elements - jan 2014

elementsVOLUME 9 | ISSUE 2 | WINTER 2014A publication from the Business & Industry sector of Compass Group North America

Inside the US Open Players Café Balance Kitchen in New York

Behind the scenes at the Boy Scouts of

America jamboree

Why a commitment to sustainability is a real team effort

+CAFÉYO

UR

TRANSFORM

How a Compass-style overhaul can help your café drive sales, improve efficiencies and increase profitability

WINTER 2014 • elements 3

WELCOME

elements I t is often said that image is

everything. In our business,

customer and client perceptions

are our reality. In keeping that top

of mind along with our companywide

commitment to ‘no complacency,’

we are pleased to bring you this issue

of Elements, which features our Café

Refresh initiative and highlights

numerous success stories with many

of the refresh concepts in practice.

Whether you are looking to totally

transform your café or simply make some

minor upgrades to improve and maximize

existing space, “Refresh” is an ideal process

that blends customer and client intelli-

gence with retail merchandising concepts

and menu performance to improve sales,

participation and overall operations.

With that said, the cornerstone of our

success lies in creating an experience for

customers that will initially attract them

to the space, exceed their food and service

expectations and ultimately keep bringing

them back for more – hopefully with

their friends and colleagues, too!

As you read through the magazine and

explore solutions and practices that can

be applied within your own café, I urge

you to take a look at this issue’s main

feature story 3 Steps To The Perfect Refresh

on page 20 and consider the processes and

concepts. Keep in mind that it’s often the

small things that can improve customer

perceptions and the image of our café.

We hope you enjoy this issue of

Elements and we look forward to many

more years of continued success

through our partnership with you.

Published by Fourth Element www.fourthelementcreative.com

Executive Editor Nick Wright

Account Manager Michelle Allario

Art Director Alan Platten

Editor-in-Chief Susie Weintraub

Managing Editor Amanda Brown

Cover Photography: Robert Pisano / Seattle and Liuzhou

Advertising Graphic Design Wes Brown, Ladavius Carson

List of contributors Special thanks to: Business Excellence

Canteen Dining

Canteen Vending

Compass Corporate Communications

Compass Group

Compass Field System Solutions

Eurest

FLIK Conference Centers

FLIK International

Restaurant Associates

Retail Innovations

Thompson Hospitality

Wolfgang Puck Catering

Happy New Year!

I hope you enjoyed the holiday season and are rested

and refreshed for what we hope will be a great 2014!

Susie WeintraubSenior Vice President,

Strategic Marketing

Compass Group North America

Follow us on Twitter

P l e a s e e m a i l B u s i n e s s E xc e l l e n c e @ c o m p a s s - u s a . c o m f o r m o re i n f o r m a t i o n .

Vibrant, Fresh,and Just for You.

Balance Kitchen is a flexible and scalable café concept that supports our clients’

wellness goals by promoting healthful and sustainable lifestyle behaviors.

Through our culinary techniques, nutrition information, marketing and strategic

partnerships, Balance Kitchen creates an environment that fosters and promotes

health and sustainability, while preserving elements of choice.

WINTER 2014 • elements 5

6. APPETIZERS Business and industry news.

16. DEANNE BRANDSTETTER: THE FIRST WORD ON WELLNESSWe go behind-the-scenes at the U.S. Open tennis champion-ships in New York to visit the Player’s Café Balance Kitchen.

18. CLIENT SPOTLIGHT: BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELDHow Compass Group managed

the renovation of the BCBS corporate dining facility at the company’s New Jersey headquarters.

26. JAMBOREE 2013 Discover how Eurest met the challenge of serving more than one million meals in 10 days at the biannual Boy Scout Jamboree in West Virginia.

30. CLIENT SPOTLIGHT: J&J PUERTO RICOHow a Compass reduced costs, improved communication and took customer satisfaction to a new level.

32. DID YOU KNOW?We highlight 10 fast facts about your favorite fruits and vegetables.

34. RECIPES: A TASTE OF CALIFORNIAJen Fox, Executive Chef at Wolfgang Puck Catering in Los Angeles reveals her favorite WPC recipes and career highlights.

38. MARC ZAMMIT: SUSTAINABILITYWhy a corporate commitment to sustainability is not a solo pursuit.

Contents

Compass Group North AmericaCompass Group North America is the leader in foodservice management and support services. Throughout the U.S. and Canada, Compass Group North America has more than 180,000 associates in 48 states, 10 provinces and two territories. We serve six million meals a day – from vending and office coffee solutions to restaurants, corporate cafes, schools, arenas, museums, remote sites and more.

Compass Group is… EncompassingWith a unique sectorization strategy, Compass Group recognizes that not every customer and client has the same tastes, needs and expecta-tions. This is why we are organized into several different operating companies focused on the individual markets we serve.

Compass Group is… Sustainability Compass Group is proud to lead the foodservice industry with groundbreaking policies that champion local farmers and fair trade; reduce the use of antibiotics in chicken, turkey and pork; commit to healthier oceans by purchasing sustainable seafood; support sustainable agriculture and healthy rural economies with the N.C. 10% campaign; focus on social justice; and promote farm animal welfare through 100 percent use of cage-free shell eggs.

Compass Group is… CommunityCompass Group is committed to the communities in which we live and serve. These commitments have been formally recognized as “Compass in the Community” since 1996. We encourage associates to get involved in our communities and we recognize their community-based efforts and successes each year. A panel of Compass Group judges reviews the community projects and rewards the associates with a monetary donation to the organization of their choice.

WINTER 2014

We look at how a comprehensive refresh of a corporate café or restaurant can improve customer satisfaction, operating efficiencies and overall profitability. 20

COVER STORY

3 STEPS TO THE PERFECT REFRESH

26

34

6

What’s in Season?Produce that has been allowed to fully

ripen tastes amazing! To enjoy the full

nourishment of food, we make our menus with

the most seasonal items available. Eating fruits

and vegetables at the peak of their season

provides optimal flavor and nutritional

value. For the greatest freshness,

look for foods that are locally

grown and are in season.

For more information, please e-mail [email protected].

WINTER 2014 • elementselements • WINTER 2014 76

appetizersNEWS Q&A PEOPLE & PLACES DIVERSITY GREAT SOLUTIONS

1 APOLLO IN PHOENIX, AZAlongside Apollo President Joseph

D’Amico, the team served 83 portions of

grilled free range chicken and Caprese

flatbread. “Customers liked that we used

all local produce and that it was fresh,”

said General Manager Richard Valencia.

“The duo delighted the crowd with the

meal. Having Chef Chris cooking in

the accounts always creates a buzz!”

2 BAXTER CAFÉ, DEERFIELD, IL

With the help of RVP Ed Mugnani, 70

portions of risotto primavera with fresh

seafood were sold. “Interaction with the

chef always goes over well and Chef Chris

had a non-stop flow of customers,” said

District Executive Chef Jim Caldwell.

“Chef’s Tables have become very popular

at Baxter. Our client and customers are

amazed by what our chefs are able to do.”

EUREST VICE PRESIDENT, CULINARY DEVELOPMENT, CHEF CHRIS IVENS-BROWN, SOLD ALMOST 900 PORTIONS OF FRESHLY PREPARED, LOCAL FOODS AT 13 SPECIAL CHEF’S TABLES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

7 PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL, CHARLOTTE, N.C.

The team wowed customers and clients

by selling 55 orders of Salmon Boudran

with couscous. “Once customers saw

their co-workers enjoying this beautifully

prepared dish, they lined up to taste it for

themselves,” said Associate Director of

Nutrition, Chris Bowden.

8 WORLD BANK, WASHINGTON, D.C.

CEO of Compass Group’s Premier Cater-

ing Division, Dick Cattani, joined Chef

Chris at the company’s Main Complex

Café in Washington DC. The duo sold an

impressive 143 orders of pan roasted

Virginia rockfish with heirloom tomato

salad and roasted shallot vinaigrette.

9 AMGEN, THOUSAND OAKS, CA

Chef Chris and the AmGen team sold

50 orders of the ever-popular Salmon

Boudran with couscous, introducing the

Chef’s Table concept to many customers.

10 FARM TO FORK, CHARLOTTE,N.C.

Chef Chris led a team of local chefs at

Compass Group’s annual event at the

7th Street Market. With 150 people in at-

tendance, the team served an array of local

and fresh offerings during the six-course

The Lucky Thirteen Earth Table Tour Kicks Off Earth Month 2013

LEFT-TO-RIGHT: Chefs David Adler, Danny Chavez, Chris Ivens-Brown and Noel Jones served over 1,000 guests lunch at Amgen.

The entire team of CMC Hospital in Pineville helped to serve guests, hosted by President Tim Pierce of Morrison Healthcare.

Earth Table dish served at AmGen in CA: Marinated salmon with cucumber Greek yogurt, roasted globe artichoke and couscous.

A Chef’s Table display featuring local and seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Compass Group Chefs prepare for lunch at Phillips in Boston, hosted by Michael Svagdis, CEO of Eurest.

3 BP, NAPERVILLE, ILAgain joined by Ed Mugnani,

Chef Chris and the team served 36

covers of barbecue braised pork

with roasted beet salad. “Our customers

raved about the presentation and the

food and they really enjoyed having

a celebrity chef prepare their meals

on the day,” said Executive Chef

Matthew Sommers.

4 FIDELITY WORLD TRADE, BOSTON, BOSTON

FLIK President Scott Davis joined

Chef Chris at Fidelity World Trade in

Boston, where they sold 85 portions of

salmon bois boudran. “The event was

perceived very well by our guests and

our client,” said Regional Team Leader

for Fidelity, Brad Rees. “The people

enjoyed being served by a ‘celebrity’

and our company president.”

5 PHILIPS MEDICAL, ANDOVER, MA

Eurest CEO Michael Svagdis joined Chef

Chris and the team to serve 75 orders of

pan roasted bass Provençal. “Chef Chris

and Michael Svagdis brought excitement

to our customers and our team,” said

Manager Kim Lussier. “They loved the

dish and enjoyed speaking with manage-

ment about our account and staff.”

6 CMC PINEVILLE, CHARLOTTE, N.C.

The Morrison team welcomed Chef Chris

and Morrison President Tim Pierce as they

served 110 orders of Maryland jumbo lump

crab cakes. The client thoroughly enjoyed

the event and said, “I couldn’t stop brag-

ging about what this team is doing to

make our retail operation excellent. The

cafeteria looked gorgeous and the food

was incredible!”

meal. “Pulling off a dinner for 150 people

with limited space was of course a

challenge, but our team of chefs made

it look easy,” said Chef Chris.

11 HOME SHOPPING NTWK, ST. PETERSBURG, FL

Eurest Gulf States Division President, Tracy

Vessillo joined Chef Chris to help prepare

and serve 58 portions of wild salmon oscar

with asparagus and cheese sauce. The

customers requested the Earth Table to

return weekly and the client praised

the team for the restaurant-quality food

that was sold at a great price.

12 TECH DATA, ST. PETERSBURG, FL

Vessillo joined Chef Chris at Tech Data the

following day where the duo sold 52 por-

tions of tempura white fish with chili mango

relish. “This was a great event for Tech Data

as it showcased the flexibility of the sta-

tions, as well as the culinary capabilities of

the team,” said Eurest’s Susan Woodham.

13 CHUBB, WARREN, N.J.Chef Chris and Compass Group

CEO Contract Foodservice Rick Post sold

40 portions of roasted beet salad and

braised barbecue pork. One customer said,

“The Chef’s Table offering was excellent! I

don’t typically like goat cheese, but com-

bined with the beets, it was delicious!”

Ask any Rhode Islander to tell you their favorite part of

summer and you’ll undoubtedly hear about WaterFire

Providence – a non-profit arts organization whose

mission is to inspire the region and its visitors. Each

year, WaterFire Providence hosts dozens of lightings of

WaterFire, – an art installation held on the three rivers

of downtown Providence. The event engages all senses

with beautiful fires on the river and music from around

the world. It is open to the public and thousands of

people travel from all over the world to enjoy the event.

Fidelity has sponsored WaterFire Providence for over 10

years. Each year, the company hosts a dessert and cock-

tail soirée to entertain clients, local partners and select

employees who are active in the community. FLIK

Dining Services has worked closely with Fidelity to

ensure that each event is a huge success.

