Florida Restaurant & Lodging

O f f i c i a l P u b l i c at i O n O f t h e f l O r i d a r e s ta u r a n t & l O d g i n g a s s O c i at i O n

TOP 10 FOOD & LODGING VIOLATIONS

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2012 WWW.RESTAURANTANDLODGING.COM

From Carolina- and Kansas-Style to Texas-Inspired Bar-B-Q, Learn the Critical Factors That Mean Success

2 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2012 FlORida REsTauRaNT & lOdg iNg assOCiaT iON

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FlOR ida REsTauRaNT & lOdg iNg 3www.Restaurantandlodging.com

From t he ch a ir m a n’s de sk

I love acronyms. Our latest new one up here in the Panhandle is MEME. That stands for Media Enhanced Moisture Event. If you don’t know what that means, ask all of the hoteliers and restaurateurs in Walton County. The County Commissioners inflicted a mandatory evacuation for Tropical Storm Isaac, causing all of the hotels to shut down and all of the restaurants to close the week before Labor Day.

Okaloosa County, the next county to the west, was closer to the storm and closed the schools for one day. Advance planning is good, but our industry, as most everyone knows, requires that you be ready to change the plan quickly or maybe even reverse the plan.

The biggest threat from Isaac was that many of the employees working along the coast would not be able to go north on account of bridge closures due to winds reaching over 45 miles per hour. So the call was made in the interest of safety.

It is hard to plan for what to do when you don’t know if or when you are going to have a storm. Storms come in many forms and fashions in our industry.

We have these MEMEs (see above for definition), we have government that wants to change our health care, our workman’s comp rates, our paid time off (PTO), our per-manent pool access means, and just about everything else in our business they need not focus on.

Nevertheless, they do, and you should know that your Association mobilizes every time there is a threat from one of the aforementioned storms.

This September, Carol Dover, our president and CEO, had to travel to Orlando to speak to the Orange County Commissioners and tell them what a negative impact paid sick leave changes would make. Mission accomplished – thanks to the FRLA’s first responders!

Most of us work on a calendar year which means that we are either working on next year’s budgets now or will be soon. This election has impacted our budget.

We might get to November 30th without a MEME but we may still have a storm on our hands that will last for four years.

– BRuCE CRAuL2012 Chairman of the Board, Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association

MEMEsStorms of the Industry

Chairman

Bruce Craul Legendary Inc. & Hospitality Inc., Destin

Chairman-ElECt

Andrew Reiss Andrew’s Downtown, Tallahassee

SECrEtary-trEaSurEr

Jim McManemon, Jr. Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island

Carlos Molinet Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention

and Visitors Bureau

Mitch Doren City Walk/Universal, Orlando

Matt Halme Outback Steakhouse Inc., Tampa

immEdiatE PaSt Chair

Dave ReidMiller’s Ale House, Jupiter

PrESidEnt/CEO

Carol B. Dover, fMp

EditOr

Susie R. McKinleyEmail: [email protected]

M AGA Z INE

PubliCatiOn managEr

John M. [email protected]

advErtiSing

Leslie L. Baker 850-545-5023 • [email protected]

PubliShEd by

DestinCom1334 timbErlanE rd., tallahaSSEE, Fl 32312

Phone: 850-545-1362 • Fax: 850-907-8245

Florida Restaurant & Lodging magazine is the official publication of the Florida restaurant & lodging association, inc. (Frla). Frla reserves the right to accept, modify, or reject any and all content submitted for publication, whether paid or otherwise, solely at its dis-cretion. unless otherwise expressly indicated, Frla does not endorse or warrant any products or services contained herein. in addition, unless otherwise expressly noted, the opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Frla, its directors, officers, members, or staff. Content submissions may be made to the Publisher’s Office by regular mail or by e-mail. Please note that submit-ted materials will not be returned.FRLA Headquarters Publisher’s Address230 S. adams St. 1334 timberlane rd.tallahassee, Fl 32301 tallahassee, Fl 32312 850/224-2250 850/545-1362Fax: 850/224-9213 Fax: 850/907-8245

ad rates and Submission guidelines at www.RestaurantAndLodging.com

Florida Restaurant & Lodging magazine (uSPS 002-629; iSSn 1044-03640) is published bi-monthly. Frla members receive this publication as part of their membership dues. non-members receive it as a marketing and promotion effort to inform the Florida foodservice and lodging industry of efforts made on its behalf by Frla. Printing and mailing services: boyd brothers Printing, inc., Panama City, Fl.

address changes may be sent to: Frla, PO box 1779, tallahassee, Fl 32302 or via email to [email protected]. Subscription address changes (digi-tal or uS mail, can be made at www.restaurantandlodging.com, and click the manage Subscription tab.

or more on cooling and lighting costs5%

SAVE

Milagros Rolle FPL associate

FPL can help you get energy fit and make your bill even lower

Shape up your business energy use

With a free Business Energy Evaluation from FPL, our expert will help you save energy and money. You’ll get an on-site evaluation along with a customized plan on how to become more energy efficient and make your bill even lower. Just visit FPL.com/energyfit to schedule your Business Energy Evaluation today.

It is hard to plan for what to do when you don’t know if or when you are going to have a “storm.” Storms come in many forms and fashions in our industry.


From t he ceo

By CAROL B. DOvER

Championing Critical Pro-Biz Efforts in 2013

Carol B. Dover

T he Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association will be champion-ing critical pro-business efforts at both the national and state level in 2013. We need your continued commitment and involvement in making sure our elected officials support business growth poli-cies within the hospitality industry. Make your voice heard. Get to

know your elected representatives.In October, I was named the 2012 Florida State university Dedman School of

Hospitality Alumna of the year. It is a humbling honor. I am thrilled to be a Hospi-tality Education Ambassador. The degree I received through Dedman has proved an essential foundation throughout my career. I truly believe we can reshape Florida’s economy by giving high school and college students a solid platform to begin their career path in our industry.

The ProStart and LMP programs through the FRLA Educational Foundation are perfect examples of how students can get ahead of the curve and secure applicable job skills before advancing to higher education. The tourism and hospitality industry employs close to one million employees in Florida alone. We must continue to support hospitality education at all levels to ensure our industry flourishes for decades to come.

We will be celebrating the hospitality industry’s finest in January and we hope you will join us!

Mark your calendars for January 2-4, 2013 for our FRLA Winter Board Meeting and Installation Gala. We will be at the incredible Fontainebleau Resort in Miami. Space is limited, so it’s imperative for you to make your reservation as soon as possible. This will be a fantastic event that you do not want to miss. We look forward to seeing you there!

Carol Dover is President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association.

Dr. Jane Ohlin, Director of the Dedman School of Hospitality, Walt and Carol Dover, FSU President Eric Barron, and Caryn Beck-Dudley, Dean of the FSU Business School.

Mark your calendars! The

FRLA Winter Board Meeting

and Installation Gala will be

held January 2-4, 2013 at

the Fontainebleau Resort in

Miami, Florida.


Departments 3 From the Chairman’s Desk memes:stormsoftheIndustry

5 From the CEO ChampioningCriticalpro-Bizeffortsin2013

9 CEO Forecast GaryBrielmayer,HiltonsandestinBeachGolfresort&spa

10 Event Calendar 2012-2013FrLaeventCalendar

11 RNC FrLaWorksItattherepublicannationalConvention

12 FRLA Photo HighlightsmealsofHope,FrLaGolf,FrLa’sBigparty

13 Member Benefits annamariaOysterBar

14 Chefs That Sizzle timCreehan,Owner,CuveeBistro,Greatevents,Destin

17 Top 10 LodgingandFoodViolations(July2011-June2012)

21 Movers & Shakers GoldichnamednewexecChefatmiamiJWmarriott

22 A La Carte thompsonmovestonationalstage,VIVaFlorida500

23 Unique Amenities southernFareatWaterColor

34 Green Tips restaurants“GoGreen”fromFloortoCeiling

35 Wine Tips WhysustainabilityandOrganicpracticesmatter

37 Health Care CanWeGrandfatherOurCurrentHealthCareplan?

38 The Lease Coach siteselectiontips

39 Employment ControllingemploymentLitigationCosts

40 Membership 2012regionalDirectorsterritories

41 Social MediamanagingYourOnline,socialmediapresence

43 Food Safety CuredmeatIsIn:ButIsItsafe?

45 ProStart prostart’sFieldofGreens

46 SafeStaff Foodmanagertraining&textingschedule

contents25 FreshfromFlorida(totheOlympics) Timineri Serves Fresh From Florida Seafood to Athletes at London 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

26 SecretsofSuccess:PIER66 For almost five decades, Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six has stood as a landmark of excellence in Fort Lauderdale.

31 Red,WhiteandBar-B-QInterview with John R. Farrish, PhD., author of “Critical Success Factors In Barbecue Restaurants” on the “State of Barbecue” today.

OCtObEr/nOvEmbEr 2012 • WWW.rEStaurantandlOdging.COm

Cover photos courtesy of Brians-Bar-B-QueChef Justin Timineri (right) with Gold Medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee. They appeared together in media interviews during the 2012 London Olympics where they talked about the importance of healthy eating.


David & Elizabeth Gwynn, Proprietors

Cypress Restaurant, Tallahassee

“ Heartland’s endorsement by the

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“With Heartland you know.”

As the fifth largest payments processor in the country, we understand the needs of businesses of all sizes. That’s why we offer custom solutions like card processing, data security, payroll

and gift marketing to help your business prosper. Get to know Heartland. Visit us at HeartlandTallahassee.com or call 866.941.1477

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infinite energy, inc is florida’s largest independent natural gas provider, proudly serving florida’s restaurants and hotels for over 10 years. lock in all or a portion of your natural gas usage for up to 5 years so you can protect

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forecastFLor ida r estaUr a nt & LodGinG a ssoci ation

Gary BrielmayerHilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa

Gary Brielmayer, Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa

As GM, Brielmayer oversees all areas of the distin-guished 598-room property, including its award-winning spa – Serenity by the sea – and AAA Four Diamond restaurant, Seagar’s Prime Steaks and Seafood, as well as manages approximately 500 employees and 60 directors and managers. Brielmayer has been a longtime team member of

Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, having joined the hotel as its director of restaurants in 1998, and then having been promoted to assistant director of Food and Beverage, and later director of Food and Beverage, prior to becoming the manager of Hotel Operations in 2006.

Prior to joining Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in 1998, Brielmayer held several restaurant management positions at the hotel. He has also held such positions at South Seas Plantation in Captiva, FL, and at the Hyatt Atlanta Airport in Atlanta.

What do you think will be the biggest industry trend in the first half of 2013?

While the group business has not yet returned to the peak year of 2007, I think we will see the guest outlook strong on the transient side but still weaker on group business for some time. Group business will be heavily swayed by who is elected as President.

Our property is generally a “drive in” destination with guests primar-ily arriving from Houston, Dallas, Little Rock, Memphis, Nashville and the Carolinas, with Atlanta and New Orleans being our biggest areas that we draw guests from. I think this “drive in” trend will continue for quite some time.

While we were negatively impacted by the oil spill in 2010, we suffered greatly, but have bounced back, thanks, in part, to the marketing dol-lars spent to encourage travel to the Panhandle and the Destin area. This resurgence in visitors has brought to our resort a lot of fresh faces - first time visitors - which bucks the trend that carried us for many years; prior

to 2010, we had a large amount of repeat guests.

What issue would you most like to see positively addressed by Florida’s Legislature?

It is important that Governor Scott and Florida’s Legislature continue to focus on job growth and increasing tourism to Florida. There is noth-ing more important to our State than future development of those two issues.

It may sound like a cliché, but with tourism and agriculture being Florida’s number one and number two industries, maybe it is time to create a closer level of cooperation between the two industries by creating a “merger” of some sort with the agriculture industry supporting Florida’s

Mobile Ordering has never been easier...

For more information visit us on the webwww.abacuspos.com or call 800-665-9222

More Sales, Faster ServiceMore Satisfied Customers.

