beneficial. "
I beleive that the introduce of this menu is a good direction for dunkin donuts. I also believe other establishments like dunkin donut will begin moving in a similar direction in the next few years. Introduction of healthier menu items has become a trend in the industry and I believe we will continue to see this trend expanded into foodservice establishments of all sizes.
On January 1, 2010, Dunkin Donuts announced the introduction of the new DDSmart menu. The new menu, which will be offered at all location, will offer consumers a "better-for-you" food and beverage menu. This menu will include items such as low fat Cranberry Orange and Apple Caramel Muffins. The menu will also offer consumer an egg white wrap and other breakfast sandwhiches with egg white options. All of the items on this menu must meet the following: "25 percent fewer calories; 25 percent less sugar, fat, saturated fat, or sodium than comparable fare, and/or contain ingredients that are nutritionally beneficial. "
I beleive that the introduce of this menu is a good direction for dunkin donuts. I also believe other establishments like dunkin donut will begin moving in a similar direction in the next few years. Introduction of healthier menu items has become a trend in the industry and I believe we will continue to see this trend expanded into foodservice establishments of all sizes.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Tea Party
No im not talking about Boston but a Tea Party that is current across the nation. Although the sales of tea has slowed slightly in the past few years, innovation of different flavors, health benefits, and quicker brewing methods are ways for a come back. In a study refered to in this article 44 percent of Americans purchase ready to drink tea that cost them an average of $26.10 a year. Better for you ingredients such as super fruits and antioxidents.
Tea has always been put to the back burner in this coffee drinking culture. So many different kinds are out there and many Americans are uncertain of what they are, how they benefit us and where we can find them. We have black, white, green, tazo, and loose tea put in a sachet. Each one of the following has a different characteristic that are beneficial to us.
New health benefits of teas are always in the news or are popping up out of no where. Tropical smoothie cafe has experimented with combining fruits with teas and making smoothies. This alternative to coffee with provide the recipeant with less caffeine, more fiber and a nice change. Subway has done this with their fuzed iced teas that contain 10 percent of daily value in vitamins B3, B5, B6, B12 and C per 8 ounce serving.
Coca Cola is facing a challenge of creating an iced tea brewer that is quick and has a little footprint. This unit will provide customers with a variety of options that can be brewed fresh and quickly. This would be a perfect route for quick service chains due to the healthier benefits of tea to soda and a nice change from juice.
Tea has always been put to the back burner in this coffee drinking culture. So many different kinds are out there and many Americans are uncertain of what they are, how they benefit us and where we can find them. We have black, white, green, tazo, and loose tea put in a sachet. Each one of the following has a different characteristic that are beneficial to us.
New health benefits of teas are always in the news or are popping up out of no where. Tropical smoothie cafe has experimented with combining fruits with teas and making smoothies. This alternative to coffee with provide the recipeant with less caffeine, more fiber and a nice change. Subway has done this with their fuzed iced teas that contain 10 percent of daily value in vitamins B3, B5, B6, B12 and C per 8 ounce serving.
Coca Cola is facing a challenge of creating an iced tea brewer that is quick and has a little footprint. This unit will provide customers with a variety of options that can be brewed fresh and quickly. This would be a perfect route for quick service chains due to the healthier benefits of tea to soda and a nice change from juice.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Do it yourself
I found this article about " Do it yourself stations" in colleges. In some college dining halls they have different stations; grill, pasta, or maybe even a nacho station. This gives the student more choices of what they want and can customize their meal to exactly how they want it. Throughout the dining halls there are diffenrnt stations, not just your basic grill station, such as a stir fry station. Having so many options students have a wider view of the culinary world. This could even help obesity in schools. For example if you have a "do it yourself" salad station, the idea of being able to customize the way you want it and have an almost a hands on experience of it will get more students to eat salad. It can work for any cuisine, as long as they have healthy menu items.
I found an article that talks about a quick service chain in Washington called Burgerville that, upon start up, has been all about having local foods to make their burgers. This restaurant chain has been very popular and very cheap considering all ingredients are grown locally. The way this chain can have a seven dollar check per customer is because they have great relationships with all of them.
This article gave me an idea on how people can pay so much money and not mind, because the food is all local and they are supporting their own economy.
This article gave me an idea on how people can pay so much money and not mind, because the food is all local and they are supporting their own economy.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Food & Beverage Trends of 2008
The year 2008 seems so long ago in terms of the food service industry. Many policies, procedures, and standards have been change since then but low glycemic, low or sugar free, organic and low carbohydrate foods that have been popular back then are still present in the industry today. The article in titled, "Food & Beverage Trend Report of 2008" discusses each of the sections above in detail and significance to the industry.
To begin with, low glycemic foods have not been given any light in years past. No one gave a concern to the effects of how foods affect your blood sugar and that certain foods increase your blood sugar faster than others. When your blood sugar goes through the roof it converts to fat and with this transformation it is very tough to convert it back to sugar. This article identifies a few foods that help raise your blood sugar a small amount and make it last for a long time. Whole wheat pasta and bread, brown rice, and sorghum are perfect examples.
