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Patricia Cobe

Senior Editor

Articles by
Patricia Cobe

Page 152

“Menus of Change” tries to be a GPS for healthier menus

Industry leaders gathered at a first-of-its-kind conference this week to draft a plan for turning healthful, sustainable food into more of a sales and profit generator for the foodservice industry.

Leadership

Leadership lessons from the battlefield

Restaurateurs who view the business as a battlefield might’ve uttered an “amen” at the end of the presentation from retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey, who wound up this year’s conference with an analysis of leadership during wartime.

Consumer Trends

A new playbook for kids’ health

Kids’ menus are proliferating, and many chains have started programs expressly to address childhood obesity. But it’s not clear how much of an impact they might have on the one-third of American children who are overweight, according to speakers who shared new insights during the RLC on promoting childhood health.

Pat Cobe’s pick of the 10 coolest things at the show

Lots of new products were introduced on the exhibit floor of the NRA Show last week. A few stood out during my travels from booth to booth, and I also came across some cool things outside of McCormick Place:

Pizza steps up

Is “better pizza” following in the footsteps of “better burgers” as the next fast-casual star? Some industry veterans are betting on it, including...

Tale of two farms

In 2007, John Kregel, a pig farmer in Garnerville, Iowa, built group housing—also known as large pens—to accommodate 3,000 of his 9,000 sows; the other 6,000 remain in gestation stalls. He feels the stalls are better for the pigs in winter but his sows are adapting well to the pens.

Food

Shrimp gets skewered

When it came to developing a summer LTO for Little Greek, the 14-unit Tampa, Florida-based franchisor, president Nick Vojnovic thought “shrimp.” “It’s healthy, quick-cooking and few of our competitors offer shrimp,” he notes.

Food

Lightening up

Nico Romo, culinary executive director of the 150-seat Fish, accommodates hot weather appetites with lighter dishes.

Menu mandate for attendees: Better but less costly food and deals, too

At the height of the recession, restaurateurs resorted to head-turning deals to drive traffic. Now that the economy is more or less in recovery, are consumers still seeking deep discounts, or are they more interested in a unique experience, an innovative menu or some other differentiating factor?

Innovators get a spotlight during the NRA Show

Five restaurateurs were recognized during the NRA's annual convention for brainstorming innovations that broke new ground in the business.

A new playbook for kids' menus

With childhood obesity so widespread—, restaurants are beginning to take on some of the responsibility by offering healthier kids’ menus.

A seat at the 2013 James Beard Awards

The stars of the culinary world came out in force on Monday night, May 6, to attend the annual James Beard Awards ceremony and gala.

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