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ceo For ec a stEvent Calendar2012-2013For more information: www.frla.org/events

n FRLA Winter Board Meeting & Installation GalaWednesday–Friday, January 2-4, 2013Fontainebleau Resort, Miami, FL

n FRLA Marketing SummitFebruary 5, 2013 – Clearwater, FL

n FRLA Legislative DaysMarch 13, 2013FRLA Headquarters – Tallahassee

n FRLA Summer Board MeetingJune 10-12, 2013 – Boca Raton Beach Club

n FRLA Wild & Crazy Fishing TournamentSummer, 2013

n FRLA Operations SummitJuly 2013 – Tampa Bay

n NRA/FRLA Bob Leonard Golf ClassicSeptember 25, 2013ChampionsGate – Orlando

n FRLA Trade ShowSeptember 22-24, 2013 Orange County Convention Center – Orlando

n FRLA Fall Board MeetingTentative: September 22-24, 2013Orange County Convention Center - Orlando

n FRLA Big PartySeptember 23, 2013BB King’s Blues Club – Pointe Orlando

hotels and resorts for large group business and Florida’s hotels and resorts supporting local agriculture by really growing the “buy local” initiative, utilizing local agricultural products in Florida hotel food outlets to purchase products and create awareness of Florida’s agricultural industry. These industries should work together to stimulate one another.

What is the single greatest factor in the success of your business?

Besides “location, location, location”, the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa is the only large full-service resort on the beach in the Panhandle and training is the single greatest factor in the success of this property.

Properties must be willing to invest in their associates … be willing to train someone with a great personality versus hiring someone with a lot of experience, but missing the personality that so characterizes a successful operation.

How has participation in FRLA positively affected your business?

Every day FRLA is looking out for the best interests of the hospitality industry. They fight

for our rights, keep us informed, not only in the area of governmental relations, but in what is happening in the industry. FRLA helps to inform us and rally us as needed to support or oppose an issue that may impact our operation’s well-being.

How has your business strategy changed over the last few years?

The economic downturn in 2008 really changed our business and our business strat-egy. Where we were 60% group business and 40% transient guests, we are now very differ-ent, so our strategy has changed to reflect this dynamic.

While we used to cater to large corporations and corporate events, we now have increased our special event – wedding – and transient guest business to support this change. Weddings and transient guests have pushed up the service bar for us.

Our level of service to the individual is excel-lent, and it should be. When guests are paying for memories of a lifetime or a personal vaca-tion, they expect a high level of service, and they are getting it in our operation.


r ePU BLic a n nat iona L con V ent ion

Carol Dover, John McReynolds, Richard Turner Congressman Steve Southerland and Richard Turner

Monesia Brown and Andy Palmer of the Metz Law Firm,

Carol Dover, Congressional Candidate Ron DeSantis,

Richard Turner

FRLA Works It at the RNC!With the Republican National Convention in Tampa, FRLA was able to spend some time with party operatives, elected officials and friends.

Governor and 2012 Republican

Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney at the conclusion of

his Convention acceptance

speech.


me a Ls oF hoPe

(above) Meals of Hope Chair, Dave Reid, Miller’s Ale House with FRLA Chairman, Bruce Craul, Legendary Inc. (above, right) NRA’s Paul Hineman, Steven Howarth, and Kenneth Walters.

Orlando Magic Community ambassador Nick Anderson with Dave Reid, Miller’s Ale House, FRLA Chairman, Bruce Craul, Legendary Inc., Dan Murphy, FRLA and the Orlando Magic Cheerleaders

The Rosen Hotels team packing away!

We did it! We packed 103,488 meals!

The Fastest Packers Winners – Ale House (Team #2).

The UnitedHealthcare team before packing.Best Dressed team – Tijuana Flats.

The FRLA Broward Chapter team showing off



Anna Maria Oyster BarmemBer BeneFits

FR&L Magazine asked John Horne of the Anna Maria Oyster Bar, What do you feel are the benefits of being a member of FRLA?

“Running three independent seafood restaurants in Bradenton with a fabulous staff of 232 long-term employees, I don’t always have the time to keep up with issues that affect my industry. Being a member of the FRLA allows me to concentrate more on my guests’ experiences and less on what our Local, State

and Federal bureaucracies are doing that could possibly (probably) affect me drastically.I rely on hearing from FRLA in Tallahassee about what is going on, and I rely on them to listen to me on what I see as areas that need to be concentrated on in order to ease the load for the restaurant owner.

The Association is a “two-way” street. It has always been a great resource for me to get information; FRLA leadership listens to industry members with regards to what we need to see in the way of help for licensing, enforcement and rulings.

I’ve been fortunate to be on the FRLA State Board for the last few years and have seen this first-hand. I have seen my local representatives in Tallahassee and have seen the admiration they have for our organization and Carol Dover in particular.they all are in agreement that she only fights for what is right and in our industry’s best interest.

It is amazing to me how much the FRLA does for us, and frequently we don’t even realize they have saved us a fortune in red tape and unnecessary legislation. They always have our backs.”

John Horne


(left) BB Kings players Josh and Curtis with John and Scott Bowlin, John Horne, Darryl Weaver from Anna Maria Oyster Bar.

(above) Robin Sorenson, Firehouse Subs with Harry Price, Coca-Cola Refreshments.

Fr L a GoLF toUr na ment

Nick Vojonovic & Percy Rosemurgy, Little Greek Restaurant with Roger Earnheart, Hormel and Bill Uradnik, Beef ‘O’ Brady’s.

The Infinite Energy team: Brad Gamble and Michael Roache with Dave Hadleman, Twin Peaks Restaurants and Doug Gehret from Hilton Orlando.

(above) Mitch Doren & Mike Hughes Universal Studios Orlando with Michael Cantrell & Michael Drierm, Coca-cola.

(above) Toby Sullivan, CSC with Bart Vig and Jay Holdren on the Cracker Barrel team.

(right) The Island Oasis winning team.

(right) The McNeilly Communications winning team.



Fr L a BiG Pa rt Y



Lodging Violations

Food Violations

1. PremisesMaintained(25)2. GarbageandRefuseDisposal(26)3. BuildingRepair(13)4. Plumbing(19)5. CurrentLicenseDisplayed(38)6. Balcony,RailingSafety(12)7. FireExtinguishers(01)8. FireHazards(02)9. SmokeDetectors(04)10. Sanitation:HouseholdFurnishings(18)

1. FoodContactSurfacesCleanandSanitized(22)2. FoodProtection(08A)3. RestroomsClean(32)4. FoodContainerLabeling(02)5. Non-foodContactSurfacesClean(23)6. FoodContactSurfacesDesigned(14)7. WallsandCeilings(37)8. HandWashing(12A)*9. Coldfoodatpropertemperature(03A)10. Floors(36)

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25 26 13 19 38 12 01 02 04 18

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22 08A 32 02 23 14 37 12A 03A 36

Every year, DBPR’s Division of Hotels and Restaurants submits an Annual Report to the Governor and the Florida Legislative leaders. For the year July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012, the following are the Top 10 Lodging Violations and the Top 10 Food Violations observed by inspectors during routine inspections of licensed lodging and food service establishments. The Annual Report summarizes the Division’s activities for the preceding year.

toP 10

Mark your calendar for next year’s BIG PARTY at BB King’s – September 23, 2013


Know a chef who is creating a buzz with innovative cuisine, exceptional presentation or fresh new ideas? FRLA wants to tell the state about them in a bi-monthly feature in FR&L Magazine. Submit your favorite chef du jour to [email protected]. Please include a brief explanation of why your submission should be considered one of the hottest chefs in Florida. Be sure to include restaurant and contact information. Submissions will be featured in FR&L Magazine as Chefs That Sizzle!

HotChef?Are You Considered Among Florida’s Hottest Chefs?

TIM CREEHANOwner, Cuvee Bistro, Grill Plus® Instant Marinade and Great Events CenterDestin, Florida

Chef Tim Creehan

As the owner of Destin Florida’s Cuvee Bistro restaurant, Grill Plus® Instant Marinade, and the Great Events Center, Chef Tim Creehan is living the dream. Born in Hartford, Connecticut, and spending most of his child-hood and young adult life in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he discovered his calling at a very young age.

Creehan’s impressive career in the culinary arts began at Steak & Ale in Baton Rouge when he was only 14 years old. Two years later, the pursuit of excellence led him to serve as Executive Chef at Joey’s. Studying under Executive Chef Philippe Parola and then working side-by-side with John Folse, he progressed to the position of Executive Chef at Lafitte’s Landing in Donaldsonville, Louisiana at the ripe age of 19.

In 1998, Creehan opened Beach Walk, which has since relocated to the Henderson Park Inn. Prior to establishing Beach Walk, Creehan served as Executive Chef and founding partner of Destin’s award winning Marina Café for ten years. In 2007, he reopened Copper Grill, and soon after, Bluz Grill & Bar.

In 1992, The American Culinary Foundation named Chef Creehan as one of the “youngest and most accomplished Certified Executive Chefs in the united States.” In 1999, Cooking Light’s Grandstand ’99 selected Creehan as “one of five chefs in the united States to be honored as a Shining Star Chef.” In early 2004, Creehan was selected as one of five “Celebrated Chefs” to represent the National Pork Council at various events nationwide. Not surprisingly, he has been voted Best Chef on the Emerald Coast six years in a row, paving the way for various upscale cater-ing gigs via his Great Events Center in Miramar Beach, including the Sea Ray yacht 50th Anniversary show, and the wedding reception of record-ing artists Amy Grant and vince Gill. In May of 2010, Creehan reopened another local hotspot as Cuvee Bistro in Destin, which has since won numerous awards, including a 2011 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.

Creehan is also a published author of three cookbooks: “Flavors of the Gulf Coast” (1992), “Simple Cuisine” (2004), and “Exceptional Taste, Tales & Recipes” (2010). Creehan’s award-winning recipes have been featured on Emeril Lagasse’s Tv show and in publications such as Sysco’s Menus Today, Restaurant Business, Cheers, Florida Living, Cooking Light, Sea Ray Living, Ford Times and Bon Appetit.

Commonly dubbed Destin’s own “celebrity chef”, Creehan regularly appears on various television shows, including as host of the Emerald Coast Chefs series. He’s also personally cooked for a bunch of high profile celebrities, including Bruce Willis, Jessica Simpson, Rachel Hunter, Debra Winger, Cybill Shepherd, Timothy Hutton, and Jerry Jones.

Tim has instructed middle school students in the All Kinds of Art Culinary program and donated his time, food and talents for many chari-table organizations such as Alzheimer’s Family Services, Inc., SOS, the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society, to name a few. Tim’s unfaltering energy and passion for the culinary arts along with his natural teaching talents are manifest in his cooking classes, his van-guard dining experiences, and the high esteem his peers hold for him.

Tim Creehan lives in Destin, Florida where he enjoys sailing and exploring the journey of simplifying his life and his career.

Do your Louisiana roots influence your cooking style?

Absolutely! There was no better place in the world to grow and become a chef. Louisiana is America’s only authentic cui-sine and the seafood products are amazing.

Please describe some of your most popular recipes.

I have more than 900 original recipes including Smoked Tomato Soup, Seared yellowfin Tuna, and Sea Bass with Mushroom Broth. I like the simple ones that are easy to exe-cute, yet the results are just perfect.

Chef, you have been affiliated with many of the Destin area’s great restaurants -- Beach Walk, Marina Café, Copper Grill, Bluz Grill & Bar. How does the Emerald Coast inspire you?

I love the water and the community. Great food defines and identifies a community, so adding to that identity inspires me every day.

What is your “sizzle” – for example, cuisine and food that are your signature or “specialties”, unique food presentations or any new ideas that you are using?

People fall in love with a dish, and they want to come back to share that experience with family and friends. If it’s not the same, they’re disappointed. I think people know when they dine with me, they’re getting the highest quality made-from-scratch


product, so for me, consistency and sourcing the highest quality product is the “sizzle” standard.

