Restaurant Supply Blog

By Steven Ziegler

October is here and it is all treats and no tricks with this month's coupon code. Our October coupon code update features our Waring FPC14 2.5qt Food Processor--you get a few dollars off plus free shipping! There are also coffee mugs on special, perfect to serve your favorite hot beverages as the weather turns cooler. And did you know that Halloween tops all other holidays for the number of pizzas ordered? Keeping that fact in mind, we have our three most popular wooden pizza peels on sale! Stop back monthly to view our current coupon codes before you order, and make sure you sign up for our emails to get great coupons twice a week in your inbox! Here is the link: WEBstaurant Email Flyer Sign Up

• 2.5 Qt. Commercial Food Processor - 120V

• Individually Wrapped Plastic Flatware
• 12 oz. Translucent Plastic Cup

• Wooden Pizza Peels

• 32 oz. Microwavable Translucent Round Deli Container and Lid Combo Pack
• Brown Bell Shaped 7 oz. China Coffee Mug

By Kim O'Brien

30 Days Hath Souptember...

To usher in the Autumn season, WEBstaurant Store staff cooked up crocks of homemade soup! Employees with September birthdays got to play chef for the day, prepping a Broccoli Cheddar blend and Butternut Squash soup with direction from our chef Matt Schuler. Below, check out printable recipe cards for Butternut Squash Soup. The recipe calls for seasonal squash, Granny Smith apples, fresh sage, and pumpkin seeds to create the perfect fusion of fall flavors. To make it vegetarian, simply sub out the chicken broth with vegetable stock instead.

To learn what fruits and veggies are in season in your region of the United States this fall, check out our handy Regional Guide to Fresh Produce. Short on time? Check out our Regal Soup Bases and Canned Soup and Stew for pre-made broth blends.

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By Steven Ziegler

Fall weddings are not just a favorite on Pinterest, but they are a favorite of our catering customers. Autumn is such a beautiful time to get married, which means that our catering customers get extremely busy as the leaves start falling. This month’s coupon code is especially geared towards our catering customers. From our ever popular Silver Visions plastic flatware (it looks like metal!), to our colored napkins and bevnaps, there are some great ways to save whether you are catering a wedding, or just having a party. The Eco-friendly Chinese food containers make for fun wedding favors, and the chafer fuel is not just a banquet-service favorite, but a Happy hour necessity for our bar customers.

Need some Fall Wedding Ideas? Check out our post, "Eco-friendly" Wedding Ideas - An Autumn Barn Wedding”

• Silver Visions Heavy Weight Flatware

• 4 Hour Wick Chafing Fuel
• 8 Qt. Deluxe Roll Top Chafer

• Color Beverage Napkins
• Color Dinner Napkins

• Eco Friendly Microwaveable Take-Out Container
• 2.1 Gallon Juice / Beverage Dispenser

By Kim O'Brien

Practice Makes Perfect

You've heard the old adage "Practice makes perfect." The same goes for restaurant openings! Hosting a soft opening for a limited number of people allows you to work out the kinks in your restaurant service before opening your doors to the public. This test launch strategy allows you to hone in on specific meal times to see where your staff could be more efficient.

Burgeoning Lancaster, PA restaurant Aussie and the Fox has mastered the soft launch concept, hosting a series of breakfast, lunch, and bar menu previews in the weeks leading up to their official opening. Prior to opening, we spoke to proprietors Frank Fox and Julia Garber about their marketing plans for the restaurant. Aware of the competition surrounding their King Street location - a block smattered with craft beers, specialty shops, and trendy cafes - they knew they had to "come in big," noted Fox.

"If you're coming into an established area, come in with something uniquely different," Fox added. Aussie and the Fox did just that at a soft launch held for the Friday happy hour crowd, featuring items from their late night bar menu. Serving typical pub fare with a twist, they featured flavorful pieces like falafel lettuce and spiced mixed nuts. Cocktails like the "Sydney Sunrise" made the restaurant's Australian themed menu exclusively their own.

The following Sunday, the restaurant hosted a soft opening "brekkie," a chance for the public to come in and test out their Australian take on brunch. Additionally, they opened The Tucker Box, a cash only take out counter open for customers to grab coffee, bagels, and other on-the-go fare. With roughly 1,500 Facebook followers to boot, it's clear that word is getting out thanks to these sneak previews of their full menu.

