Floored!, the official blog of the National Restaurant Association, Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show and International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event (IWSB)

New education sessions focus on franchise issues at NRA Show 2012

By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

The 2012 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show (held at its new dates May 5-8 at Chicago's McCormick Place) has teamed up with Franchise Times to host a series of education sessions designed to provide insight into current industry issues affecting restaurant franchisees and franchisors. 

Top industry leaders and experts will gather to discuss trends, strategies and best practices addressing everything from how to franchise your restaurant and pros and cons of being a restaurant franchisee, to how to grow your restaurant business and how the modern day franchise model is changing.

“Together with Franchise Times, we’ve assembled top experts and thought leaders to address concerns impacting restaurant franchising today,” said Jack Crawford, Convention Chair for NRA Show 2012 and President and CEO of Ground Round Independent Owners Cooperative, LLC. “Our hope is that by offering this series of sessions, we can provide attendees with the tools and insight they need to succeed and thrive in the foodservice industry.”

NRA Show 2012: Tips for the international attendee

By Tatiana Vieira Green, International Contributor

Every year, product innovation, culinary knowledge and big ideas are found around every corner at the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show and its sib event the International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event (IWSB). NRA Show 2012 is set for its new dates May 5-8, IWSB will be held May 6-7, at Chicago’s McCormick Place. 

With show-goers from more than 100 countries, international attendees now have access to valuable information about this year’s events and attractions, speakers, as well as helpful tips on how to book travel arrangements in several languages: Chinese (Traditional), English (British), French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

Big Bite Chicago: International Flavors at NRA Show

 
An original documentary series by The Food Channel: Classics from the [NRA] Show Floor

Interested in learning more? Register and save up to 50 percent for the 2012 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show and International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event (IWSB).

You can also find the NRA Show and IWSB on Twitter @NRAShow, Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube.

Big Bite Chicago: Inside the NRA Show

 
An original documentary series by The Food Channel: Classics from the [NRA] Show Floor

Every year, the National Restaurant Association hosts a big show [the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show and its sib event the International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event] inside McCormick Place in Chicago. It's where food vendors, manufacturers, marketers and, really, anyone who's in the business of food comes to find out the latest, greatest, and biggest new products and ideas. 

The Food Channel has produced this documentary series in order to give you a little of the behind-the-scenes flavor of the show. We'll tell you the history as well as the trends that we saw emerging on the show floor, and perhaps whet your appetite for more trade information from those in the know. Enjoy, learn, and experience the National Restaurant Association at its best! 

For more information, and to register for up to 50 percent savings for NRA Show and IWSB 2012, go to www.restaurant.org/show or www.winespiritsbeer.org. You can also find the NRA Show and IWSB on Twitter @NRAShow, Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube.

Reposted from The Food Channel

Oneida serves new dinnerware, flatware designs

By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

Just in time for the 2012 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show−Oneida is serving up four new tableware designs for luxury, fine and casual dining. The new patterns arguably expand on the success of the tableware titan’s powerful product portfolio. 

“We’re especially excited about the visual and tactile elements of these designs and of their ability to enhance the dining experience,” said Oneida Senior Vice President Design and Advertising Paul Gebhardt.

• Surrey is the company’s newest addition to the luxury dining Wedgwood Collection. Timeless and contemporary, Surrey's warm Maxadura body color presents generous plating surfaces. 
• Circa is the newest addition to the fine dining category’s Sant Andrea Collection. Circa is simply beautiful and elegant on any tabletop. 
• Atlas is one of two new patterns in the casual dining category. Atlas is a pairing of a design-forward hammered finish and a classic architecturally inspired border.
  
• Acclivity is a pattern that showcases both form and function, with a recessed element at the handle center that stands out with a bright mirror finish. The brightly polished teardro handle creates both visual and tactile appeal.

Visit Oneida at NRA Show 2012, set for its new dates May 5-8 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

For more information, and to register for up to 50 percent savings for NRA Show and IWSB 2012, go to www.restaurant.org/show or www.winespiritsbeer.org. You can also find the NRA Show and IWSB on Twitter @NRAShow, Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube.

Top Chef stars Blais, Mendelsohn and Viviani to host Restaurants Rock

By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

Three of Bravo’s Top Chef reality show’s biggest stars – Richard Blais, Spike Mendelsohn and Fabio Viviani – will be harnessing their star power to help raise funds for the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s (NRAEF) ProStart program at Restaurants Rock. The three celebrity chefs will host the second annual party held on Sunday, May 6, 2012 during the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show (set for its new dates May 5-8 at Chicago’s McCormick Place), and will conduct live cooking demos on the NRA Show floor in the World Culinary Showcase on Sunday, May 6. 