Your list of awards and accolades over the last 12 or so years is impressive – DiRoNA, Wine Spectator, Golden Spoon, Bon Appetit, Cooking Light, TripAdvisor. How do you continue to develop unique and successful operations that that appeal to diners?

I’m driven by being the best. I’m always com-mitted to excellence. It’s in my blood; it’s part of my DNA, so it comes easy to me. It’s a tricky balance in business as many operators are so focused on saving money and looking for the best deals that they lose sight; it’s not always about the money. There is an immeasurable feel in a great establishment, and I think I have a feel for finding that.

Is it a lot of fun cooking for high-profile celebrities like Bruce Willis, Jessica Simpson, Amy Grant, Vince Gill, Rachel Hunter, Debra Winger,

Personal Chef to Jerry Jones, Owner of Dallas Cowboys

Beyond successfully tackling Northwest Florida’s culinary gridiron, Destin’s celebrity Chef Tim Creehan also

serves as personal chef to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones during his frequent visits to the Emerald Coast.

For Creehan, the result of the decade- long relationship between these two con-summate professionals is nothing short of a game changing touchdown.

“Working for Gene and Jerry Jones has been one of the most rewarding experienc-es of my life,” Creehan says. “They treat you like family, and that makes the work fun. We have shared almost ten years together watching their children and grandchildren grow up. Spending most holidays together has created a real trust and loyalty.”

In gratitude, Jones recently hosted Creehan’s family and business partners at Cowboys stadium for the Kenny Chesney and Tim Mcgraw Brothers of the Sun Tour. “Tim has really become a special friend to our family over the past few years,” said Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. “Tim is first class on many levels, but his easy going personality and fun loving approach to his craft are what we enjoy just as much as his meals. “

Chef Tim Creehan with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

Cybill Shepherd, Timothy Hutton, Jerry Jones, Matthew Broderick, Danny Glover and Alan Rickman,

just to name a few?It is, and I have been honored to do it for so

many. The best part is that they are gracious simple people who want to enjoy a great experi-


ence with their families, just like we all do.

Please tell our readers about your creation – Grill Plus®

Grill Plus® is a patented instant marinade and cooking sauce suitable for seasoning, grilling, sautéing, baking, broiling, stir-fry and frying. A non-stick coating I invented in 1997, it con-tains no trans-fat, carbs, or gluten, and it has low sodium and sugar levels, making it 60% lower in fat content than traditional marinades. At just pennies per portion, it is extremely cost effective. Grill Plus® currently comes in four flavors, and enjoys regional growth in both the retail and food service industries.

Tell us about your catering venue, Cuvee Catering

We have a wonderful medium sized venue perfect for up to 100 guests. What makes it so special and unique is that it was converted

from a custom home, so it’s an event center that doesn’t feel institutional or hotel-resort style. It’s a very comfortable multi-functional facility encompassing over 5,000 square feet, includ-ing a 2,000 square foot poolside deck. It also features two fully functional kitchens furnished with cutting edge technology from DCS by Fisher & Paykel, and integrated HD multime-dia capability with a 100” big screen. Cuvee Catering offers award-winning cuisine and world class catering services onsite, in Destin or anywhere in the world.

Word on “the street” is you cook for the Dallas Cowboys family. Can you tell our readers about that experience?

I have been honored to cook for them in Destin for ten years now. It has been a great experience, and we have enjoyed the relation-ship with the Jones family. They have been the

best celebrity client I have ever worked with and they are a first-class American family. Destin is very fortunate to have them as part of our com-munity.

What dish have you created which is your favorite to eat?

My version of the Creole staple, crawfish étouffée.

I read you participate with other chefs on the Asian Carp Invasion Solution. Please explain to our readers what this is and how to help.

Philippe Parola is my mentor and he is lead-ing the country in facing a major threat to our waterways: the Asian carp, which isn’t common carp or a bottom feeder. It’s a plankton feeder with a very clean meat, but they are taking over the fresh water ways at an alarming rate, and it’s believed they can adapt to brackish waters as well.

They can grow to over 20 pounds and leap many feet out of the water when motors are present, sometimes injuring boaters or even worse. These fish have been overlooked as a food source because of their bone structure, not the quality of the meat, which resembles crab-meat after it’s been cleaned and steamed.

If we can harvest these fish, we can put fish-erman and plant operators to work, but most importantly we can provide a low-cost high-quality fish to a global market which is strug-gling to sustain affordable seafood. Please sup-port legislation and awareness of this issue that is dramatically impacting our waterways.

To what do you attribute your success in the culinary world?

My success in the culinary world is due to an unending passion for great food and wine, and a philosophy that you can constantly learn more about food every day of your life. I rarely pre-pare anything the same way twice when experi-menting with dishes, as I’m always looking to improve my technique.

I think the fact that I believe something can always be better, steers me clear of complacency and drives me toward a bar that is constantly being raised.

Any other interesting tidbits about your recent trip to Dallas or anything else on horizon?

Being hosted by the Jones family at the Brothers of the Sun tour was a once in a lifetime experience that I will cherish forever.

Sued for Slip & Fall? Don’t just settle… FIGHT BACK!

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moV er s & sh a k er s

Fr L a news

Florida Chefs Cook at the James Beard House’s Sunshine State Celebration

On October 10, 2012, Florida Chefs, Gregory Richie of Emeril’s Tchoup Chop, Kevin Fonzo of K Restaurant and Hari Pulapaka of Cress Restaurant cooked at the James Beard House to highlight all of the culinary things that are happening in Florida – great restaurants, great chefs, great seafood, produce and other locally-sourced products.

Andy Reiss Is Celebrating!Incoming FRLA Chairman of the Board, Andy Reiss, is celebrating 40 years as a “restaurant guy”. Congratulations Andy!

For the full story, check out

Tallahassee Magazine at www.

tallahasseemagazine.com or

www.tallahasseemagazine.com/

September-October-2012/40-

Years-With-Andy/

At PATIENTS FIRST, we believe familymedicine and urgent care can be providedwithin the same atmosphere. Every servicewe provide strives toward providing theTallahassee community with quality,long-term patient care for your entirefamily. Sometimes you just can’t waitfor an appointment, and walk-inurgent care services are alwaysavailable. VisitPatientsFirst.com today for acomplete list of our sevenconvenient locations,including our night andweekend hours.

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They Help Create a Better Cascades Park

The Peaceful Pleasures of

Paddling

Food Trucks Offer Gourmet

on the Go

FSU QBs: Where Are They Now?

Epicurian-in-ChiefFor 40 Years, Restaurateur

Andy Reiss Has Helped Us Celebrate the Times of Our Lives

SEP-OC

T 2012

‘BEST OF’ 2012: YOUR TOP 100 SELECTIONS REVEALED

000Covers_new.indd 1 8/16/12 3:03 PM

Luebkemann Elected to Chair Florida Food Safety and Food Defense Advisory Council

In September 2012, Geoff Luebkemann, vice President of Education and Training with FRLA, was elected to chair the FSFDAC. As Chairman, he will hold the office for two years. The Advisory Council is a statutory body created to serve “… as a forum for presenting, investigating, and evaluating issues of current importance to the assurance of a safe and secure food supply to the citizens of Florida…” The Council has been in existence for nearly ten years and since its inception has worked on projects ranging from food defense awareness, handwashing for kids, cottage foods legislation, oyster safety issues and small farms. The Council is supported by the Federal Food and Drug Administration and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The JW Marriott Hotel Miami has named Chef Daniel Goldich as the new executive chef of the hotel. In his newly appointed role, Chef Goldich will be in charge of menu planning and devel-opment at the hotel’s restaurants, as well as banquets and special events. This includes his culinary stew-ardship of the hotel’s ultra-exclusive Trapiche Room, which seats only 20 and is celebrated as one of Miami’s elite dining destinations.

Prior to joining the JW Marriott Miami, Goldich served as executive chef at Pelagia Trattoria, located at the Renaissance Tampa International Plaza Hotel. He also served as Sous Chef at the Five Star, Five Diamond St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort and Spa in Dana Point, California. Chef Goldich obtained his culinary training at the renowned Academy of Culinary Arts in Atlantic City. After graduating in 1999, he moved to Chambery in southeastern France, where he worked at the Michelin-starred L’Essentiel.

“We are excited to welcome Daniel Goldich as the newest member of our team,” said the hotel’s General Manager, Florencia Rotemberg. “Chef Goldich’s accomplishments in the culi-nary arts make him an asset to the JW Marriott Hotel Miami and the high level culinary experi-ence we provide to our guests.”

Goldich Named New Executive Chef at Miami’s JW Marriott

Florida 7th in Hospitality Job Increase

The Orlando Business Journal is reporting that Florida is ranking seventh in an increase of hospitality and leisure jobs and that industry employment is on the upswing. “The Sunshine State had 968,700 hospitality jobs as of August 2012, up 13,900 from 954,800 jobs in August 2011, accord-ing to a new On Numbers analysis of u.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.” Further, “…an increase in employment is considered a sign that Americans are enjoying a rise in discretionary income, On Numbers reports…”

Chef Greg Richie and FRLA Press Secretary, Lauren Searcy, enjoy FRLA’s Trade Show.

Chef Daniel Goldich

Geoff Luebkemann


a L a c a rte

Cool Web Pages

Appetizers*1. Vegetables / Vegetarian Appetizers2. Ethnic / Street Food-Inspired

Appetizers (e.g. Tempura, Taquitos, Kabobs)

3. Charcuterie Plates / Samples4. Amuse-Bouche / Bite-Size

Hors D’oeuvres5. Warm Appetizers Salad

Ethnic Cuisines and Flavors*1. Ethnic fusion cuisine2. Peruvian cuisine3. Regional ethnic cuisine4. Cuban cuisine5. Southeast Asian cui-

sine (e.g., Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian)

*Source: National Restaurant Association, “What’s Hot in 2012” Chef Survey, 2011

Top Food TrendsRNC FOOD SAFETy TASK FORCE

Food Safety at the RNCPlanning began for the RNC18 months prior to August 2012 event

Lead Federal AgencyUnited States Secret Service

Lead State AgencyDBPR

Number of Federal and State Agencies involved5: USSS, FDA, USDA, DBPR and FDACS

Number of Pre-Convention Inspections Conducted by Food Safety Task Force2,100

Number of Safely Prepared Meals the Food Safety Task Force Oversaw250,000

Event Was Managed UsingThe Incident Command System (ICS) developed for the fire service and utilized by emergency management worldwide.

Hilton’s New Hotel WebsiteHilton recently revised the web site for their ten hotel brands, and it looks great! The web page compiles all of the Hilton brand hotels. If you want to search by city, you can do that and every Hilton brand is represented. In addition to convenient search capabilities for the business traveler, it is easy to have some fun too! Hilton brand resorts have their own tab on the web site, and you can browse beautiful spots in Florida and around the world. visit www.hilton.com to see for yourself.

PRESIDENT/CEO OF vISIT FLORIDA

Thompson Moves To National Stage

Chris Thompson, President and CEO of vISIT FLORIDA announced he has been appointed as President and CEO of Brand uSA effec-

tive November 1, 2012. Thompson led vISIT FLORIDA for three years and in that role tirelessly worked to pro-mote Florida tourism.

Governor Rick Scott remarked “Tourism is directly linked to Florida’s employment situation: for every 85 tourists that visit Florida, another job is created.

Every dollar the state invests in tourism advertising returns more than $11 to the state in tourism-related taxes within 60 to 90 days of the campaign’s end.”

Governor Scott also noted “…under Thompson’s leadership at vISIT FLORIDA, Florida welcomed a record 87.3 million visitors, and we are on pace for another record-breaking year. In his three years as the head of vISIT FLORIDA, Chris has proven to be a strong orga-nizational leader and coalition builder.

His expertise in fiscal responsibility, his abil-ity to work well with government stakeholders and his keen understanding of the transparency required in a public-private partnership have made vISIT FLORIDA a model for destination marketing organizations worldwide.

