Burke G Precooked-Meats Final To-Launch

A guide from FastCasual.
com
Precooked Meats: Improve Your Menu and Operations
This guide analyzes the health and menu trends impacting American restaurants and explores the cost, safety and training benefits that the use of precooked meats can provide.
Developed and published by

55% Black
Sponsored by
PMS Color 1817
PMS 165
PMS Color 1797
PMS Color 165
Contents
Page 3 Page 4 Page 5
Precooked Meats: Improve Your Menu and Operations
About the sponsors Introduction Chapter 1 | Precooked meats: Menu maximization Government set to shape restaurant industry trends Mexican is hotter than ever Local and sustainable Precooked meats: Consistent and adaptable Quality Cost impact Efficiency Versatility A world of options Comfort food Pizza Breakfast Mexican Greek Asian/Thai Cost, use and risk management Food safety Marketing and social media Food by Facebook Tracking ROI Some good tools A meaty decision
Page 9
Chapter 2
Page 13
Chapter 3
Page 22 Page 25
Chapter 4 Chapter 5
| |
Page 29
Conclusion
2011 NetWorld Alliance LLC
Sponsored by Burke Corporation
About the sponsors

Burke Corporation manufactures and markets fully cooked meat products that can be used as ingredients in pizza, entres and appetizers prepared by restaurants, foodservice establishments and manufacturers of prepared foods. Product lines range from traditional pizza toppings such as pepperoni and Italian sausage to other popular fully cooked meats, including beef crumbles, meatballs, Mexican fillings and breakfast meats. FastCasual.com is owned and operated by Louisville, Ky.-based NetWorld Alliance. The food services division is a leading vertical publisher in the restaurant industry. Together with PizzaMarketplace. com and QSRweb.com, NetWorld Alliance provides the foodservice industry with thought-provoking news and updates on the latest trends.
PMS Color 1817 PMS Color 1797 PMS Color 165
55% Black
PMS 165
Published by NetWorld Alliance. 2011 NetWorld Alliance LLC All photos courtesy of Burke Corporation, unless otherwise specified. Written by Valerie Killifer, senior editor, foodservice division. Updated by Richard Slawsky, contributing editor, FastCasual.com. Dick Good, CEO Tom Harper, president and publisher Andrew Davis, executive vice president Joseph Grove, vice president and executive editor
Introduction
Precooked meats: Menu maximization
n todays busy restaurant environment, the use of precooked meats in recipes is one tool foodservice operators can employ to make their jobs easier while managing growth and quality. Precooked meat products help ensure that menu items are prepared in a consistent manner an important aspect of quality control and customer retention. When precooked meats are used, the resulting quicker throughput and simplified employee training translate into reduced labor costs. At the same time, operators avoid the food safety dangers associated with raw meat, especially cross-contamination. And the vast array of precooked meat options available in todays market ensures maximum versatility throughout the menu. This guide, sponsored by Nevada, Iowabased Burke Corporation, looks at the quality, efficiency and versatility that using precooked meats in fast casual and quick-service restaurants can provide. In addition, this guide explores consumer trends and the cost and safety implications of using fully cooked meats. Burke Corporation manufactures and markets fully cooked meat products that can be used as ingredients in entres and appetizers prepared by restaurants, foodservice establishments and manufacturers of prepared foods. Product lines range from sausage and beef crumbles and pepperoni to meatballs, Mexican meat toppings and fillings and breakfast meats.
No matter what type of menu a restaurant has, its easy to incorporate precooked meats into recipes. Today, a wide selection of precooked meats is available and ready to use as ingredients in a variety of recipes. For example, Burkes sausage and beef toppings line provides an array of flavors and sizes. The company also offers pepperoni, meatballs, Canadian bacon, chicken strips, beef strips, shredded meats, Mexican-style meats and more. And all of these products can be used in multiple applications.
By Valerie Killifer Senior editor, FastCasual.com
When precooked meats are used, the resulting quicker throughput and simplified employee training translate into reduced labor costs.
Restaurant operators have hundreds of options when it comes to fully cooked meats that are used as ingredients, said Liz Hertz, marketing director for Burke. When selecting precooked meats, they now have the opportunity to select the flavor profile and product characteristics that best suit their needs. You cant come to a fully cooked meats company any longer and just say you want the Italian sausage. Especially with something like meat crumbles and toppings flavor, shape, size, color you name it, its available.
Chapter 1
Government set to shape restaurant industry trends
estaurant operators arent just going to be serving customers in 2011 and beyond. Theyll also be serving the government. The healthcare reform bill, passed in March 2010, requires restaurants with 20 or more locations to list calorie counts on the menu. How operators handle that challenge while keeping their customers satisfied will likely dictate the direction of the industry for years to come. Both the government and consumers want healthier menu options, but restaurant-goers are also very concerned about value and how their food tastes, said Eric Giandelone, director of foodservice research at Chicago-based Mintel Menu Insights, a market research firm. Keeping both parties satisfied might be a challenge as we move into 2011. Mintel researchers outlined some of the trends restaurant operators are likely to encounter in 2011: Trend No. 1: Healthy by association. Sixty-two percent of consumers say they plan to eat healthier in the upcoming year, but many complain that healthier food doesnt taste as good without the added sugar, sodium and fat. Restaurants will address this problem by swapping in healthier ingredients to their patrons favorite dishes, and positioning them to appear better for you. For instance, Taco Bell has quietly reduced sodium at 150 stores in the Dallas market, while Jasons Deli promotes its food as being free from high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), trans fats or pesticides. Consumers enjoy visiting restaurants that are perceived as healthy because these venues make them feel good
2011 NetWorld Alliance LLC | Sponsored by Burke Corporation
Both the government and consumers want healthier menu options, but restaurant-goers are also very concerned about value and how their food tastes. Keeping both parties satisfied might be a challenge as we move into 2011.
Eric Giandelone, director of foodservice research, Mintel Menu Insights
about themselves and their meal choices. Consumers might opt to visit the healthy restaurant, but be wooed by the not-sohealthy LTOs offered at these places. Trend No. 2: Automated menus. Convenience and technology will form the perfect union this year as restaurantgoers will see an increase in automated menus at their favorite establishments. These electronic order-takers will provide customers with the opportunity to order food to their specifications in do-it-yourself style, thus reducing the restaurants reliance on front-of-house staff, as well as full-time employees. Automated menus, in addition to mobile applications, will allow restaurants to reach a younger, more mobile consumer. Trend No. 3: Transparency. Consumers want to know what theyre eating, and the recently passed healthcare bill mandates such disclosure. Restaurants with 20 or more units will soon be required to list calorie counts on their menus. Consumers seem happy with the impending disclosure, as 61 percent agree that restaurants should post nutritional information, such as calorie counts and fat grams, on menus. More cities will start requiring restaurants to visibly display their letter grades from local health departments, further increasing menu transparency.
CHAPTER 1
Trend No. 4: Indigenous ingredients. While the local food movement continues to grow, the push toward indigenous ingredients takes that trend a step further. In 2011, restaurants will be incorporating more traditional or authentic ingredients to their ethnic or globally-positioned entrees. One example of this trend is Frontera Grills Panucho Yacateco, an entre that boasts a traditional Yucatan crispy tortilla filled with black beans and hard-boiled egg with shredded chicken in tangy escabeche sauce. Local as an ingredient marketing claim has grown by 15 percent from the second quarter of 2009 to the second quarter of 2010, according to Mintel Menu Insights, and its likely that number will increase in the coming year. Trend No. 5: Exemptions to the rule. A vast majority of restaurants will have to disclose calorie counts on their menus, but that rule doesnt apply to limited time offers, or LTOs. Operators will take advantage of this loophole by offering less-than-healthy novelty or seasonal menu items, allowing customers to indulge in a guilty treat without feeling pressured to make a healthier menu choice. As it stands, 43 percent of consumers say theyre likely to change what they order when calorie counts are listed on the menu. LTOs allow consumers the occasional opportunity to indulge in a meal out.
Mexican dishes are appearing on more menus than ever.
The rise in popularity of Mexican food is the culmination of a number of factors all converging in foodservice at this moment, said Mary Chapman, director of product innovation at Technomic. The fast casual boom is certainly part of the equation Mexican concepts fit well into the fast casual model. Consumers are also calling for authentic ethnic dining experiences and spicier, more flavorful foods, so Mexican concepts and menu items are on trend in a number of ways right now. According to Technomics research:
Mexican is hotter than ever