Restaurants Rock is the official all-industry party of the NRA Show and International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event (IWSB) and will celebrate the spirit of the restaurant and hospitality industry. The event, sponsored by Crown Imports, will feature Bravo’s Top Chef stars Blais, Mendelsohn and Viviani, live music, as well as an action-packed live mixology competition to crown the IWSB Star of the Bar. Proceeds from Restaurants Rock will support the NRAEF’s ProStart program – a nationwide, two-year program that unites industry and the classroom to develop the best and brightest talent into tomorrow’s restaurant and foodservice leaders.

On the menu: A red-hot Valentine’s Day recipe

By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

While dining out remains a popular choice for Americans to celebrate Valentine’s Day, new National Restaurant Association research shows that nearly one-third would also like to receive a restaurant gift card on February 14. However, men show a much stronger preference for restaurant gift cards as a Valentine’s Day gift than women do at nearly half. 

“Celebrating the occasion with a special meal will be on the menu for one-quarter of Americans this February 14, but those who opt to give restaurant gift cards as gifts will, in a sense, extend the holiday to have a special meal another day,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of the Research and Knowledge Group for the National Restaurant Association.

Given a list of six Valentine’s Day gift options and asked which one they would most like to receive as a Valentine’s Day gift, 31 percent of adults favored restaurant gift cards, followed by jewelry, clothing/apparel, flowers, chocolate and perfume/cologne.

When broken down by gender:

• 46 percent of men favored restaurant gift cards
• 16 percent of men opted for clothing/apparel
• 12 percent of men desired chocolate
• 37 percent of women preferred jewelry
• 23 percent of women favored flowers
• With restaurant gift cards coming in third at 13 percent

Honoring innovative restaurant operators

By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

The National Restaurant Association will honor operators who drive the industry ahead with passion and commitment during the 2012 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, set for its new dates May 5-8 at Chicago's McCormick Place. From now through March 7, you can nominate outstanding operators (including yourself) for these first-ever awards.

The industry-first awards will celebrate the best the industry has to offer in innovation in five distinct categories: 

• Technology Applications
• Sustainability
• Menu Development
• Food Safety
• and Health & Nutrition

An independent panel of industry experts will narrow nominations down to three finalists in each category. During Destination:Celebration, the must-attend after-party (Saturday, May 5), the winners in each of the five categories, as well as the Innovator of the Year will be revealed.  

Learn more and submit your nominations. For more information, and to register for up to 50 percent savings for NRA Show and IWSB 2012, go to www.restaurant.org/show or www.winespiritsbeer.org. You can also find us on Twitter @NRAShow, Facebook, Linkedinand YouTube.

2012 Kitchen Innovation Award recipients announced

By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

The National Restaurant Association today announced the recipients of the 2012 Kitchen Innovations (KI) Award, which honors groundbreaking kitchen equipment in the foodservice market. An independent, expert panel of judges selected the esteemed KI Award recipients for significant innovations that improve quality, productivity, service, and sustainability.

Award recipients will be showcased in the interactive Kitchen Innovations Pavilion in its new central location on the exhibit floor (booth 2440 ) at the 2012 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, set for its new dates May 5-8 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

“The independent panel of judges selected these products based on the forward-thinking approach to commercial kitchen equipment demonstrated by their innovative creators,” said Jack Crawford Convention Chair for NRA Show 2012 and President and CEO of Ground Round Independent Owners Cooperative, LLC. “These truly groundbreaking products will have a substantial impact on the efficiency and success of restaurant kitchens, as well as the profitability of the restaurant itself. As the largest restaurant and hospitality trade show in the United States, the NRA Show offers the perfect forum to explore trends and find new products to enhance restaurant operations.”

NRA Show makes EXPO magazines Top 25 Fast-Growth Shows list

By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

The National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show came in at number 6 among EXPO magazine’s Top 25 Fast-Growth Shows, attributing the NRA Show’s success to a variety of campaigns, most notably the NRA Show Daily Deals program. (Read the full article.)

NRA Show Daily Deals allowed attendees (buyers) to purchase deeply discounted deals online and fulfill them face-to-face with sellers on the exhibit floor. Every day leading up to the NRA Show, and throughout the four-day event, a product or service was highlighted in a “NRA Show Deal of the Day.” The offers included products and services from several exhibitor categories, including equipment, food, technology, services and uniforms. Each NRA Show Deal of the Day represented a savings of 50 percent or greater on an item or package with an original value of at least $500.