His appointment to lead Brand uSA is a direct reflection on the success of vISIT FLORIDA and will provide a tremendous opportunity to project those achievements onto a national stage….”

Peace, Love, BarBQPeace, Love and Barbeque – Recipes, Secrets, Tall Tales and Outright Lies From the Legend of Barbecue by Mike Mills and Amy Mills is a James Beard nominated book and a great read for any-one interested in becom-

ing a barbecue pitmaster or is just interested in barbecue. It introduces the reader to the legend-ary pitmasters, talks about barbecue and the bar-becue tour, and shares sought after recipes. Read it! you’ll love it!


W ith each passing day, Florida gets closer to 2013 … and its 500th birthday! Beginning on January 1 (in fact, for a good bit of this year … ), we’re marking across our state the five centuries since Spanish explorer

Ponce de León landed on our shores and pro-claimed this “La Florida,” back in 1513.

No other place in the continental uS possesses 500 years of recorded history, and among the many groups involved in this com-memoration, two – vISIT FLORIDA and the Florida Humanities Council – are working particularly actively to heighten the impor-tance of our 500th statewide.

vISIT FLORIDA (www.visitflorida.com) sees the 500th as a fabu-lous opportunity to demonstrate the cultural allure of Florida that complements our world-class theme parks and beaches. Meeting at the Governor’s Tourism Conference in September in Orlando, vISIT FLORIDA announced initiatives including:

• The February 2013 edition of Florida Travel & Life will be dedi-cated to the 500th.

• A special Florida supplement in the national American Heritage magazine will appear early next year.

• The “viva Florida 500 Insider,” a vISIT FLORIDA blog-authored by Patricia Pena, is focusing solely on the anniversary.

• A vISIT FLORIDA marketing trip to Madrid will occur in February in 2013.

• The “vIvA Florida Sweepstakes” will offer special vacation packages for each of 50 weeks in 2013.

The Humanities Council (www.floridahumanities.org), the edu-cational and history nonprofit, stresses that 2013 is a commemora-tion that should be used to educate Floridians and visitors alike about our long, rich history before and after 1513. Among other activities, the Council will:

• Sponsor scholar-led historical tours to Madrid and other Spanish cites, beginning in October 2013, with others coming in 2013.

• unveil a new on-line curriculum to help teachers in the class-room in teaching Florida history and integrating Florida’s past into existing courses such as uS History and Geography.

• Bring “living history” performances and speakers to communities around Florida to entertain and inform audiences about our past.

Andy McLeod is the Coordinator for “Viva Florida 500,” Florida Humanities Council.

Celebrating Florida’s Long, Rich HistoryBy ANDy MCLEOD

The State Emergency Response Team (SERT) Emergency Management

Did you know the Florida State Emergency Response Team has 18 branches? The ‘Business and Industry’ Emergency Support Function (ESF) number 18 comes together to work as one syn-chronized entity during disaster preparations and recovery. ESF 18 specifically coordinates with the private sector to help secure necessary supplies and distribute to affected areas after a storm. If you are an FRLA member and believe your busi-ness could offer food, shelter, or other support after a storm, please contact Geoff Luebkemann at [email protected].

STATE EMERGENCY

R E S P O N S E T E A M

FLORIDA

SouthernFare at WaterColor

WaterColor Inn and Resort on 30-A in South Walton Beach, Florida, welcomes Fall guests with a celebration of the Season.

SouthernFare is a series of dinners celebrating the WaterColor Inn’s Tenth Anniversary, each a unique dining oppor-tunity. “We all love to eat and sample new dishes,” said Jennifer Williams, WaterColor Inn & Resort’s Sales & Marketing Director. “So, what better way to celebrate our anniversary than by inviting guests to dinner over the next four months?”

In addition to SouthernFare, the WaterColor Inn and Resort is hosting the 12th Annual MountainFilm on tour, a film festival geared to “adventure, life lessons and environmental messages.” MountainFilm is held in an outdoor setting at the Resort. Guests bring chairs, blankets and are offered dinner, appetizers, beverages and s’mores for the entire family.

The WaterColor Inn and Resort also offers a private bonfire for guests who are interested in entertaining friends and family. Beach bonfires are hosted by WaterColor staff with s’mores and seating for 25.

Arrangements are made with the Resort directly for this amenity.In addition to the celebration of Fall, the WaterColor Inn & Resort

has award-winning dining at Fish Out of Water, a full service spa, Kids Camp, golf, tennis, biking, kayaking and fishing.

U niqU e a menit ie s


a L a c a rte

InPassingVisionary Developer and Restaurateur

Tony GoldmanTony Goldman, the visionary who rede-

veloped SoHo, South Beach and Wynwood died at age 68 in September 2012. Goldman was the founder of Goldman Properties which “transformed” Miami Beach into a world-class destination. Starting in 1985, Goldman bought one Ocean Drive SoBe property per month for eighteen months in a massive urban revitaliza-tion project. In doing this, he saved many Art Deco properties from demolition and initiated the renaissance of Miami Beach.

Mr. Goldman also led the “charge” against the Destination Resort Casino effort in the 2012 Legislative Session.

Goldman is also known for revamp-ing Wynwood, Miami’s Warehouse District through buying older properties and re-estab-lishing them and installing Wynwood Walls, a permanent graffiti exhibition.

Among Goldman’s successes are restaurants Wynwood Kitchen and Bar and Joey’s.

Goldman’s success began in the 1980s; he bought 18 rundown properties in New york’s SoHo neighborhood and the rest is history.

RCS UpdateThe RCS office has

moved from Winter Park to Tallahassee. Christy Crump has taken over the day-to-day operations of RCS overseeing client contracts, servicing, train-ing, and regional manager activities. Julianna Nichols is RCS’s operations coordinator and is responsible for maintaining client records and processing regional manager schedules and paperwork. Please contact RCS at 877-537-9863 if we can be of service.

One More Reason FBI’s Are Down In Florida

With developments and changes in technology, Pasteurized Shell Eggs are now available in both retail and foodser-vice. Pasteurized Shell Eggs taste great and can be used for customer favorites like Hollandaise Sauce, eggs cooked to order and Caesar salad dressing. Pasteurized Shell Eggs are available to reduce the risk of Salmonella in regular shell eggs. There are a variety of brands available. To learn more about this product and regula-tions pertaining to shell eggs visit www.safeeggs.com.


In between competitions, athletes of the u.S. Olympic team refueled with Fresh From Florida seafood at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. Florida Chef Justin Timineri of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services was in London for the 2012 Olympic Games, serving Fresh From Florida seafood to members of the u.S. Olympic team as part of BP’s “Spirit of the Gulf” initiative.

“Florida Gulf seafood not only tastes good, but is also proven to have many health benefits,” said Chef Timineri. “Even the greatest athletes in the world – the members of the u.S. Olympic team – enjoyed the ben-efits of consuming Florida Gulf seafood as they competed in the 2012 Olympics in London.”

Chef Timineri prepared and served Crispy Pan Seared Florida Gulf Swordfish and Florida Firecracker Corn Relish at two events hosted by BP, where more than 1,000 attendees, including u.S. Olympic athletes, their families and their friends, gathered to celebrate Team uSA.

For more information about Chef Justin Timineri and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit www.FreshFromFlorida.com.

Timineri Served Fresh From Florida Seafood to Athletes at London 2012 Summer Olympic Games U.S. Olympic Athletes Enjoy Benefits of Florida Gulf Seafood at 2012 Summer Olympics Games

Chef Justin Timineri preparing his Crispy Pan-Seared Swordfish for athletes.

Fr esh From FLor ida


Please explain to FR&L readers about the history of the Pier. Do you know what the vision was for this property?

A South Florida landmark for almost five decades, the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six was built to offer top levels of service and standards. Situated in the heart of Fort Lauderdale, the hotel is a 22-acre meeting and vacation paradise that is home to Spa 66, the celebrated European Health & Beauty Spa; an impressive full-service, 127-slip marina; and the famed Pier Top.

Guest demand facilitated the building of the hotel tower, which was completed in 1965. The 17-story structure was an architectural and engineering mid-century masterpiece of its time and dominated the Fort Lauderdale skyline. The “timeless crown” on top of the tower became one of the most famous and majestic cocktail lounges in South Florida, offering guests breathtaking views as the floor slowly circulated at a rate of one revolution every 66 minutes. years later in 2006, The Pier Top was redesigned and reopened as an unparalleled, premium space for special events and executive meetings.

The existing hotel and marina complex was further enhanced in 1987 with the addi-tion of the east lanai building, consisting of 132 waterway and garden/pool guestrooms and suites.

In keeping with the lush, tropical environ-ment of South Florida, the central grounds were landscaped into an oasis, complete with cascading waterfalls and geometrically shaped pools with inviting crystal blue water.

Guests particularly enjoy the swirling cur-rents within the oversized hydrotherapy pool, which comfortably accommodates 40 people. visitors can stroll along the winding paths surrounded by some of the most beautiful of South Florida’s flowers, plants and trees.

The Panorama Ballroom consisting of 5,900 square feet of banquet and meeting space was added in 1987. Planned functions for any special occasion, accommodating up to as many as 600 people, are served in grand style. Inside the 17-story tower, the Crystal

PierFt. Lauderdale

In September, FR&L Editor Susie McKinley had an opportunity to

visit with Ben Johnson of the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six to talk

about the legendary property.

For almost to five decades, Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six has

stood as a landmark of excellence in Fort Lauderdale. Today it

is renowned among yachtsmen and world travelers as a premier

resort-style hotel and marina. A unique style of luxurious accommo-

dations and continuous attention to excellent standards of service

are the key ingredients responsible for this grand reputation.

In 1950, Phillips Petroleum purchased 22 acres of swamp for the

purpose of establishing a full-service gas station for watercraft. Soon

after, a luxury marina facility and yacht club were developed by

Philips Petroleum. In 1957, Philips Petroleum opened the 100-room

Pier Sixty-Six hotel and eventually added a nine-hole executive golf

course. Today this section is known as the west lanai building.

Secrets of Success

Photos courtesy Pier 66


Ballroom, the hotel’s Grand Ballroom, accom-modates groups up to 900 people.

In January of 1989, Spa 66, a full service European Health and Beauty Spa for the use by hotel, marina and local membership guests, was opened. The spa includes a full-service beauty salon, whirlpools, steam and sauna facilities.

The many services offered in Spa 66 include facials, loofah scrubs, herbal wraps, massage therapy and health/exercise counseling and instruction.

In December of 1996, Boca Resorts, Inc. acquired the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six. Boca Resorts, Inc. owned and operated luxury resort, entertainment and recreation enterprises with facilities in Fort Lauderdale, Sunrise, Boca

Raton, Davie, Miami and Naples, Florida. In December of 2004, The Blackstone

Group acquired the property and has since maintained the affiliation with Hyatt Hotels and Resorts.

In October of 2006, the hotel’s guest rooms and pool oasis received a multi-million dollar renovation, which included mixes of soft and hard goods.

In December of 2008 an additional 20+ million dollars was reinvested in the hotel’s function spaces and guest public areas to reflect a beautiful modernization of the sophisticated local icon.

Again in August of 2012, Spa 66 received a full renovation to better offer hotel, marina and local guests pampered retreat experiences.

What makes Pier 66 unique from all of the fabulous properties in your area?

With 22-acres of amenities and an intimate size hotel, Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six offers guests a true escape from their daily routine, while being surrounded by the excitement of Fort Lauderdale and south Florida’s bustling metro area...just close enough to dip your toe and then return to the serenity behind the curtain.

What are your signature amenities? The inclusive retreat atmosphere is a unique

Fort Lauderdale attribute to Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six. Guests are able to access all that Fort Lauderdale has to offer from our


front door. Whether it’s hopping on the WaterTaxi, catching the Sun Trolley to another part of the city, renting a boat for a day of fishing or scuba diving, or simply peddling their way from one place to another on one of our available bicycles for rent; it’s all at their finger tips. Of course, if that’s all too much effort, guests can lounge by one of our three pools, have a meal or a cocktail at one of the five restaurant options, take in a game of tennis on the clay tennis courts, treat themselves to a massage or mani/pedi at Spa 66, or of course, just stay in and watch a movie with room service.

