MENU MANAGEMENT: It’s Time for Crispy Fries that Really Deliver [Presented by Lamb Weston]
New Crispy on Delivery fries from Lamb Weston stay crispy up to 30 minutes with the innovative fry cup. This fry cup, along with our revolutionary coating and store-to-door training, helps Crispy on Delivery fries go the extra mile. Learn more at LambWeston.com/FryExperts.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Americans Split on Athletes Kneeling in Protest
While many applauded Nike for their support of Kaepernick, others have lambasted the company on Twitter, many vowing to boycott its products going forward. The online reaction to the Kaepernick ad reflects the overall sentiment in the country with respect to athletes kneeling in protest of racial inequality. As a recent poll by NBC Newsand the Wall Street Journal shows, support for Kaepernick and his fellow protesters falls strictly along party lines.
Adobe Systems the Best Employer for New Grads
Today, many new graduates are prioritizing positions that offer important benefits such as flexibility or health insurance coverage over jobs that simply boast a bigger paycheck. That means that companies have to innovate and compete even more to attract and retain America's best young talent. In the top-10 list of America's Best Employers for New Grads, multinational computer software company Adobe Systems came first, ahead of Nintendo and Aon. Unsurprisingly, Google is still a hot property for new graduates due to its extensive list of perks and benefits. The search engine giant comes sixth on the list overall.
Dirtier than a Toilet
Airports can be stressful places as it is. Expensive flights, bag check fees, unable to bring in food/drink, TSA… What we didn’t want to know (but now do) is that airport security trays carry more cold germs than toilets. Ugghhh….
NOT STEALING IT, JUST BORROWING IT WITHOUT ASKING.
Why it matters to you: So many establishments in America have a Taco Tuesday, but are we allowed?
Taco Tuesday has become a time-honored American tradition over the years, making it almost an institution of our industry. Of course, another time-honored American tradition is stealing ideas from someone else and calling it our own, which leads us into Taco John’s. Taco John’s has had Taco Tuesday under trademark since 1989. As one of the largest Mexican restaurant chains in the US, you’d think they’d be able to do something about this, right? Well apart from sending out stacks of cease and desist letters to smaller independent restaurants, no there isn’t much they can do. When people dove deeper into this Taco John’s debacle they found instances of the phrase in use since 1933 in the El Paso Herald-Post, 1949 at Albuquerque’s Zia Lounge, and many more instances scattered through time.
So, does this mean we all have to stop using the phrase “Taco Tuesday”? Don’t take this as legal advice, but it probably shouldn’t matter considering how widespread it’s usage is, but also we’d say certainly don’t tag Taco John’s anytime you do use it. That said, as operators we must always do our due diligence before we consider co-opting certain popular phrases for our own establishments. A lawsuit is never a good way to start your day so best to not risk it if it can be helped.
[Source: Thrillist]
THE ROOF, THE ROOF, THE ROOF IS…
Why it matters to you: Each year several thousand restaurants burn down in the US, don’t join the club.
Each year roughly 8,000 restaurants burn down in the US resulting in at least two civilian deaths a year. That is more than 1.2% of establishments annually, hardly a negligible number. Cooking oil, grease traps, gas leaks, and electrical problems are the major culprits for these tragedies which means they are generally a very preventable problem for our industry.
Cooking oil/grease traps make up for around 43% of restaurant fires and it should be no surprise as kitchen ductwork (unless cleaned regularly) are home to grease buildup -- a disaster waiting to happen. As this chore can be skipped with relative ease, we’d recommend having someone come in for a more in-depth cleaning. That way you’ll be able to rest assured! Grease traps require twice-annual or quarterly cleaning.
Gas leaks typically occur with older or neglected kitchen equipment that can no longer support the flow of gas. These are especially dangerous because even the turning on of the smallest electrical device can result in a massive explosion. Leaks are typically caught by the smell of gas, extinguished pilot lights, or the presence of moderate yellow or orange flames rather than the usual sharp blue ones. If you keep up with your equipment and replace it when necessary this type of disaster can be easily avoided.
Electrical fires are responsible for some of the deadliest fires in our history. A fire at the MGM Grand in Paradise, NV in 1980 started as the result of an electrical ground fault in a pastry display case and killed 85 people. These fires start with unsafe wiring, sockets, improperly installed switches, or plugs projecting heat onto flammable and combustible materials. There are several ways to avoid this issue: not overloading your kitchen’s capacity with equipment and ensuring the wiring in our buildings is up to snuff/replaced it if need be. We can and must avoid becoming just another statistic within the realm of restaurant fires so hopefully these tips can be a step in the right direction!
[Source: Eater]
