Restaurant Supply Blog

By Kim O'Brien

Well, you know the rest. But it turns out that in 2011, people really did clamor for ice cream. In fact, a just-released market report revealed that ice cream and frozen dessert sales topped $25.1 billion in 2011, up 2.4% over the previous year. The increase breaks a 2-year spell of flat sales.

According to the report released from Packaged Facts, foodservice accounted for 57% of overall sales while retail sales rounded out the rest. Within the retail mass market, packaged ice cream is the largest category, accounting for 55% of total retail sales, followed by frozen novelties at 36%.

So why the upturn in frozen treat consumption? Theories range from the surge in frozen yogurt popularity to the stagnant economy. That's right – the recession might actually be stirring sweet tooth's nationwide. Ice cream, reports Packaged Facts, is the perfect treat for "economic downturn-weary Americans wanting to indulge without breaking the bank."

With summer on the horizon, there's no better time to capitalize on the increasing popularity of frozen treats in your ice cream parlor, dessert shop, or restaurant. The WEBStaurant Store has got the scoop on all the trends, ingredients, and products you need!

Frozen Yogurt

Boasting low fat and probiotic properties, frozen yogurt might just be the hottest – er, coolest – trend to hit the market. In fact, the fastest dollar growth came from the frozen yogurt / tofu specialty segment. But consumers don't want plain ol' vanilla. They're craving unconventional flavors like green tea and cran-raspberry. Appease your adventurous (and health-savvy) customers with these unique toppings from the WEBStaurant Store:

• Add a tropical twist to "fro-yo" with coconut flakes, pineapple, mandarin orange and other sliced fruit.

• Offer unexpected toppings like yogurt wafers, cinnamon chips, and salty n' sweet Twinkle-Nut Crunch.

Dessert Shots

Following the diet-conscious dessert trend, customers are opting for mini-portioned "dessert shots." An annual National Restaurant Association survey ranked bite-size/mini desserts at number 4 in its What’s Hot overall menu trends for 2010.

• Showcase your sorbet, gelato, parfait and decadent samplers with our dessert shot glasses.

• To put your mini morsels on full display, check out our new Tiny Temptations line of tasting spoons, bowls, and trays!

A Classic Never Goes out of Style

Sure, fro-yo and sampler shots are on the rise. But don't rule out the classics quite yet. The Food Channel recently lauded ice cream floats, sundaes and sandwiches on their list of trendy dessert contenders. By promoting old-fashioned favorites, retailers and food service providers are expanding business "by creating and marketing products that speak to consumers on an emotional level," notes Packaged Facts.

• The WEBStaurant Store has got the nostalgia factor covered with a variety of classic cola syrups and retro soda glasses.

• To create the perfect ice cream sandwich, check out our Joy chocolate wafers and embellish with our selection of cookie toppings.

In today's market of frozen treat franchises, patrons have become accustomed to a buffet-like selection of ice cream and fro-yo toppings. Whether you're catering to the candy topping client or the hot fudge sundae devotee, we've got the ingredients to satisfy any sweet tooth! From soft serve mixes to waffle bowls, the WEBStaurant Store has all the frozen treat products you need – right down to the sprinkles (or jimmies, if you will).

By Steve Ziegler

Our May Coupon Code is for something most everyone uses - disposable gloves. Our Noble Gloves are known for both their high quality and low cost. We also have a nice selection of sizes from Small to Extra-Large. Because so many people have allergies and sensitivities to certain gloves, we offer latex and vinyl in powdered and powder-free. Let's face it though: who really wants to spend money on gloves? Not many people want to, so that is why our May Coupon Code is NOBLE10!

Our May Coupon Code is "NOBLE10", which will get you 10% off of cases of Noble Gloves.

Follow these links to find the gloves for our NOBLE10 coupon code:

Noble Latex Gloves and Noble Vinyl Gloves

By Christine Kotzmoyer

Schreiber Pediatric Rehab Center hosted their 30th Annual Gala fundraiser at the Lancaster County Country Club and WEBstaurantStore.com volunteers were there to help! Schreiber Pediatric provides family education and therapy programs for infants, children and adolescents with disabilities, developmental delays and acquired injuries. WEBstaurant Store volunteers lent a hand on two shifts throughout the day. The morning crew woke up bright and early to set up the venue with decorations, programs, and place setting. The evening crew got dolled up to help as auction runners during the black tie Gala, themed “An Evening on Broadway.” The annual Gala is one of Schreiber's biggest fundraisers, bringing in nearly $80,000 this year. We were excited to be a small part of their successful event!