Pier 66’s Marina is known around the world for the famous yachts that dock at the Marina. Please describe why yachtsmen want to spend some time at the Pier.

Pier Sixty-Six is known around the world as the Fort Lauderdale marina to tie-up and stock up. With our premier location at the Port Everglades inlet and immediate access the Atlantic Ocean, we’ve got it all. Whether you’re looking for easy access to supplies or a close locale for moving around the south Florida area, Pier Sixty-Six is your choice. Additionally, marina guests have full access to the hotel’s amenities and restaurants, including on-yacht room service.

Pier 66 is known for its pools. Please describe the Pool Complex.

In 2006, the hotel decided to invest signif-icant resources to ensure guests continue to experience the tranquility of our resort-style property. Our Tropical Garden Pool Oasis guest rooms overlook two full-size swimming

pools with waterfalls and swaying palm trees, a 40 person hydrotherapy whirlpool and per-sonal cabanas all surrounded by lush tropical gardens and expansive green spaces. We have many guests who simply enjoy relaxing on their balcony or terrace, while others find time to explore the park-like settings.

Have you seen the tastes of your guests change over the years?

No matter which decade you look at, travelers to Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six have always had a sense of worldliness. Our casual, yet elegant atmosphere lends itself to a comfortable mix of guests. Many dynamics in our culture have changed over the years, as well as international travel has increased to south Florida. All of these factors have influ-enced the way we anticipate a guest’s needs. Whether it be an international guest who doesn’t speak English or a local couple look-ing to celebrate their anniversary without the kids, we’re ready to create a memory.

How has the hotel changed since it opened? i.e. décor, amenities, guest activities, etc.

We all look back at pictures from the 60s, 70s, and 80s with a sense of nostalgia. Whatever those memories may be for you, they typically bring back excitement and hap-piness. We find that guests experience the same emotions at Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six. I recently sat down with a small group of repeat international travelers who were enjoy-ing a cocktail in the lobby lounge. Their senti-ment was very neat to hear that while we may have updated the pictures and art work, or the carpet and chairs, the emotional familiarity

with Pier Sixty-Six remained the same – com-fortable and casually sophisticated.

Has the resort revised its employee training and/or policies over the years to accommodate guests?

While Pier Sixty-Six remains the rock of our foundation and history, we are proud to be a member of the Hyatt Hotels and Resorts family. Guest expectations are always changing and this leads to an ever-growing demand for experiential training. We want a guest to feel “at home” with us...with the extra amenities and services available should they want them. Over the years, many new hotels have opened their doors in Fort Lauderdale.

The goal of Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six is to remain a steadfast escape from the day-to-day routine. This requires a tremendous amount of attention to detail and we want our team to know we trust their instincts. While guest expectations may change, the basis of hospitality and service remain the same - anticipate the guest’s needs.

How do you keep your employees engaged and motivated?

Employees are excited to work at Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six! I can’t explain how it feels to tell someone you work at Pier Sixty-Six – everyone knows the hotel. There’s a sense of pride and ownership that comes with your paycheck. I’ve worked in many hotels but none have had this level of sense of family. Our Human Resource team does an amazing job of encouraging monthly com-munity involvement events, as well as team building opportunities throughout the hotel. Hyatt corporate also offers development cur-riculum and hands-on engagement.

What is the most important thing you emphasize with staff about your customers?

Anticipating the guest’s needs is always top of mind. However, it’s also important to remember the basics. All people have basic needs of wanting to be heard, appreciated, and respected. Say hello, smile, and listen.

What critical or priority areas do you emphasize in training your staff?

Again, we emphasize the basics. As hos-pitality professionals, we have to remember that in general, travel has become more


stressful than ever with overcrowded air-planes and increased security measures. Guests may come through our front door having already experienced a challenging journey. It’s our job to invite them in and make them feel at home.

What do you think are the keys to low employee turnover, and how have you managed turnover?

Over the years I’ve seen many styles of management and interaction. I try to ensure that our Managers are involved in the hands-on activities of the hotel. If a guest room needs to be cleaned and we’re short on time, it’s all hands on deck. If tables need to be set for a catering event, the Banquet Manager needs to show they are a team player. The concept is to set an example for our Associates and illustrate that we all have the same goal - the guest experience.

What has been the greatest change in serving Pier 66’s guests over the years?

Serving the guest has not changed over the years. Again, the basics of hospitality remain

the same. We’re here to provide a sense of home and an unparalleled level of “welcome.” We smile, we greet, we anticipate, and we act. Pier Sixty-Six has always been a casual sanctuary of sophistication. To this day, we maintain that sentiment.

What is/are the most important factor(s) to the longevity of Pier 66?

On a weekly basis I encounter guests who have trusted Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six with their vacations for many years; some-times 15 years or more. They always come

back, they always want the same room, and they always have stories. When I’m out in the community, it’s amazing to me how many stories I hear about the hotel.

Over and over again, weddings or anni-versaries, corporate luncheons or receptions, a day at Spa 66 or a meal at Pelican Landing, engagements at The Pier Top lounge, and weekends away from the kids ... they never end. I love it! This is the longevity of Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six. The stories, the memories created for guests and employees, the change we make in people’s lives.


By SuSIE MCKINLEy

John R. Farrish, PhD, received

his Doctor of Philosophy in

Hospitality Administration from

the William F. Harrah College of

Hotel Administration, University of

Nevada at Las Vegas in 2010. His

doctoral thesis was “Critical Success

Factors in Barbecue Restaurants:

Do Operators and Patrons Agree?”

In working towards

his dissertation, he

compiled quite a

bit of information

about barbeque

restaurants. In fact,

when researching

for this article, there

was no other source

that came close to

the amount of great

information that Dr.

Farrish had compiled.

FR&L Magazine

interviewed Dr.

Farrish to provide his

perspective to readers about the

“State of Barbeque.”

INTERvIEW WITH

John R. FaRRishPhD

Dave Hudson, Owner, Destin Jim ‘N Nick’s

“hoT” BBQ

From Around Florida

Jim ‘n nick’s (Destin)• Barbeque served: The Jim ‘N Nick’s Way, slow hickory smoked

Southern-style barbeque.

• Most popular dish: pulled pork sandwich.

• Favorite BBQ quote: “You can smell our butts for miles!”

• Came to the Destin area in July 2002.

• Web page is a lot of fun and is very effective in getting the operation’s message across. Take a look: www.jimnnicks.com.


Dr. Farrish, you noted in your dissertation that Barbeque may be the most beloved food in the US. Can you explain to readers why you think this statement is true?Barbeque is cuisine that anyone and everyone thinks they can cook. But of course, not everyone can, at least not up to the level of the masters. But the very fact that people think they know how to barbecue well (coupled with the fact that barbecue is American in origin) distinguishes barbecue from other types of cuisine like French or Chinese, at least in America.

It has been estimated that 80% of American households have one grill and 25% of those have at least two grills. Everyone has a “family recipe.”

Can you tell FR&L readers about the history of Barbeque?Barbeque traces its history back to Native American origins, at least prior to the Europeans’ arrival to the Americas. Food was cooked at low temperatures for extended periods of time, smoking the food, to

preserve it. It was actually termed “Barbacoa”. After the Europeans started to explore America and as Africans came to America, they began to adopt these techniques as well. The Europeans added sauces to this cooking technique and the African influence was seen with the addition of spices and seasonings.

In 2008, the National Barbeque Association announced that there are more that there are more than 10,000 Barbeque restaurants in the US. From Florida to New York, and from California to Louisiana, Barbeque restaurants are everywhere, yet don’t necessarily serve the same food. Can you explain to readers about the “regionalism” of Barbeque?Immigrants to the united States brought regional seasonings and preferences with them upon moving to this country. Different styles followed the immigrants to the regions in which they settled. The Germans brought mustard-based sauces to some parts of

David’s BBQ (Gainesville)

• Barbeque served: Fast food “Carolina Style” BBQ.

• Most popular dish: pulled pork with ribs running a close second – homemade onion rings, sweet tea and Brunswick stew are popular too.

• David’s original store opened in 1976; the current store location opened in 1988.

• Favorite BBQ quote: David’s store quote is “Don’t forget the sweet tea – gotta have that!

• Favorite BBQ quote otherwise is: “Where the hog meets the log.”

“hoT” BBQ

From Around Florida

sonny’s (Oviedo)• Barbeque served: Sonny’s style!

• Most popular dish(es): ) Most popular dish is pulled pork, but the St. Louis ribs and baby back ribs are not far behind.

• Sonny’s opened on May 15, 1968 on Waldo Road in Gainesville, Florida. That location is still open today.

• Favorite BBQ quote: Sonny’s founders created a place where folks could come to enjoy the very best Southern Bar-B-Q, served up with a heapin’ helpin’ of Southern hospitality: mouthwatern’ pork, beef brisket, ribs, turkey and chicken, all slow-smoked to perfection fresh daily over real blackjack oak. Bar-B-Q the way it was meant to be. A place where folks could go to eat with their hands, laugh out loud and talk with their mouths full. We’ve spent over 40 years perfecting Sonny’s vision, which is more than just taste and flavor, but the heart and soul of Bar-B-Q. No gimmicks – just great Bar-B-Q. So come on it, sit a spell, and enjoy Bar-B-Q the way it should be – Sonny’s way.

Brian Hood, Owner, David’s Bar-B-Q


Brian’s BBQ (Deland)• BBQ served: a cross between Florida and Kansas City style. Their

sauces are red and sweet, but with a little heat.

• Most popular dish: Baby Back Ribs, a narrow cut rib small and meaty. Then the ribs are finished on the char-grill with their sweet Baby Back Grilling Sauce. Sweet, sassy and fall off the bone!

• Favorite BBQ quote (from one of Brian’s servers): “Real men don’t share half racks of ribs!”

• Opened in Deland, Florida in 1985.

4 Rivers smokehouse (Winter Park)• BBQ served: quick-service, Texas-inspired cuisine.

• Most Popular Dish: 18-hour Smoked Brisket.

• Favorite BBQ Quote: “Good barbecue is like an old, soulful song--full of emotion, gospel, good friends and long lost family memories.” – John Rivers

Georgia and South Carolina; English and African settlers brought vinegar-based sauces to the North Carolina area. Early Texans enjoyed beef barbeque with no sauce. Folks moving to the Tennessee area used a rub of spices and a vinegar-based sauce, if any and the “Deep South” and Midwesterners utilized a tomato-based sauce.

Barbeque restaurants can vary in size and format. There are large chains and small independents – picnic-style restaurants to fine dining. Either way, they are making money for owners. In dollars, what are the estimated food sales in America’s Barbeque restaurants? It is hard to estimate the total amount of food sales in

America’s Barbeque restaurants, but the “Big Chains” carry approximately 10% of the total of all uS barbeque sales and those sales alone are in the billions of dollars each year.

Please explain the “culture” of Barbeque restaurants to FR&L readers.Everything with barbeque is taken so personally. Families grow up with barbeque; It has been said that barbeque is a big component of family-style cooking creating memories treasured for a lifetime. Mike Mills, perhaps the greatest barbecue chef ever, told me, “Barbecue is about family, friends, and love.” After being around the culture of barbecue for 20 years or so now, I’d have to agree.

Brian, Owner, Brian’s Bar-B-Q

John Rivers, 4 Rivers Smokehouse


Gr een t iPs

Restaurants “Go Green” From Floor to the Ceiling

Sustainable construction is quickly emerging as a key interest area for restaurateurs intent upon taking “going green” to the next level. “Green buildings” are often designed, built, renovated or

reused so that the structure conserves energy, uses resources more efficiently and reduces the overall impact on the environment.

Restaurants use about 5–7 times more energy per square foot than other commercial buildings, such as office buildings and retail stores. High volume quick-service restaurants (QSRs) may even use up to 10 times more energy per square foot than other commercial buildings.

