By Erin E. Evans

Posted December 10th 2011

Black chefs are increasingly visible on TV, but high-profile success in the restaurant world is still rare. These culinary luminaries are defying the odds.

There are three B. Smith restaurants on the East Coast: in Washington, D.C., New York City and Sag Harbor, N.Y. If you’re big on brunch, like many buppies in cosmopolitan cities, B. Smith offers a smoked salmon platter, sweet potato pecan pancakes and cinnamon brioche French toast. And B. Smith tries to do everything with style. She’s turned her love for elegant lifestyle into the B. Smith brand. She’s hosted shows on TV One and has appeared on Good Morning America, The View and The Today Show. Smith isn’t a professional chef, but she’s been in the restaurant business for 25 years. Bon appétit.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE BLACK CHEFS AND RESTAURATEURS

By Catherine Baab-Muguira

Posted October 23rd 2011

A Friendly’s “Jim Dandy” sundae is meant to be shared, and no wonder: It contains five scoops of ice cream, a split banana, pineapple topping, hot fudge, marshmallow sauce, walnuts, and sprinkles.

But on my 10th birthday, I was allowed to order a whole Jim Dandy for myself, and my three guests got their own, too. I was barely able to reach high enough to scoop out bites. But I felt awfully grown up, sharing a booth with just my friends while my parents gave us our privacy by sitting in the next booth over.

Times Have Changed

It was a low-key birthday party by today’s standards, yet the pleasure and excitement I experienced at Friendly’s were some of the purest I’ve ever had.

I’m sure I’m not alone in harboring affection for the Friendly’s of yore. (It started as a Depression-era ice cream shop, and then was purchased by Hershey Foods (HSY) for $164 million in 1979. After another sale and an IPO, Friendly’s was purchased for $559 million in cash and assumed debt in 2007 by private equity firm Sun Capital Partners, which owns it today.)

Today’s Friendly’s is different. The restaurant smells like a bus station. Food takes a long time to arrive at the table, no matter how painfully empty the dining room is. The salad looks like it was assembled a few weeks before I ordered it. Only the nostalgia keeps me coming back.

When visiting home, I’ll still go to breakfast at that same location (the one on Pump Road and Patterson Avenue in Richmond, Va., to be exact), to meet old friends or my younger brothers. It’s the place we gathered after my niece was born, and the last place I ate with my brother Luke before he was deployed to Afghanistan.

Soon, though, there may not be a restaurant to return to.

Bound for Bankruptcy

Friendly’s parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The chain, headquartered in Massachusetts, owes its creditors some $250 million, and although it has secured $70 million in bridge loans to keep operating, it has already shuttered 63 stores and shed more than 1,000 employees.

The challenging marketplace for a tuna melt and milkshake joint like Friendly’s comes as no surprise. Competitors like T.G.I. Friday’s, Chili’s, Applebee’s, IHOP, and Denny’s have been eating its lunch for years, so to speak.

Friendly’s has been losing market share and gaining debt since the 1990s, and the number of its stores has declined to less than 500 from a peak of almost 700. More recently, with the recession, consumers have moved toward lower-priced “fast casual” restaurants like Chipotle (CMG) and Panera (PNRA), a trend that Friendly’s has tried to ride, opening Friendly’s Express stores.

Of course, plenty of consumers — especially those who’ve lost their jobs — have stopped eating out altogether.

We’ve Seen This Coming, But It Still Hurts

A turnaround for Friendly’s will probably require an extreme makeover. Much as I’d hate to see my old favorite restaurant shed its diner vibe, it may prove necessary to offer customers guacamole and rocket, or tapas and spring rolls, to ditch some of the typical diner offerings and focus on freshness (or at least attempt to market its offerings as fresh, as Ruby Tuesday (RT) has done).

But this revamped Friendly’s wouldn’t be Friendly’s anymore, would it? I want to think there’d be enough of a market in delighting kids with gigantic sundaes. Sadly, maybe there isn’t. At least the memories are sweet.

Motley Fool contributor Catherine Baab-Muguira has no financial interest in any of the companies mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Panera and Chipotle. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of Chipotle and Panera.