Mexican food continues to increase in popularity, and Mexican and Mexicaninspired dishes are on more menus than ever, according to restaurant research firm Technomic, based in Chicago.
The number of Mexican entres on U.S

restaurant menus was up 3.3 percent from the first half of 2009 to the first half of 2010, with 5.4 percent more restaurant chains offering Mexican menu items over that time period.
CHAPTER 1
While chicken and beef are still the
most prevalent ingredients in tacos, the number of fish tacos on restaurant menus was up an impressive 22.5 percent from the first half of 2009 to the first half of 2010. to regional preparations of Mexican items, much like Tuscan or Sicilian within the Italian category or Cantonese and Sichuan varieties of Chinese food.
nutrition as a culinary theme. The Association surveyed 1,527 American Culinary Federation member chefs in October 2010, asking them to rate 226 individual food items, beverages, cuisines and culinary themes as a hot trend, yesterdays news or perennial favorite on restaurant menus in 2011.
Consumers have begun to respond
Understanding the terms

While organic, green products are increasingly attractive to customers, its important to know what the different terms actually mean.
One factor that may be driving the popularity of Mexican food is the increasing diversity of the United States. Those of Latino heritage are making up an increasing part of the population. According to the Pew Research Center, the population of the United States is projected to rise to 438 million in 2050, from 310 million today. More than 80 percent of the increase will be due to immigrants arriving from 2005 to 2050 and their U.S.-born descendants. The Latino population will make up the bulk of that population increase. Hispanics will make up 29 percent of the U.S. population in 2050, compared with just 14 percent in 2005.
Organic. According to the USDA, organic meat,

poultry, eggs and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Before a product can be labeled organic, a government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to a supermarket or restaurant must be certified as well. only minimally processed (i.e., a process which does not fundamentally alter the raw product), according to the USDA. The label must explain the use of the term natural (such as no added colorings or artificial ingredients; minimally processed).
Natural. Contains no artificial ingredients and is
Local and sustainable