Therefore, when a foodservice establishment takes substantial steps to create and house a restaurant in a green building, the impact is significant.

Designing, funding, and constructing or remodeling a green building is not an easy task, however. It requires significant fore-thought and design effort by the restaurateur,

but in the end, green buildings provide sig-nificant value to the overall operation.

While green renovations can be expensive, they add considerable value to your establish-ment. If necessary, funding for green efforts is available through energy rebates, tax incentives, and deductions often offered by local, state, and national programs.

To construct a more energy efficient estab-lishment, here are a few suggestions on restau-rant renovations:

• Install energy efficient windows: Heat often escapes poorly insulated windows and sometimes even transmits into establishments through solar radiation. Energy efficient win-dows will help control heat loss or gain, reduce your energy costs and increase comfort in your establishment.

• Create a landscaping policy: By creat-ing a more sustainable landscaping and mainte-nance plan, you can minimize the use of water, chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.

use drought-tolerant plants and plant natu-rally-occurring vegetation to reduce the amount of nutrient enhancements needed to sustain

your landscaping.• Work with LEED experts: Invite a LEED

(Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) certified contractor to come tour your establish-ment and assist with your renovation. A LEED contractor will be trained to develop a structure that considers the national standards for green construction, using green building practices.

These building and construction initiatives are part of the more than 90 best practices fea-tured in the National Restaurant Association’s Conserve Sustainability Education ProgramSM. Other best practices focus on topics such as energy efficiency, water conservation, and waste reduction.

To find out more about Conserve and how it can benefit your operation, visit conserve.restaurant.org.

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency


w ine t iPs

When ordering that glass of wine at the bar do you ever ask yourself, “How much does that glass

of wine really cost?” Not in reference to dollars and cents, but in terms of the impact each glass has on our planet? Energy, fertilizers, pesticides, and transportation are just a few contribut-ing factors. Recently, wineries recognized their impact on the environment and began working diligently to reduce their carbon footprint.

One area of focus is hand harvesting grapes instead of using machines. Hand harvesting not only reduces the amount of Co2 emissions released from machines, but enables the picking of only ripe grapes ready for pressing, leaving the rest to mature. Normally a producer will go through and pick five to seven times before har-vesting all of the grapes.

Pesticides and fertilizers are a popular tool in a wine maker’s arsenal to help produce the maximum yield from yearly crops. More juice equals more bottles produced, which in turn leads to higher sales. However, due in large part to the vast amount of information available on the Internet, the average consumer is becoming more informed and concerned about chemicals they are unknowingly consuming. In response, many wineries are moving away from chemicals; opting instead for natural methods of pest man-agement and fertilizers.

With the recent rise in gas prices, producers are recognizing the effects that the packaging

Why Sustainability and Organic Practices Matter

By ROBERT ESPLEN

process has on the environment. Recently, pro-ducer Dave Mathew of Dreaming Tree winery has substituted their bottles for another option that weighs 55% less. High-end bag-in-box vari-eties, such as Raymond, allow for a substantial reduction in shipping costs; an unfilled 10-liter bag weighs about 68 grams, 99 percent less than a nine-liter case of empty glass bottles.

It was only recently on my quest to prepare the first sustainable/biodynamic-farmed wine list in Orlando that paired well with deep blu seafood grille’s commitment to eco-friendly practices, that I discovered almost every produc-er is conscious of the environment and utilizes some or all of the practices mentioned above.

One thing I strongly believe is wine is about the experience, or what I like to call “doing my homework” and tasting! As with any other type of wine, when choosing sustainable and organic varieties it is important to taste the wine before you purchase it as everyone’s palates are differ-ent and enjoy different styles and flavor profiles of wine. When asking a server or bartender for wines that use sustainable or biodynamic farm-ing methods, ask for a sample of the wine to ensure it is of good quality. I will always go out of my way to sample a couple wines with a guest to ensure they get the perfect wine that fits either their meal or the flavor profile that they are looking for.

Look for some of these environmentally-conscious producers:

• Grgich Hills Estate is uSDA certified organic.

• Heitz Cellars is also a 100% organic production.

• Belle Glos Wine is sustainably farmed, but cannot qualify as certified sustain-able due to their pressure treated fence posts.

• Marenco Moscato D’Asti uses all natu-ral fertilizers and utilizes solar power to heat all water used in production. Not to mention some of the best Moscato I have ever had!

• All wines from South Africa have to pass a sustainability board before being sold. De Toren and Mulderbosh are two of my favorite producers from South Africa. Look for Fusion v from De Toren and Faithful Hound from Mulderbosh.

Robert is General Manager of deep blu Seafood Grille, the award-winning restaurant at the new Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek. deep blu is committed to providing guests with only sustainable, locally sourced ingredients.


THE FLORIDA RESTAURANT AND LODGING ASSOCIATION ANDUNITEDHEALTHCARE HAVE TEAMED UP TO HELP YOUR BUSINESS

GROW HEALTHY.

Group medical plans for your employees Health plans for individuals and their families Solutions that work with your budget

The UnitedHealth Allies discount plan is administered by HealthAllies,® Inc., a discount medical plan organization. The discount plan is not insurance. The discount plan provides discounts at certain health care providers for medical services. The discount plan does not make payments directly to the providers of medical services. The member is obligated to pay for all health care services but will receive a discount from those health care providers who have contracted with the discount plan organization. HealthAllies, Inc. is located at P.O. Box 10340, Glendale, CA 91209, 888-809-6539.Insurance coverage provided by or through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or its affiliates. Health Plan coverage provided by or through a UnitedHealthcare company.

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Burning Health Care Reform Questions

Can We Grandfather Our Current Health Care Plan?

One of the issues facing earlier health care reform efforts was that people who were happy with their current insurance plans didn’t wish to change them. The new Affordable Care Act (the Act) sidesteps this issue. It allows restaurants to continue offering the plans they already had in place — so these would be “grandfathered” —

subject to a few conditions.The coverage must have been in effect on March 23, 2010, the date

the law was enacted, and must not have changed more than is permit-ted under the grandfathered health plan regulations.

In general, grandfathered health plans can accept new enrollees without risking grandfathered status. This means a plan can stay grandfathered if any new eligible employees at your restaurant join that plan, or if employees currently covered by the plan add a spouse, child or other eligible dependent to the plan.

your existing plan also needs to comply with some of the same reform rules as plans that are not grandfathered:

• There are no lifetime dollar limits on coverage, and annual dollar limits are restricted until 2014 and thereafter totally prohibited

• The waiting period for a new employee to be covered by your plan can’t be longer than 90 days, beginning in 2014

• Dependent children are covered up to age 26• Pre-existing condition exclusions are prohibited for anyone

under age 19 until 2014, and thereafter prohibited for all other enrollees

However, a grandfathered plan doesn’t have to meet some reform requirements that apply to non-grandfathered plans, including:

• Certain preventive services must be covered — without cost sharing

• Insured group health plans cannot discriminate in favor of highly compensated individuals in eligibility and benefits under Section 105(h) of the Tax Code (note that as of the date of this article, enforcement of this provision is on hold pending release of federal guidance)

If you and your employees like the coverage you had in place before the Act, and you have stayed within the limits of the grandfather rules, then you’ll be able to keep that plan grandfathered. your next step is a conversation with your health insurance broker or agent, or benefits attorney, to determine if your group is grandfathered and if it is worth-while to stay grandfathered versus making plan changes that may cause loss of such status.

Health Care Education Resources for Restaurants

The National Restaurant Association is committed to helping you get the facts about health reform as new rules are defined and imple-mented. Please visit the NRA Health Care Knowledge Center at www.restaurant.org/healthcare to stay informed on other changes as they occur.

In addition, unitedHealthcare and the National Restaurant Association have created the Health Insurance Options Center. If you would like individualized assistance with evaluating your options for

health insurance, speak to our dedicated restaurant team at 800-293-0105 or visit www.restauranthealthcare.org.

UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or its affiliates. Administrative services provided by United HealthCare Services, Inc., or their affiliates. The content provided is for informational purposes only. This communica-tion is not intended, nor should it be construed, as legal or tax advice. Please contact a competent legal or tax professional for legal advice, tax treatment and restrictions. Federal and state laws and regulations are sub-ject to change.

Reform Article #4: Burning Health Care Reform Questions: What Should I Know about State Health Insurance Exchanges?You probably have heard that individuals and companies will be able to purchase health insurance through state exchanges in 2012. While this situation is evolving — with only 14 states passing legislation to create an exchange to date — here is what you should know now as a restaurant owner.

Who Can Buy Coverage on an Exchange?Two groups will qualify. The first is people with income of up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level. In 2011, that would be $73,240 for an individual and $89,400 for a family of four. They will receive a premium credit to buy health care there. The second is companies with fewer than 100 employees. (This will expand to 100 or more employees in 2017.)

What Benefits Will Exchanges Offer?The goal of each state exchange is to help these two groups to find and compare affordable, quality health insurance options. The exchanges are expected to offer two benefits.

Lower Costs: This should happen as exchanges educate consumers on their choices and costs, “pool” the purchasers (so small businesses get the buying power of larger companies), and increase competition among private insurance plans that want to serve these customers.

One-stop Shopping: The exchanges should make purchasing easier by providing people and businesses with tools to compare benefits, pricing and quality. Exchange users will also have access to a wide range of customer assistance benefits — including information about prices, quality, and physician and hospital networks—to help them make the best choice for themselves, their families and their employees.

How Will Exchanges Work?So far, four different models have emerged:1. Information aggregators deliver bare-bones capabilities to meet legislative requirements. Enrollment

transactions are passed on to each health plan’s website.2. Retail-orientation creates a retail shopping experience with lots of service capabilities. It offers a wide

range of products that vary by price, design and the amount of assistance to consumers.3. Guided exchanges use a competitive selection process to limit the number of carriers, whose products

may be standardized. This may be a short-term approach for states that are short on funding.4. Market curators offer a robust end-to-end consumer experience — including shopping, enrolling and

extensive customer service — while limiting the number of carriers through a competitive selection process.

One thing that is certain, is that enrollment in state exchanges will begin in October 2013.

Health Care Education Resources for Restaurants There are many moving pieces to this legislation, which will continue to evolve over the next year and a half (and probably well beyond that). The National Restaurant Association is committed to helping you get the facts about health reform as new rules are defined and implemented. Please visit the NRA Health Care Knowledge Center at www.restaurant.org/healthcare to stay informed on other changes as they occur.

In addition, UnitedHealthcare and the National Restaurant Association have created the Health Insurance Options Center. If you would like individualized assistance with evaluating your options for health insurance, speak to our dedicated restaurant team at 800-293-0105 or visit www.restauranthealthcare.org.

UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or its affiliates. Administrative services provided by United HealthCare Services, Inc., or their affiliates. The content provided is for informational purposes only. This communication is not intended, nor should it be construed, as legal or tax advice. Please contact a competent legal or tax professional for legal advice, tax treatment and restrictions. Federal and state laws and regulations are subject to change.

Reform Article #4: Burning Health Care Reform Questions: What Should I Know about State Health Insurance Exchanges?You probably have heard that individuals and companies will be able to purchase health insurance through state exchanges in 2012. While this situation is evolving — with only 14 states passing legislation to create an exchange to date — here is what you should know now as a restaurant owner.

Who Can Buy Coverage on an Exchange?Two groups will qualify. The first is people with income of up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level. In 2011, that would be $73,240 for an individual and $89,400 for a family of four. They will receive a premium credit to buy health care there. The second is companies with fewer than 100 employees. (This will expand to 100 or more employees in 2017.)

What Benefits Will Exchanges Offer?The goal of each state exchange is to help these two groups to find and compare affordable, quality health insurance options. The exchanges are expected to offer two benefits.

Lower Costs: This should happen as exchanges educate consumers on their choices and costs, “pool” the purchasers (so small businesses get the buying power of larger companies), and increase competition among private insurance plans that want to serve these customers.

