The economic and human toll COVID-19 has caused is devastating. As a society, we have resolve and will rebound from this devastating situation. As we look into the future, how will this impact how we live? Will our spending habits change? Will our social engagement improve? Will we cook more at home or dine out more? Some of my initial thoughts . . .
- We will see a baby boom in 9-10 months. After all, you can only play Monopoly so many times, you can only post so many times on Instagram and Facebook and you can only clean your cabinets so many times, so what is left to do. . . .
- People will be spend less on non-essentials and thrift store shopping will increase. So many of my friends and colleagues have mentioned that they are using this time to clean and purge. Many have also commented on finding clothes and other items with their price tags sill on them. Two things will come out this - we will spend less, thinking about all the unused, new items we have and people will find value in going to the thrift store finding these "new" items with the price tag still on them.
- People will be uber vigilant on health and sanitation. The days of getting a "B" or less on your health department inspection and staying in business will be gone. And the restaurants that understand that contactless is not a fad, but the future will succeed. It could be as simple as a contactless bathroom - from entering to leaving, you touch nothing. 
- Restaurants will have to adapt their model as people will continue to cook at home and dine out less. Is the Grocerant the wave of the future? 

How do you see this shaping our future?

#2020Trends #2020RestaurantTrends #COVID19Restaurants #Restaurants #Trends 

As we enter a new decade, industry experts and chefs have predicted so many trends for 2020. Here are a few trends that I predict for 2020.
Health & Fitness - 2020 will be a year we focus on food as an integral part of our lifestyle. There will be an emphasis on not only healthy food, but food that nourishes the mind and soul.
Our Impact on the Environment - our planet is in distress, and I foresee restauranteurs and chefs taking notice. As an industry we will continue to look for alternatives to plastics and polystyrenes and to sourcing food locally from producers who understand their impact on the environment and society. However in 2020 - we will see bigger changes - an industry that reduces waste significantly, an industry that reduces its consumption of energy and water, and an industry that looks at every product they are using and the impact these products have on the environment.
Vegetables and more Vegetables - menus will be more plant-based, with a greater use of vegetables and a focus on the connection between our food and the impact on our body, mind and soul.
More Conversation at the Table - restaurants will offer more communal tables and offer family-style offerings - thus encouraging interaction and conversation at the table.
"Dry 2020" - the "dry" trend will carry beyond January. Restauranteurs and bartenders will focus on more "dry" spirits - creating amazing "cocktails" that can be enjoyed all day. (And hopefully create a better name than "Mocktails!")
What trends to you predict for restaurants in 2020?
#2020FoodTrends #2020RestaurantTrends #PlantBasedFoods #Vegetables #sustainability #DryJanuary #Communal #HealthAndFitness

Congratulations to Mathew Peters and Harrison Turone of Per Se for their victory!

The United States has won the Bocuse d’Or cooking competition for the first time. The prestigious biennial competition in Lyon, France, pits teams of two chefs against each other in a five-and-half-hour cooking competition. This year, Mathew Peters, executive sous chef at Per Se in New York City, and his commis, or assistant, Harrison Turone, who also works for Per Se, took top honors. This is the second time in the 30-year-old competition that Team USA has even mounted the podium in the contest. In 2015, the last time the Bocuse d’Or took place, Team USA, represented by Phillip Tessier and Skylar Stover of Per Se’s Yountville, Calif., sister restaurant The French Laundry, took the silver. Before then, the highest the U.S. had placed was sixth.

I competed twice in the US Preliminary Competition, but never made it to France. It is one of the most intense cooking competitions that anyone can compete it.

People report recently announced their Fourth quarter Workforce Index, and our industry will continue to face challenges in finding quality job candidates and will continue to tax restaurant operators into the last quarter of the year. It will be an especially difficult time as operators also face the pressures of decreased guest counts. It is a vicious downward cycle that will continue to result in restaurant closures.

So how can operators succeed in such a challenging environment?