Healthy, local and sustainable continue to be hot topics for restaurant operators. According to the National Restaurant Associations Whats Hot in 2011 survey, the top menu trends for next year will be locally sourced meats and seafood, locally grown produce, sustainability as a culinary theme, hyper-local items and childrens
Sustainable. A philosophy rather than a
labeling standard, which encourages food being produced using methods that are healthy, do not harm the environment, are humane to animals, respect workers, provide fair wages to farmers and support farming communities.
CHAPTER 1
Locally sourced food and a focus on sustainability is not just popular among certain segments of consumers anymore; it has become more mainstream, said ACF president Michael Ty. Nutrition will continue to play a key role in 2011. Diners are requesting to know where their food comes from, and are concerned with how their choices affect the world around us. But while 84 percent of consumers say they regularly buy green or sustainable food and drink, some are unaware of what the claims actually mean. Packaging claims such as recyclable or eco- or environmentally friendly are fairly well known to consumers, but sustainable product claims such as solar/wind energy usage or Fair Trade have yet to enter the mainstream consumer consciousness, said David Browne, senior analyst with Mintel. They may have heard of the terms, but theyd be hard-pressed to define them.
Of those surveyed by Mintel, 40 percent have never heard of the solar/wind energy usage claim. The 37 percent that have heard the claim say theyve never purchased food or drink bearing the claim. Reduced carbon footprint/emissions is another lesser-known claim, as 32 percent have never heard of it. Thirty-four percent say theyve never heard of the Fair Trade claim. So why do they buy? According to Mintel research, 45 percent of sustainable food and drink users cite a perceived belief in superior quality as the reason behind their purchases. Meanwhile, 43 percent say they buy sustainable food and drink because theyre concerned about environmental/human welfare and 42 percent say theyre concerned with food safety. These reasons vary in importance across different demographics, Browne said. Whats most important to young adults may not be the primary deciding factor for affluent consumers. Marketers should consider this in their claims closely; noting that health, welfare and safety are important for nearly all consumers.
Chapter 2
Precooked meats: Consistent and adaptable
n todays market, restaurant operators can easily source fully cooked meat products that offer quality, efficiency and versatility. In turn, these precooked meats can help provide the consumer with consistent menu items. All are important aspects in attracting and retaining a broad customer base.
Precooked meat menu variations Bacon calzones, pasta, pizzas, salads, subs, soups Grilled chicken calzones, pastas, pizzas, salads,
subs, soups
Ham calzones, pizzas, salads, subs Pepperoni antipasto, calzones, pizzas, salads, subs Salami antipasto, calzones, pizzas, salads, subs Steak calzones, pasta, pizzas, salads, subs Turkey salads, subs
For example, consider a scenario where an operator might be considering an upgrade in meat toppings on a 12-inch pizza, from a topping that costs $2 per pound to one that costs $2.50 per pound. While at first glance the operator might be left with the impression that the increase in per-pound cost might equate to a 25
Quality
Whether in a single independent restaurant or across a chain, fully cooked meats can help with quality control. Through the use of precooked meats, operators can more easily provide meatcentered products consistent in flavor, size, texture and appearance, regardless of who cooked the meal. John L. Raulerson, quality assurance, research and development director for Jacksonville, Fla.-based Firehouse Subs, said having a consistent product is crucial to a restaurants operation, especially those restaurants that are looking to expand or that have multiple locations. If you gave employees raw, they could each cook it in a different way, Raulerson said. Were really going uphill here, so we have to be more consistent than (our competitors).
Cost impact
Stepping up to a higher-quality meat may cost a bit more, but the impact on a restaurants reputation can be huge. And while cost-conscious operators may fear the bottom-line impact of spending a bit more, in fact, that impact may be negligible.
Precooked meats offer consistency and help with quality control.
CHAPTER 2
percent increase in food cost, thats not the case. The website of precooked meats provider Burke Corp. offers an online calculator to help operators determine the effects of upgrading meats for a variety of menu items. Under the described scenario, for example, the impact of upgrading to a higher-quality meat only impacted food cost by 19 cents per pizza. An operator can recover the difference in food cost by raising the price of that pizza by only 75 cents.
While cost-conscious operators may fear the bottom-line impact of spending a bit more, in fact, that impact may be negligible.
to a salad or chopped and put into a wrap. That broadens the menu without adding to the inventory sheet. It also tends to tighten food costs because it reduces waste. Mark Ulrey, vice president of marketing for the seven-unit Flyers Pizza in Columbus, Ohio, points to an added benefit of crossutilization. It creates some excitement for the broker and the manufacturer, which gets us a better cost when we start moving cases for them. Ulrey said that before his company adds a new item to its inventory, the staff works to use it in multiple applications. We try to figure out how to make each product extend itself past the one application we brought it in for, Ulrey said. We use steak for a Philly steak pizza and our steak sandwich, and our marinated chicken goes on salads, subs and pizzas. In principle, most items can be crossutilized, but in practice, thats not always the case. Diced pepperoni is great for preparation speed on the make line, and it can be used to make spicy, unique breadsticks. But it may not work on a sandwich or look impressive on an antipasto platter. Likewise, steak strips are great on pizzas and do well on sandwiches, but they may
Efficiency
Precooked meats also aid in the timeliness of pushing orders out, another important factor for fast casual and quick-service restaurants. For example, Firehouse restaurants can push orders through in about eight minutes using fully cooked meat products. Raulerson said that ability promotes restaurants operational efficiency because they can serve customers in a timely manner. It also reduces waste and, subsequently, costs. For a chain that serves approximately 26 million subs a year and uses about 1.2 million pounds of precooked steak, the efficiency gain is significant.
Versatility
A good way to ensure that food inventory is frequently rotated is to cross-utilize as many items as possible. If fully cooked pre-grilled chicken strips are already used, they can also be used to top a pizza, added
10
CHAPTER 2
not be convenient if customers need to cut them in a salad bowl. To get a better understanding of how fully cooked meat items can be crossutilized, operators can ask distributors or manufacturers for samples and recipe
suggestions. Most have menu ideas and proven, tested recipes, not to mention a good idea of marketplace and regional trends. In the meantime, experiment with new ideas or try some of these:
Seconds Flat Meatball Sub Sandwich

Yield: 6 sandwiches
15 oz. 1/3 c. 2 tsp 1 tsp. 1 tsp. 30.5-oz. 6 1 c.
pizza sauce apple jelly Italian seasoning salt ground black pepper Premoro Fully Cooked Beef & Pork Meatballs, Italian-Style hoagie buns, sliced lengthwise mozzarella cheese, shredded
In a large saucepan, mix pizza sauce, apple jelly, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Place meatballs into the sauce mixture. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until meatballs are heated thoroughly, stirring occasionally. Place in split hoagie rolls on a large baking sheet. Place five meatballs and desired amount of sauce in each roll. Layer with mozzarella cheese. Place in a 425 F conventional or pizza oven. Bake open faced for 3 to 4 minutes or until cheese is bubbly but not browned.
Recipe compliments of Burke Corporation.
11
CHAPTER 2
Pasquales Spicy & Chunky Italian Chili