One-stop Shopping: The exchanges should make purchasing easier by providing people and businesses with tools to compare benefits, pricing and quality. Exchange users will also have access to a wide range of customer assistance benefits — including information about prices, quality, and physician and hospital networks—to help them make the best choice for themselves, their families and their employees.

How Will Exchanges Work?So far, four different models have emerged:1. Information aggregators deliver bare-bones capabilities to meet legislative requirements. Enrollment

transactions are passed on to each health plan’s website.2. Retail-orientation creates a retail shopping experience with lots of service capabilities. It offers a wide

range of products that vary by price, design and the amount of assistance to consumers.3. Guided exchanges use a competitive selection process to limit the number of carriers, whose products

may be standardized. This may be a short-term approach for states that are short on funding.4. Market curators offer a robust end-to-end consumer experience — including shopping, enrolling and

extensive customer service — while limiting the number of carriers through a competitive selection process.

One thing that is certain, is that enrollment in state exchanges will begin in October 2013.

Health Care Education Resources for Restaurants There are many moving pieces to this legislation, which will continue to evolve over the next year and a half (and probably well beyond that). The National Restaurant Association is committed to helping you get the facts about health reform as new rules are defined and implemented. Please visit the NRA Health Care Knowledge Center at www.restaurant.org/healthcare to stay informed on other changes as they occur.

In addition, UnitedHealthcare and the National Restaurant Association have created the Health Insurance Options Center. If you would like individualized assistance with evaluating your options for health insurance, speak to our dedicated restaurant team at 800-293-0105 or visit www.restauranthealthcare.org.

UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or its affiliates. Administrative services provided by United HealthCare Services, Inc., or their affiliates. The content provided is for informational purposes only. This communication is not intended, nor should it be construed, as legal or tax advice. Please contact a competent legal or tax professional for legal advice, tax treatment and restrictions. Federal and state laws and regulations are subject to change.

Introducing SafeStaff® Online Foodhandler

The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association is proud to announce that it is now offering online food safety training to the hospitality industry. As the Department of Business and Professional Regulation contracted provider, FRLA has developed the SafeStaff®

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The SafeStaff® program is convenient, affordable and meets all of the requirements mandated by Florida law.

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Successful site selection means more than “loca-tion, location, location”! As The Lease Coach, I have coached and

consulted to many restaurant ten-ants and found numerous issues are often overlooked in choosing commercial space to lease:

Site Selection By DALE WILLERTON

t he Le a se coach

Location Within the Location: Would you be leasing inside the property or on the pad outside? Would you be located at the end of an abandoned corridor? Second floors of most shopping plazas are, typically, quieter than main floors.

Accessibility: Elderly diners may have difficulty climbing stairs to get inside. How do customers approach and access your restaurant by foot and by car?

Visibility: Can your restaurant be seen from the street? Or, are there trees or other buildings blocking the view? visibility by both drive-by and walk-by traffic is ideal.

Parking: Typically, there are only so many parking spaces assigned and, once they are taken, they are gone. Negotiate for plenty of parking spots – so that you, your staff and your customers all have a place to leave vehicles. Push for parking closer to your door as customers will only walk so far from where they have parked.

Signage: What signage is available to you? What type of signage is this? Where is it located? Where would your restaurant name be placed on a common pylon sign shared by other tenants? Would you be charged for any addi-tional signage requested?

Neighboring Tenants: Who is doing business next door to you? Will this tenant be conducive or detrimental to your restaurant? Meet and quiz these tenants for yourself. With representing new restaurant tenants, The Lease Coach frequently asks pointed questions in this situation … what you learn may very well sur-prise you!

Anchor Tenants: These are the major businesses/retailers which pull customer traf-fic to a property. How long have these anchors remained in the property? Are they planning to stay or move?

Storage: Will your restaurant require a stor-age area for off-season patio furniture and/or inventory/supplies? Assure that this area is spa-cious enough for your needs and entirely usable – pillars and/or additional walls often make for wasted space.

Broker – Friend or Foe? Restaurant ten-ants may believe that the real estate agent or

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Employment litigation can be a costly proposition. To avoid liability to a former employee, operators often find themselves paying significant fees to their own counsel. By controlling the costs of employment defense

through the use of “best practices,” a savvy operator can protect the bottom line while pre-serving the ability to defend against frivolous claims. Here are a few “insider tips”:

Establish an ongoing relationship with an employment attorney. • you wouldn’t go to a new doctor every time you get sick. Pick a lawyer who is committed to learning your business and who has the depth of experience to meet your needs.• Work with counsel to adopt time-tested pre-ventive measures (like a good anti-harassment policy with multiple reporting options and the federally required tip-wage disclosure) and consult with them when making potentially controversial employment decisions. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.• There won’t be any restaurateurs or hoteliers on your jury, so your lawyer will need to have a working understanding of your business to effectively explain your business decisions. • Also, knowing the business well makes them better able to interview your employees and find the land mines in the case that need to be neutralized.

Choose your attorneys based on expertise and referrals from those you trust.• Talk to other attorneys, professionals, or operators you trust about their knowledge of employment lawyers in your market.• Before hiring a lawyer, talk to him or her about the firm’s approach to litigation. If you are a smaller operator, find out whether the attorney can translate experience litigating for multi-unit operators to your situation.• The defense attorney who markets by send-ing you a copy of a complaint that has just been filed by a plaintiff in court (but that the plaintiff has not yet served on you) is trying to win your business by being first – that does not necessarily mean that he or she is the best.• If you purchase EPLI insurance to protect your business, make sure that you have the right to select counsel – the insurer’s selection of “panel counsel” for its cases can be a very

political process. The attorney who is best for your case may not be on the insurer’s panel. The attraction of having an insurer pay part of your legal bill may fade if you are assigned counsel who does not see the case the same way you do.

Insist on a reasonable hourly rate that fits your market.• Charging a high hourly rate should not always be taken as a signal that the lawyer is a great lawyer. High hourly rates may just be a sign that the lawyer’s firm has high overhead costs, or that the lawyer believes charging a high rate adds to his credibility with potential cli-ents. Or the hourly rate may be controlled by a management committee that is used to charging higher rates in other more-costly markets where the firm has offices.• High hourly rates can make it difficult for the client to afford to take a case to trial. High legal bills can make an otherwise unacceptably high settlement seem like a reasonable alterna-tive. you do not want your legal bills driving your litigation choices.• Consider alternative fee arrangements in place of hourly billing. Generally, alternative fees work well when the representation is relatively pre-dictable in duration/effort required. Most firms should be able to prepare a position statement in response to an EEOC charge for somewhere between $3,000 and $5,000. Or if you employ an experienced HR person, consider having that person write the position statement and simply paying the attorney to review their draft.

Understand the pros and cons of mandatory arbitration.• Arbitration was in vogue for the last decade because of its supposed ability to hold down costs. • But arbitrations have become more costly,

and arbitrators are often less knowledgeable about the law than federal judges, in addition to being more sensitive to the opinions of the lawyers who hire them.

Insist on an early assessment of any potential litigation from your attorneys.• you need to hear their opinion on certain key issues:

Will the facts of the case allow the judge to throw it out before trial?

If not, how will a jury likely respond to the facts? Can the case be won at trial, or do the risks make settlement a better solution?• understand which cases might have wide-spread operational impact.• Don’t waste time litigating bad facts or bad decisions, especially when the person who made the bad decision is no longer with the company.

Review your bills regularly for signs of waste.• Eliminate duplicative work by multiple attor-neys or excessive conferences between attorneys.• Don’t pay for paralegals to perform secretarial tasks.• Don’t pay for research on basic matters that an experienced attorney should already know.

Just like hoteliers and restaurateurs, law firms are selling a service based on their expertise and experience. use your business judgment when hiring and evaluating the performance of counsel.

Kevin Johnson and Mark Heilig are attorneys with Thompson, Sizemore, Gonzalez and Hearing, P.A.

Controlling Employment Litigation CostsBy KEvIN JOHNSON AND MARK HEILIG

emPLoY ment

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From chef to manager, bookkeeper to plumber, restaurateurs wear many hats in their business. As their roles continue to expand within the res-taurant, operator’s most valuable

commodity is their time, an increasingly shrink-ing commodity at that.

Now in today’s ever changing landscape, restaurateurs now have to add another title to their resume – Online Marketer. The explosion of social media and online solutions provide a fantastic opportunity for restaurants to engage their guests and grow loyalty and sales.

The challenge lies now in the questions of, “What should I be doing?” “How should I be doing it?,” and, “Who should be doing it?”

The answer is as simple as putting together a recipe book, with 5 easy steps to accomplish success in managing your online presence.

Ingredient 1: Claim Your Online Presence

It is easy to get lost in the confusing online marketing landscape. Key is to keep it simple.

Focus on two main areas- Presence and Engagement. There is a lot of information on the web regarding your business, whether you have placed it there or not.

Make sure you take ownership of your online presence by developing or claiming your own page on sites such as Google, Bing, yelp, Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Trip Advisor.

Each site has very easy to follow instructions to claim your business and ensure all of your restaurant’s information is accurate. Claiming your presence on these sites will make your business easier to find in the search engines and will help potential new guests find you.

Ingredient 2: Manage Your Online Presence

Now that you have claimed your presence online, it is vital to make sure you allocate resources to continue to monitor or manage your online pages.

your online reputation is now the first thing that potential new customers view to help them

in the decision making process on whether to frequent your restaurant or not.

First thing to establish to help you streamline this is opening an account with an application such as Hootsuite. These applications will allow you to stream all of your social media sites into one easy to view page, so you can monitor and respond to guest comments on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., from one central plat-form.

Next is to take the time to pay attention to the reviews on sites such as yelp, urbanspoon and Zagat.

Nearly 85% of these reviews will be positive, but it is how you respond to the negative ones that will strengthen your relationship with your guests.

Ingredient 3: Build Your Online Audience

Building an online marketing database today is imperative. Without it, you will fall behind the crowd for sure.

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belongs to the consumer, so establishing a strong permission-based database is the key to gaining a positive return on investment for your restaurant.

The core constant that all consumers must have to participate in all of their social media and online activities is an email address. Build your email list with in-store enrollment tactics, fully educating your staff on the importance of capturing email addresses.

Build your following online as well, on Facebook and Twitter. Offer incentives and promotions to gain “Likes” and “Followers” that will eventually also enroll in your e-club.

Don’t forget to integrate solutions like online ordering and OpenTable.

The goal is to funnel all of the guest data online from all of your sources into one clean easy to access database.

Ingredient 4: Engage Your Online Audience

Now the fun begins. you have built your online presence and developed a viable online database. Now is the time to start engaging your guests to build guest loyalty and increase their frequency in your restaurant.

Start with loyalty communications, thanking those most loyal guests for their patronage by offering vIP experiences and targeted commu-nications on key events such as birthdays and anniversaries.

Plan on 1-2 promotions via email a month that are focused on guest appreciation, not just a discount. use Facebook and Twitter for your daily guest engagement.

Offer trivia contests, witty commentary and live event information.

Have fun with it, don’t be boring.

Ingredient 5: Keep Score of Your Online Campaigns

Just like a new menu item, you keep track to see how it sells. Same concept applies here. When you launch a promotion or campaign to your online database, keep score on the results.

Track the number of messages sent, offers redeemed, cost of campaign, discounts and of course net sales. Then report back to your staff the success of the campaigns which further their confidence in helping you build your database.

With investing some time and energy in establishing your online presence, you will set your restaurant up for a successful run during this social media era.

Plan on 4-5 hours per week at the start, which should settle down to 2-3 hours per week once you have your presence established.

Joe Gabriel is the marketing associate for Fishbowl Marketing


P rosciutto, lardo, bresaola, capi-cola, guanciale and soppressata. The opposite of fast food, and literally slow to make, these meats are examples of char-cuterie, or what are most com-monly known as cured meats.

As the local, do-it-yourself food culture grows across the country, more chefs are getting into the meat curing business to cater to patrons who demand more sustainable and old-world prepa-ration methods.