Next, we have seen many reports about how many grams of sugar are contained in a variety of foods we eat. When all of this said consumers are leaning towards low or sugar free foods and beverages. This has been done with sodas, juices, gums, and cereal but with the increase in amount of energy drinks on the market with incredible amounts of sugar, contradicts the trend.
Then, the organic craze started during the year the article was published growing at an exponential rate but stopped slightly with the decline of the economy in the years following. People were willing to spend extra for foods with no pesticides but found themselves back in the processed isle of the supermarket fixed on price.
Finally, low carbohydrates were once dead with the atkins and south beach diet but they are coming back. This has been a result of the low glycemic and low and sugar free foods. With people not focusing on good carbohydrates that are low on the glycemic index they reduce the amount of sugar they consume due to the sugar content in low glycemic foods. Its like a win, win.
In conclusion, these food and beverage trends are still present in the year 2010. They may not be growing at the same rate as the article explains back in 2008 but they are growing. So lets keep it up with low glycemic foods and that will solve our obesity and health problems.
To begin with, low glycemic foods have not been given any light in years past. No one gave a concern to the effects of how foods affect your blood sugar and that certain foods increase your blood sugar faster than others. When your blood sugar goes through the roof it converts to fat and with this transformation it is very tough to convert it back to sugar. This article identifies a few foods that help raise your blood sugar a small amount and make it last for a long time. Whole wheat pasta and bread, brown rice, and sorghum are perfect examples.
Next, we have seen many reports about how many grams of sugar are contained in a variety of foods we eat. When all of this said consumers are leaning towards low or sugar free foods and beverages. This has been done with sodas, juices, gums, and cereal but with the increase in amount of energy drinks on the market with incredible amounts of sugar, contradicts the trend.
Then, the organic craze started during the year the article was published growing at an exponential rate but stopped slightly with the decline of the economy in the years following. People were willing to spend extra for foods with no pesticides but found themselves back in the processed isle of the supermarket fixed on price.
Finally, low carbohydrates were once dead with the atkins and south beach diet but they are coming back. This has been a result of the low glycemic and low and sugar free foods. With people not focusing on good carbohydrates that are low on the glycemic index they reduce the amount of sugar they consume due to the sugar content in low glycemic foods. Its like a win, win.
In conclusion, these food and beverage trends are still present in the year 2010. They may not be growing at the same rate as the article explains back in 2008 but they are growing. So lets keep it up with low glycemic foods and that will solve our obesity and health problems.
Text Ordering!
Each year it seems as if the world gets more and more impatient. With the every increasing "need for speed" quick service restaurants have had to develop ways to become even faster. Today technological advances have helped the industry for fill the consumers needs for faster service. In this article the newest technological gadget for the quick service industry is introduced. One of the newest trend which a few restaurants are experimenting with is the idea of texting in your food order. Just like calling in for pick-up, customers are able to text restaurants there order ahead of time.
This article looks at how Subway is planning on using this new technology at their restaurants. After becoming frustrated with waiting in lines at sandwich shops Ford Blakely developed Zingle, which is now the texting order system on Subway franchise has been experimenting with since the summer. The owner of several Subway restaurants in San Diego has been using the text ordering since last summer and has enjoyed the usefulness of the system. The franchise has seen an increase in pre-ordering, along with more accurate order fulfillment. Due to the success in this location 30 more Subway locations have begun using Zingle for text ordering.
I believe that the use of text ordering through operations like Zingle, will dramatically increase over the next few years. Just as people enjoy using the drive through, I think that texting in rastaurant orders will become second nature. In a world where there is not enough time in the day, this simple uses of technology can make a restaurant more appealing to consumers look for a quick lunch or dinner. Like Subway, other chains such as Pizza Hut have also joined in on the text-ordering trend. Although, I believe it can be helpful to both the restaurant and consumer I find it unfortunate that restaurants are losing the personal touch. Consumers and Employees are no longer communicating, in an industry that was once reliate on "hospitality" people are now reling on technology. I think that although this innovation helps improve wait times and accuratcy, it uliminates a large portion of what this business is about, Guest Relations and Hospitality.
This article looks at how Subway is planning on using this new technology at their restaurants. After becoming frustrated with waiting in lines at sandwich shops Ford Blakely developed Zingle, which is now the texting order system on Subway franchise has been experimenting with since the summer. The owner of several Subway restaurants in San Diego has been using the text ordering since last summer and has enjoyed the usefulness of the system. The franchise has seen an increase in pre-ordering, along with more accurate order fulfillment. Due to the success in this location 30 more Subway locations have begun using Zingle for text ordering.
I believe that the use of text ordering through operations like Zingle, will dramatically increase over the next few years. Just as people enjoy using the drive through, I think that texting in rastaurant orders will become second nature. In a world where there is not enough time in the day, this simple uses of technology can make a restaurant more appealing to consumers look for a quick lunch or dinner. Like Subway, other chains such as Pizza Hut have also joined in on the text-ordering trend. Although, I believe it can be helpful to both the restaurant and consumer I find it unfortunate that restaurants are losing the personal touch. Consumers and Employees are no longer communicating, in an industry that was once reliate on "hospitality" people are now reling on technology. I think that although this innovation helps improve wait times and accuratcy, it uliminates a large portion of what this business is about, Guest Relations and Hospitality.
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