Yield: 10 servings
Chorizo Cheese Bread

Yield: 1 serving
16 oz.
Premoro Fully Cooked Italian Sausage, Spicy with Garlic Premoro Sliced Pepperoni, cut in half yellow onion, chopped garlic, minced green chilies, chopped cayenne pepper jalapeos, minced cumin oregano, dried, crumbled tomato puree water kidney beans, canned, drained, rinsed
1 Tbsp. 1/8 tsp. 1 slice 1 oz. 1 Tbsp. 1 oz.
salsa, thick and chunky garlic, minced ciabatta bread Tezzata Fully Cooked Chorizo-Style Pork Topping black olives, sliced Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
8 oz. 1 c. 1 Tbsp. 1 c. 2 Tbsp. 2 Tbsp. 2 Tbsp. 1 Tbsp. 2 qt. 2 c. 3 c.
Mix salsa and garlic together in a bowl; spread over bread surface. Evenly sprinkle chorizo topping, black olives and cheese over salsa. Place in a preheated 400 F conventional or pizza oven. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Chef s note: Operators may substitute garlic toast or cheese bread for ciabatta bread.
Mozzarella cheese, shredded Green onions, minced In a heavy 4- to 5-quart pot, saut sausage and pepperoni over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Add onion, garlic, chilies, cayenne pepper, jalapeos, cumin and oregano. Saut, stirring mixture for 5 minutes. Add tomato puree and water. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Add beans and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Chef s note: Serve chili in large bowls and top each serving with shredded mozzarella cheese and minced green onions.
12
Chapter 3
A world of options
recooked meats are a good fit for many types of applications across a variety of menus and dayparts. Breakfast-flavored or chorizo-style sausage can be used in breakfast burritos, pizzas and omelets; beef strips can be used for Greek-influenced salads or wraps and precooked beef or pork sausage crumbles can enhance pasta dishes, pizzas and calzones. The convenience of precooked meats makes it easy to offer new menu options, as well as fitting with many existing menu options. The fully cooked option makes operators jobs easier as they expand their menus and grow their businesses, said Burkes Hertz.
The convenience of precooked meats makes it easy to offer new menu options, as well as fitting with many existing menu options. The fully cooked option makes operators jobs easier as they expand their menus and grow their businesses.
Liz Hertz, marketing director, Burke Corporation
According to Technomic, comfort foods will continue to be a dominant trend in 2011. Homestyle Southern fare, from grits to seafood, will remain popular, said Technomic researchers, as will retro Italian, including meatballs; gourmet donuts and popsicles for dessert; familystyle service formats and family-size portions.
Comfort food
As worried consumers seek to ease their minds over economic uncertainty, they increasingly are taking comfort in simple, familiar foods made with upscale ingredients. Popular comfort-food dishes, according to restaurant consultant Nancy Kruse, include beef stroganoff, bread bowls and melted sandwiches. For example, Kruse said, there has been a resurgence of the patty melt in addition to seasonal melts, such as La Madeleines turkey and cranberry melt. Panera Bread also made waves with its new Cuban sandwich. Kruse said sandwich melts can be used to provide vegetarian, breakfast and open-faced offerings.
Pizza
No other ethnic food is perhaps more loved by Americans than Italian. And this might be a great place to start with a menu expansion. Italian fare is showing up on menus across fast casual and quick-service segments, and leading the charge is pizza. Within the past two years, Salsaritas Fresh Cantina, Dunkin Donuts and Subway have all experimented with pizza on their menus. Its hard to talk about pizza without talking about meat toppings. Though the birthplace of pizza is credited to Italy, according to Evelyn Slomon, meat toppings are Americas contribution. Slomons doctoral thesis focused on the
13
CHAPTER 3
A world of options
history of pizza and eventually became the seminal work The Pizza Book. You look at wherever pizza is, and whats on it is what the people there eat most, said Slomon. Italians arent the meat eaters we are here in the United States, so you see pretty simple toppings there: basil, good cheese, some seafood and occasionally a little meat. Slomon said she hasnt been able to pinpoint when pepperoni first appeared on pizza, but she believes it was sometime
between 1930 and 1950. During that time, pizzas popularity began a westward crawl from East Coast cities heavily populated with Italian immigrants to Midwestern cities where it had never been served before. Near those cities were vast herds of livestock, and in the cities were slaughterhouses and food production plants churning out large quantities of meat. In the decades since, pork sausage, ground beef and pepperoni have become the standards for pizza toppings. Beyond
14
CHAPTER 3
A world of options
Pollo Alla Pesto Pizza (Chicken and Pesto Pizza)

Yield: 1 14-inch pizza Yield: 4 servings
Fettuccine with Chicken, Spinach and Pine Nuts

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil c. 12 oz. c. 1 lb. 2 tsp. 12 oz. c. yellow onion, chopped MagniFoods Fully Cooked Chicken Breast Strips with Garlic Flavor chicken broth or stock, canned baby spinach, fresh garlic, minced fettuccine pine nuts
1 1 c. c.
14-in. pizza shell pesto sauce, prepared roasted red peppers, coarsely chopped
10 oz. MagniFoods Fully Cooked Chicken Breast Strips with Garlic Flavor 8 oz. 10-12 mozzarella cheese, shredded fresh basil leaves
Spread cup of pesto sauce evenly over pizza shell, up to -inch from the edge. Sprinkle roasted red peppers over pesto. Toss chicken with remaining cup of pesto sauce and layer chicken evenly over crust. Sprinkle on mozzarella. Place in preheated 450 F. conventional or pizza oven. Bake 12 to 18 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Just before serving, garnish pizza with fresh basil leaves. Chef s note: For variation, sprinkle cup of pine nuts on pizza when it comes out of the oven.
8 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated Salt and pepper to taste In a saut pan or skillet, warm olive oil over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add onion and cook, stirring until onion softens (about 2 minutes). Add chicken. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth, spinach and garlic. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain well. Divide pasta and sauce equally among four heated pasta bowls. Sprinkle pine nuts over each serving, followed by Parmesan cheese. Chef s note: Using baby spinach saves cleaning and trimming time. And in the end, it delivers better results.
the also-popular mushroom, demand for almost all other toppings is much smaller. Over the past decade, chicken toppings have become popular as well, first as a specialty topping and more recently as a menu standard. At the 47-unit DoubleDaves Pizzaworks, based in Austin, Texas, barbecue chicken pizza is a strong
seller. Garlic chicken strips sell well on pies at Shotgun Dans in Sherwood, Ark., but as that three-store companys general manager points out, winged toppings will never fly like those made of beef and pork. While sausage has reigned as the most favored pork topping, Sugardale Foods director of foodservice sales, Mark
15
CHAPTER 3
A world of options
We cut it so it looks like somebody fried it up in the back room and chopped it up with a knife; its got a natural look to it, not a cookie-cutter look, he said.
Breakfast
A study by Technomic finds that nearly half of consumers surveyed (46 percent) say they would like to see full-service restaurants offer breakfast throughout the day. About a third of consumers (32 percent) would like breakfast offered all day in limited-service restaurants. In both cases, females were significantly more interested in breakfast items for lunch or dinner than were males. Operators looking to expand breakfast into other dayparts should be mindful of their customer base and develop new offerings accordingly, said Darren Tristano, executive vice president at Technomic. Understanding the general flavor, ingredient and preparation preferences held by female consumers can help operators and suppliers introduce the most appealing breakfast options beyond morning hours for these guests. Operationally speaking, adding breakfast items to a menu isnt that difficult, especially if youre using ingredients that could easily cross over from other dayparts.
Precooked meats help restaurants offer a breakfast menu, meeting customer needs.
Hertz points to a wide variety of available fully cooked meat products that are wellsuited for a number of breakfast items. You could use everything from traditional breakfast-flavor, sage and black pepper, sausage to bacon bits to Canadian bacon or ham, she said. You can be even more creative and add chorizo to make a Mexican-style breakfast pizza, omelet or wrap. Easily added breakfast items include egg and ham or egg and sausage sandwiches, served on bagels, English muffins or a variety of artisan breads. McDonalds currently leads the quick-service breakfast daypart; the entire domestic breakfast market totals $65 billion. Today, there is no question that breakfast is more important than ever to limitedservice restaurants. Recent invigorated breakfast efforts include Jack in the Boxs
Photo courtesy of iStock.
Slaughter, says bacon has become the fastest-growing meat topping category in the past 10 years. The Massillon, Ohio, company produces fully cooked toppings, such as diced bacon.
16
CHAPTER 3
A world of options
all-day breakfast service, McDonalds test of the same and Subways introduction of breakfast sandwiches. Breakfast is the new big thing, said Jerry Couvaras, chief executive and president of Atlanta Bread Company, in the FastCasual.com article, Brawling over breakfast. Everyones got lunch but the last of the dayparts left up for grabs is breakfast, he said. But breakfast meals dont have to be limited to the sandwich variety. Hertz found another potential marketing opportunity in the results of a study on egg consumption. According to research by Wayne State University, eggs have a 50 percent greater satiety index a tool for measuring hunger and feelings of fullness than cereal or bread. Test subjects who ate eggs for breakfast ate 274 fewer calories per day on average. That really speaks to adding eggs back to our diets, she said. In a highly competitive business, Hertz advised operators considering a breakfast option to analyze every angle before making the leap. Prepare a business plan that details the competitive situation, she said, and research the market to see if customers really want it. Operators have to ask themselves how theyre going to bring traffic in and who their breakfast customers will be, she said. Even if the idea doesnt sound like a slam dunk, its probably still a worthwhile
consideration for generating positive sales growth.
Mexican
Americans have long had a fascination for Mexican cuisine, taking derivatives in the form of enchiladas, tacos, tamales, burritos and tortas for restaurant menus across the United States. In fact, Mexican food has become so mainstream, it is hardly considered ethnic anymore. Nearly six in 10 respondents to a survey conducted by Mintel Menu Insights say they have cooked Mexican food in the past month. Nearly 65 percent of the $2.2 billion Americans spent on ethnic foods were spent in the Mexican/Hispanic segment. Mexican food not only has influenced Americas meals, it also has had a significant effect on market sales. Salsa now outranks ketchup as the No. 1 condiment in the country, and the use of
Precooked Mexican-style meat quickly adds flavor to a restaurants menu.
17
CHAPTER 3
A world of options
guacamole on Cinco de Mayo, Super Bowl Sunday and Easter each account for about 5 percent of annual avocado sales. Corn and beans are two main foods indigenous to Mexico, and much of Mexican cuisine is based on these two ingredients. When the Spanish arrived in Mexico in the 1500s, they began experimenting with the new foods they discovered, resulting in recipes such as
Americans are finally discovering the true beauty of Mexican cuisine ... its one of the most complex and flavorful cuisines, rivaling classical European cooking. Its such an exciting time for Mexican food in the United States in general, and especially for modern Mexican cooking.
Richard Sandoval, chef, Modern Mexican Restaurants
Chicken Fajita Pizza

