Entries for the 'Summer' Category

High Achievers . . .
Restaurants That Cook
Some restaurants have continued to thrive despite several years of what the pundits are calling "the Great Recession." These operators have figured out the formula to remain favorite "hotspots," on the leading edge of achievement, no matter where the economy stands. Every city and town has its dining hotspots. Some restaurants are trendy for a while, only to fade into the background and some of these eventually disappear altogether. The real trick is to build momentum and remain relevant. This staying power is what moves a restaurant into the ranks of "high achievers." These restaurants are the ones that will likely be around in five years, ten years, some much longer. Here's how some great RFS customers remain relevant.
by Mary Daggett

Blue Moon Keeps on Shining
Once upon a time near La Crosse, Wisconsin-1924 to be precise-the Blue Moon Tea Room was established in what was formerly the mansion of a wealthy businessman. There wasn't any tea in those teapots, however. It was bootleg whiskey and bathtub gin and other prohibited liquid refreshment. Now, all these years later, this establishment has become the totally respectable Blue Moon Saloon & Roadhouse, one of the oldest operating restaurants in La Crosse County. "We are right across the street from the giant sunfish," said Owner Barry Nimtz, referring to a monument adorning the city park in Onalaska, the La Crosse suburb in which they operate. Blue Moon suffered a kitchen fire in 2009, and it took five months to repair the damage. In the meantime, the Nimtz family took over another restaurant, Huck Finn's on the Water in La Crosse, a family dining operation that's open for lunch and dinner.

DINING ALFRESCO: A FEAST FOR THE SENSES
There is something simply irresistible about dining out-of-doors. Mother Nature provides the ideal atmosphere to titillate the senses. Operators must set the stage with great food, drink and comfortable outdoor furnishings, but the rest of the sights, sounds and scents come naturally—and free of charge. Even more compelling is dining alfresco with a view of water—whether that be an ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, a lake, river or pond. Operators blessed with ample sidewalk space to accommodate a few tables, or those with back-yard or side-yard space enough to accommodate a patio or deck, ought to put that space to good use. The operators mentioned here all reap the benefits of alfresco dining.
by Mary Daggett
There’s a “Catch” to Angelo’s Success
Back in 1945, George D. Petrandis built George’s Café and Bar on pilings located over Florida’s Ochlocknee Bay in order to be in the “wet” county of Franklin, whose border lay on the north bank of the bay. It soon became a popular “watering hole.” As more and more people tasted the wonderful fresh seafood, it became a favorite dining destination as well. This was the beginning of what is today called Angelo & Sons Seafood Restaurant, in Panacea, Florida, near Tallahassee. Angelo is George’s son, and as a boy, he cooked hushpuppies while standing on a box in his father’s kitchen. Also as a boy, he learned to broil steaks and seafood, along with his brothers, Jimmy and Johnny. The boys’ mother Bulah and Aunt Helen served tables. Angelo and his wife Arline ran the restaurant from 1985 until 2002, when Angelo’s son Thomas and his wife Jenny took over. The recipes used today include many that have been passed down for three generations.

Caterers Put the
"Special"
in Special Events
by Mary Daggett
Each week, in every town across the land, special events are going on—corporate picnics, weddings, family reunions, graduations, neighborhood block parties, and on and on. People with a common tie of some sort enjoy coming together for camaraderie, entertainment and, of course, food. These special events are a real boon for the catering segment of the foodservice industry. Caterers run the gamut from full-line to specialty, and from full-time to sideline. Some caterers run stand-alone enterprises; other catering is performed as a profit-center sideline by existing restaurants, hotels, even school foodservice departments. Here are some catering case studies that provide insight into this interesting foodservice industry segment.