Posted August 21st 2011

Fast-food chain Burger King is making a 180 degree shift in its marketing, with a decision to drop its “King” mascot and focus on — sit down before you read this! — product.

For years, Burger King had placed its bets on edgy commercials by creative powerhouse Crispin Porter + Bogusky, targeting men in their teens and 20s. Crispin’s campaigns got a lot of attention, and plaudits from the advertising community. Unfortunately, however, advertising awards don’t necessarily translate into sales, and Burger King has been badly lagging main rival McDonald’s. According to consulting firm Technomic, Burger King’s same-store sales declined 6% in the first quarter; compare that to a 3% rise for Mc Donald’s.

This discrepancy in performance is not the result of McDonald’s having more “creative” advertising or a hipper mascot (Ronald Mc Donald is many things — hip he’s not). But while Burger King was trying to sell consumers an edgy brand image, McDonald’s focused on something much more mundane: selling burgers, fries and coffee. The rest is marketing history.

Now, under new ownership, and with a new management and marketing team, Burger King is focusing on what matters: updating the stores, fixing its food and changing its image. As Alex Maccedo, SVP, marketing, put it to USA Today: “People want a reason to go back to Burger King … There are no plans to bring the King back anytime soon.”

Along with new management, Burger King has also hired a new ad agency, McGarry Bowen. Mc Garry’s ads are often derided in ad industry circles as conventional, formulaic and unhip. The criticism isn’t entirely unjustified … but who cares? Last I heard, advertising is not about creating art house shorts; it’s about selling stuff. Against that standard, McGarry’s work tends to perform well. A new campaign by McGarry, launching this weekend, will introduce the California Whopper, made with guacamole.

Whether the new burger will catch on remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: the marketing campaign will give it a shot at success. The entire TV commercial will focus single-mindedly on sights and sounds of the burger’s ingredients being washed and diced.

And amidst all this slicing and dicing, “the King” finds himself like Charles I and Louis XVI … a head shorter.

Posted August 20th 2011

Green, OH: Akron-Canton Airport (CAK)  celebrated the grand opening of its food court Wednesday with yummy, fresh food samples and specials for Customers. And three contestants  competed for a $100 AirTran gift card, CAK Marketplace prize pack and bragging rights as we host our first ever Fan vs. Food speed eating competition, crowning the ultimate CAK food fanatic.

MSE Branded Foods, the airport’s primary food and gift concessionaire, opened the new state-of-the-art food court which includes a Subway®, Buckhead Grill, JJ’s Sports Bar and CAK Marketplace gift shop. This fresh, dynamic dining concept is part of a redesign of CAK’s main public concourse. In total the airport is investing $1.1 million which includes the design, renovation and relocation of the new food court, to make way for our new expanded gate screening which opens in November.

“Serving Customers with an exceptional dining and gift experience is a top priority for both CAK and MSE,” said Rick McQueen, President & CEO. “We share a passion for fresh foods, a great mix of local and national brands and a commitment to quality. We are so pleased with the new food court and the soon-to-be expanded gate screening because these enhancements make Akron-Canton Airport an even better way to go for air travel.”

To celebrate the opening, Customers traveling through CAK today were able to sample new food court offerings including Subway® cookies, Caribou® coffee, Buckhead Grill burgers and fries, Cinnabon® Center of the roll and Raspberry Lemonade. Grand opening specials were available all day long at the food court include a free cookie with every Subway® combo and free regular fries with any sandwich purchase from Buckhead Grill. Also opening recently, CAK Marketplace, which has two locations before and after security screening features local products including Bertman Ballpark Mustard, Maize Valley Wine and West Point Market Snackers & Killer Brownies. Additionally, the airport and MSE also held the first ever CAK Fan vs. Food Challenge where three CAK fans competed to eat Buckhead Grill’s double bacon cheeseburger, chili cheese fries and large Coke in the least amount of time. To see the winner, please visit the airport’s Facebook page.