Yield: 1 14-inch pizza Yield: 1 serving
Santa Fe Salad
Salsa Ranch Dressing 2 Tbsp. salsa, thick and chunky 2 Tbsp. ranch dressing Mix salsa and ranch dressing in a bowl. Set aside. For the salad 4 oz. c. 1 c. Tezzata Fully Cooked Mexican-Style Beef Crumbles baby spinach, fresh romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
c. c. 1
salsa, thick and chunky pizza sauce 14-in. pizza shell
10 oz. MagniFoods Fully Cooked Chicken Breast Strips with Garlic Flavor c. c. c. c. 8 oz. c. green bell pepper, diced red bell pepper, diced red onion, diced jalapeos provolone cheese, shredded cilantro leaves, fresh
2 Tbsp. black beans, canned, drained 2 Tbsp. corn, canned, drained 2 1 oz. 1 oz. tomato wedges cheddar cheese, shredded tortilla chips 1 Tbsp. green onions, sliced
Mix salsa and pizza sauce together in a bowl. Spread sauce evenly over pizza shell, up to -inch from the edge. Place chicken, peppers, onions and jalapeos (if desired) evenly over pizza surface. Sprinkle on cheese. Place in a preheated 450 F conventional or pizza oven. Bake 12 to 18 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Remove from oven and top with cilantro.
Heat beef in a microwave oven until warm, but do not overheat. Place spinach and romaine in a salad bowl. Top with the warm beef, black beans, corn, tomatoes, green onions and cheese. Serve with a side of tortilla chips and Salsa Ranch Dressing.
18
CHAPTER 3
A world of options
Torta Especial
Yield: 1 sandwich
For the sandwich 3 oz. 1 oz. 1 Tezzata Fully Cooked Mexican-Style Beef Crumbles pepper jack cheese, shredded hoagie bun, sliced lengthwise
Lime Garlic Sauce 1 tsp. tsp. lime juice garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. sour cream Place ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
1 Tbsp. butter oil 2 Tbsp. green chilies, chopped 3 rings c. sliced red onion salsa, thick and chunky
Heat beef in a microwave oven until warm, but do not overheat. Add cheese and stir to allow cheese to melt and bind with the meat. Brush bun with butter oil and toast on a flat-top grill or in oven. Place Lime Garlic Sauce on bun heel; top with beef and cheese mixture, green chilies and red onion. Replace crown and serve with salsa.
lomo en adobo, pork loin in a spicy sauce, and chile rellenos, chilies stuffed with cheese, beef or pork. Restaurant operators can easily add southof-the-border flair to their menus by using precooked Mexican-style meat to prepare traditional ethnic dishes, such as tacos or tamales, or fusion creations, such as fajita pizza, Mexican calzones or Santa Fe salad. Precooked shredded meats, beef taco filling, chicken or beef strips, and chorizo can be used to quickly prepare quesadillas, enchiladas and nachos, without the waste or food safety concerns that result from using raw meat.
Greek
Like Italian cuisine, Greek is enjoying renewed interest as part of a general consumer-trend upsurge in Mediterranean foods. While Greek menu items proliferate, the main ingredients have stayed the same olives, onions, tomatoes and feta cheese. Theres not a lot of innovation, but (Greek cuisine) continues to grow so there is room for innovation, said Maria Caranfa, director of Mintel Menu Insights. Greek cuisine also heavily relies on meatbased dishes such as moussaka, pastitsio and souvlaki (the hamburger of Greece, also known as the gyro).
19
CHAPTER 3
A world of options
The most common meats used in Greek cuisine are pork, lamb, beef and chicken. And the most common cooking methods combine the meat with tomatoes and red wine or with lemon. Moussaka is a blend of eggplant, ground beef, potatoes and tomato sauce, topped with a bchamel cream sauce. Pastitsio is similar to lasagna and is made with pasta, ground beef, tomatoes, onions and garlic, and again, bchamel sauce. Souvlaki is warmed beef prepared in a pita coupled with lettuce, tomato, onions, and tzatziki, a cucumber, yogurt and garlic sauce. Seasoned, fully cooked beef strips or beef topping can be used to make a restaurants version of souvlaki or can be incorporated into Greek salads, pasta dishes, moussaka or pastitsio.
Gyro Salad
Yield: 4 servings
Yogurt Salad Dressing 1 c. c. 2 Tbsp. 2 Tbsp. plain, nonfat yogurt mayonnaise fresh dill, chopped lemon juice
Mix ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. For the salad 8 c. 1 c. c. 16 oz. 1 c. 1 c. 8 romaine/iceberg lettuce, chopped cucumber, peeled, seeded and cubed red onion, chopped Premoro Fully Cooked Gyro-Style beef Topping Kalamata or black olives feta cheese, crumbled tomato wedges
Asian/Thai
Two factors driving the recent popularity of Asian and Thai cuisine are health and travel. The health trend has been in Japan so long now, whereas here in the United States it is in its infancy, said Suzy Badaracco, owner of trend-forecasting firm Culinary Tides, based in Oregon. Increased travel to Southeast Asia, China, Japan (and other regions) has brought the flavors here as travelers come back and look to duplicate their experience abroad, she said. Boomers are a big push behind health and are also the segment that is traveling, so the group marries well with health and travel.
In a large mixing bowl, combine lettuce, cucumber and red onion. Add of the salad dressing and toss to coat lettuce with dressing. In a separate mixing bowl, combine gyro-style topping with remaining salad dressing. Divide lettuce and onion mix evenly among 4 large chilled plates. Top each serving with an equal amount of gyro beef, olives, feta cheese and tomatoes.
20
CHAPTER 3
A world of options
Chains that specialize in Asian cuisine are stepping up to fill the demand, including fast-casual category leader Panda Express, which has more than 1,300 locations in 38 states, Puerto Rico and Japan, and posted more than $1.2 billion in sales in 2008. Items such as chicken breast, sugar peas and water chestnuts which are featured in Panda Express entres cater to the consumers demand for a healthy alternative that is still rich in variety and flavor, said Kim Ellis, executive vice president of restaurant development for Panda Express.
The infusion of several types of flavors also lends itself well to restaurants that want to serve Asian-inspired menu items. Whether mixing Asian flavors and ingredients with those of other ethnic cuisines or putting an Asian twist on traditionally American dishes, chefs and other recipe developers have a wide variety of options when it comes to pleasing consumer palates, said Annika Stensson, spokeswoman for the National Restaurant Association.
Oriental Balsamic Chicken

