First in a series
By Jay Webber and Sara Perez Webber
One of the best parts of covering restaurant trade shows is walking the floor. You meet the people behind the products and pick up ideas you won’t find in a press release. CFE News spent time at both the California Restaurant Show and the Florida Restaurant Show this year, and we came home with more stories than we could fit in one issue. So we’re turning them into a series. First up: food truck wisdom from a Food Network star, draft cocktails that need no bartender, and a refreshing towel that doubles as a marketing tool.
Tyler Florence on Fewer, Better Dishes
At the California Restaurant Show, we caught up with chef Tyler Florence, host of Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race, now in its 19th season. We asked him what caterers and restaurateurs can learn from the show.
Florence credits the series with inspiring a wave of startups. He says there are now more than 67,000 active food trucks in America, and that a truck run with “a lot of heart and hustle” can put six figures a year in an owner’s pocket. Scaling is where it gets tricky. His advice is to add a second or third truck rather than reinvent the concept: “It doesn’t mean you change your menu, it doesn’t mean you run exorbitant labor costs. It just means you’re in more places at the same time.”
His biggest lesson applies to any catering menu. “Instead of doing 10 things, try to do four or five that you’re really, really good at,” he says. A couple of add-ons—an egg on top, something shaved over the dish—can lift the check average. Whatever the concept, it has to be recognizable and “best in class,” he adds. “Just because you’re in a food truck doesn’t mean the food’s got to suffer.”
Keg Kraft Puts Cocktails on Draft
Also in California, Charlie from Keg Kraft poured us a margarita straight from the tap. The company makes cocktails and mocktails on draft, including margaritas, a Paloma and an espresso martini. Its kegs are sixth-barrel kegs with a standard D-system Sankey coupler, so they hook up to any existing draft system on either CO2 or nitro.
The cocktails come in two versions. One is made with an agave wine or orange wine base, so venues with only a beer and wine license can serve them as is. Charlie says some theme parks without a liquor license do exactly that. For venues that want the real thing, Keg Kraft pairs the mixer with a separate stainless steel tank for spirits. Each tap handle has two spouts, so tequila and mixer pour together. Add a lime and it’s done.
The best seller? “Our spicy pineapple margarita is probably one of our most popular,” Charlie says. For caterers serving big crowds at stadiums, festivals or large weddings, cocktails that pour as fast as beer could be a real advantage.
Blue Water Rethinks the Refreshing Towel
At the Florida Restaurant Show, we met Ozan Yucetepe of Blue Water Wipes. The company has combined a hand wipe with the classic hot towel. Its rolled, individually packaged towels can be served hot or cold, and each one unfolds to 12 by 12 inches.
“Our mission is to elevate the guest experience,” says Yucetepe. That applies to any business that cares about the small details, he adds, not just hospitality. The towels are durable, too: Yucetepe says one is equal to 10 to 12 standard wet wipes. Scents currently include lavender, lemon and green tea.
The real draw for caterers may be the packaging. Blue Water offers custom branding, so a caterer’s logo can go on every towel at a barbecue, a seafood boil or a long outdoor event. It’s a useful touch for guests and an advertisement at every place setting.
Watch for more From the Show Floor in upcoming issues.
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