Aussie and the Fox relied heavily on Facebook to appeal to the public, but there are multiple soft launch strategies you can try. From private parties for friends and family to sneak peeks open to the public, there are several soft launch strategies:

• Offer a "beta" menu that offers half of what is on your complete menu. It reduces stress on new staff, and encourages customers to come back to see the full menu reveal.
• Don't operate all day. Consider offering just breakfast and lunch for four days, then dinner on the fifth.
• Host a "sneak peek" happy hour with select menu items and drinks.
• Hold a friends and family only opening with complementary dishes, with the intent of inviting them to help train your staff.
• Hold a soft opening for neighboring homes and businesses, held exclusively for them. If they like what they see, they will return - and suggest your restaurant to visiting friends and colleagues.

By Steven Ziegler

The WEBstaurantStore's August Coupon Code is out! Just use the code AUGUSTSALE in the shopping cart to receive the discounted prices on the items you see below. Want to receive coupon codes every week?That's easy to accomplish, simply sign up for our email sale flyers and you'll get two emails a week alerting you to all the best deals at the WEBstaurantStore. Just follow this link and fill in your information. Email Sale Flyer Sign Up

• Oyster Knife with 3" Blade
• 20" x 15" x 7" Polypropylene Bus Box

• 18" x 2000' Film w/ Cutter Box
• 12" x 1000' Food Service Standard Aluminum Foil

• 2.2 Liter Stainless Steel Airpot with Push Button
• 12 Cup Pourover Coffee Brewer (2 Burner)

• 20 lb. Compact Digital Scale
• Black Insulated Food Delivery Bag / Pan Carrier

By Kim O'Brien

As fashion trends vary from season to season, so do food palates. While classics like berry pies and ice cream cones never go out of style, dessert hybrids like the Cronut are taking the summer sweets scene by storm. Turns out that doughnuts, dessert shooters, and bacon-topped ice cream are so 2012. So grab your wayfarers and panama jack hat and head to the closest dessert shop. Here’s a look at the fastest trending desserts of Summer 2013:

If You Liked: Doughnuts
Try: Cronuts

Since debuting in May, this croissant/doughnut hybrid has skyrocketed faster than temperatures in July. Pioneered by New York's Dominique Ansel Bakery, the "Cronut" has been in such high-demand that bakery customers are limited to just 2 per customer. Crafted from fried croissant dough and formed in the shape of a doughnut, a host of D.I.Y. recipes are quickly surfacing.

If You Liked: Miniature Layer Cakes
Try: Cake Pops

Playing off the bite-sized trend, cake pops are the portable solution to last summer's mini layer cake craze. Perfect for weddings, baby showers, birthdays, and carnivals, these whimsical bite-sized delights have taken summer holiday themed treats by storm. Just check out the endless board of Pinterest posts tagged as 4th of July Cake Pops.

If You Liked: Layered Neapolitan Desserts
Try: Layered Mason Jar Desserts

You can't bottle nostalgia, but layers of Blueberry Cobbler served in an antique glass mason jar certainly come close. While tri-colored Neapolitan desserts dominated everything from popsicles to pastries last summer, mason jars allow for unlimited layers while keeping ingredients neatly contained. Pound cakes, parfaits, puddings, pies (okay, I'll stop with the alliteration now) - these glass jars hold it all! Bonus - the jars double as party favors for guests.

If You Liked: Ruffled Pastel Icing
Try: Sleek Metallic Icing

Silver and gold are no longer just reserved for winter holidays - metallic icing cakes have taken summer Pinterest boards by storm! Gone are the sweet ruffles and rainbow pastel colors of Summer 2012. But you don't have to give up color altogether. Shiny metal purples, greens, and pinks are making their mark on the cake decorating scene.

If You Liked: Ice Cream with Bacon
Try: Ice Cream with Caffeine

Bacon-infused blends had their time to shine, but the ice cream world is embracing a new trend: caffeinated ice cream. Think Frappuccino, but captured in a carton. Bang!! brand ice cream stole the show at this year's National Restaurant Association demo, debuting free samples of caffeinated blends like Iced Latte-Da and Peanut Butta. And expect to see Ben & Jerry's newly released Coffee, Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz! (an espresso-chunk laden variety) available on retail shelves soon. I scream, you scream, we all scream for … caffeine.

By Kim O'Brien

A Taste Test with Soon-to-Open Aussie and the Fox

As the leading restaurant supply store, the WEBstaurant Store often helps new restaurateurs choose the best equipment and products for their burgeoning business. But in the case of soon-to-debut restaurant Aussie and the Fox, we got to host a menu taste test drive in our very own kitchen at the WEBstaurant Store's Lititz, PA headquarters!