Yield: 4 servings
1/3 c. 1/4 c. 1/2 tsp. 1/4 c. 2 Tbsp. 1 lb. 1 1/2 c. 1 lb.
balsamic vinegar brown sugar, light, packed ginger, ground hoisin sauce, jarred soy sauce MagniFoods Chicken Breast strips with Rib Meat, Garlic flavor, thawed white rice stir-fry vegetables, frozen
Place sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour into a stockpot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened. Transfer to hot well on serving line. Heat chicken in microwave and place in hot well on serving line. Cook rice according to manufacturers directions. Hold in hot well on serving line. Steam vegetables in steamer or microwave. Hold in hot well on serving line. For each serving, position 1 cup steamed rice and 1 cup vegetables on plate. Add 1 cup chicken strips, topped with cup Oriental Balsamic Sauce.
21
Chapter 4
Cost, use and risk management
he use of precooked or ready-touse meats can provide an efficient and consistent alternative for ingredient control, requiring a minimum of training. Choosing the right meat ingredients goes beyond selecting the best flavor profile. It also includes an analysis of cost and profitmargin goals especially important in todays challenging economic climate. Firehouse Subs Raulerson said the company has never considered switching to raw meats, mainly because of the expense. Raulerson said some operators think theyll save money by using raw meat, but the cost of equipment and other expenses will cancel out the savings. When brothers Chris and Robin Sorensen started Firehouse Subs in Florida 13 years ago, money was tight. Instead of taking on the expense of purchasing the equipment needed for raw-meat usage, the pair decided on precooked meat products to save on costs. But just as important in the cost impact of fully cooked meats is the ease of portion control. Getting the staff to put the same amount on every time and establishing consistency in the finished product and food cost is easier with precooked meats. Cost analysis extends beyond equipment needs and portion control. The cost of shrinkage, added spices, labor and the liability of food safety must also be considered. To help restaurant operators understand the cost difference between
Precooked meats can fit into a variety of recipes, helping restaurants stay flexible while remaining cost efficient.
fully cooked and raw meats, Burke Corporation provides an online calculator as well as other tools and resources on its website.
Food safety
The convenience of precooked meats includes more than simplified labor and training needs. Fully cooked meats also reduce concerns about grease management and food safety. Julian Angelone, owner of 16-store Ronzio Pizza, based in Lincoln, R.I., said the use of fully cooked meats simplifies the whole operation. I dont want the potential problems you can run into with grease in
22
CHAPTER 4
the exhaust hood. If you dont have to, why bother? An even bigger concern for most operators is the food safety issue associated with
Just as important in the cost impact of fully cooked meats is the ease of portion control. Getting the staff to put the same amount on every time and establishing consistency in the finished product and food cost is easier with precooked meats.
cross-contamination. No matter how sterile an environment, once you open that package (of raw meat), all bets are off, said Dick Karn, president of Karn Meats in Columbus, Ohio. Karn said the possibility of crosscontamination between raw meat products and other food items is a concern for the restaurant industry in general. The biggest thing to me is food safety and making sure no one gets sick, said Raulerson. The best way to do that is to keep raw meat products out of your facility. Bacteria in raw beef can cause E. coli
Reducing waste
Faced with the challenges of a recession coupled with high food costs, some managers may look to cheaper ingredients or menu management to solve profitability problems. However, a better place for restaurateurs to begin their quest for improved control and greater profitability may be at the trash can. By noting what is being thrown away, observant managers can identify sources of waste, food-preparation problems, poorly accepted menu items, portion-size issues and careless handling of tableware, says Burke Corporations Hertz. If operators repeatedly find specific menu items in the trash, it could indicate that a recipe needs adjustment or that employees dont have the appropriate food prep skills. Large quantities of discarded menu items should alert the manager to evaluate recipes, portion sizes, preparation expertise and ingredient quality. Depending on the issue, the next steps might include additional training on preparation or portioning, recipe reformulation or review of ingredient specs, Hertz said.
Improperly cooked meats may look delicious but harbor dangerous bacteria. Precooked meats can take the worry out of food preparation.
23
CHAPTER 4
infection, undercooked chicken can result in salmonella poisoning and undercooked or raw seafood can result in any number of serious illnesses. In limited-service restaurants, the potential for cross-contamination is significant. Employee inexperience and understaffing may result in employees moving from one workstation to another without washing their hands. Under those conditions, raw meat in the kitchen adds to the potential for an outbreak of serious food-borne illnesses.
Anything that touches the raw meat has the potential to contaminate another (product), said Raulerson. If you cooked raw meat, youd have to have special cutting boards and could only (have the products) in certain locations. We dont have that problem so much, so (precooked meat) is better efficiency-wise.
24
Chapter 5
Marketing and social media
f there is a catchphrase that has dominated marketing discussions in the past few years, that phrase is social media. Operators are exploring Internet applications such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube as ways to drive business in the computer age. As the Salad Creations marketing coordinator, Jewels Hall starts her day by logging onto the Salad Creations Twitter account. She spends the first 15 minutes of her morning twittering from the Salad Creations page (@saladcreations), tweeting anything from a new store opening to menu additions to daily specials. She also answers general questions about the Salad Creations brand. If, for example, Salad Creations adds precooked chicken to a product, Hall can ask her followers if theyve tried the new recipe and receive feedback on how it tasted. I keep the page open so Im constantly on, she said. We are following 1,830 accounts and have 1,198 accounts following us. We follow everyone that follows us. Hall took on the task of learning how to use Facebook, YouTube and then Twitter applications after it became evident social websites were becoming a consumer mainstay. According to digital measurement company comScores, Twitter had 190 million users worldwide as of the end of 2010. That number is far below Facebooks 600 million, but its still a substantial figure given Twitters only recent rise in popularity.
Social media is changing the way restaurants reach customers.
So far, Salad Creations management team has had nothing but positive feedback from its Twitter tweets and retweets. John King, the companys vice president of marketing, said the service builds on itself based on retweets (tweets that get forwarded to friends, also known as RTs). Obviously, it depends on the right messages, too, and what youre trying to promote, he said. Were in our infancy so far in this program, but were very excited about it.
Food by Facebook
Unlike placing an ad in a newspaper, creating a page on a social networking site takes very little time. Posting a message on a social media such as Facebook or MySpace can be accomplished in just a few minutes. With newspapers, you talk to an ad exec and then they design it. Its like a two-week process, said Rob Detrick, owner of Linns Pizza Bar and Grill in Frostburg, Md.
Facebook can be a great way to reach new customers, and remind existing customers to visit.
25
CHAPTER 5
Every two months or so, Detrick said he sends a bulletin to new customers that he selects based on their age range, their location within a 10-mile radius of his restaurant or by their zip code. We send them an e-mail and tell them if they want to get specials from us that they should sign up to be on our friends list, he said. In two years, he said his list of MySpace friends has grown to 4,600. Considering that the population of Frostburg is 16,000, thats pretty good, he said. He has profiles on MySpace, Facebook, Tagged and Friendster. He uses a software program, Friends Blaster Pro, which can send bulletins once an hour to his friends list. The software automates it. It does all the same stuff that you could do manually, but it does it in greater quantities and faster than you could ever do it, he said. Though he sends bulletins to new customers occasionally, he cautions that it is not a good idea to reach out too often to these people.
You dont want to go outside your friends list too often, maybe once every month or two, he said. When we first did this, we sent bulletins to everybody all the time. We thought everybody would be happy to get our offers. But we got a bunch of angry e-mails.
Tracking ROI
Mzinga, a social media-oriented software service company, released a study in September 2009 that polled 555 business people from different disciplines to see how they were using and tracking their social media initiatives. The most shocking result: While more than 60 percent of respondents had some form of ongoing social media initiative in place for marketing, interbusiness organization and customer service, 79 percent of them didnt bother tracking the results. The biggest reason they arent measuring ROI is the same reason they have a hard time measuring it in a lot of things, said Isaac Hazard, director of strategic consulting for Mzinga. Its a complicated thing; its hard to extract the value of what comes out of a social media initiative.
Everything has its price, and with social media, its not money, its time. If (executives) arent ready to invest that yet, they have to understand that potential customers are talking about them, so at the very least they need to monitor that conversation, and if someone had a bad experience, correct that, because its the second most significant thing in a buying decision (for a restaurant). And if they have a good review, share that info with other people.
C. Lee Smith, president, Ad-ology
26
CHAPTER 5
Though many industry experts argue that social media initiatives can be measured like any other medium, the platforms particular one-to-one, even personal, nature makes customer sentiment an added, confounding thing to gauge. Luckily, gurus are engineering both scientific and organic solutions to help businesspeople see the bigger picture theyre painting with every tweet, LinkedIn update and Facebook event they execute. Operators need to understand the nature of social media before they can measure its effects, experts say. Social media is a twoway conversation, much different than the mass media animal that employs a one-tomany broadcast dynamic. Even if you have 500 Twitter followers, its about having 500 different conversations, said C. Lee Smith, president of Ad-ology, a market research firm. So its about managing (many relationships) through a vehicle. According to Ad-ologys latest studies on Media Influence on Consumer Choice, positive online comments in blogs and forums are the media that most affect consumers choice of restaurant. The second biggest influence was negative comments online. Online restaurant reviews came in third. That should give restaurateurs their first directive for how to monitor social media: Start with the conversations you havent started. Everything has its price, and with social media, its not money, its time, Smith said. If (executives) arent ready to invest that yet, they have to understand that potential customers are talking about them, so at the very least they need to monitor that
(You have to measure) sort of the same way you ever did before with sort of your standard survey questions. And give them a couple of options: Facebook, Twitter, newspaper or press. You just have to add the social media option to that (survey).
Katie Paine, KDPaine & Partners
conversation, and if someone had a bad experience, correct that, because its the second most significant thing in a buying decision (for a restaurant). And if they have a good review, share that info with other people.
Some good tools