This year, the FLIK

team took creativity

and style to the next

level. At the center

of the party was a

local cheese board

and a grilled vegetable

crudité with home-

made red pepper

hummus. However,

the spotlight was a

variety of decadent desserts, including mini waffle

cones filled with a mango and kiwi salad, fresh mint

and honey, skewered brownie bites dipped in choco-

late ganache, grilled pineapple tossed with lime and

honey, and assorted cookies and cupcakes.

But the true crowd pleaser was a selection of special

push pops in three separate varieties, including straw-

berry shortcake, lemon cake with a lemon curd and

finally a chocolate cake with dulce de leche and a white

chocolate mousse. The guests enjoyed themselves so

much, the end time was pushed back by a half hour!

For more information, go to: waterfire.org

FIDELITY AND FLIK TEAM UP FOR RHODE ISLAND’S PROVIDENCE WATERFIRE


When FLIK Chef Matthew Love pulled out some of the wild mint growing in the parking lot of Chevy Chase House, he unwittingly created a miniature garden with enough herbs to season his dishes and serve his 125 resident guests the freshest ingredients possible. After Chef Matthew’s rosemary plants flourished, he dug out a 90 sq. ft. stretch of soil and planted lemon balm, sweet oregano, curly parsley, marjoram and Russian sage. Using their own herbs, the team were able to save up to $20 per week during the Spring and Summer.

FLIK Chef builds Sustainable Garden

Providence Health & Services’ Farmers Market Supports Local Community

“The renewal of plant life in Spring peaks my

creativity. All the organic life is just starting

to get going and everything is baby-sized.”

COMPASS IN THE COMMUNITYWolfgang Puck Catering spent July 29 on the plaza at the Pacific Design Center among numerous restaurants, wineries and gourmet purveyors at California Spirit. This was the 28th year of the event, originally founded in 1985 by Wolfgang Puck, Barbara Lazaroff and Sherry Lansing to fundraise for the

American Cancer Society. The California Spirit Gala is the largest fundraiser ben-efiting the American Cancer Society in Southern Califor-nia with all proceeds going toward research, education, prevention and free patient services programs. Participating restaurants included Spago Beverly Hills, WP 24, Chinois on Main, Matsuhisa, Mozza 2 go, Street and Wilshite.

Quick Bites

Chefs Justin Campbell, Matt Bencivenga, and Alan Latourelle celebrate success with event chair Barbara Lazaroff.


in the kitchen with…Wolfgang Puck Catering Executive Chef Corey Fuller

5 MINUTESINTERVIEW

Awards, achievements, education?I have been invited to be a guest star chef this year at the Interna-tional Gourmet Festival in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where I will take over a restaurant for 2 weeks and run my menu. I am very honored to do so. I graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in 2004.

Who mentored you and who do you mentor?Chef Bill Kim is my mentor and friend. The good things I can say about him and his wisdom would fill volumes. I like to think I mentor my sous chef Drew. I have trained him since 2009. He started as a line cook and his strong work ethic and personality allowed me to train him very well. Corey is the Executive Chef at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.

First memory in the kitchen? When I was seven, my best friend challenged me to make a Jiffy cher-ry pie. We snooped around in my mom’s kitchen and found we had the things to make it. That night, we had a cookout and we brought the pie. It probably tasted horrible, but the positive reinforcement from everyone stuck with me.

Most inspirational season for cooking?The renewal of plant life in Spring peaks my creativity. All the organic life is just starting to get going and everything is “baby.” Fava beans, stinging nettles, morels, escargots, fiddlehead ferns and ramps are all painstaking to clean, but so worth it, once you get them there!

What was your inspiration?My mother is the strongest person I know. She raised six kids while working 14-16-hour shifts in an ER and still made killer food!

What is your favorite cuisine?Korean… Kimchi.

Budgeting advice?I like to cross-utilize products wherever possible, and I am big into pickling and preserving ingredi-ents. I am a big fan of using whole animals from which I can get a wide variety of products and usage.

Providence Health & Services’ Renton Campus recently hosted its annual Farmers Market – a fundraiser for the Providence Mission Fund, which supports the poor and vulnerable in the local community. This year, the Eurest team hosted several booths featuring pie by the slice, whole pies, roasted corn on a stick, a fruit stand and a traditional salsa bar.

FLIK International recently part-nered with the Merck Interfaith Organization in raising aware-ness around Eid-ul-Fitr in all of Merck’s U.S. locations. Eid-ul-Fitr is a holiday marking the end of Ramadan and is typically celebrated with a feast. In Merck’s New Jersey and Pennsylvania locations, Halal lamb was carved to order for a Chef’s Table and Halal chicken was brought in to offer a “create your own” Tandoori chicken themed salad bar. In Merck’s southern locations, FLIK Executive Chef Dave Anderson created seafood and vegetarian dishes inspired by the Muslim faith and southern cuisine. The on-site team has also begun to partner around other religious observances, including Rosh Hashanah and Christmas.

BOSTON BITES BACK CELEBRITY CHEF EVENTChefs Bill Unterstein (Supervising

Chef), Brian Doyle (ICA), David

Filippetti (HBS) and Tim Partridge

(MFA) were invited by celebrity

chefs Ken Oringer and Ming Tsai

to participate in the Boston Bites

Back charity event. Enjoying an

iconic setting in Fenway Park,

the goal of the event was to raise

more than one million dollars

for Boston’s One Fund, which

supports victims of the Boston

Marathon bombing.

Nearly 5,000 attendees came

to see what 100 chefs had

prepared at their tables. Featured

entrée items on the menu includ-

ed lamb schnitzel with shaved

asparagus and English pea and

arugula followed by buttermilk

panna cotta-strawberry rhubarb

strudel made by Pastry Chef

Andreas Horvava of HBS.

MET MUSEUM FEATURED IN NEW YORK TIMES The Metropolitan Museum of

Art’s seasonal prix-fixe menu

“Foraged Fare of the Pacific

Northwest” at the Members

Dining Room in the Met Museum

was lauded by The New York

Times for “embracing a hot culi-

nary trend, using foraged ingre-

dients on the Pacific Northwest

dinner menu.” The restaurant

rotates six prix-fixe menus.

BASEBALL GALA AT THE INTREPID The Major League Baseball All

Star Gala for 5,000 guests was

held at the Intrepid Sea, Air

and Space Museum Complex

in July. The quintessential New

York menu featured five buffet

stations, each named after an

iconic area within the city. The

Montauk station featured crab

cakes, chili lime corn, blueberry

bites and watermelon coolers.

Chinatown offered Peking duck,

Asian noodle salad in take-out

containers, fortune cookies and

pomegranate iced tea.

Harlem offered fried chicken

and biscuits, red velvet cupcakes

and lemonade. Queens served

grilled masa cakes, antipasti

salad, chocolate chip cannoli and

chianti, while Lower East Side

served mini pastrami sandwiches,

hot dogs, black and white cook-

ies and cream soda.

PANINOTECA WINS BEST STATION AWARD Launched at the Royal Bank of

Scotland’s 1727 Deli Station,

Paninoteca won the Best Station

award in Food Management

Magazine’s 2013 Best Concept

Awards. The following review

recently appeared in the publica-

tion: “The humble meatball gets

the upscale treatment with this

gourmet panini concept, which

offers four exotic meatball choices,

six toppings and four breads for

customers to mix and match.

“The meatballs themselves are

the star attraction with selections

like one combining pork shoulder,

prosciutto, hot cherry pepper

and cippollini onions.“

RESTAURANT ASSOCIATES AWARDS AND HONORS

s

s

s

FLIK partners with the Merck Interfaith Organization

For more information, please [email protected].

We are lowering our Carbon Foodprint!

The Carbon Foodprint Toolkit helps you manage the “new normal”

• Allows managers to create customized strategies

• Ability to decrease waste disposal, energy and water use

• Provides opportunities to lower greenhouse gas emissions

elements • WINTER 201410


1. Eurest Regional

Executive Chef Carmen

Marzocco and Marketing

Director Ashley Shaffer

partnered with The Chil-

dren’s Inn at the National

Institutes of Health (NIH)

for a night of fun and food.

The Children’s Inn is a pri-

vate, nonprofit residence

for families and their chil-

dren who are participating

in pediatric research at the

NIH’s Clinical Center.

Families staying at The

Inn were treated to a

movie and a hands-on

experience with Chef

Carmen, rolling their

own meatballs that were

later cooked for dinner.

2. At the Café WT at

Qualcomm in San Diego,

CA, Executive Chef Joel

Cooper staged an elabo-

rate ice display packed

with local and sustainable

fish, prawns and oysters.

While customers waited

in line for their seafood,

they were educated by

Chef Joel about Eurest’s

commitment to sustain-

able seafood practices, as

well as the importance of

supporting local fisher-

men. “Every Friday our

guests anticipate the local

seafood we serve,” said

Chef Joel. “It has created a

buzz as they recognize the

quality and freshness.”

3. Michael Lemereis, Unit

Manager for Eurest at

Medtronic, participated in

a career day for the Food

Program at San Clemente

High School in San Clem-

ente, CA. Chef Michael’s

one-hour class included a

short biography, informa-

tion on Compass Group,

careers in the foodservice

industry with a focus on

contract foodservice. The

presentation was followed

by a Stop, Think, Act safety

discussion and a cooking

demonstration where Chef

Michael served a mixed

green salad with citrus and

a blood orange vinaigrette.

4. Eurest Executive Chef

James Foley of Navy

Federal Credit Union and

Executive Chef Daniel

Bonilla of CSC in Falls

Church, VA, served over

300 portions of Sonora

scallops as part of a col-

laboration with the Best

Buddies organization for

the “Life is Sweet” event.

Best Buddies is dedicated

to establishing a global

volunteer movement to

create opportunities for

friendship, employment

and leadership for people

with intellectual and devel-

opmental disabilities. The

event raised over $35,000

for the VA Best Buddies

chapter and was attended

by VA Congressman

Moran, Miss Virginia, Miss

District of Columbia and

Miss Teen Virginia.

People & Places

1 432

WEEK 1 – HEIRLOOMS: Old, new, local, globalThe series discussed ways of preserving native plants, the new varieties, and the global influence in our communities. Signature dishes included Hilltop Farms heirloom tomato with house-made mozzarella skewers and apple wood house smoked Berkshire pork belly served with buckwheat pave crostini, peach chutney.

WEEK 2 – FORAGING: Finding food at your feetThis series looked at how and where to find food in your own back yard. Chef Bednar featured a vegetarian beet burger as well

as wild mushroom tarts and a dandelion salad with pansies.

WEEK 3 – GROW NOW: Local growers spill the beansThis series discussed gardening as an educational act of change in our local communities and across the country. Featured dishes included vegetable Napoleon with spinach, carrots, tomato, quinoa and chevre, as well as Nick’s floriani red flint corn polenta with corn, black bean, avocado, tomato and hibiscus and orchid cupcakes.

WEEK 4 – PAY DIRT: How does what you put into the ground affect what comes out?

Chef Bednar featured mini potatoes with cream fraiche, chives and caviar, as well as truffle risotto croquettes and mashed celery root and vegetable “meatball” with a Cabernet demi sauce.

WEEK 5 – JULIA CHILDS 101 BIRTHDAYThis series revisited some of Julia Childs “kitchen wisdom” about fresh ingredients and the pleasures of the table. Vichyssoise, a chilled potato and leek soup as well as poached salmon with ratatouille and tuna Nicoise salad on a pan bagnat.

Food in the Garden Series 2013In July, Restaurant Associates partnered with Smithsonian Institute at the National Museum of American History to create a five-week series that brought together local growers, practitio-ners, educators and researchers to explore and experience the sourcing and growing of food. RA Executive Chef William Bednar of the National Museum of American History “cultivated” his own menus to correspond with each week’s theme.

In October, The Carillon, operated by Flik International, was nominated as the Grand Prize Champion at the inau-gural Smoke@ICC competition, an invitation-only event at the Annual StarChefs International Chefs Congress (ICC). The Carillon placed first in Asian Barbecue (pork), third in Regional American (quail) and fourth in New World (lamb) protein categories. The Carillon team of Executive Chef Josh Watkins, Chef de Cuisine Chris Andrews, Pastry Chef Plinio Sandalio and Volunteer Chef Samantha Whitlam from the School of Culinary Management at the Institute of Culinary Education triumphed over nine premiere culi-nary teams from around the United States.