Slated to open mid-July in Lancaster, PA, Aussie and the Fox promises to deliver American fare with Australian flair. "Just like America, Australia is also a melting pot of lots of different flavors," said chef Daniella Ward. The menu is a unique collaboration of Ward's classical training and chef Matt Scalzo's background in vegan and vegetarian cooking. The goal, stated Ward, is to serve entrees that are exciting yet "approachable to everyone that comes in our door."

By day, Aussie and the Fox will serve as relaxed café venue. But mid-afternoon, they'll briefly close to alter the interior's lighting, menu, dishes, and overall atmosphere. "The ambiance changes at night," said restaurant proprietor Julia Garber, who spent three years in Australia studying design. The scene shift between lunch and dinner is common in Australian dining venues, she noted.

Below, take a sneak peak at some of the down-under entrees that Aussie and the Fox will be delivering to Lancaster. With savory dishes like chickpea coriander sausage, fisherman's stew in saffron broth, and macadamia crème paired with rich greens, the menu is poised to wow any curious diner - both day or night. Said co-proprietor Frank Fox, "We want to be a bridge restaurant… the bridge between comfort food and excitement."

Learn more about Aussie and the Fox on their Facebook page!

Aussie and the Fox in the WEBstaurant Store kitchen

By Steven Ziegler

Because it is July, I'm sure it will make sense to all of our customers that we'd love to draw your attention to all of the great commercial outdoor cooking equipment that we carry. So what better way to do it than have a sweepstakes that rewards folks for viewing our Outdoor Grills, Ranges, Steamers & Fryers page? From now until noon on July 31st, you can enter to win $250 to spend at our site. There are many ways to win, just follow the instructions in the sweepstakes box below!

RULES:Open to residents in the USA or Canada only. Ends 12PM 7/31/2013. Winners will be announced 8/1/13. One contestant will win a $250 gift code to spend at our online store. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. We hereby release Facebook of any liability. Winner(s) will be contacted by email 48 hours after the giveaway ends. If you have any additional questions - feel free to send us an email!

By Steven Ziegler

Summertime is a time of outdoor cooking, so we thought we'd lead off this month's sale with our 16" square outdoor burner. It's perfect for turkey or fish frying, clambakes, or ruining some crustacean's day. While your cooking, why not try our Finest Call Margarita Mix? For you It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia fans, its the same product used in Paddy's Pub.

$250 Sweepstakes!

Enter to win $250 to spend at the WEBstaurantStore in our July Sweepstakes! Lots of ways to enter. Click the link below and share it with your friends. Good luck!

WEBstaurantStore's Summer Grilling Sweepstakes!

• Square Single Burner Outdoor Patio Stove / Range

• Finest Call Premium Margarita Drink Mix 1 Liter
• 1-Burner Butane Countertop Range

• 20 lb. Compact Digital Scale
• Interfold Dispenser Napkin White

• 12" x 20" Electric Countertop Food Warmer
• Easy Flowering / Blooming Onion Cutter

By Kim O'Brien

Summertime, and the Cookin' is Easy

In the spirit of sunny skies and summer birthdays, WEBstaurant Store employees prepared and enjoyed a seafood n' salad style lunch! What better way to kick off the summer season with homemade mac n' cheese, salad tossed in house-made dressing, and Chincoteague bisque and chowder infused with freshly boiled lobster?

Above, check out employees with June birthdays hard at work in the kitchen. And be sure to view Chef Matt Schuler's recipe for Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing! We drizzled it over Mexican Chopped Salad, a colorful mix of chopped romaine with black beans, corn, green peppers, onions, and crispy corn chips.

A proponent of house-made dressing, Matt noted the benefits of creating-your-own-condiments: "I can control what goes in it and adapt the flavors to what I like," he said. "Sometimes I like more acidity and sometimes I like it sweeter. Also, there are no added fillers or preservatives."

With just 7 ingredients and 1 easy step (blend and go!), this colorful dressing is sure to impart a kick of flavor at your next outdoor picnic or porch party!

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Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

Makes approx. 3/4 cup of dressing

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 cup cilantro (roughly chopped with stems removed)
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime)
• 1-2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp. white vinegar
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Directions

• Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor and mix until smooth.
• Taste and adjust ingredients as needed.
• Avocad-elicious: Consider using avocado in place of Greek yogurt!