The practice is still at the trendy stage for most Americans, but it is steeped in tradition around the world. People have been preserving meats with salt for thousands of years in order to make it safe in an unstable, non-refrigerated and uninspected environment.

Meanwhile, modern American food regula-tions - both federal guidelines and state and county health codes – can have very little appli-cation to these traditional methods.

Many states have regulations that strictly require meat to be cooked and stored at specific temperatures, while some states allow for restau-rants to apply for a variance to serve products - like cured meats - that fall outside the jurisdic-tion of standard rules.

Christopher Lee has been in the restaurant business for 30 years and making salumi for more than 20 years in Berkeley, Calif., first as a chef at Chez Panisse, then at his own restaurant Eccolo.

Recently, Lee served as a restaurant consul-tant, most notably creating the safety plan for Il Buco Alimentari e vineria in Manhattan.

Lee says his work as a consultant made him consider the food safety aspect of curing meat more than he had in the past.

“Now that I have seen people making it in their back room in their restaurant, I have become a lot more wary,” Lee said in an inter-view with Food Safety News. “[Chefs] need to find out local regulations. And that’s new to a lot of people. I think people are often scared to ask official agencies what they need to do

because they think it will be elaborate and cost them a lot of money and a lot of headache. Where, in fact, it makes a lot more sense to do it from the beginning.”

A big hurdle for many restaurants is finding the proper space for their curing operations, an area where the proper temperature can be main-tained and meats can be kept somewhat separate from other foods in the kitchen.

No matter a restaurant’s size, however, a chef has the same responsibility as a large-scale meat curing facility, says Dana Hanson, a meat exten-sion specialist in the Food Science Department at North Carolina State university.

“The challenge is the same regardless of size,” Hanson told Food Safety News in an interview. “you still have to understand what issues there are and know what you have to do. Like any meat product that is intended to be consumed ready to eat, you are looking to control all pathogens.”

The main food safety considerations to take into account when curing meat are pH levels, water activity level and cross contamination, says Lee.

In its 2005 Meat and Poultry Hazards Control Guide, the u.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) suggests that “meat pH should decline to 5.3 within an acceptable time tem-perature combination (temperature in degrees, time in hours).”

Water activity should remain low at all times during curing, and meat should be kept separate from other foods while curing so that it doesn’t come into contact with other raw product that may carry pathogens.

Without the proper training and equipment, a chef may not realize he or she is putting out an unsafe product.

“If you’re not going to spend $2,000 to buy the water activity meter, pay $100 to send [the meat] to a lab, find out what it is,” Lee said. “Do that a few times so you at least know what it looks and feels like at the right water activity level, and then go from there.”

The RiskThe process of salt curing works against

bacteria due to the lack of water left in the meat after the salt is absorbed into it.

This process isn’t failsafe, though, as many pathogens are salt tolerant, and cured meats may not reach salt levels high enough to prevent bacteria growth.

According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, dried hams are particularly at risk for Trichinella, Staphylococcus and mold. Staphylococcus is salt tolerant, so proper food handling is vital to prevent these bacteria from growing.

Between 2002 and 2007, 66 cases of trichi-nellosis were reported to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). All cases were linked to consumption of meat, and uncooked meat was the source of 5 of the 30 cases for which information was available.

Listeria monocytogenes, a foodborne bacte-rium that can cause severe illness in pregnant women and those with weak immune systems, has been found in fermented raw meat sausages. Listeria can grow in refrigerated foods, can be resistant to drying and is salt tolerant.

A 2006 study found Listeria in 22.7 percent of 1,020 salami samples tested for the bacte-rium. In June of last year, 5,700 pounds of imported dry-cured ham were recalled because Listeria was found in a sample of the product.

Cured meats are also susceptible to Clostridium botulinum contamination. Botulism, the disease caused by infection with C. botulinum toxins, was originally named “sausage poisoning,” or “Wurstvergiftung,” when discovered in Germany, because the bac-teria grow in oxygen-deprived environments such as sausage casings. Now the use of nitrates in the curing process is used to combat bacteria such as C. botulinum.

E. coli poses another potential threat to dry meat safety. Last year, Lebanon bologna, a cured, smoked, fermented semi-dry sausage, was linked to 14 cases of E. coli O157:H7 across the eastern part of the united States.

Cured Meat Is In But Is It Safe?By ANDy FRAME

Food sa Fet Y


In 1999, an E. coli outbreak in British Columbia, Canada that sickened at least 143 people was linked to dry, fermented salami.

Avoiding Potentially Contaminated Charcuterie

Lee says there are some signs diners can look for to tell whether cured meats were prepared in a safe manner.

“There are certain things that I am not going to eat,” he says. “If something looks good and smells good and is made in a reasonable envi-ronment, I’m going to eat it. But if I have some-one bring me something that is soft and moist and sticky on the outside and they’ve been dry-ing it for seven months, and it’s the temperature of liverwurst, I’m not going to eat that, because I know what can go on in it.”

Large-scale meat facilities that produce cured meat are inspected and regulated by the uSDA, and have a full-time inspector on-site, while res-taurants are regulated by county health depart-ments and inspected once a year.

Some may argue that the regulations don’t make sense for meat curers, but Hanson said this is the only way for the system to operate with restaurants given current inspection capac-ity.

“With thousands of restaurants across the country, the regulation has to be all-encompass-ing to a point, and it has to be easy to enforce,” Hanson said.

Without more frequent inspection of restau-rants, the rules likely have to stay the way they are. “Is there a risk involved with [cured meats]? yes,” Hanson said. “Whether you can document what is going on with these products, by having careful oversight more than just one time a year, I don’t think it is a risk worth taking. There is too much variation in a lot of these operations to be able to give restaurants carte blanche to say ‘start making salami.”

In other words, the long process of making charcuterie is something that requires more reg-ular surveillance, which is impossible under the current regulatory system. If a restaurant owner applies for a variance in his or her county to be able to cure meats in-house, health departments cannot make an adequately informed decision without overseeing each particular chef ’s tech-niques and facilities.

Lee, the expert in the kitchen, agrees, but adds that inspectors have more to learn as well.

“We’re in a problem area in some respects,” Lee said. “We have reasonable comprehensible regulations that are pretty clear, but the people who are enforcing them don’t always know what they are looking at when they come in my facil-ity and say, ‘What is prosciutto?’”

Andy Frame is a Graduate Assistant at Food Safety News. © Food Safety News


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GLoBa L sPonsor s

UNITED WAY, PROSTART KIDS REBUILD A WORKING GARDEN

Every year when we participate in the ProStart competition, the culinary team takes advantage of the herb garden that is main-tained at our school.

Last year I planted cilantro and came every morning to

grab a bundle of leaves to use in my tomato and cilantro salsa. The year before, the culinary team planted kale which they would sauté in their dish, and we learned to plant corn shoots and keep them tender and yellow. Needless to say, the gar-

den is a big part of the ProStart program.

However, the years have caught up with our dutiful garden, and it needed a little bit of repairing. That’s where the united Way pro-gram came in. A group of twenty united Way volunteers came to our school on in September because they wanted to

rebuild our garden. I was so excited and grateful for their generosity.

With a truckload of dirt, planks of wood, and numerous fresh plants – we set to work. volunteers tore down the old garden beds and ridding the place of awful weeds. They shoveled dirt, built brand new raised garden beds, and they helped us plant the herbs they donated to the program.

And don’t think the ProStart students sat idly by watching. We jumped right into the thick of it like busy worker bees. Everyone helped out. I even got my hands dirty, too. I transported the gleaming new beds into the garden area and shov-eled dirt. Basil, parsley, sage, thyme, and a variety of mint were planted. The amount of mint was astounding. They gave us chocolate, pineapple, orange, and spearmint.

The finished product after all the work was done was very rewarding. united Way gave us some of the tools we needed to succeed in the kitchen. The variety of herbs will help with food identification – something every chef should know. I truly appreciate them coming and for furthering the experience by participating myself. I learned more about gardening, organizational skills, and even teamwork and can’t wait to see how the garden gets used this year for the ProStart competition.

Abby Gilkey is a ProStart student in Florida.

By ABBy GILKEy

t his eV ent woU Ld not Be PossiBLe w it hoU t t he sU PPort oF t he Fr L a eF’s Pa rt ner s

ProStart’s Field of Greens


To register, call toll-free 1-866-372-SAFE (7233) or visit www.safestaff.org. Registration for training begins at 8:00 a.m. and for exam at 12:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Dates subject to change.

Food Manager Training & Testing Schedulewww.safestaff.org

Altamonte Springs Nov 14, Dec 12Springhill Suites205 W Highway 436

Bradenton Nov 19, Dec 17Courtyard Marriott100 Riverfront Drive

Clearwater Dec 3St. Pete Marriott CLWR12600 Roosevelt Blvd N

Cocoa BeachNov 15Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront1550 North Atlantic Ave

Daytona BeachDec 5Holiday Inn2620 International Speedway Blvd

Deerfield BeachNov 26, Dec 13Hilton100 Fairway Drive

Ft. Lauderdale Dec 5Embassy Suites1100 SE 17th St Causeway

Ft. MyersDec 13Holiday Inn Downtown2431 Cleveland Ave.

Ft. PierceDec 6UF Indian River Research2199 South Rock Rd.

Ft WaltonNov 13, Dec 11Holiday Inn Resort573 Sana Rosa Blvd

GainesvilleDec 4Best Western Gateway Grand4200 NW 97th Blvd.

IslamoradaNov 19The Islander ResortMM 82.1, US Hwy 1

JacksonvilleDec 4Four Points by Sheraton8520 Baymeadows Rd

Jacksonville BeachNov 14, Dec 12Quality Inn Oceanfront11 North 1st Street

Key WestDec 4Doubletree Grand Key Resort3990 S. Roosevelt Blvd

Kissimmee Nov 15, Dec 13Seralago Hotel and Suites5678 Irlo Bronson Mem. Hwy

LakelandDec 5Country Inn & Suites4500 Lakeland Park Dr

MandarinNov 21, Dec 19Ramada Inn Mandarin3130 Hartley Road

MelbourneDec 13Holiday Inn8298 N Wickham Rd

Miami (Spanish Dates*)Nov 13, Dec 11Dec 6Hilton Miami Airport & Towers5101 Blue Lagoon Drive

NaplesNov 15, Dec 20Quality Inn and Suites4100 Golden Gate Pkwy

OcalaNov 20, Dec 18Homewood Suites4610 SW 49th Rd

Orlando (Spanish Dates*)Dec 3Nov 20, Dec 11Holiday Inn Resort Castle8629 International Drive

Panama CityDec 5Gulf Coast State CollegeGibson Lecture Hall5230 W. Hwy. 98

Pensacola Nov 20, Dec 18Pensacola Civic Center201 E. Gregory St

Port Charlotte Nov 13, Dec 10Days Inn & Suites10826 US 19 North

Port Richey Nov 13, Dec 11Days Inn & Suites10826 US 19 North

Sarasota Dec 6Hampton Inn5995 Cattleridge Road

St. Augustine Nov 28, Dec 6Holiday Inn Express & Suites2300 State Road 16

Tallahassee Oct 25, Nov 29, Dec 20Day’s Inn Monroe Street Conf Cntr2714 Graves Road

Tampa (Spanish Dates*)Nov 14, Dec 12Nov 13, Dec 4Clarion Hotel2701 E Fowler Ave

West Palm BeachNov 19, Dec 17Holiday Inn Airport1301 Belvedere Rd

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Hospitality Systems Inc.

INTRODUCING: Zonal as a Service!Financially better than a lease.

COmpleTe pOS SySTemS2 terminal systems from $225/month

3 terminal systems from $285/month

4 terminal systems from $394/monthPricing includes installation, upgrades, training, and ongoing support.

One-time $1,800 implementation fee required.

Contact us to find out how Zonal can work in your business.

888-376-3767 | [email protected] | zonalusa.com206 West Sybelia Avenue | maitland, Florida | 32751


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