“With such great sponsors and StarChefs leading the charge, ICC certainly set us up for success,” said Watkins. “Our team had an incredible time and was fortunate to finish with the Grand Prize, which was made possible with the support of our restaurant, company and fans.”For more information, go to: thecarillonrestaurant.com.

Eurest at Boeing Renton recently catered Boeing’s biannual Employee Appreciation Day for 10,000 people. The event involves months of meetings and organization and a solid week of preparation leading up to the event. For this year’s event, the team prepared and served 2,970 pounds of BBQ chicken, 3,564 pounds of baby back pork ribs, 2,646 pounds of baked beans, 2,500 pounds of cole-slaw, 10,000 bread rolls, 10,000 ice cream bars and seven pallets of bottled water.

Thanks to the culinary expertise and organizational skills of Executive Chef Andrew Gaynor and Sous Chef Joshua Merritt, the event was seamless and the positive feedback from both customers and clients was phenomenal.

General Manager Mark Slater said, “I couldn’t be more proud of my team. They always go above and beyond boasting great can-do attitudes and constantly giving 110 percent. Overall it was a fantastic day enjoyed by all.”

THE CARILLON WINS GRAND PRIZE AT SMOKE@ICC EVENT

BOEING RENTON CATERS BBQ FOR 10,000

Featuring nationally recognized celebrity chefs

and culinary talents, our CELEBRITY CHEF SERIES

provides customers with the opportunity to enjoy

celebrity chef cuisine, exclusively in their cafés.


Look for these celebrities’ recipes in your café!


New Unit OpeningsRESTAURANT ASSOCIATES

s MOUNT SINAI, NEW YORK, NYIn May, RA took over Mount Sinai

Medical Center’s retail dining

outlets. Mount Sinai was recently,

recently named one of the 50

best hospitals in the country by

US News and World Report. It is also one of the top teaching

hospitals with thousands of

visitors daily. Mount Sinai is a

new joint venture, comprised of

RA, Morrisons, Canteen and

Crothall. The Plaza Café is open

every day for breakfast, lunch,

dinner and snacks. There are

also several satellite operations,

including the Operating Room

Café, where surgeons can relax

between surgeries, the HESS

Café, which features shaker

salad, hot sandwiches, soup, and

snacks, the Icahn Café and CAM,

which feature grab & go snacks

and a Starbucks Coffee bar.

BET NETWORK, WASHINGTON, DCIn April, RA partnered with

Thompson Hospitality to open

BET Networks’ cafeteria. The café

offers breakfast favorites such as

breakfast sandwiches and a fruit &

yogurt bar and lunch offers sand-

wiches, grill, main course with a

global flair, salad & antipasti bar

and soup. Opening week promo-

tions included complimentary

cookies, samplings, a guest chef

appearance and raffles.

CNN/TURNER, ATLANTA, GAIn June, RA opened the Station

Break Café, a Hudson Bean

Coffee Bar, CNN Diner and Wil-

liams Street Café, at three Turner

locations in Atlanta. Station Break

Café and CNN Diner are 24/7

operations offering breakfast,

lunch, dinner and snacks. Williams

Street Café offers breakfast and

lunch and the Hudson Bean

Coffee Bar has an assortment of

pastries, desserts, quick picks and

snacks in addition to an expansive

coffee and espresso menu.

t WEST END BISTRO, GOOGLE CAMBRIDGE, MA In August, RA unveiled its brand

new café and five micro kitchens

in the newly constructed Google

office space. The West End Bistro

features a continental breakfast

and, for lunch, salad & antipasti

a fruit and yogurt bar, sandwich,

salad & antipasti, plus a global

themed main course station, the

guests were excited and very com-

plimentary about the choices and

quality and variety of food.

UNDERTONE, NEW YORK, NYIn April, RA opened a new part-

nership with digital advertising

agency start-up Undertone, which

needed a food vendor that could

keep up with its trendy and inno-

vative style. The floor is comprised

of two pantries and a Town Hall

area designed for positive daily

interaction and networking. The

Town Hall pantry is stocked with

organic, healthy and gluten-free

snacks available 24 hours a day.

It can also be transformed into a

large event space, boasting five

flat screen televisions and a sound

system that makes the floor shake.

t YOUNG & RUBICAM, NEW YORK, NYRA opened Cafe 285 at Y&R’s

new building at 3 Columbus

Circle in New York City. Cafe 285

offers a variety of pastries, bagels

and muffins, as well as quiches,

frittatas, parfaits, coffee and juice

for breakfast. At lunch, gourmet

sandwiches and salads with

rotating specialty and toasted

sandwiches, toasted sandwiches,

specialty salads and desserts.

bar, grill, main course, vegetarian

and soup stations, as well as a

daily cheese board and a separate

Kosher section. Each micro kitchen

took its theme from a popular stop

on one of the Boston train lines.

s NOMURA, NEW YORK, NYIn June, RA made the move with

Nomura to its brand new building

on 49th street in Manhattan and

opened the brand new 25th floor

café as well as a full beverage bar.

The café offers full breakfast,

including eggs cooked to order,

pancakes, bagels, muffins, hot

and cold cereals, fresh fruit, as-

sorted pastries and coffee. Lunch

stations include a salad & antipasti

bar, sandwich, global, grill, a la

plancha and a full Pizza station.

The beverage bar offers a wide

variety of Starbucks’ beverages,

pastries and desserts, made

to order smoothies and freshly

squeezed orange juice.

MORTGAGE MASTERS, WALPOLE, MAIn May, RA opened a new café at

Mortgage Master in Walpole, MA.

The café uses Freedom Pay and

guests have a flat charge for break-

fast and another flat charge for

lunch. Featuring breakfast, lunch

and snack items, with every day

favorites such as breakfast pastries,

GSI recently celebrated the launch of its new name, eBay Enterprise, with employees and their families at the Summer Celebration. Led by Foodservice Director Katie Manion, the Eurest team planned and executed the entire event, including entertain-

ment for 1,300 guests. Attendees stepped off the red carpet and entered a large tent filled with local, seasonal foods and beverages. As part of eBay Enterprise’s green intiatives, sustainable and disposable products were used for the event and the centerpieces were plants that could be planted in home gardens.

The client was very pleased and said, “Thank you for making our eBay Enterprise Summer event a huge suc-cess. We received many compliments from our employees and families that the staff was friendly, organized, helpful and efficient. We really appreciate the planning and service excellence you provide to eBay Enterprise.”

eBay Enterprise Team Sets The Stage For Excellence

Flik and Eisai Team Up On Wellness Focus For Guests

J&J IT Celebrates NYC Festival With Mozzarella Chef’s TableIn celebration of New York City’s San Gennerro festival in September, J&J Information Technology in Raritan, N.J., presented a Chef’s Table featuring Eurest Executive Chef Joey “Mozz” Resciniti’s fresh-made mozzarella. Customers were able to see how fresh mozzarella is made and enjoy samples. The Chef’s Table featured an antipasto spread, including sliced fresh-made mozzarella, balsamic roasted figs, asparagus and prosciutto salad, heirloom tomatoes, roasted peppers, an olive medley, artichokes with citrus and basil, broccolini and fresh crostini over field greens. The café was buzzing with excitement as customers stopped by to check out the demonstration.

appetizersNEWS Q&A PEOPLE & PLACES DIVERSITY GREAT SOLUTIONS Quick Bites

When Eisai’s new weight management medication launched recently in the U.S., the FLIK team partnered with the company to celebrate the landmark date by

increasing the number of well-ness offerings and providing two entrée selections in the café at a reduced price. Guests were also given recipes and a complimentary aqua fresca. Eisai’s new weight management marketing was set up alongside FIT marketing to highlight the shared wellness focus.

A quick round-up of recent additions to Restaurant Associates’ prestigious roster of foodservice accounts

brings resolutions and better choices to sustain active and

balanced lifestyles. The month of January holds a specific emphasis on New Year’s resolutions and seeking new experiences. New Year, New You offers a variety of breakfast, snack and beverage products to customers

throughout the day to maintain energy and make resolutions

easier to achieve.

Please email [email protected] for more information.

THE NEW YEAR

For those of us who can't, there is Webtrition.

Some chefs can afford to spend hours

creating menus.

Webtrition is Compass Group’s web-based proprietary ingredient, recipe and menu

management solution. By enabling our chefs to build quality menus with accurate

nutritional information, and improved production time, Webtrition delivers efficiencies

that increase both customer and client satisfaction.

For more information, please email [email protected].

The home of the Oscars® at the Hollywood & Highland Center has been renamed The Dolby Theatre and up-dated with brand new technology. The revamped venue, serviced by Wolfgang Puck Catering, features a state-of-the-art surround sound experience with Dolby 3D and Dolby Atmos Systems. The Ray Dolby Ballroom, setting of the Academy Awards® Governors Ball, has been

redesigned to better accommodate meet-ings and special events up to 2,500 guests. The art deco style features rich wood finishes, blackout shades and new state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems.

The Ray Dolby BallroomHollywood and Highland

The Eurest team at Bentley Systems Café in Exton, PA, offered its first cold made-to-order shrimp BLT with avocado and asparagus salad bar at the Chef’s Table recently with tremendous success! Regional Execu-

tive Chef Carmen Marzocco joined the team and tossed the salad items of choice for each guest.

A total of 29 salads were sold, resulting in terrific sales and a signifi-cant increase in sales for the day.

appetizersNEWS Q&A PEOPLE & PLACES DIVERSITY GREAT SOLUTIONS Quick Bites

For the third consecutive year, the FLIK team at Cravath, Swaine and Moore in New York City held its annual outdoor staff gathering in the picturesque courtyard at World Wide Plaza located in the Hells Kitchen neighbor-hood in Manhattan. Just after Labor Day, the 40-person staff donned funky sunglasses, colorful beads, playful mustaches, and multi-colored hats.

Along with the focus on transitioning from summer to fall, the management team discussed safety, personal reflection, career development, re-wards, recognition, and top objectives for the 2014 fiscal year.

The FLIK Team At Cravath, Swaine & Moore Take A “Time out”

Salad Bar Chef’s Table Success At Bentley

Johnson and Johnson CPC Skillman celebrated

Earth Day with an extensive information fair for its

associates. Local environmental groups focused on

regional incentives and the reductions people can make

in their homes, while other groups focused on ways in

which they can make reductions at the workplace.

Eurest showcased its Love Food Not Waste program,

as well as Eat Local, Be A Flexitarian and, most

importantly, Carbon Foodprint. J&J CPC Skillman’s actual

carbon footprint together with its goals to reduce it

were available for review. The team also partnered with

produce vendor J. Ambrosi to create an Eat Local table

with produce from local farmers.

“The Flexitarian table was a big hit,” said General Manager

Ellen Horowitz. “We had samples of a pasta frittata and

educated our customers on what being a Flexitarian means

and the impact this lifestyle has on the environment.”

The team at Jones Day in Washington D.C., headed

by Foodservice Director Kristopher Crawford, recently

revamped the on-site FIT program. Highlights of the

refresh included:

• Revamped FIT promotional signage throughout the café.

We ensured that our signage was accurate, recipes followed,

and that the proper serving utensils were in place for

controlling portion sizes.

• Platinum Service training with Senior Vice President,

Creative Development Adam Freed. The team discussed

what best in class service meant to everybody. Following

the presentation, associates were more accomplished at

engaging customers, suggesting/upselling items at stations,

and creating a warm and welcoming environment.

• The addition of smallwares to reinvigorate the café

display and the rezoning of items helped

to streamline the operation and maxi-

mize customer flow.

• Updated menu formatting and display

are reflective of FLIK standards. This

also included the addition of a new

LCD screen at the café entrance, which

makes it easier for customers to read

and identify the featured items.