About Akron-Canton Airport

Akron-Canton Airport kicked off CAK 2018, its 10-year, $110-million Capital Improvement Plan in 2008. The plan is the most ambitious in the airport’s 64-year history. 2011 projects include an expanded security screening area and additional automobile parking. The centerpiece of CAK 2018, the extension and safety upgrade of Runway 5/23 was completed in 2010.Also, Akron-Canton Airport was awarded Best Experience as part of the 2010 World Class Customer Service Awards presented by Smart Business. Keep up to date on all things CAK by visiting Social CAK – our comprehensive social media portal. Additional information including flight reservations, driving instructions, and relaxation station is available at www.akroncantonairport.com. Akron-Canton Airport a better way to go®.

About MSE

MSE Branded Foods is the foodservice operator at the Akron-Canton Airport. Founded in 1987, MSE Branded Foods provides turnkey food services for airports, upscale outlet centers, hospitals, hotels, and universities throughout the United States. For more information, visit msebranded.com or call 800-840-7802

Posted August 11th 2011

Native Clevelander Phil Davis is back in action with the grand opening of Phil the Fire in Beachwood Monday.  Phil the Fire known for it’s signature ‘Chicken & Waffles’ had a steady flow on loyal patrons the have supported Davis from Shaker Square to downtown Cleveland.

Phil the Fire served an all day buffet for the grand opening with a variety of dishes ranging from shrimp, cheese grits, greens, mac n’ cheese, waffles, chicken to reds velvet cake only to name a few.

Davis states ‘after seven years, four months and thirteen days it’s great to be back!’  Mayor Gordon presented Davis with a proclamation making Monday  ‘Phil the Fire Day’ in Beachwood.

By Christina Rexrode, AP Business Writer

Posted August 10th 2011

By Kelly Alexander, The Daily Meal

Posted July 4th 2011

The world has changed in some fairly huge and achingly obvious ways since milkshake-machine salesman Ray Kroc bought a small-scale restaurant franchise called McDonald’s in 1954. One way is that, as the “food revolution” meets an increasingly impecunious American public, chain restaurants are thriving. The good news is that chains aren’t necessarily what they used to be — which is to say places whose sole goal is to render us fat and stupid with huge portions of mediocre food at bargain prices.

While we were busy watching Alice Waters plant edible schoolyard gardens, some enterprising franchisers went out and hired chefs and folks who know a thing or two about what tastes good, and along the way they’ve gotten wise to the fact that we’re starting to expect things like organic milk on kiddie menus and sea salt on fries. That’s smart: Restaurant business executives say that to thrive in this economy, chains of every stripe, from fast-food stands to “dinner houses” are going to have to raise the quality of their food without substantially raising prices.

The fact is that some chains have gotten pretty good. There are worse ways to spend dinner on a busy weeknight than bent over a plate of miso salmon at the Cheesecake Factory.

Below then is a list of the chains that bind us.

CLICKE HERE FOR 10 CHAIN RESTAURANTS WORTH VISITING

- Kelly Alexander, The Daily Meal

Posted May 14th 2011

These tactics can bust your dining-out budget while lining the pockets of food! service companies.

Dining in America used to be simple. Before the 1960s, competition among food service chains was timid, with only a few established restaurants operating in a handful of formats. Over the years, factors such as the demand for healthy choices and the introduction of foreign cuisines have created an overwhelming number of eat-out options.

Food industry corporations must continually work to lure customers and maximize their guests’ spending, and a handful of companies seem to have a recipe for accomplishing both. But this industry is vulnerable to trends, and staying on top takes inventive marketing, shrewd strategies and aggressive selling. To prove this point, set a budget the next time you eat out and then look for these common restaurant tactics that work to increase your spending.

1. The upsell

All successful restaurant operators train their serving staff to use suggestive selling. And servers have plenty of incentive beyond their boss’s bottom line, as the higher the final bill is, the larger the tip the server stands to receive. A good server sells food like a car salesman.

Every menu offering is simply a base model that can be enhanced with special features. A pasta dish can be outfitted with garlic toast and upholstered with cheese. Everything’s better with bacon, and who doesn’t deserve a “king-sized” serving?

