January 1, 2005

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Custom Fit
Menu evolution in the new year will carry on such 2004 influences as interest in healthful eating and freshness, although indulgence readies a comeback too. Global exploration will expand without abandoning familiar foods.

Golden Opportunity
The winner of the Bocuse d’Or World Cuisine Contest will be determined this month in Lyon, France. The U.S. team is ready to shine.

Four Stars: The Wrap Pack
Wraps find places on menus in all foodservice segments. From grab-and-go to sit-and-savor settings, this sandwich style lends itself to innovation.

Presentation Skills
Beverages continue to be trendsetters in 2005. Colorful cocktails, coffee drinks, milk and hot chocolate all will make news this year.

SPECIAL REPORT

Will this be the year foodservice regains firm financial footing or is 2004’s unpredictability predicted to remain? R&I’s industry forecast assesses prospects for prosperity.

Great Expectations
Guarded optimism is the mood amid signs 2005 will present opportunities for unit expansion, new concept development and cautious risk-taking.

Cost Control
Wildly fluctuating overhead costs made 2004 an uneasy year. The industry learned valuable lessons that will influence future management strategies.

Financial Planning
Slow-growth years have toughened noncommercial segments. Watch for ambitious, fiscally sound program development to reassert itself.

BUSINESS

Growth Spurts
Business opportunities can be found everywhere, analysts say. Menus, dayparts and demographics all offer possibilities to bolster revenues.

Hot Spots: Brand Recognition
Proprietary retail concepts are key weapons in foodservice contractors’ battles to win clients and to convince self-operators to outsource.

OPERATIONS

Candid Cameras
The need for security against internal and external threats is an unfortunate reality. New technologies provide one path to protection; for others, staff training is the most cost-efficient answer. Whichever is chosen, legal issues require careful consideration.

DEPARTMENTS

R&I Insider
Schools confront vending shortfalls; Gen Y and Gen X charge toward bankruptcy; cocktails get their own museum; shrimp costs may rise; Atlantans marvel at a giant rotisserie; school foodservice leaders are honored. Menu Focus serves meatloaf ideas; Table Turns collects the buzz; Consumer Beat reports on new dining research.

Interface: J. Walker Smith
Yankelovich President J. Walker Smith explains to Interface how consumer desires have changed, and why and what to expect next.

10-Minute Manager
What’s the best response when power fails or heavy rains flood dining rooms? The 10-Minute Manager talks to restaurateurs who have faced unexpected emergencies and learns how they kept cool heads when all around them was confusion.

EDITORIAL

Viewpoint
Industry Standards