J&J SKILLMAN CELEBRATES EARTH DAY WITH CARBON FOODPRINT

FLIK INTERNATIONAL AT JONES DAY REVAMPS FIT PROGRAM


Recharge offers top-selling snacks and

confections from top manufacturers such as

General Mills, Frito-Lay, Mondelez, Kellogg’s,

The Hershey Company, Kraft Foods, Mars and

Wrigley. The right mix of best-sellers, better-

for-you options and top-performing candy

and gum gives customers a large variety of

desirable options to choose from.

Get your fix with the right product mix!

P l e a s e e m a i l B u s i n e s s E xc e l l e n c e @ c o m p a s s - u s a . c o m f o r m o re i n f o r m a t i o n .

I n August, I had the good fortune to watch some of

the world’s best tennis players at the US Open in New York.

However, I wasn’t so much interested in observing their drop shots or forehand winners, but the way in which they fueled up for matches and recovered afterwards. This year, Restaurant Associates, Levy Restaurants and Compass’ Business Excellence Team collaborated to launch a special Player’s Café Balance Kitchen at the event – a revo-lutionary dining space created exclusively for players, coaches, family members and high-ranking United States Tennis Association (USTA) officials.

Even though athletes at this level are highly particular about their diet, it was still surprising to see so many young people loading their plates with veg-etables and lean proteins. At the juice bar, our spinach, apple and kale combo was so popular we ran out of kale at one point!

The First WordON WELLNESS

BY Deanne BrandstetterCompass Group Vice President, Nutrition and Wellness

GAME, SET AND MATCH FOR COMPASS AT THE US OPEN IN NEW YORK

supplements, and post-match recovery items.

Since we were in New York, great pizza is an expectation. We added to the menu some amazing gourmet flatbreads topped with a choice of delicious and healthy toppings, including arugula, mushroom and fresh tomato basil. They were a huge hit with the players and outsold our standard pizza offerings by almost four to one.

If you had to take a guess at what was the most popular choice of post-match recovery food for the players, I’m not sure many of you would have said chocolate milk. However, it has an almost perfect ratio of carbs to protein for quick and efficient refueling

INSIDE THE PLAYERS CAFÉ BALANCE KITCHEN

n Nutrient-dense and FIT menu options, including brown rice Morimoto sushi, wholegrain flatbreads topped with fresh, local vegetables and lean protein, made-to-order pasta, deli sandwiches on local artisan breads and a salad bar.

n Nutritional information and education available on iPads, kiosks and materials throughout the café.

n A registered dietitian on-site daily to answer player and trainer questions.

n A chocolate milk bar to promote optimal post-match recovery.

n Grab-and-go salads, sandwiches, whole-grain and veg-etable side dishes, and nutrient-rich sports bars and snacks.

n Squeezed-to-order fresh fruit and vegetable juices, power smoothies and European espresso.

n Locally sourced and sustainable ingredients, including local produce and Long Island City-based “free bread” for gluten-free bread and rolls. For more information about Compass Group’s Balance Kitchen, contact: [email protected].

“Even though athletes at this level are highly

particular about their diet, it was still surprising

to see so many young people loading their

plates with vegetables and lean proteins.”

and recovery. We had a selection of different types for the players to enjoy, including chocolate soy milk and chocolate almond milk.

The most popular station, however, was the cook-to-order pasta, where the players were able to select their own pasta, protein, vegetables and sauce. Speed of service is key for top players so we launched a new ordering system which enabled the players to text their orders to the culinary staff so that their meal was waiting when they arrived at the café. This commitment to offering the highest level of service was also exemplified by the willingness of the culinary teams to prepare sandwich platter for players com-peting in the evening matches.

The café was an overwhelming success with positive feedback pouring in from the players, coaches and trainers, as well as from the USTA. We are looking forward to returning to New York next year for more great serves, servings and service. e

It was interesting also to see an increase in players requesting menu items without gluten. Some of the athletes follow a gluten-free diet because of an intolerance or sensitivity to it while others believe it helps improve their performance. Having consulted with the USTA’s dietitians and the players’ coaches and nutritionists well in advance of the tournament, we knew that this had become a popular trend on the pro circuit so we were well prepared, with a selection of Made Without Gluten Containing Ingredient sandwiches, flatbreads, pasta dishes and packaged snacks com-plementing our regular selection of pre-match foods, bars and

Left: Main Entrance of the Player’s Café – the first Balance Kitchen café site launched at Compass Group.

Above: Freshly made deli sandwiches on local artisian bread.

Below: Gourmet flat bread pizza topped with delicious and healthy toppings.

A selection of the food stations provided for pre and post-match fueling


and organized. Nearly all of the station areas include rectangular hot or cold units, inset into the white quartz countertops. The pans are easy to swap in and out, and they can all be transported on identical racks.

One of the most important factors in creating the low profile look was ensuring that there was enough room for adequate food storage. “We used lots of undercounter hot and cold storage,” Weiss says. “The extra storage saves staff from running all the way back to the kitchen during peak times.” The low-profile storage solution was carried over on the customer side, too. Shelves holding disposable plates and bowls are inset into the front of the salad and soup stations.

Perhaps the biggest design and construction challenge came with the Action station, which was equipped with high-wattage induction cookers, a mobile heated cabinet and drop-in hot and cold pans. “The hoods had to be located at the front so that the cooks would face forward toward the guests,” Weiss says. “The solution we came up with was to install custom fab, curved stainless steel covers in front of the rectangular hoods in order to match the curve of the counters below. The custom fronts required a lot of coordination. We worked with the manufacturer to have the oven shipped here in pieces and then assembled on site with the help of a special crane.”

Case Study

THE PROJECT GOALS:Renovate a dated foodservice facilityThe existing scoop-and-serve operation at Blue Cross Blue Shield’s (BCBS) headquarters in Newark, N.J., was more than 20 years old. The stainless steel and formica work surfaces and kitchen equipment, which featured institu-tional-style hot and cold wells and sneeze guards, were beginning to look dated. Although Eurest had added several action stations to the facility when it took over operations in 2011, the servery lacked any modern foodservice technology.

From a design perspective, many of the stations within the main restaurant area were surrounded by partitions, which blocked out natural daylight and made the whole area feel dark, cramped and much smaller than its footprint suggested. From a performance and revenue perspective, participation and covers were significantly down, with many employees leaving the building and heading downtown to look for alternative lunch and dining options.

The key objective of the refresh project was to design a modern facility that offered an enhanced customer experience while at the same time enabling Blue Cross Blue Shield to implement its Journey To Health employee wellness initiative.

THE REFRESH PROCESS:Modernize equipment and improve sightlinesAlthough one of the key refurbishment goals was to maximize space, a key consideration throughout the entire refresh was that the new facility should be more efficient and versatile

Blue Cross Blue ShieldAction serving stations, flexible equipment and technology,

and panoramic sightlines put food front-and-center at Blue Cross

Blue Shield headquarters’ new employee dining facility.

Compass GroupCLIENT PROFILE

from a culinary standpoint. In particular, BCBS wanted equipment that would enable its in-house foodservice team to be able to add variety and respond to emerging food trends. Eurest appointed New York-based Studio E Design Group to manage the project. Planning com-menced in late 2011 and construction started on the project in May 2012.

“Having the design team involved in thebuild-out ensured that all details were done properly, with no substitutions and no shortcuts,” said Eurest Regional Vice President Jim Colom-baris. “From our client’s perspective, there was only one contract from start to finish to deal with. And from our perspective, it was a seamless transition from concept to final execution.”

From a visual standpoint, the design team wanted to make full use of the two long walls of windows in order to take advantage of the natural light and the view. “We really wanted to open up the sight lines and keep all the stations low and arranged around the perimeter,” says Ivan Weiss, Studio E’s Executive Vice President. “As a result, the servery now feels about four times as large as before.”

In addition to creating a sense of space, the minimalist design also helps keep stations clean

“As well as creating

a sense of space, the

minimalist design

also helps keep

stations clean and

organized. Nearly

all the station areas

include rectangular

hot or cold units set

into the countertops.”

TOP: Thanks to its open plan design, the new servery feels large and spacious. TOP RIGHT: A wide range of healthy and baked snacks are available. ABOVE AND RIGHT: The freestanding salad bar and its skylight are the café’s main focal point.

BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD PROJECT SUMMARY & FACTS

Menu/segment: Corporate dining

Location: Newark, N.J.

Foodservice operator: Eurest Dining Services

Building population: 3,000

Covers/day: 2,600

Seats: 340

REFURBISHMENT PROJECT TEAMIvan Weiss Executive Vice President, Studio E Design Group

Aaron Weiss Assistant Vice President, Studio E Design Group

Chad Weiss Graphic Designer and Project Manager, Studio E Design Group

Jim Colombaris Regional Vice President, Eurest

Will Alfieri Foodservice Director, Eurest

KEY STATIONS

Whole+Sum

Pizza/Pasta

Grill

Action

Global

Deli

Salad Bar

Coffee Bar

KEY BENEFITS/ROI

Reaction to the new Riverside Café

servery was both immediate and

positive. Average participation

is 41 percent of the employee

base for breakfast and 47 percent

for lunch. This represents a five

percent increase on participation

compared with the old servery.

THE FINISHTwo amazing new dining experiences

The Riverside CaféStanding at the entrance to Riverside Café, guests can now take in the entire space at a glance. The immediate focal point is the freestanding salad bar and its matching skylight. To the left of the entrance, along the servery’s only solid wall, are the whole+sum (chef’s table), pizza/pasta and grill stations. Next, set against a backdrop of tall windows, comes the global and action stations, the deli and the soup/flex stations. The beverage station is positioned conveniently near three POS stands. Flat screen monitors mounted above and in front of each station display menus, food photography, nutritional details and on occasion, communications from BCBS.

Thanks to the Riverside Café’s new open-plan design, some 75 percent of food is now prepped and prepared in the servery in full view of guests. Wall-to-wall windows behind the stations provide an ever-changing backdrop for the culinary theater. The support kitchen is now mainly responsible for soups and traditional entrée and soup production as well as roast meats.

Four Corners CaféIn addition to refreshing the Riverside Café, Eurest and Studio E also implemented a new coffee bar and quick-service sandwich outlet called Four Corners Café. “The clients wanted the coffee bar to look like part of the lobby rather than, say, a Starbucks kiosk,” Weiss says. “Hanging elements and half-walls were used to define its space and house its equipment. And it has the same bright, eye-catching lighting treatment as the salad bar inside.” The coffee bar features a well-rounded menu, including grab-and-go sandwiches, pastries, cookies and snacks, plus the full gamut of specialty coffees, blended drinks and tea. The location is equipped with under-counter refrigeration, a speed oven, ice machine, blenders as well as espresso machines and coffee brewers. e


Café 9 at Microsoft in Redmond, Washington. The recently remodeled Pacific Rim is an anchor destination concept serving authentic Asian-style, house-made foods.

L ong gone are the days when a corpo-rate restaurant or café refresh simply meant giving the walls a fresh coat of paint, replacing the outdated furniture

and hanging some fancy new artwork. While there’s nothing wrong with upgrading the décor of your dining facility, a Compass-style overhaul can bring much more to your busi-ness than a fresh look. “In today’s challenging economy, companies are no longer tolerating underperforming corporate cafés simply be-cause they’re viewed as an essential employee benefit,” says Tim Korinth, Compass Group’s Centers For Excellence Director. “Increasingly, companies are looking at ways in which these facilities can become profitable cost centers in their own right and deliver revenue straight to the bottom line. It’s no longer acceptable to watch an in-house café or restaurant underper-form, operate inefficiently or even lose money.”

REFRESH3 STEPS TO

THE PERFECT

Whether you’re looking to give your dining facility a major overhaul or

implement a few simple tweaks to improve performance, Compass’

new Refresh program incorporates a range of solutions that will help you

generate buzz, improve efficiency and increase sales. BY NICK WRIGHT

s

Compass’ refresh strategy is a comprehensive threefold operation that comprises culinary, marketing and operations. The process starts with a detailed customer survey followed by a servery analysis and the development of a tactical unit plan that implements culinary fundamentals, including relevant wellness and sustainability programs, and retail strate-gies, such as menu engineering, functional signage, POS promotions, merchandising, customer service, pricing and product positioning. Performance benchmarks are established prior to the refresh and key metrics will be measured and analyzed 60 days after its implementation.