Those restaurateurs who are ready to invest the time to start applying ongoing metrics have a wealth of options to choose from. But first, as with any other media measurement, its important to establish baseline parameters: What is being measured, where is the company now in that initiative, and where does it want to be in X amount of time? Social medias No. 1 use for restaurants is in the form of marketing to raise brand awareness, ultimately to bring people into seats. In this sort of equation, Katie Paine of marketing measurement firm KDPaine & Partners said the best way to measure the role social media has played in getting people there is to simply apply old metrics to this new measurement. (You have to measure) sort of the same way you ever did before with sort of your standard survey questions, Paine said. And give them a couple of options: Facebook, Twitter, newspaper or press.
27
CHAPTER 5
You just have to add the social media option to that (survey). She also recommends adding Google analytics to the back end of a company website, especially if its linked to social media platforms. Thats one way to see how many people are being driven to a company website from company social media outlets, and ultimately to the business. That may seem like a roundabout way of doing things, but it is only one of several measurements that can and must be taken to see the overall effects of social media initiatives, according to Hazard. He said there are several overlapping metrics and measurements that should be taken, and ever specific and technologically savvy ways to employ them. You can use social media to affect a lot of different parts of your business marketing is one, customer service is another, he said. Managing your talent through training is another. All of those require a different kind of way to measure return on investment. For the very important matter at least from the Ad-ology survey findings of how potential customers feel about a brand as reflected on their online conversations, there are some very sophisticated sentiment analysis tools that can calculate, based on semantics, whether people are speaking positively or negatively about the
brand overall. A quick Google search will return a bevy of results. But Hazard said that social media also is widely employed to resolve customer service issues, in which dollar-type metrics can be useful but tricky. Again, ultimately, more than one metric measurement can and should be employed. Remember that ROI doesnt have to be in terms of increased revenue, but also in decreased costs, Hazard said. When measuring the hard ROI in my customer service department the average cost of handling issues through the call center is $10 to $12, while through a social media outlet, its closer to 25 cents. But Hazard also points out that a customer service department itself isnt measured just on dollar metrics, but rather, via customer satisfaction and retention statistics. A similar approach can be employed for social media initiatives. Whatever the operators goal, then, the point is to assess it from many different angles just like with a relationship. Put your initiative in place, then wait a year, and then measure what it looks like, Hazard said. On the organic side, measure number of posts, community members; lay that over and make sure its telling a consistent story.
28
Conclusion
A meaty decision
uring the economic turmoil of the past year or so, many operators were focused simply on surviving. They analyzed every aspect of their business, looking for ways to save a few dollars. Through the use of precooked meats, restaurant operators can manage labor and other costs while ensuring consistency and quality, and maintaining versatility for menu creativity. All of this ultimately keeps the focus on the needs of the customer. The No. 1 job of most operators is building and maintaining the restaurants reputation, which means keeping an eye on quality. In many ways, consistency equals quality, and precooked meats help to ensure consistency in flavor, size and appearance. Todays customers are looking for value. Satisfying those customers sometimes requires nothing short of operational genius. The convenience of precooked meats is one tool that can help make the restaurant more efficient and the operators job easier. Since employees only have to open a bag and measure or weigh the amount that is needed, there is less waste, and training is much easier. The time savings help improve throughput, keeping both the customer and the manager happier. Another advantage of precooked meats is food safety. By using fully cooked meats, the operator avoids the food safety dangers associated with raw meat, especially crosscontamination within the kitchen.
Precooked meats allow operators to manage costs and increase menu options, without sacrificing taste.
In the end, consumers are satisfied because products are consistent from one visit to the next, and the food arrives more quickly at the table. Operators are happier because quicker throughput means increased sales. There are fewer worries about food safety hazards, and employee training is simplified. And employees are happier because fully cooked ingredients are much easier to work with than raw meat. On the flip side, operators may believe that using a precooked product is more expensive than cooking from raw. However, after adding in the cost of shrinkage, which is generally about 25 percent; additional spices; labor and specific equipment needs, plus the liability of food safety, raw meat loses its cost advantage. The use of precooked meats as ingredients can help restaurant operators achieve what consumers want, while saving time and money in the process.
29

