Peruvian food is becoming more popular. This is discussed here. The food of Peru is being featured more and more. Places are otpening which serve it and people are becoming interested in it. This is yet another food trend. They seem to appear often and they really take off.

Key Takeaways:

• Four of this class of 33 Trending Tables — that’s 12 percent — are bringing clear Peruvian influence to bear on their food
• We’re seeing Southern food continue to spread in non-Southern cities, like Kansas City, Seattle and Boston, and people in often meat-centric cities like San Antonio and Chicago taking a shine to vegetarian food
• Of course foods inspired by France and Italy are scattered generously across these Trending Tables as always, anchoring our dining traditions even as sources for chefs’ inspiration continue to expand.

“Of course foods inspired by France and Italy are scattered generously across these Trending Tables as always, anchoring our dining traditions even as sources for chefs’ inspiration continue to expand.”

http://www.nrn.com/trending-tables/trending-tables-peruvian-food-picks-steam

There are some secrets from the highest grossing restaurant in New York. Tao Downtown opened its doors in the year 2013 and it has a real authentic feel to it. It has heavy wooden doors that look like they were airlifted in from an ancient Chinese fort. Over a thousand people come there a night. They are extremely successful and are not a chain restaurant.

Key Takeaways:

• Since its opening in 2013, Tao Downtown has been a prime Manhattan destination for athletes, celebrities, and businessmen and women waving corporate cards to out-of-town families.
• Each night, some 1,200 people stream through Tao Downtown’s 22,000-square-foot, bilevel maze of dark wood-paneled rooms decorated with candles and giant Buddhas.
• Tao posted almost $34 million in food and beverage sales in 2016. That’s the highest-ranking spot for a non-chain restaurant in New York, and the third-highest in the U.S.

“According to an annual survey by Restaurant Business, Tao posted almost $34 million in food and beverage sales in 2016. That’s the highest-ranking spot for a non-chain restaurant in New York, and the third-highest in the U.S.”

http://www.restaurantnews.com/secrets-from-the-highest-grossing-restaurant-in-new-york/

Gary Jones has some opinions on why young chefs today are better than ever. There are always news people to train in the food industry. They start at the elementary level sometimes. They get great training and are pushed to their limits in order to give people an amazing dining experience.

Key Takeaways:

• Gary Jones will be looking for three, bang-on, balanced dishes with great flavor. If the flavor isn’t right, he doesn’t care how pretty the dish was made.
• Competitions raise a chef’s self-discipline and consistency. It fosters cameraderie when they help each other to improve their dishes.
• Chefs should taste everything they cook and they should work hard.

“Competitions raise a chef’s self-discipline and consistency. And when you put youngsters into competitions like this, you see an amazing growth spurt in them.”

http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Business/Gary-Jones-on-why-young-chefs-today-are-better-than-ever?utm_source=RSS_text_news&utm_medium=RSS_feed&utm_campaign=RSS_Text_News

Few consumers had really ever had a smoothie that when these 1,000 unit brands brought out smoothies, they really kind of got people thinking about it. Tropical Smoothies growth is backed by the BIP Franchise Accelerator, a division of venture capital firm BIP Capital, which invested in the brand in 2010. Tropical Smoothie, which requires $125,000 in liquid assets and a minimum net worth of $350,000, as well as an initial investment of between $198,050 and $478,550 for its franchisees, actually turned down a crop of qualified candidates last year. The support center is also strengthening as success drives high-powered professionals into the building.

Key Takeaways:

• Consumers are well aware of the health and convenience benefits of smoothies—two vitals that are robustly important to millennials. And the results can prove it.
• Last year, Tropical Smoothie reported positive comp sales of 4 percent, which adds up to comp sale growth in excess of 26 percent since 2013. Average unit volume is more than $634,000—the highest in the company’s 20-year history.
• Rotondo is strapped in for an eventful 2017, a year the chain essentially plans to open two stores a week as it targets 100 new locations. Rotondo says this acceleration “definitely puts stress on every part of the system.”

“Consumers are well aware of the health and convenience benefits of smoothies—two vitals that are robustly important to millennials. And the results can prove it.”

https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/smoothie-franchises-are-soaring-quick-service

This is driving up wages. Average hourly earnings in the leisure and hospitality industries over the past 12 months have increased by 4.2 percent, according to federal data. That’s higher than the 3.4 percent, overall rate. The higher wages are leading restaurants to raise prices despite falling commodity costs which, coming as grocery stores have lowered prices, has been suggested as an excuse for weak sales in recent months. Many operators believe that investing in recruiting is vital at a time when consumers are fickle, sales are hard to find, and good workers are scarce.

Key Takeaways:

• Much of the optimism stems from the election, said Steve Crichlow, a former franchisee turned consultant who works with numerous operators.
• Operators’ biggest concern, by far, was over labor-related issues.
• Perhaps not surprisingly, one of the biggest areas of investment for operators heading into 2017 is on recruiting and training.

“Average hourly earnings in the leisure and hospitality industries over the past 12 months have increased by 4.2 percent, according to federal data.”

http://www.nrn.com/data-research/operators-labor-costs-remain-huge-concern