November 15, 2005

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Souper Stars
Simplicity, portability, versatility and healthful perceptions make soup a foodservice staple from kiosks and cafeterias to formal dining rooms.

Dish R&D: Razzzburger
At Brlée: The Dessert Experience, Executive Pastry Chef Jemal Edwards combines raspberries, white-chocolate ganache and macaroons in an elegant indulgence.

Re Alert
Thanks in part to a “Sideways” boost from Hollywood, not only pinot noirs but syrahs, cabernets and malbecs have gained consumer interest.

SPECIAL REPORT

R&I ’s exclusive New American Diner Study yields a treasure trove of data about how, when, where and why consumers choose to purchase food away from home.

• Who Is the New American Diner?
  Proximity to home or work, menu variety, service speed and availability of takeout are among the variables that factor into consumers’ decisions.
• Through the Ages
  The generations can be poles apart in their expectations of and satisfaction with dining experiences.
• Cultural Exchanges
  Family, food and social traditions all influence the ways many Asian, black, Hispanic and white consumers incorporate restaurants into their lives.
• Food Battle of the Sexes
  The gender gap is wider than differences over portion sizes. The New American Diner Study finds many disagreements between male and female diners.

BUSINESS

Changing Spaces
A wave of college-foodservice renovations is meeting students’ food and atmosphere needs.

Piatti Unchained
A casual-Italian chain eschews cookie-cutter menus and frees its chefs to seek out local ingredients and suppliers.

OPERATIONS

Wheels and Deals
Portable carts and space-efficient kiosks eliminate students’ need to go off campus for coffee, snacks and sundries.

In the Bag
Packaged prewashed salad greens benefit from additional cleaning and careful handling in the kitchen.

DEPARTMENTS

R&I Insider
Church’s Chicken’s quick-service construction; Aramark takes healthful eating to vending; Chipotle’s IPO discloses the chain’s success; healthcare-foodservice leaders are honored; Farmers Branch, Texas, polls its residents on restaurant preferences; Paul Ardaji Jr. answers One Quick Question; Menu Focus customizes meals; Consumer Beat serves beef-consumption data.

Interface: CEO Jim Funk of the Louisiana Restaurant Association
Jim Funk tells Interface how his organization is mobilizing aid for displaced employees and damaged operations in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

EDITORIAL

Viewpoint
Leaders usually are easy to recognize, standing out with purposeful strength and clarity.