In this article, we’ll take a detailed look at the refresh process and outline the key steps that will enable Compass to transform your existing dining facility, deliver enhanced customer satisfaction and increase revenues.

STEP 1 UNDERSTANDING CUSTOMER AND CLIENT NEEDS The first step for Compass with a potential refresh project is to develop a detailed understanding of its clients’ current business challenges and objectives. This analysis will usually take place during a Quarterly Business Review (QBR) – a structured program that enables Compass’ account executives to communicate frequently with clients and there-fore collaborate and add value to the relationship. The deck for the QBR includes specific refresh information and, in addition, various written materials are available that further explain the refresh process and highlight the potential key benefits. During this stage of the process, Com-pass looks to establish a deeper understanding of the client’s satisfaction, financial performance and future improvement goals.

Some of the most common reasons for refreshing an existing dining facility are to increase participation and sales, attract customers, improve efficiencies and margins, and improve the entire customer experience.

“Generally, there are two main reasons why we would introduce the idea of of a refresh to our clients: increase participation and sales, attract customers, improve efficiencies and margins, and improve the entire customer experience,” says Tim Korinth, Centers for Excellence Direc-tor at Compass Group. “For consumers, it’s most often about making the dining experience easier,

“Some of the most common reasons for refreshing an exist-

ing dining facility are to improve margins, improve efficiencies,

increase participation, check averages and sales, attract more

customers and generally improve the customer experience.”

CAFÉ REFRESH


“Napoli” is Microsoft’s pizza station, where pizzas are made to order using authentic Italian ingredients.

Phot

o: R

ober

t Pi

sano

/ S

eatt

le a

nd L

iuzh

ou

quicker and more intuitive, while financial improvement comes from operating more efficiently and paying more attention to menu engineering so that clients know and understand what are their most profitable items.”

Once Compass has determined that a refresh will help its clients meet their financial and op-erational goals, the process starts with a customer survey carried out through focus groups. During the data gathering component of this exercise, a neutral facilitator is invited to the client site to conduct surveys and focus groups, and to solicit insights and perspectives on the dining experi-ence. “To ensure that we get the most accurate feedback and information possible in our cus-tomer reviews, the facilitator works directly with the client to schedule the interviews,” Korinth explains. “The reason we do this is to ensure that we get a broad cross-section of responses and not just insights from favored accounts.”

The range of questions includes quality and variety of food, food preferences, facility design/layout, speed of service and pricing. The col-lected data is then analyzed to help develop an action plan for the refresh. In some cases, if a cli-ent prefers not to go through the Onsite Insight process, Compass will look at previous customer survey results to identify past performance goals and key businesses objectives. Compass may also conduct a ‘table touching’ exercise, where restaurant and cafeteria customers are solicited for their opinions on what they are looking for and what they feel could be improved.

STEP 2 MAPPING THE SERVERY Once the customer feedback has been received and analyzed, the next step is to evaluate the servery in its entirety to identify opportunities for improving the dining experience and maxi-mizing profitability. Performed with a customer’s

perspective in mind, this operational deep dive includes a review of the real estate, stations, traffic flow, merchandising, retail promotions, interruption tables, check averages and margins. In addition, each station is assessed for its func-tionality and ability to serve customers and meet their needs in the minimum amount of time. “We look at every single aspect of the business and ask what can we do to improve customer experience and sales,” Korinth says.

During this part of the process, Compass’ refresh team will look at signage, merchandis-ing, customer flow, menu boarding, station IDs and the use of promotions to identify ways In which the customer experience can be simplified and improved. In many cases, seemingly obvious things such as unclear entrance signage, cluttered menu boards and a lack of station information combine to adversely affect financial performance. Since one of the most common goals of a refresh is to streamline and enhance the customer experi-ence, a great deal of time is spent observing diners within the restaurants and caféterias, in particular the traffic flow around the various stations on the way towards the cash register. This not only enables Compass to identify customers’ buying habits and preferences, it also highlights potential routing and sequencing issues and “cold” spots that may be preventing the facility from achiev-ing revenue targets. Furthermore, if a client has demonstrated an interest in wellness and sustain-ability practices, this overview will also ensure that all of Compass’ healthy dining standards and sustainability commitments are in place. “This process also gives us the opportunity to identify interruption points which we can use to drive profitability and increase sales,” Korinth says. “For example, we might recommend adding an inter-ruption table adjacent to the deli line so people have the opportunity to pick up an impulse item while they are waiting to place their lunch order, or read about an exciting upcoming promotion.”

STEP 3 MENU ENGINEERINGLong gone are the days when menus were compiled on personal preferences, feelings and anecdotal feedback. Today, fact-based information and statistical analysis are an integral component of the menu creation

s

2 KEY REFRESH CONSIDERATIONS

STATION CONCEPTS AND RETAIL BRANDSAdding a brand or concept station to your

foodservice operation can help drive sales,

enhance guest loyalty and increase profit-

ability. Although Compass has a deep

portfolio of concepts and brands that clients

can utilize, there are many factors involved

in selecting the correct level and format

of each brand. Whichever station concept

a client opts

for, they will

have access to

Compass’ Retail

Innovations

program – a

one-stop shop

for station

design and

build, opera-

tional support,

training, retail programs, marketing,

graphics, communications, menu develop-

ment, and more.

WELLNESS & SUSTAINABILITYBalance, Compass Group’s end-to-end well-

ness solution, emphasizes moderation and

encourages healthier lifestyle choices. By

linking elements of wellness, sustainability

and humanity, Balance promotes lifestyles

and behaviors that can be maintained for

the long-term and offers healthier choices,

promotes active lifestyles and delivers infor-

mation and decision essentials that enable

customers to make knowledgeable choices.

The Balance program is available at three

levels: Basic, Mid-Level and High-Level.

The Basic Level Balance program is for

clients looking for a wellness presence, but

not yet interested in significant additions

or changes to their dining program.

For clients interested in additional wellness

programming, the Mid-Level Balance program

can be implemented once the Basic level

criteria is met. For clients with internal well-

ness brands or those interested in high level

programs that integrate fitness, food service

and other wellness initiatives, the Advanced

Integrated Balance program can be offered.

A refresh gives you the opportunity to implement new ideas. These two programs may help you achieve your key business objectives.

More information can be found at: www.compassgroupmedia.com/ balancekitchen.

“We look at every single aspect of the business and ask

what can we do to improve customer experience and sales.

In many cases, seemingly obvious things such as unclear

entrance signage, cluttered menu boards and a lack of station

information combine to adversely affect financial performance.”

CAFÉ REFRESH


Client Case Study

BELOW LEFT: Chef Douglas Myers from J&J Ethicon with his daily feature Chef’s Table.

RIGHT: The refreshed café at J&J Ethicon in Somerville, N.J.

We have exceeded our goal of losing one million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.

Nearly 200 cafés participated in the challenge and shed a total of 2.3M lbs. of CO2 equivalent. 88% of the cafés saved energy and money; about $200,000, for their clients.

A big thank you to all of the cafés that participated. Great job!

WE DID IT!


lence. “It’s the perfect solution for menu engineering in our cafés.”

Another key service available within Webtrition is the ability to analyze product contribution. This financial review enables users to identify whether menu prices are high enough to generate the forecasted profit once variable and fixed costs/expenses have been subtracted from total rev-enues. Once this process has been completed, the next step is to analyze how customers have reacted to the new menu and its prices. Studying the menu mix involves recording the sales and contribution data for each menu item. This will help identify problems or opportunities related to items sold.

The final step is to evaluate and set future menu pricing, design and content. The goal of menu engineering is to maximize profitability by influencing guest purchasing behavior – usually guiding them toward the items with high contri-bution margins. In many cases, this involves plac-ing the items with the highest margin and those that are most likely to be purchased on impulse in optimal positions, bundling items together and ensuring that new items are priced correctly. In addition, the identification of low contribution margin items enables you to consider adjusting the price or portion size, replacing the item with a higher margin alternative or removing it from the menu completely. e

process. In short, a chef or foodservice manager can combine performance data with instinct and experience to make better operating decisions.

During the menu engineering part of the process, Eurest reviews everything a café offers its customers and then analyzes the menu from a financial perspective to highlight what con-tribution each menu item delivers to the bottom line. “This part of the review process is designed to help our cafés identify their most profitable items and combinations so that they can make better decisions with menu creation,” Korinth says.

Any account that refreshes its dining facilities from 2014 will automatically receive access and training for Webtrition, Compass’ proprietary ingredient, recipe and menu management solution. In addition to providing accurate nutritional analysis, this sophisticated web-based tool enables users to access a database of best-in-class recipes developed by Compass’ culinary leaders, reduce food inflation by selecting recipes based on cost, reduce waste through enhanced forecasting and portioning, promote healthy and wellness-driven food choices, and create customizable nutritional signage. “Webtrition provides a robust database of recipes, with complete cost and profit infor-mation at your fingertips,” says Amy Keister, Compass Group’s Vice President, Business Excel-

Ethicon is a Johnson & Johnson company that develops innovative surgical products for laparoscopic and minimally invasive proce-dures. The facility, located in Somerville N.J., is J&J’s global headquarters for surgery. The on-site population of 1,100 consists primarily of executive, administrative and manufac-turing associates. Eurest was awarded the foodservice con-tract in 2011 and immediately embarked upon a refresh of the company’s in-house café.

THE KEY ACTION POINTSWith this particular account, Eurest had to work within the boundaries of contractual pricing, where the operator is prevented from raising prices on certain menu items. During the server mapping process, the café was analyzed station by station and a 79-point ac-tion plan was developed.

One notable action item was to move the Seattle’s Best coffee station to a

dead space. In doing so, Ethicon was able to create an additional offering of a made-to-order Wild Greens salad station. In addition, a number of culinary changes were introduced, including a major improvement to the quality of the pizza station by switching to scratch made pizza dough and promoting the signature meatball dish.

The company also in-creased the frequency of the Chef’s Table from weekly to daily. This has enabled the team to interact on a more personal level with customers with the result that the pro-gram is usually a sell-out.

THE CLIENT SAYS:“Without having to make any price increases, participa-tion and check averages have increased at both breakfast and lunch. Overall sales have increased by over seven percent.”– John Leahy, Resident District Manager

JOHNSON & JOHNSON ETHICON

REFRESH OVERVIEW

ACTION ITEMS

n New signage and smallwares

n Chef’s Table offered daily

n Repositioned breakfast offerings

n Repositioned coffee station

n Added Wild Greens station

n Upgraded pizza station offerings

KEY BENEFITS/ RESULTS

Café sales +7.7%

Breakfast check average +5.3%

Breakfast participation +4.8%

Lunch check average +2.4%

Lunch participation +4.7%

CAFÉ REFRESH


ABOVE LEFT: Scouts toasting marshmallows on the grill. ABOVE CENTER: Compass Group’s John Mauro and Jesse Corning. ABOVE RIGHT: Serving hungry scouts a delicious meal under the Big Top during lunch.

sk Patrick Tarr, the Project Manager of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Jamboree, to name

the standout accomplishment of a 10-day period in which more than 40,000 scouts,

venturers and volunteers convened in the West Virginia wilderness for 10 days of camping, hiking, biking, rafting and character-building and he won’t tell you it was that Eurest served more than 1.4 million meals. He won’t boast either that not a single attendee missed a breakfast, lunch or din-ner. And he won’t even touch on the subject of the military-like organization required to deliver more than 150 tractor-trailer loads of food to one of the most remote and inaccessible areas of the country.

“I’m actually most proud of the fact that there were zero lost-time accidents among our associates during the event,” Tarr says. “The first class organization and management of the foodservice, well, you really ex-pect that from Compass and Eurest. That we had no

SCOUTS HONOR

Every four years, tens of thousands of boy scouts and volunteer staff from across the USA unite for 10 days of outdoor activities in rural West Virginia. Eurest was given the task of feeding them.

accidents tells you everything you need to know about the culture of safety that permeates our company. It was an incredible accomplishment.”

The flawless safety record at this year’s event is, of course, the culmination of three years in-between intense planning and preparation that began almost immediately after the conclusion of the 2010 event. In the past, the jamboree had been hosted at a military base in Virginia, but in 2011 the BSA purchased a 10,600-acre tract of heavily forested land in an isolated corner of the West Virginia mountains. Working in conjunction with Compass, the organization has since been developing the property with the long-term goal of turning it into the ultimate camping and outdoor adventure retreat for its members.

