November 15, 2001

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Over the Top
Pizza’s simplicity is for some an invitation to innovation. Pepperoni may remain the favorite topping, and tomato sauce and cheese be enough for some palates, but for many restaurants they are just the beginnings. Round Table Pizza, for example, tops one of its pies with roasted chicken, fire-roasted tomatoes, bacon, chopped garlic, yellow onions, shredded Parmesan and a three-cheese blend. That combination is just one of many combinations being cooked up in kitchens.

SPECIAL REPORT

Multiplication Tables
In an age of empires, multiconcept operators wield quiet power. Their names often are not familiar to diners because their restaurants may operate under a dozen or more different names. Yet the MCOs’ leadership role is profound, their experimentations with menu, décor and style influencing the directions of foodservice’s growth. Restaurants and Institutions presents its annual ranking of the 75 largest MCO organizations, representing more than $4.4 billion in combined sales.

BUSINESS

Crowded House
The kitchen area of the Stolen Grill in Kansas City, Mo., is little more than 200 square feet, and Chef Tim Doolittle is perfectly content with that. “I love it, because I’m not running three miles a day trying to get product.” Across the country there are chefs and operators that have learned by necessity to adjust to cramped kitchen or dining room quarters and still succeed.

INTERFACE

Susan Steinbrecher
She may not carry a clipboard or have a whistle around her neck, but Susan Steinbrecher is an experienced and effective coach. The daughter of a college foodservice director, she has helped develop management skills in executives at many top hospitality companies.

OPERATIONS

Remote Control
Surveillance, inventory tracking are among multiple routes to loss prevention for operators.

Bioterrorism Concerns Spur Food-Safety Bill
Sen. Dick Durbin seeks to create a single food safety agency to oversee nationwide efforts.

EDITORIAL

Viewpoint