These suave suggestions of super sizes, appetizers, dessert, extra cheese, double burgers and double highballs can quickly double your tab, too, and these extras are often the difference between an operation being a laggard or a moneymaker.

2. Forced waiting

Have you ever been on a restaurant’s waiting list but noticed a number of open tables? Many times, the restaurant has done this by design. The idea is to get you to sit in the lounge; there always seems to be room in the lounge. Here, the bar server has an opportunity to upsell you on drinks and appetizers.

Often, some restaurants will bill you separately for your lounge items, which may make you feel obligated to tip both of your servers. Many diners may walk in with a budget, but when made to wait among a lounge full of food and drinks, it’s tough to ignore a sudden craving or a hungry belly.

3. All you can eat

This gluttonous proposition appeals to consumers’ desire to get the most value for their dining dollars. And while there is some value in all-you-can-eat offerings, savvy restaurateurs know how to make a lot of money from the seemingly generous deal.

First, the price for the entrée is often more than the regular price and the serving size is smaller. Guests are encouraged to fill up on less expensive side dishes and complimentary (cheap) breadsticks and salad, leaving less room for refills. Second, mass-producing one item reduces the purchase and production costs of the item, allowing for a significant profit margin.

To actually cost the restaurant money, a guest would need to eat numerous refills. Very few people go beyond two refills, so the law of averages works in the restaurant’s favor.

These promotions are also great at attracting big crowds on otherwise lackluster days, and a crowded dining room creates plenty of opportunities for servers to upsell profitable add-ons. Even if a customer happens to be a competitive eater, it’s likely he still has to wash down all that chow with overpriced sodas or bar drinks that balance the costs of the entrée. Even at a small loss, the restaurant can still hope to offset losses with repeat business and positive word-of-mouth advertising.

4. Fake specials

Many restaurants reserve a place on their menu for the daily “special.” Often, this unique offering is simply the food that is set to expire soonest. Featuring a dish is also a great tool for pushing high-profit menu items. Restaurants like to push big-ticket entrées as a featured item to give the impression that an upscale meal is available for less.

Real deals can be had, but it’s wise to check the regular menu to see if the special is indeed less than the regular price. Many restaurants will let their guests assume that featured items receive a discount when in fact there is no savings. Being skeptical of subjective descriptions like “special” and “feature” can help you avoid paying up for false value.

5. ‘These pretzels are making me thirsty!’

TV’s “Seinfeld” made an astute point about what happens when you eat too many salty snacks: You get thirsty! This scientific tidbit isn’t lost on bar owners, who profit from sodium’s dehydrating effects. Many bars are happy to offer free pretzels, peanuts, potato chips and popcorn — pretty much anything that’s cheap and addictively salty will do the trick — knowing that customers will soon crave drinks to ease their growing thirst.

Considering that a keg of Heineken costs about $110, bar owners can make a $415 profit, or a 377% return on investment, by selling $5 pints of beer. If you’re trying to keep a modest drink tab, avoid curing your tongue with salty snacks that drive you to drink.

The bottom line

No matter what food you’re craving, America’s food service industry offers a host of options, and aggressive competition means great deals are available. But to follow your food budget, you need to see past the slick commercials, flashing neon and limited-time promotions. By becoming impervious to restaurant sales tricks, you can avoid overspending and, by fortunate coincidence, overeating.

By Barbara De Lollis

Posted March 26th 2011

Can iPads replace waiters and waitresses? We’ll soon find out. A hotel restaurant in Australia:  ditched its printed menus and replaced them with iPads, giving us yet another peak at what the hotel of the future might look like.

According to the Daily Telegraph reports, the restaurant at Rydges North Sydney – a stylish, business-traveler-oriented hotel – had a special application made to process menu requests, although waiters and waitresses will still be needed to ferry food from kitchen to table.

Using the app and iPad, the article says that customers who dine at Global Mundo Tapas can:

• browse the menu with the sweep of a finger,
• order meals and drinks,
• see a photo of each dish, in addition to the expected description,
• tell the kitchen how they’d like their steak cooked, and
• learn which wines go best with each dish

In the future, the app may also make it possible for people to order food based on the weather – or their mood, the story says.