While the remoteness of the new Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve and its adjacency to the New River Gorge National River is perfect for outdoor adventurers looking to connect with nature,

s

EVENT REVIEW BSA JAMBOREE

“While the remoteness of the new Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve and its adjacency

to the New River Gorge National River is perfect for outdoor adventurers looking for the opportunity

to connect with nature, the location presents more than its fair share of catering challenges.”


1,400,000 meals served

48,453 total attendees

71,700 hotdogs sold

66,873 soda bottles sold

58,826 pizzas sold 33,782 portions of French fries sold

16,068 gallons of milk drunk

9,443 water bottles sold

173 tractor trailer deliveries

42 of the 50 U.S. states represented

BY THE NUMBERS

KEY FACTS AND STATS OF THE JAMBOREE

FAR LEFT : A wide range of foods were available in the mobile snacks and beverages tents. ABOVE: The main scout camp. TOP RIGHT: A Eurest associate marinates tray loads of beef bris-ket. RIGHT: An aerial view of the 10,600-acre camp.

for the planning of this year’s jamboree. “The key thing I learned from the previous event, when I was second in command, was the need to be ready for adaptation and change,” Tarr says. “It’s a huge event, it’s fast-paced and it’s out in the woods in the middle of nowhere. Things are going to go wrong and things are going to break down. You have to be ready for the unexpected, take adversity in your stride and always have a Plan B to go to.”

The Compass team arrived on-site about three weeks ahead of the event to set the infrastruc-ture in place. Primarily, that involved overseeing the set-up of the temporary kitchens and getting the initial orders and supplies onsite. “It is during the setup week that the reality and magnitude of the event really set in,” Tarr says. “When we started running the dining hall and the 12 buffet lines for the 7,000 volunteers and staff, that’s when it sunk in that it was really happening. But it’s not until the 30,000-plus youth participants arrive in the second week of the service and you start to see all the kids’ smil-ing faces that you get the real impact of how great an event this really is.

“The jamboree is an experience they will never forget and will change their lives forever. This is when all the hard work that goes into feeding these huge numbers really pays off. At the end of the day it is really all about the kids.” e

LOCAL FOOD BANKS BENEFIT FROM THE JAMBOREEHOW COMMUNITY FOOD PROGRAMS COMBAT HUNGER IN WEST VIRGINIA

the location presents more than its fair share of catering challenges. “The new property is reclaimed mining land quite literally in the middle of nowhere – it is an extremely remote location indeed,” Tarr says. “And because it is still very new, we were working with 100 percent temporary facilities. For example, the volunteer staff dining hall that served 7,000 people three times a day was two tents, the kitchen was a 160ft x 60ft tent and the seating area was about the size of two football fields.”

In addition to the volunteer and staff facilities, Eurest and Canteen, supported by Chartwells, FLIK and FLIK Independent Schools, managed a variety of foodservice outlets, including the participant basecamps where some 900,000 meals were delivered to 795 patrols. In addition, the companies managed seven retail outlets, which included a selection of Compass’ internal brand concepts, including Adobe Flats, 2mato Pizza, Chopd and Wrapd. The company also managed 70 vending machines, 10 mobile bever-age and snack tents, and 16 ice cream locations. In total, some 70 Compass Group managers and 148 hourly associates from local accounts provided assistance during the event, while an additional 300 BSA volunteers provided support with foodservice.

In such an inaccessible location, simply getting the food to the venue was a monumental challenge that required a significant amount of advance planning. In previous years, the individ-ual items for meals were delivered to the venue and then repacked on site. This time, however, Compass asked a local Canteen commissary to package the meals off-site and deliver them pre-packed to the five on-site camps. When the trailers containing the food arrived, the kids would meet them, transport the food back to the camps in wagons and then cook it following the instructions provided. Each camp received three trailer deliveries of food each day.

Leaving nothing to chance in the preparation for the event, Compass participated in a test run for some 2,000 participants at the site in 2012. The trial enabled the company to test the high adventure base and to introduce some new retail concepts. In addition to the trial run, Tarr also had his experience of being heavily involved in the organization of the 2010 event to draw upon

EVENT REVIEW BSA JAMBOREE

The boy scouts and volun-

teers weren’t the only people

to benefit from the Boy Scout

Jamboree in Virginia. As

part of a special initiative to

support the local community,

Eurest donated the surplus

food from the jamboree to

the Mountaineer Food Bank’s

network of feeding programs

throughout the region. In

particular, the national food

drive brought in an amaz-

ing 10,742 pounds of food,

including key items such as

peanut butter and canned

tuna, which are highly valu-

able for families looking to

ensure that their children

receive an adequate

supply of protein. In total,

some 126,000 pounds of

dry and refrigerated foods

were distributed to food

pantries and soup kitchens

through this donation.

“When we delivered these

foods to our families, it was

like Christmas for them,” said

a volunteer from the CCS

Whitesville Food Pantry in

Boone County. Their faces lit

up, because they felt secure,

even if just for a few mo-

ments.” Among the programs

that were able to put the

donations to immediate good

use were:

PINE HAVEN SHELTER A non-profit homeless

shelter that serves up to 150

homeless men, women and

children, the facility also helps

residents with counseling and

advice on transitioning out of

homelessness and back into

society. There is also a Child

Mentor Program that ensures

all children are properly regis-

tered for and attend school.

RALEIGH COUNTY COMMISSION ON AGING Launched in 1977, the pro-

gram delivers food and hot

meals to homebound seniors

in Southern West Virginia with

the goal of helping elderly

people remain healthier, more

active and more independent.

It also provides case manage-

ment, in home care services

and family support services.

BACK PACK PROGRAM There are currently 50 sites

in West Virginia that provide

small packages of food to

elementary age children for

weekends and holiday breaks.

The food types used by the

Scouts is exactly the food

so badly needed for this

program and will help

thousands of children make

it through the weekend.

“In such an inaccessible location, simply getting the food to the venue

required a significant amount of advance planning. In previous years, the

individual items for meals were delivered to the venue and packed onsite.

This time, a Canteen commissary delivered the meals pre-packed.”


and J&J’s employees enabled the company to dramatically improve its annual customer satisfaction score by some 38 percent in 2013 – a key factor in Eurest being recognized at the Puerto Rican office’s Vendor Appreciation ceremony. e

Case Study

THE PROJECT GOALS:Reduce subsidy, manage costs and introduce wellness programsWhen Eurest won the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) contract in 2011, one of the company’s first projects was to revamp seven locations, including nine cafés, at J&J’s Puerto Rico office. In addition to introducing new menus, signage, marketing materials and a corporate wellness program that incorporated a wider variety of healthful food choices, Eurest was also given the task of improving food quality and service, more effectively managing costs and inflation, reducing the corporate subsidy, and enhancing the overall dining experience for the company’s 6,000 employees on the island. While introduc-ing the changes, Eurest also had to adhere to J&J’s stringent safety and sanitation policies.

THE SOLUTION:Take a ‘local’ approach to managementOne of the first things Eurest learned after manag-ing the foodservice operations for a couple of months after signing the contract was that the menus introduced into J&J’s corporate restaurants and cafés in the USA were not popular among the company’s Puerto Rican employees. “We made the mistake of implementing all of the stations that were popular on the mainland when it wasn’t really what the locals wanted,” says Tracy Vessillo, Eurest’s Gulf States Regional Vice President. “Although the J&J associates enjoyed having the opportunity to sample a wide variety of foods, the staple diet on the island is still very much rice, beans and plantains, so when those foods were not widely available on the

The development of a local management team, an improvement

in communication and a strong focus on cost control enabled

Eurest to elevate customer satisfaction to a whole new level

Compass GroupCLIENT PROFILE

menu, participation and customer satisfaction levels dropped significantly.”

Turning the challenge into an opportunity to create a closer bond with the end consumer, Eurest transcribed all of the existing menu promotional and marketing materials from English into Spanish and re-engineered all of the menus based on feedback received from J&J employees to incorporate more local and culturally popular fare.

At the same time, Eurest was also able to tackle the budget issues that had been causing J&J problems for several years by renegotiating contracts with vendors and evaluating the efficiency of labor to ensure that every employee involved in the foodservice operation was as productive as possible. In addition, realizing that the foodservice operations needed hands-on local management, Eurest decided that the account would no longer be administered from its Miami office. A local District Manager was promoted from within the organization and a District Chef and two new Operational Directors were appointed.

The focus on local management combined with improved communication between Eurest

TOP LEFT: The Eurest team that donated its time to feed all J&J associates and participants at its Tour De Cure event benefiting the American Diabetes Association. The food for the event was donated by Eurest food purveyors.

TOP RIGHT: Custom-made parfaits as part of the breakfast setup at the J&J procurement award ceremony where Eurest was awarded the Partner of the Year.

BOTTOM LEFT: Berries Zabaglione at the J&J procurement award ceremony

BOTTOM RIGHT: From left to right: Francisco Cotto (J&J Gurabo), Roberto Ocasio (Merck Carolina), Janisse Sanchez (J&J Gurabo), Jorge Pales (District Chef Puerto Rico), Maria Rodriguez (J&J Gurabo), Norberto De Latorre (J&J San Lorenzo), Marcelo Colon (District Support Puerto Rico) with the awards to Eurest and Thomson Hospitality for J&J Partners of the Year.Award winning service

at J&J Puerto Rico

PROJECT SUMMARY & KEY FACTSMenu/segment: Corporate dining

Location: Puerto Rico

Foodservice operator: Eurest Dining Services

Foodservice locations: 6

Number of employees: 6,000

Number of cafés: 9

Daily covers: 5,200

EUREST TEAMArnaldo Quiñonez Chef Manager, J&J Life Scan

Maria Rodriguez Chef Manager, J&J Shared Services

Miriam Deleon Food Service Director, J&J Jansen 1

Juan Guadalupe Chef, J&J Jansen 2

Jessenia Nieves Food Service Manager, J&J McNeal 1

Francisco Cotto Executive Chef, J&J McNeal 2

Orlane Figueroa Food Service Manager, J&J Ortho

Norberto De Latorre - Chef Manager, J&J Ethicon

KEY BENEFITS/ROI KEY STATIONS

Criollo Station

2Mato Station

Salad Bar

Deli Station

n Vendor/partner of the year

In 2013, Eurest was voted

J&J Puerto Rico Vendor

of the Year after an intense

evaluation process that included

all of the client’s main vendors.

Why I love working with Eurest

By Jose Quinones Johnson & Johnson Campus Procurement Manager

“Eurest tackled

the budget issues

that had caused

J&J problems by

evaluating the

efficiency of labor

to ensure that

every employee was

working as produc-

tively as possible.”

n Improved

community outreach

Eurest has partnered with J&J

on many charitable and employ-

ee events, providing not only the

catering but valued support too.

Eurest and J&J have become

great partners together.

“When we first started working with Eurest, we had some existing budgetary

issues that needed to be resolved. Our operating costs were too high and we

were really struggling with the numbers. I was really impressed by the way in

which Eurest came in and immediately took control of the situation, and

re-engineered the menus to help us operate more efficiently.

“More than anything else, communication has also been a real breakthrough

area for us. Simply talking to our customers in a more consistent and personal way

enabled us to dramatically improve participation and satisfaction levels across all

our dining facilities. This is a very tough market and altering perceptions can be very

difficult, so it was an incredible achievement to see our customer satisfaction

score increase from 50 in 2012 to 69 in 2013. In Puerto Rico, a 69 is the equivalent

to getting a 100. We’re tough people to please!

“If you had asked me three or four years ago if it was possible for a café

operator to win our Vendor of the Year Award, I would have said there was no

chance, but Eurest proved me very wrong. It’s a very tough judging criteria. We

ranked all of our vendors on quality, cost, compliance, technology, delivery and

other factors. Although there were a number of vendors who came close to winning,

nobody on the judging panel had any issues at all with giving Eurest the award.

More than anything else, I have been impressed by the way in which Eurest’s

management team at all levels remains engaged in the business. The company

has become a true partner with J&J. We share the same values of contributing to

the communities in which our companies operate and we have been delighted

with the support we have received across the board.”

n Increase in customer

satisfaction

In a recent J&J Puerto Rico

customer survey, Eurest’s client

satisfaction score improved

from 50 in 2012 to 69

in 2013 – a 19 percent increase.