• Slow your growth: Now, more than ever, is the time to slow growth. And at a minimum, growth needs to be manageable, ensuring you can properly staff and manage your new operations.
• Get back to the basics: This is a concept that Joe Lee, the former Darden executive, constantly preached. Far too often we are looking for the proverbial silver bullet - that gimmick or initiative that will suddenly bring in customers. But it doesn't need to be that complicated - focus on well executed products and invest in your management and hourly staffs. Look at your business as a marathon and not a sprint.

Matrix Restaurant Consulting can help you get back to the basics and to become that employer of choice.

For more information, here is the link to the People Report Article: 2016 Q4 Workforce Index

www.matrixrestaurantconsulting.com/restaurant-consultants.htmlAs 2016 has been a challenging year for all sectors in the restaurant industry, casual dining continues to fight for survival. According to Knapp Track, casual dining traffic has declined on average 3-percent a year since 2008. I do think there is a need for casual dining restaurants, but I also have said for years - the industry needs to make some dramatic changes in order to survive. For brands to survive in the future - they must find ways to attract younger customers, they need to become "un-chains", they need to find ways to become locally relevant, and they need to invest in the basics - their people and their product. At Matrix Restaurant Consulting, we are here as a resource to re-energize your brand and to help up and coming brands survive in the future. Let's get started today! Contact Us.

For more on the issues casual dining is facing, check out this article: Casual Dining Fights for Survival

I recently returned from Kenya and Tanzania and I am not surprised but the recent article from Nation's Restaurant News. Kenya offers such diverse foods - the coast offers the flavors of India and the spice trade, the central province is rich with produce - specifically Cabbage, Potatoes and Carrots, and Maize is a key staple throughout the country. It is wonderful to see the vibrant and unique flavors becoming more mainstream. While I was in Kenya, I spent time in the kitchen of an orphanage where I volunteer. While I was there, I made Sukuma Wiki - a dish made from greens (Kale, Spinach, etc) and other vegetables such as carrots. Sukuma Wiki literally translates to "push the week" or "stretch the week" - as the family would make this to stretch their food budget. I also made my version of Lentil Stew - where I seasoned it with onion, garlic, oregano and curry powder - and Ugali - a starchy side dish made from Maize meal.

To read more about this trend: African Food Takes the Slow Road to Trendiness

I was recently in Los Angeles and had dinner with my family at one of my favorite sushi restaurants, The Izaka-ya by Katsu-Ya West Hollywood, and I was amazed at the number of families in the restaurant. Almost all of the tables had young children eating sushi! It's not surprising that children are becoming more sophisticated in their eating habits and as a result your restaurant's Kid's Menu should reflect this shift in taste. Additionally, with the issues we are facing with child obesity, parents are looking for healthier options for their children. The Matrix Restaurant Consultants have extensive experience in developing great Kid's Menus and building brand advocates at an early age.

Here's a great article on what some restaurant companies are doing to overhaul and improve their Kid's Menus.
Kids' meals leap beyond child’s play

The 2016 James Beard Awards Gala, hosted by Carla Hall, took place at Lyric Opera of Chicago on Monday, May 2. I was very excited that Nashville's own, Tandy Wilson of one of my favorite restaurants - City House - won Best Chef: Southeast. (pictured below)
I was also jazzed (pardon the pun) to hear that Leah Chase of Dooky Chase’s Restaurant in New Orleans won the 2016 JBF Lifetime Achievement Award! Congratulations to all the award winners!
For a complete list of winners: 2016 James Beard Award Winners.

@cityhousenashville @cityhouse #cityhousenashville #nashville #nashvillerestaurants 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released late last week its final guidance on menu labeling. The announcement last week further specified that the compliance clock would begin counting down from the date that the Notice of Availability (NOA) is published in the Federal Register. The NOA for the guidance is expected to be published in early May 2016.  

So what does this mean for my restaurants? If you have 20 or more locations, you will have until May 2017 to post calories on your menus and provide nutritional analysis for each menu item. This is a lengthy and arduous process and Matrix Restaurant Consulting is here to help you through the process.

For more information: FDA Guidance Documents