Burke G Precooked-Meats Final To-Launch

Caricato da

Informazioni sul documento

Descrizione originale:

Titolo originale

Copyright

Formati disponibili

Condividi questo documento

Condividi o incorpora il documento

Opzioni di condivisione

Hai trovato utile questo documento?

Questo contenuto è inappropriato?

Copyright:

Formati disponibili

Burke G Precooked-Meats Final To-Launch

Caricato da

Copyright:

Formati disponibili

A guide from FastCasual.

Precooked Meats: Improve Your Menu and Operations

Developed and published by

PMS Color 1797

PMS Color 165

Precooked Meats: Improve Your Menu and Operations

2011 NetWorld Alliance LLC

Sponsored by Burke Corporation

About the sponsors

2011 NetWorld Alliance LLC

Sponsored by Burke Corporation

Precooked meats: Menu maximization

By Valerie Killifer Senior editor, FastCasual.com

2011 NetWorld Alliance LLC

Sponsored by Burke Corporation

Government set to shape restaurant industry trends

Government set to shape restaurant industry trends

Mexican is hotter than ever

The number of Mexican entres on U.S

2011 NetWorld Alliance LLC

Sponsored by Burke Corporation

Government set to shape restaurant industry trends

While chicken and beef are still the

Consumers have begun to respond

Understanding the terms

Organic. According to the USDA, organic meat,

Natural. Contains no artificial ingredients and is

Local and sustainable

Sustainable. A philosophy rather than a

Government set to shape restaurant industry trends

2011 NetWorld Alliance LLC

Sponsored by Burke Corporation

Precooked meats: Consistent and adaptable

Precooked meats offer consistency and help with quality control.

2011 NetWorld Alliance LLC

Sponsored by Burke Corporation

Precooked meats: Consistent and adaptable

2011 NetWorld Alliance LLC

Sponsored by Burke Corporation

Precooked meats: Consistent and adaptable

Seconds Flat Meatball Sub Sandwich

15 oz. 1/3 c. 2 tsp 1 tsp. 1 tsp. 30.5-oz. 6 1 c.

2011 NetWorld Alliance LLC

Sponsored by Burke Corporation

Precooked meats: Consistent and adaptable

Pasquales Spicy & Chunky Italian Chili

Chorizo Cheese Bread

1 Tbsp. 1/8 tsp. 1 slice 1 oz. 1 Tbsp. 1 oz.

8 oz. 1 c. 1 Tbsp. 1 c. 2 Tbsp. 2 Tbsp. 2 Tbsp. 1 Tbsp. 2 qt. 2 c. 3 c.

2011 NetWorld Alliance LLC

Sponsored by Burke Corporation

2011 NetWorld Alliance LLC

Sponsored by Burke Corporation

2011 NetWorld Alliance LLC

Sponsored by Burke Corporation

Pollo Alla Pesto Pizza (Chicken and Pesto Pizza)

Fettuccine with Chicken, Spinach and Pine Nuts

Photo courtesy of iStock.

2011 NetWorld Alliance LLC

Sponsored by Burke Corporation

consideration for generating positive sales growth.

Precooked Mexican-style meat quickly adds flavor to a restaurants menu.