A "behind the scenes" look at our volunteer day at the Schreiber Pediatric Gala:

Silent Auction

Gala guests contemplate their bids as the silent auction is in full swing.

Auction Slips

After the silent auction ended, volunteers jumped into action to collect the bid sheets and arrange them in numerical order.

Organizing

As the Gala guests were wined and dined, the silent auction items were organized in numerical order.

Ready to Run

Volunteers diligently organized all of the silent auction items in preparation for the runners to distribute to the highest bidders!

Lovely Ladies

The silent auction runners looking lovely in their party dresses!

By Steve Ziegler

Upgrading your knife kit can seem next to impossible when you look at the pricing of some of the forged German or Japanese knives on the market. Who doesn't want forged knives, high-quality steel, great balance, and a comfortable grip? But really, who wants to spend over a hundred dollars per knife? Thanks to Mercer's new Genesis line of professional NSF-approved cutlery, you don't have to overspend to get forged German steel and all the other features that you desire. In fact, as of right now not a single knife in this line is over $30!

The German steel used in the Genesis has been independently tested to be just as durable, corrosion-resistant, and high quality as the steel used in much more expensive German knives. Mercer Genesis features one piece construction giving it a solid feel and great durability. The knives full tang gives it great balance and is surrounded by a special Santoprene handle that gives this knife superior handling whether dry, wet, or oily. This handle is incredibly comfortable--in fact, I prefer it to the Wusthof knives that I've used. Best of all, Mercer Genesis knives come with a lifetime limited warranty!

Click here to shop our Mercer Genesis Line!

During the next several weeks, we'll be featuring Mercer knives on our WEBstaurantstore Facebook and WEBstaurantStore Pinterest pages, and we'll even be doing a few giveaways. Be sure to "Like" us and follow us and stay tuned for details!

By Steve Ziegler

Being the largest online-only restaurant supply company, we exist at the crossroads of food geeks and actual geeks. This crossroad is a fun place to be; and with our latest Facebook Timeline photo, we wanted to capture the essence of this intersection of geeky cultures while also promoting our mobile site. You can be the judge--How'd we do?

We thought this would be a good way to remind folks about our mobile site: m.webstaurantstore.com. The WEBstaurantStore's mobile site works super fast on your mobile devices, which makes it great when you are in the storeroom, when your computer is down, when negotiating with a salesman, or when walking the aisles of a warehouse store. We just want you to remember, that no matter where you are at, you have access to 50,000+ restaurant supply items right on your phone!

As you can see, just like the rest of the Web, the WEBstaurantStore loves kittehs. We've even done a volunteer day at the Humane League. Not only that, but this photo was taken by one of our photographers, Renee Althouse, who is a volunteer at Furever Home Adoption Center, which is Lancaster County's only no-kill shelter. Our little kitty chef is one of the kittens from the shelter. If you love animals and care to donate to this great place, here is Furever Home's Donation page. Renee and our Chef Kitten thank you in advance!

By Chris Zook

It's no secret that one of the most important achievements a company can attain is vertical integration - controlling the raw material, production, and sale of a product from start to finish. Usually, vertical integration is used in conjunction with big brand-name corporations.

But now more and more restaurants are starting to vertically integrate to the mutual benefit of the establishment and the customer. Thankfully, all that corporate jargon can be broken down to something a little easier on the eyes: the "hyper-local restaurant".

What Is A Hyper-Local Restaurant?

A hyper-local restaurant is basically a restaurant cultivating its own food. A growing trend over the past two years, hyper-local food growth is a response to customer requests and the industry's desire for healthier food. And while it may sound like a stretch of the imagination, hyper-local restaurants are popping up all over the country and in every climate.

Chicago has been one of the more recent locations to pick up on the trend, proving that you don't need a massive plot of farm land to grow great-tasting vegetables. Instead, places like Frontera Grill and Uncommon Ground have taken to the rooftops to grow everything from carrots to salsa ingredients. In this scenario, the chefs partially take on the role of a farmer as they actually hand-pick the ingredients they'll use in different dishes.

But a rooftop with a view isn't necessary to start your own hyper-local farm. As long as you have water, the right soil, and a green thumb, any restaurant can cultivate local vegetables and leafy greens. Or, if you're really ambitious (and have a few extra acres), you could always copy a York, Pa. restaurant and raise your own cattle too.

What's The Big Deal?

Maybe the biggest advantage to going hyper-local is the idea of sustainable development, a principle that places equal importance on economic growth and environmental responsibility. Hyper-local farming is small-scale subsistence farming, meaning that you produce enough for yourself, but without the use of fossil-fuel machines, the addition of preservatives, or the threat of pest infestation associated with long-term storage. One of the possible benefits to this style of farming is that any extra growth means additional sales and a little more cash for your business.