10 Fast Facts

VEGETABLESFRUITS &Everything you need to know about these healthy foods

Swiss Chard is a nutritional rockstar —

an amazing source of vitamins K, A, and C,

as well as a good source of magnesium,

potassium, iron, and dietary fiber.

9 The BLACK-EYED PEA

is actually a bean, or a

legume. Since they swell up

when prepared, people often

eat them on New Year’s Day

to symbolize an increase in

wealth. The planting of crops

in the U.S. was promoted by

George Washington Carver

because, as a legume, they

add nitrogen to the soil.

4 A CAULIFLOWER is a flower that

hasn’t yet fully developed. They

are white because, while they are

growing, the heads are surrounded

by thick green leaves that protect

them from the sun, preventing the

formation of chlorophyll

and keeping the head

from turning green.

8There are more than 8,000 GRAPE

varieties worldwide. America’s oldest

grapevine is 400 years old and is in North

Carolina. One acre of grapes can produce

around 15,000 glasses of wine. The area

with the highest concentration of wineries

in the world is Napa Valley, CA.

1 As green is thought to be the color of life,

LEAFY GREENS pack a powerful punch because

of the nutritional value they contain that help protect

against a variety of diseases with very few calories.

Leafy greens, such as spinach, collards and Swiss chards

are a good source of nutrients, including iron, calcium,

vitamins A, K and C, fiber, potassium and foliate.

2A member of the rose family, the STRAWBERRY

is the only fruit with seeds on the outside, with

an average of 200 seeds on each berry. This delicious

fruit is also full of flavonoids, which form part of its

vibrant red color.

10 The AVOCADO is one

of the most nutrient-

packed foods with an impres-

sive list of nourishing contents.

Botanically, they are considered

a berry with a single seed.

California produces some 90

percent of the U.S.’ avocado

crops. To keep avocados fresh,

sprinkle with lemon or lime juice

or white vinegar.

6 The word POTATO comes from the Spanish word ‘patata.’

There are thousands of different potato varieties, but not

all are commercially available. The popular ones include

Russet, Yukon Gold, Kennebec, Desiree and Fingerling. In

1995, it became the first vegetable to be grown in space.

3BEETS are in

the same plant

family as spinach and

are very closely related

to Swiss chard. Its red,

fleshy roots and dark

green leaves have health

benefits. And because

beet roots are packed

with sucrose – or table

sugar – they are the

second largest source

of table sugar, after

sugar cane.

5There are more than 100 species

of CARROTS. The largest on

record weighed more than 19 pounds,

while the longest measured over 19

feet. They come in a variety of colors,

including orange, purple, white, yel-

low and red. English women in the

1600s often wore carrot leaves in their

hats in place of flowers or feathers.

7 Ancient Egyptians believed that

MUSHROOMS grew by magic

because of how they appeared overnight.

White button mushrooms (stir-fried with

water) have more potassium per 100g

serving than a banana. Mushrooms are

also low in sodium, plus their umami

allows for less salt to be used in a dish

without compromising flavor.


t Bacon-wrapped Parmesan-stuffed Dates Makes 18

t Baked Mac & Cheese with Black Truffles Serves 4

A Taste of California Jen Fox, Executive Chef at Wolfgang Puck Catering in Los Angeles, talks to Elements about eating light, living and working in London and catering the biggest awards ceremony on the planet

JEN ON...

Ingredients1 cup medium-grain brown rice

2 ¼ cups water

Salt

4 6oz skinless snapper fillets

1 cup Mae Ploy sauce

¼ cup fish sauce

¼ cup fresh lime juice

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp rice vinegar

3 scallions, trimmed and chopped

2 tbsp chopped garlic

2 tbsp chopped shallots

2 tbsp chopped ginger

1 sprig fresh cilantro

1 sprig fresh mint

1 Kaffir lime leaf, or 1 long strip

fresh lime zest

Method

1. About 24 hours before serving,

combine the Mae Ploy, fish sauce, lime

juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, scallions,

garlic, shallots, and ginger in a nonre-

active bowl.

2. With the side of a heavy knife or a

clean meat pounder, press down on

the cilantro, mint, and Kaffir lime leaf

to crush them slightly; then, wrap them

in a piece of clean cheesecloth, tie

shut with kitchen string, and add to the

bowl. Stir well. Cover and refrigerate.

3. About 1 hour before serving,

Ingredients8oz elbow macaroni

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

3 ½ cups milk

½ medium white onion

1 bay leaf

1 tsp Kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

Pinch cayenne

3 tbsp finely chopped black truffles

10oz sharp aged white cheddar, grated

3oz Gruyère cheese, grated

1oz Parmesan cheese, grated

2 drops black winter truffle oil

3 tbsp butter

1 cup Brioche breadcrumbs

2 tbsp chopped parsley

Sliced fresh black truffles

for garnish (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In large pot of

boiling salted water, cook the macaroni

to al dente (approximately 7 minutes).

2. Strain and place on a lightly oiled

sheet pan.

3. While the macaroni is cooking,

melt the butter in a separate pot and

whisk in the flour.

I ’ve been cooking since I was 10 or 11 – that was my chore. After school, I would run home, open up the cook-books and figure out a meal to prepare

using whatever ingredients I could find in the house. I knew that my mom and dad would be home from work at 6pm and I’d have dinner ready waiting for them. I guess you could say that cooking is in my genes because my whole family is full of amazing cooks. None of them are profes-sional chefs but they could certainly hold their own against anybody.

Six weeks after graduating from high school, I decided to go to culinary school – Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena. It was a

16-month program after which I worked for Patina for a while before traveling abroad. I lived in London for about six months, where I managed a little pub in Fulham. I got to create the menu and shopped daily for the food in a great little farmer’s market. After that, I spent some time in Australia before setting down roots in Los Angeles. I’ve been with Wolfgang Puck now for 12 years.

What I love most about the company is that it really is quality and chef driven. Unlike many catering companies, where it’s all about the bottom line, here it really is all about the food, the service and the client experience. We have a lot of free reign for creativity but always remember that our goal

is to put food on the plate that would make Chef Wolfgang proud. He is a great mentor and remains very close to the business. It is such an awesome experience being able to work so closely with him.

Like I said, we have a lot of freedom for self-expression within the company. I like to think that I played a key role in bringing kale and grains to the forefront of our menus. We created the menu for the TED Conference in 2011, where they wanted super healthy options for every meal. And that’s the way I like to eat, too – nice and simple. I don’t eat a lot of meat but give me a little protein or fish and some super fresh lo-cal and seasonal vegetables and I’m happy. e

prepare the rice. Put the rice in a

strainer and rinse under cold running

water. Put it in a rice cooker or a heavy

saucepan. Add the water and a little

salt to taste. Set the rice cooker for

45 minutes; or bring the pan to a boil,

reduce the heat to maintain a bare

simmer, cover, and cook for 45 minutes

until all the liquid has been absorbed.

Turn off the rice cooker or remove the

pan from the heat and set aside, still

covered, to rest for 10 minutes.

4. While the rice is resting, put 3

inches of water in the bottom pan

of a steamer or in a saucepan large

enough for a steamer basket to rest on

top. Bring the water to a boil.

5. Arrange the snapper fillets side by

side in the steamer. Cover, set over

the boiling water, and steam for 3

to 5 minutes until the fish is cooked

through.

6. Meanwhile, remove the dipping

sauce from the refrigerator and re-

move and discard the wrapped herbs.

Transfer the sauce to small individual

bowls.

7. To serve, arrange beds of brown rice

on individual heated serving plates.

With a spatula, carefully transfer the

snapper fillets to rest on the rice. Serve

the sauce on the side, to be spooned

over individual portions to taste.

5. Continue to cook over low heat

for 4 minutes, stirring constantly.

6. Add the milk, chopped truffles,

onion and bay leaf.

7. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove onion and bay leaf.

8. Turn off the heat and add ¾ of the

aged cheddar and all of the other

cheeses. Season with salt and black

pepper and fold in macaroni.

9. Pour into a 2-quart casserole dish

and top with remaining cheddar.

10. Melt the butter in a sauté pan

and toss breadcrumbs and parsley

to coat. Top the macaroni with

breadcrumb mixture.

11. Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven let stand

for about 5 minutes.

12. Serve with fresh shaved

black truffles.

s Thai Steamed Red Snapper Fillets with Brown Rice and Thai Dipping Sauce Serves 4

CHEF JEN SAYS:

“People love this Asian-style dish’s combination of absolute simplicity and fresh, complex, exciting flavors. You can find all of the special ingredients for the sauce – Mae Ploy (a Thai sweet chili sauce), fish sauce (“nam pla” in Thailand and also known as nuoc cham or nuoc mam in Vietnam), and Kaffir lime leaves – in Asian markets and well-stocked food stores. It needs to be made 24 hours ahead and left to steep.”

Ingredients18 large dates (preferably Medjool) slit lengthwise and pitted

18 pieces good-quality Parmesan cheese (preferably Parmigiano-Reg-giano) each about 1 by 1/4 inch

6 slices of good-quality smoked

bacon, cut crosswise into thirds

Method

1. Position an oven rack in the middle

of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

2. Insert a piece of Parmesan into

each date. Then, wrap each date

with 1 piece of bacon, securing it

with a wooden toothpick.

3. Arrange the dates one inch apart

in a shallow baking pan. Bake for 5

minutes. Then, using tongs, turn the

dates over. Continue baking for about

5 to 6 minutes until the bacon is crisp.

4. With the tongs, transfer the dates

to paper towels to drain, carefully

patting them dry with more paper

towels. Serve immediately.

elements WINTER 2013 RECIPES A TASTE OF CALIFORNIA

MY FAVORITE WPC RECIPEIt’s the beet and goat cheese salad. I wasn’t too

keen at first, but having tasted this dish several hun-

dred times at parties over the years – I now love it!

The secret to making the beets taste best is to

pair them with a citrus based vinaigrette to cut the

natural earthy flavor of the beet. although I love

the natural taste of beets now it was a nice

introduction to them paired with citrus flavor.

MY MENTORSI was still a student when I first worked in the

kitchen at the Oscars®. I was just one of 50 part-time

people just taking instructions, but it gave me the

opportunity to meet Matt Bencivenga, who has been

such a great inspiration and mentor to me over

the years. Having so much connection and interac-

tion with Chef Wolfgang is also incredible.

MY CAREER HIGHLIGHTAnother giant highlight was being chosen for

the Compass Night of Stars event in 2012.

It’s an awards evening where all of the various

business sectors within Compass come together

to celebrate achievement. I won the overall

award and could not have been more proud.

CHEF PROFILE


Ingredients – Kale Salad2 bunches kale, rinsed well and patted try

4 grilled artichokes (see prepara-tion method below), each cut lengthwise into 8 equal pieces

4 tbsp golden raisins, plumped in hot water to cover for 10 minutes, drained

4 tbsp pine nuts, toasted in a 300°F oven for about 15 minutes until golden

6 tbsp lemon vinaigrette (see preparation method below)

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Method – Kale Salad

1. With a sharp knife, cut out the

stems and tough ribs from the kale

leaves. In batches, stack the leaves,

roll them up lengthwise, and cut

crosswise into strips ½-inch wide.

2. Put the kale, artichokes, raisins,

and pine nuts in a mixing bowl.

Drizzle with the lemon vinaigrette

and season to taste with salt and

pepper. Toss lightly but thoroughly.

3. Transfer the salad to individual

chilled serving bowls or plates,

taking care to divide up the

ingredients evenly.

Ingredients2lbs boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 1-inch chunks

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

4 tbsp vegetable oil

4 tbsp unsalted butter, divided

½lb organic red-skinned potatoes, cut into ½-inch pieces

½lb organic carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 sprig thyme

1 bay leaf

1 cup white wine

2 cups organic chicken stock

1 cup plus 1 tbsp heavy cream

¼ cup dry sherry

½ cup shelled or frozen peas

Approximately ½lb frozen puff pastry, defrosted following package instructions

1 cage-free egg

Method

1. Season the chicken pieces with

salt and pepper, and toss in a mixing

bowl with 2 tbsp of the flour until

evenly coated.

