Owner Trip Turbyfill fretted he was losing business from guests wary of the sometimes unpredictable wait. In the spring of 2015, he decided to try a guest management program: the Cake Guest Manager, an iPad-based seating app. Guest Manager integrated with Turbyfills point-of-sale system at the time, but since then he’s shifted to Cakes POS, which is cloud-based. Cafe Strudel uses another app called 7 Shifts, which integrates with the Cake system, for scheduling. With about 150 seats, a full bar, private dining and catering, Cafe Strudel is the only restaurant owned by Turbyfill and his wife Marila Turbyfill.

Key Takeaways:

• The app, meanwhile, shows the host a map of tables and where they are in the dining process: seated, orders placed, check dropped, closed out.
• The system texts guests when their table is ready. That frees them to wander off and explore shops in the area, rather than waiting at the restaurant.
• The restaurant pays a monthly fee per station for use of the Cake system, which includes technical support, which amounts to about $120 per month.

“Essentially the app allows Café Strudel to better control and predict table availability by following the status of every table in real time.”

http://www.restaurant-hospitality.com/technology/app-eases-strain-waiting

The gluten-free trend keeps growing. But is it all just hype? Does gluten sensitivity really exist? Are more people being diagnosed with celiac disease? Is modern wheat the problem or could it be genetic engineering? Here we unravel the facts. Wheat—and the main protein it contains, gluten—has been cited as a cause of weight gain, “brain fog,” skin rashes, joint pain, headaches, tiredness, allergies, gas, intestinal distress, irritable bowel syndrome, depression and, in the case of celiac disease—where the immune system goes haywire and attacks the body—even death.

Key Takeaways:

• In the beginning, it seemed like a trend — or worse — a fad. Then came replacement bread and pasta that looked and tasted like cardboard.
• Ignoring the demand for gluten-free options means missed opportunities that can’t even be measured.
• A lot of the world cuisines that have shaped Richmond’s culinary identity lend themselves well to gluten-free menu items, like Vietnamese and Thai, with their abundance of rice noodles and rice-paper wraps.

“A lot of the world cuisines that have shaped Richmond’s culinary identity lend themselves well to gluten-free menu items, like Vietnamese and Thai, with their abundance of rice noodles and rice-paper wraps.”

http://www.restaurant-hospitality.com/food-trends/gluten-free-grows

The smoking of herbs and meats at restaurants has really taken off in recent years. Many restaurants even have their own smokers on site for this purpose. Many chefs are finding new and impressive ways of tapping into this demand in the market. From serving slow-cooked bacon over smoking rosemary to burning rosemary on the edge of a dish, there is no end in sight for ideas that will engage the customers’ noses and taste buds. This new technique of adding burnt herbs can be seen anywhere from entrees to desserts at select restaurants and bars.

Key Takeaways:

• Smoky flavors are becoming increasingly popular in both food and drinks.
• Chef and restaurateur David Burke does that with his Clothesline Bacon, for which thick slices of bacon are slowly baked for three hours, basted frequently with a black pepper-maple glaze, then clipped to a miniature clothesline and served over a branch of smoking rosemary.
• Avila spreads fresh rosemary on a sheet pan, sprinkles it with lemon water and then dries it out in the oven for about seven minutes.

“Chef and restaurateur David Burke does that with his Clothesline Bacon, for which thick slices of bacon are slowly baked for three hours, basted frequently with a black pepper-maple glaze.”

http://www.restaurant-hospitality.com/food-trends/scorched-herbs-find-place-table

Any aromatic herb or vegetable goes a long way toward adding a bit of intrigue to a simple pot of rice. Very often, some of the same seasonings going into the main dish are great for the rice as well. I’ve found that whole spices are usually better for adding subtle flavors, while ground spices are great when we really want the rice to stand out on its own.

Key Takeaways:

• This is the grain that’s synonymous with sustenance the world over. Here, we’re taking a look at just three of the infinite number of ways to present rice.
• There are “O.G.” chirashi bowls with puffed rice, Japanese fried chicken with sushi rice and lemon mayo and also these adorable triangular rice ball snacks, known as onigiri.
• Carolina Gold rice is a cornerstone of Low Country cooking. Fans favor its stronger flavor (with nutty undertones) and more toothsome texture than other rice.

“Carolina Gold rice is a cornerstone of Low Country cooking. Fans favor its stronger flavor (with nutty undertones) and more toothsome texture than other rice.”

http://www.restaurant-hospitality.com/food-trends/plain-rice-perfect-palette-world-flavor