At FDR, we are hearing from our restaurant clients that proteins in general are short, especially pork and turkey, as well as cold sauces, dressings, and dips. We are also seeing many national/global restaurant brands downsize their R&D and culinary departments. Companies that used to have a buyer for each category are now working with one single buyer.
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Limited time offers, or LTOs, are not a new concept in the restaurant business. In fact, rolling out a special menu, special offer, or special marketing theme for a short amount of time is a tried and true practice in the industry.
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Even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the US in 2020, food delivery services had taken hold. The concept of ghost kitchens had also started to gain momentum pre-COVID, but now that we are nearly a year into the crisis, ghost kitchens are becoming commonplace.
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Meet Shane Schaibly, Corporate Chef and Vice President of Culinary Strategy of First Watch Restaurants, Inc. Chef Schaibly took the time to tell us a little about his background, work at First Watch, and what he sees as big on the food trend front.
Members of the FDR Culinary Team recently traveled to Bandar Lampung in Indonesia for a food product development project and had a chance to explore some of the food scene there. Katie Sutton, FDR Chef and VP of Culinary Innovation, and Ric Scicchitano, Managing Partner, grabbed these photos at local restaurants. Could some of these flavors be coming to a table near you? We think so. Continue reading
Meet Chef Michael Slavin, VP Culinary & Menu Innovation at Houlihan’s Restaurant Support Center. FDR has worked with Chef Slavin on menu development projects among other things, which is why we’ve interviewed him as part of our Meet the Chefs series. Continue reading