2. In a large skillet over high heat,

heat 2 tbsp of the oil.

3. Add the chicken pieces, reduce

the heat slightly, and sauté for

between 5 and 10 minutes, turning

occasionally until light golden and

thoroughly cooked.

4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the

chicken to a plate and set aside.

Ingredients – Grilled Artichokes4 large fresh artichokes

2 lemons, halved

2 cups dry white wine

2 cups pure water

1 bay leaf

1 sprig fresh thyme

Extra-virgin olive oil

Salt


Method – Grilled Artichokes

1. First, clean and trim the artichokes,

rubbing all cut surfaces with the

cut side of a lemon as you work to

prevent discoloring.

2. Working on a cutting board with a

sharp knife, trim the stems. Starting

at the base of each artichoke, pull

downward one by one to remove the

tough outer leaves. With the knife,

carefully cut off the top half of the

artichoke. With a sharp paring knife,

working carefully from bottom up,

carefully cut off the fibrous outer dark

layer, exposing the paler green flesh

underneath.

3. Put the artichokes, lemon halves,

wine, water, bay leaf, and thyme

in a pressure cooker.

5. Add the remaining oil and 2 tbsp

of the butter to the pan, then add

the potatoes, carrots, and onions and

sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until they

begin to look glossy and bright.

6. Reduce the heat to medium, stir in

the garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme,

and bay leaf, and sauté for a further

2 to 3 minutes until the vegetables

begin to color slightly.

7. Add the wine, turn up the heat, stir

and scrape with a wooden spoon to

deglaze the pan deposits, and simmer

for 3 to 5 minutes until the liquid

reduces by about half.

8. Add the chicken stock and the

1 cup of cream.

9. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce

the heat slightly, and simmer briskly

for about 15 minutes until the liquid

reduces by about half again and is

thick and creamy. Remove the sprig

of thyme and the bay leaf.

10. Stir in the reserved chicken pieces

and the sherry. Stir together the butter

and remaining flour and stir this paste

into the mixture. Season the sauce to

taste with salt and pepper.

11. Transfer to 4 large individual oven-

proof 2-cup soup bowls, 4 ramekins of

the same size, or a 2-quart baking dish.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate

until the filling is cold, at least 1 hour.

Method – Part 2

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Make sure the puff pastry is

no thicker than ¼-inch.

3. With the tip of a sharp knife, cut the

pastry into 4 circles that will overhang

the rim of the serving bowls or rame-

kins by about ½ inch. For a single large

baking dish, cut 4 circles that will cover

its top, or use one large sheet.

4. In a small bowl, beat together the

egg and the remaining 1 tbsp of cream

to make an egg wash. Brush the tops

and outsides of the rims of the bowls.

5. Place the bowls, ramekins, or baking

dish on a baking tray and place the puff

pastry circles on top, pressing them

gently over the sides of the dishes.

6. Pierce the tops with the tip of a

paring knife and brush the top of the

pastry with egg wash. Carefully transfer

the baking sheet to the oven and bake

for 25 to 35 minutes until the filling is

bubbling hot and the pastry is a deep

golden brown. Serve hot.

t Chicken Pot Pie Serves 4

Kale Salad with Grilled Artichokes Serves 4 to 6

CHEF JEN SAYS:

“Kale salads are enjoying tremendous popularity right now. The beautiful, dark-green, crinkled leaves not only have a deliciously robust flavor and texture, they are also incred-ibly healthful, rich in Vitamins A, C, and K, and offer good amounts of calcium, iron, and other nutrients. And kale goes so well with other ingredients, as this recipe demonstrates.”

Ingredients6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium-sized carrots, cut into ¼-inch dice

2 celery stalks, cut into ¼-inch dice

1 small yellow onion, cut into ¼-inch dice

1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into ¼-inch dice

¾lb uncooked farro, about 1½ cups

Salt and Coarse salt


1½ quarts water

1lb baby beets

Extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup Champagne vinegar

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Juice of ½ lemon, plus extra as needed

¾ cup grape seed oil or vegetable oil

1 large Fuji apple

½ cup toasted coarsely chopped walnuts

Method

1. Heat a 4-quart pot over medium-

high heat. Add the olive oil and,

when it is hot enough to swirl easily,

add the diced carrots, celery, onion,

and fennel.

2. Sauté for about 10 minutes,

stirring frequently, until tender and

just beginning to brown.

3. Add the farro to the pot and stir

for about 1 minute until lightly

toasted and fragrant.

4. Add the water, season to taste with

salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.

5. Reduce the heat to very low, cover

the pot, and cook for about 20 min-

utes until the farro is tender.

6. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

7. Rinse the beets thoroughly, pat dry

with paper towels, and trim off some

but not all of their stems.

8. Drizzle and rub the beets with

olive oil to coat and season all over

with salt and pepper.

9. In a rimmed baking pan large

enough to hold the beets in a single

layer, spread a ¼-inch-thick bed

of coarse salt.

10. Place the beets in the pan and

cover the pan very tightly with heavy-

duty aluminum foil. 11. Bake in the

preheated oven for about 30 minutes

until the beets are tender enough

to be pierced with the tip of a small,

sharp knife. Re-cover the pan and

bake for longer if necessary.

11. When the farro is done, pour it

into a fine-meshed strainer to drain.

Then, spread the farro on a baking

sheet or pan and leave to cool to

t Farro Salad with Baby Beets and Fuji Apple Serves 6 to 8

4. Following the manufacturer’s instruc-

tions, bring the pressure cooker to full

pressure and then cook under pressure

for 10 minutes. Release the pressure

and transfer the artichokes and cook-

ing liquid to a large nonreactive bowl,

leaving them to cool for 30 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, preheat an outdoor

grill or an indoor countertop electric

grill or stovetop ridged grill pan.

6. Remove each artichoke from

the cooking liquid. Cut it in half

lengthwise. With a sharp-edged metal

spoon, scrape out the fibrous choke

from the center of each half.

7. Pat the artichoke halves dry with

paper towels. Drizzle them all over

with olive oil and season with salt and

pepper. Grill them for about 5 minutes

per side until golden brown.

Ingredients – Lemon Vinaigrette4 lemons, halved and juiced

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 shallot, minced

¾-cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt


Method – Lemon Vinaigrette

1. In a nonreactive mixing bowl,

whisk together the lemon juice, sugar,

mustard, and shallot.

2. While whisking continuously, slowly

drizzle in the olive oil until a smooth,

thick emulsion forms. Season to taste

with salt and pepper.

3. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Whisk again before using.

room temperature.

12. When the beets are done, using

a clean kitchen towel or paper towels

to protect your hands, rub off the

skins from the beets. Cut each beet

lengthwise into quarters. Transfer to

a nonreactive bowl and set aside.

13. For the dressing, put the vinegar,

honey, mustard, and lemon juice

into a blender. At medium-low

speed, drizzle in the oil to form a

thick, creamy emulsion. Season to

taste with salt, pepper, and a little

more lemon juice if necessary.

Drizzle about a quarter of this

dressing over the quartered beets

and reserve the rest.

14. Core the apple and cut it in

half. Using a mandoline, the julienne

disc of a food processor, or a sharp

knife, cut the apple into thin julienne

strips. Lightly toss the strips with

another quarter of the dressing.

15. Transfer the cooled farro to

a mixing bowl and toss with the

remaining dressing.

16. To serve, toss the farro, beets,

and apple together and transfer the

mixture to a serving bowl or individual

plates. Alternatively, form a bed of the

farro salad and arrange the beets and

apples attractively on top. Garnish

with toasted walnuts and serve.

elements WINTER 2013 RECIPES A TASTE OF CALIFORNIA


Team Johnson & Johnson On track to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1,000 metric tons by end of 2013 – the equivalent of planting 43,000 trees.

Team Missouri State University Saving over one million gallons of water annually by changing the “operat-ing” hours of its dishwashing equipment – the equivalent of filling two Olympic-size swimming pools or 20,000 household bathtubs.

Team Pfizer Eliminated 6,000lbs of waste annually by switching from paper cups to china – enough to fill a 20-yard dumpster.

Team Compass Nearly 200 units took the challenge to shed one million pounds of C02 emissions from their operations simply by turning off equipment when not needed. The group’s combined saving of 2.3 million pounds in 2013 was enough energy to power 150 homes for a year. And a saving of $200,000 for our clients!

I ’m often asked how Compass Group has been

so successful in achieving its sustainability goals in such a relatively short period of time. The honest answer is that we haven’t embarked on the journey alone. In fact, our corporate sustainability strategy is founded on the philosophy of creating long-term change by aligning with like-minded business partners.

For example, we couldn’t have achieved and exceeded our company-wide goal of adopt-ing 2013 American family farms without the passionate support of regional produce suppliers Bix Produce, Sid Wainer and SF Specialties. Our Eat Local and Ag in the Middle programs prioritize the purchase of locally sourced fruits and vegetables produced by mid-sized growers with the goal of preserving the American family farm – the fastest dimin-ishing farm segment in the USA. Through these two pioneering programs, Compass was able to purchase more than $29 million in products from such farms in 2013 and in doing so support geographically diverse agricultural systems and rural economies across the country.

The last word onSUSTAINABILITY

BY Marc ZammitCompass Group Vice President, Sustainability Initiatives

CREATING CHANGE THROUGH RELATIONSHIPSWHY A COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY IS NOT A SOLO PURSUIT

allowed us to create our revo-lutionary Carbon FoodprintTM Toolkit. The web-based tool allows chefs and managers to create customized strategies to reduce their operations’ foot-prints by decreasing waste dis-posal, and energy and water use. Foodservice managers can make up to 185 strategic choices across four key areas, including menu engineering, kitchen services, site equipment and facilities. The technology allows dining facilities to benchmark and measure their

TAKING A BITE OUT OF THE CARBON FOODPRINT

“Our corporate sustainability strategy is founded

on the philosophy of creating long-term change

by aligning with like-minded business partners.”

improvements, which can then be shared with clients for annual reports, sustainability indexes, and disclosure to public programs such as the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) or The American Colleges and Universities Presi-dents Climate Commitment.

However, all of the above partnerships and alliances would ultimately have gone to waste without the support of Compass Group’s clients. The opportunity to develop collaborative relation-ships with clients that share common values has enabled us to develop new models for sustain-able foodservice operations. Like I said, a commitment to creating a healthy planet for generations to come is not a solo effort. e

Likewise, our long-term collabora-tion with the Monterey Bay Aquar-ium Seafood Watch program, de-veloped with the goal of protecting the threatened global fish supply, has enabled us to exceed our goal of removing unsustainable wild and farmed seafood from our menus with the transition of some 900,000 pounds of unsustainable aquaculture last year. At the same time, our close work-ing relationship with purchasing group Foodbuy helped us establish a pioneering pork gestation cage purchasing policy.

However, a commitment to incorporating sustainability best practices into all facets of your business goes beyond identifying viable commercial partners. It involves developing close working relationships with industry experts and associations to help craft cut-ting edge solutions for our clients. For example, our alliances with the Environmental Defense Fund, Green Restaurant Association, First Carbon Solutions and the Foodservice Technology Center

How Compass teams are using the Carbon Foodprint Toolkit:

Modern Asian Kitchen

Modern Asian Kitchen

For more information, please email [email protected].

Modern. Asian. Kitchen.Chef Jet is a fast, fresh and flavorful quick serve concept

based on traditional Asian cuisine. This concept features

rice and noodles, lean meats marinated in spicy and savory

sauces and an infinite combination of crisp, fresh vegetables

topped with tangy seasonings.

“My food is predominantly Thai and Chinese because it was the food I was exposed to growing up. And my cooking overall represents the neighborhood where I grew up in LA: between Thai Town, Chinatown, Koreatown, and Little Tokyo.”

- Chef Jet Tila

As the nation’s largest vending and refreshment services company with over 80 years of experience, we provide innovative solutions for every business need.

Office coffee, pantry services, water filtration and our industry-leading micro-market concept Avenue C are just a few of the customizable solutions we offer.

Find out more today. Visit Canteen.com

Vending and So Much More!

elements - jan 2014

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