As far as potential dangers are concerned, there are relatively few. As long as you or someone you employ knows how to grow food, you should be just fine. But there is the possibility that your harvest comes up short. In that case, solving the problem is as easy as going out and buying from a trusted local vendor. The long-term benefits to this solution are actually two-fold, as you're still growing your own food for your customers and helping the local economy.

Last, and this is exclusively a matter of preference, but who wouldn't want the opportunity to bring beautiful heirloom fruits and vegetables to their restaurant?

Can't I Just BUY Local?

We've covered the benefits of buying local before. It's true - you can easily buy fruit and vegetables from local vendors, and that would spur growth in your local economy. But not all local food is created equally.

With today's allergy-conscious customer base, knowing the origins, treatment, and freshness of the food you serve is incredibly important, and it's even better when you can say that it came from your own back yard (or roof). Your wait staff will be able to answer any customer's question, and growing your own food can even give your chefs ideas for how to better prepare the ingredients more quickly.

If you've always wanted to start a hyper-local restaurant but never knew the right time, The Webstaurant Store has you covered. Just check out our interactive growing season infographic to find the best month in your state to grow different foods!

By Steve Ziegler

The beginning of wedding season is upon us, and we know that means that our catering customers are looking to re-supply. By mid-April, weddings start taking off and many of those folks having Summer weddings are working out the details of their nuptials. Keeping costs down is key for caterers trying to win business from couples that are often strapped in this still-gloomy economy. That is where the WEBstaurantStore.com comes in with catering deals all month long. You'll find deals on chafers on our homepage, special deals on more chafers and many other catering supplies in our April emails, and right here on our blog we have a coupon code on our most popular chafer that will be good all April long. Get 10% off of our 8qt economy chafer in April with the code: ECONCHAFE. You can find the chafer here: Economy Chafer.

Another thing to keep in mind is our catering disposables. We have a huge array of catering plates and cups for any event, whether in a fire hall or a high-end resort. Not only that, but with many of our products are available in smaller packs. That makes it nice when you want to have some around to show clients, but don't want to invest in a lot of inventory. Not to mention, it is awfully nice for small events.

Keep up to date on our specials, giveaways, and coupon codes by following us on our Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest pages.

Some wedding bartender advice: Because people do tend to be very celebratory at weddings, there is often a need for the bartender to resupply the bar. But did you know there is a proper time to do that restocking? There is, and it is not for the sake of the guests, but for the sake of the bartender's sanity. As soon as you hear the beginning of this song--RUN!

By Jacob King

There's something liberating about the thought of "spring cleaning" - of taking time to sweep away the remnants of the previous year and to make a fresh start. The thought, however, quickly loses its luster when it comes time to actually drag out the mop and get to work. Fortunately, some pretty innovative items have been born of our distaste for this necessary evil, and with just a few simple products, you’ll spend less time cleaning up and more time looking after your customers!

Until they design a Roomba that can clean a commercial kitchen and everything in it, messes will happen and will need to be taken care of, but you can still make the process easier for you and your staff!

For dusting, polishing, and cleaning just about anything you can think of, give yourself a helping hand with these Microfiber mitts! They combine the cleaning power of microfiber with a convenient mitt design to knock out dirt and make cleaning a breeze. Microfiber sanitizing cloths are a great way to take care of small messes in your kitchen/prep area for several reasons: 1.) they remove stains much more effectively than your average cotton cloth, 2.) they can be washed and reused up to forty times, and 3.) they work more efficiently with sanitizers compared to other microfiber products, saving you money on both water and chemicals. Both the sanitizer cloths and mitts are also color coded for easy identification, so you'll never have to worry about leaving what's been on your windows on your prep table.

And while we're on sanitizing, try out this QuikSan Sanitizer and Disinfectant from Noble Chemical to make short work of minor cleaning jobs. Perfect for sanitizing virtually any hard, nonporous surface, this ready to use solution comes in a handy quart-sized bottle; just point it, spray it, and you're done! No wiping, no mixing up buckets of sanitizer, and virtually no harmful microbes left over when it's done its work. And for the rest of your janitorial needs, be sure to check out Noble's full line of quality products.

When it comes to cutting down on routine maintenance, CFL light bulbs are a huge time saver because they last much longer than typical incandescent bulbs (up to 8,000 hours), meaning you spend less time perched precariously on a ladder trying to change them, and more time helping your customers. If that weren't enough, switching to a CFL setup can also save you some serious green on your electric bill; our handy CFL Savings Calculator can show you just how much.