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A new culture has developed around pizza. New conversations are popping up about oven types, varieties of flour, the virtues of buffalo mozzarella. The new respect for pizza pies is reflected in countless classy new restaurants that have sprung up all over the country.
The flashiest restaurateurs want in on pizza and so do some of the most classically trained, critically acclaimed chefs. Why pizza? It’s the economy stupid, pizza is the perfect product as it costs less money and results in less pressure. You’re concentrating your entire restaurant on one thing rather than soup and pastry chefs. Patrons like the new trend as they search for the right ambiance and the perfect pizza crust.
One of the keys to a successful restaurant business is learning how to woo your customer. This means being able to sell whatever you have on the menu to anyone at any time of the year. Even if it’s ninety degrees out, people should want to empty your soup warmers and when it’s colder than ice outside, they should be looking for your salads and frozen treats. But since not everyone has the knack for selling, here’s a crash course in sales techniques that actually work.
What’s So Special About Your Place?
You need a ‘hook’ in order to get people in your door – and to keep people coming into your restaurant. So, be honest with yourself, what makes you so special? While it’s true that every restaurant concept has been covered (usually all on one street), you need to find something in your place that makes you better, or at least different, from the rest. And if you can’t find anything, it’s time to make some changes at your restaurant. Maybe you sell all breakfast foods? Have your staff dress up in pajamas and then advertise from that angle. Find something that makes customer feel shocked or something that makes them laugh and you’re going to bring ‘em in by the busload.
Make it a Mystery
On the other hand, the less you tell your customer, the more they’ll want to know. What you might want to do is create a mystery special or a mystery theme that will happen one night a week. Create flyers and signs that promote this mystery event and then do something wild that people will enjoy. Have an 80′s night or redecorate the seating area in crazy colors. Just do something that makes people want to come in to see what else you can offer them.
Become More Regular
Some restaurants that have an older clientele or guests that seem to favor sameness will want to create a schedule of menu items and specials that repeats each week. For example, margarita Mondays are popular. You can create an entire schedule of weekly food specials or entertainment that will help keep people coming in, even though they know what to expect.
Other ways to bring people in:
• Have a certain hour of the day when everything’s half off. But don’t publish when that hour is.
• Have drink specials with certain menu choices.
• Include desserts with dinners on the weekends.
• Include your customers in a vote of what new items you bring onto the menu.
• Have private events for special customers.
Emptying your soup warmers when it’s seventy outside takes talent. But creating a buzz? That just takes a little creativity.
Apples comes in 2,500 variations. Apples are jammed with antioxidants and flavonoids, both considered important parts of a healthy diet. They also are an excellent source of pectin, a natural fiber. This time of year, apples often are best enjoyed unadorned, straight from the tree.

Apple Divider
Honey baked apples can be a real treat, especially on Rosh Hashanah. Either way, try not to remove the skin, because that’s the best source of the apple’s pectin and other nutrients. In this recipe, apples are combined with nutritious nuts and the flavors of orange and cinnamon to create warm and comforting baked apples filled with dates and pecans. To toast the chopped pecans, which enhances their nuttiness, place them in a small, dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until they are lightly browned and fragrant, three to five minutes. This dessert would make a lovely addition to a Rosh Hashanah celebration, especially if drizzled with a touch of honey, which is traditionally served with apples to symbolize the hope for a sweet year to come. The honey could be added to the syrup (in place of or alongside the brown sugar) with which the apples are drizzled.
In a small bowl, stir together pecans, dates, orange zest and juice, 1 ml ( 1/4 tsp) of the cinnamon and salt. Core apples, leaving 1 cm ( 1/2 inch) at the bottom, and peel top edges. Stuff apples with pecan filling, then brush tops with melted butter, if using. Arrange apples in an 2-l (8-inch) square baking dish. Add apple juice to bottom of dish, then cover it tightly with foil. Bake until apples are tender (but not mushy) when pierced with a fork, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer apples to serving plates. If desired, place plated apples in oven (with heat turned off) to keep warm. Transfer juices in baking dish to a small saucepan over medium. Simmer for 5 minutes or until reduced by half. Add brown sugar and remaining 2 ml ( 1/2 tsp) of cinnamon. Simmer, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. In a small glass, mix cornstarch and water. Add mixture to saucepan, then heat until thickened. Serve apples drizzled with thickened sauce.
AbleKitchen has all your apple accessories from apple corers, apple peelers to apple dividers.
Now, sing with me “Dip the Apple in the Honey, Make a Blessing Loud and Clear, Have a Happy Sweet New Year”.

Cash Trays
These cash trays are crafted in a contemporary style that adapts well to many decors and is distinguished by its smooth, sleek, uncomplicated lines. Cash in today.
Some of the common folk refer to the cash trays as tip trays. Whatever works for them. Just remember that using a tip tray would probably be a good means of letting people know you’re interested in getting a cash tip.

Johnson Rose
We are proud to announce that the entire smallwares catalog is now fully linkable and allows direct purchases.
Johnson Rose now has an expanded warehouse, which doubled their capacity and added another shipping and receiving dock. 24 hour turn-around is made possible by the order processing system of JIMS, a serpentine picking system for efficient order picking, and the long time experience and personnel of their warehouse, which runs in two shifts.
Johnson-Rose wants to sell and support its customers with Personable, Reliable, Outstanding Service, also known as the “PROS”. Johnson Rose is at the forefront of innovation and in the pursuit of growth and respect in the smallwares market place.