The hotel’s general manager told the newspaper the new iPad platform will enhance customers’ experience – but also make the restaurant more efficient.

The iPad system also tracks inventory, so if a certain dish or a certain wine is sold out, then that item will automatically disappear as an option, the article says.

By Josh Taylor

Posted February 23rd 2011

DOWNTOWN CLEVELAND- The food scene in Downtown Cleveland doesn’t just
come alive after 5 p.m. Restaurants are also serving up delectable food
and treats throughout the lunch hour. With that in mind, Downtown Cleveland Alliance  has expanded its 4th Annual Downtown Cleveland Restaurant Week with the addition of
a $15 lunch.

“Thousands of people come Downtown every day for work, events, museums
and more. It made perfect sense for us to add a lunch option this year,” says Josh Taylor, DCA public relations and marketing manager. “So instead of brown-bagging, diners can enjoy an hour away from the office with great food and outstanding service.”

Downtown Cleveland Restaurant Week runs from Monday,
Feb. 21 through Sunday, Feb. 27. A $15 prix-fixe lunch menu will be
offered at a variety of participating restaurants, including

* Blue Pointe Grille <http://hrcleveland.com/bluepoint.php>;
* Bricco <http://www.briccocleveland.com>
* Chinato <http://www.chinatocleveland.com>
* Chocolate Bar <http://www.originalchocolatebar.com>
* Corner Alley <http://www.thecorneralley.com>
* Encore <http://www.wyndham.com/hotels/CLEPS/dining/main.wnt>;
* Fat Fish Blue <http://www.fatfishblue.com>
* Greenhouse Tavern <http://www.thegreenhousetavern.com>
* Harry Buffalo <http://www.harrybuffalo.com>
* John Q’s Steakhouse <http://www.johnqssteakhouse.com>
* Local Heroes <http://www.localheroesgrill.com>
* Lola <http://www.lolabistro.com>
* Prime 75 <http://www.prime75.com>
* Sushi Rock <http://www.sushirockohio.com>
* Waterstreet Grill <http://www.waterstreetgrill.net>
* Zocalo <http://www.zocalocleveland.com>

Additionally, a number of the restaurants are offering a “2 for $15″
option, where two diners can enjoy a full lunch for $15.

“For just a couple of dollars more than a packed lunch, Downtown
employees and visitors can grab a friend and try out a new restaurant,”
Taylor adds.

For a full listing of participating restaurants, lunch and dinner menus
and more, visit www.downtowncleveland.com

Also New to This Year’s Event -Tastings and Educational Events New this year, more than 15 different tasting and educational events will take place at various restaurants during Restaurant Week For complete event details, visit: www.downtowncleveland.com/restaurantweek

Take the (Free) Trolley
With the addition of lunch, Downtown Cleveland Alliance would encourage diners to take
advantage of RTA’s  FREE trolleys, which make it quick and easy to reach the Downtown restaurants offering lunch.

For more information on the trolley routes, visi:

http://www.riderta.com/ro_downtown.asp

“Dine-In Sweepstakes”
Win round trip airline tickets courtesy of Continental Airlines and a Year’s Worth of Downtown Dining! Downtown Cleveland Alliance is bringing back its popular “Dine-In” Sweepstakes – giving diners the chance to win! This year’s Grand Prize winner will receive two round trip tickets courtesy of Continental Airlines and Downtown dining for a year. In addition several other diners will have the chance to win gift certificates to some of their favorite Downtown restaurants. Diners will be entered to win by completing a short survey at the end of their meal.

For a full listing of participating restaurants, menus, tastings,
classes and additional details, visit www.downtowncleveland.com

Downtown Cleveland Alliance (DCA)  is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to building a dynamic downtown. By working with property owners and neighborhood based
partners, DCA  is able to provide economic development opportunities, business attraction and retention efforts, the Clean & Safe Ambassador Program, as well as strategic
marketing initiatives for Downtown Cleveland.