Top 10 ways to use social media to promote YOUR restaurant in 2015 By Menu Cover Man

Transcription

1 FLORIDA EDITION FLORIDA S FOODSERVICE INDUSTRY NEWSPAPER $3 VOLUME 19 NUMBER 2 FEBRUARY Today s Special: Social Media SPECIAL ISSUE Ap petizers: Under the toque with chef Dewey Hooper 5 Former bar owner creates green coaster 15 Entrées: Advertisers Directory Appell Pie Calendar Events Classified Ads New Openings Under the Toque What s Going On PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID WEST PALM BEACH,FL PERMIT NO Top 10 ways to use social media to promote YOUR restaurant in By Menu Cover Man All kinds of businesses are using social media to promote their content and their brand online, and restaurants are no stranger to this approach. But what is the most effective way to go about restaurant promotion through social media networks? We ve compiled 10 tactics to help you create an effective social media strategy for your restaurant: 1. Create a Fan Page on Facebook: Creating a separate Facebook page solely for your restaurant is extremely important. Did you know that 51% of people who responded to a social media survey said they are more likely to buy something for many or a few brands that they have become fans of on Facebook?* Having a fan page that customers can like on Facebook can lead to brand recognition and loyalty. Give your Facebook fans incentives to like your page by offering Facebook-fan only offers and discounts! 2. Tweet, tweet, tweet! In addition to utilizing Facebook to promote your restaurant via social media, you should consider Twitter as well. Twitter is a micro blogging site that allows users to send 140-character messages to each other. Twitter is a way to send short, quick messages, like promotions or daily deals, to your followers. Also, when you tweet something interesting about your restaurant, your Twitter followers have the option of re-tweeting it so it reaches an even broader audience. You can even tweet fun photos like customers reading their menu covers or of the lunch-time rush. Some of your customers may prefer Twitter to Facebook or vice versa, so they may not be present on both sites. Therefore, it is essential to cross promote your deals on each platform. Social media for the restaurant industry By Lori Wilk Now is the time to embrace Social Media not as something to do, but as a tool ; to be used strategically as part of your overall restaurant "Marketing Plan." Social media, like anything else can be an absolute waste time and money IF you do not know why you are doing it, what you should do or how to get it done. Before you participate in social media ask yourself the questions: Who are my customers? Where are they online and what social media platforms do they love and use frequently? Food and Restaurants are popular as are Recipes. Ask yourself if you have the right marketing plans which includes social media that will help you compete in the crowded restaurant marketplace where there are more than 16,000 restaurant licenses just in Dade County. What will you have to do to maximize your time and efforts online when you use social media platforms? What do your customers want to see, hear, taste, touch and smell. How do you demonstrate this with social media? If you look around your restaurant, how many people are using cellphones? Let's talk about two of the visual cat- egories to promote your restaurant and your menu. These would be Instagram and Pinterest. Both of these sites incorporate photos. Do you take photos of your guests? Do you take photos of your food and how you have prepared and presented it? Do you have pictures of happy staffers serving your guests. Do you have photos of your Chef? Do you have photos of the events you have hosted at your venue? See SOCIAL MEDIA page Listen: Social media from a business perspective is all about listening. Listen to what consumers want and try your best to give them what they want using your resources! If you are using Twitter, search for keywords on relating to your restaurant. You can even search phrases like, where should I go for lunch? and Twitter will bring back a bunch of tweets pertaining to your search query. This is where you can step in and offer up your services! It is important to not be too sales oriented, as you don t want to come off as pushy. Simply answer genuinely and tell the Twitter user about your restaurant! On other social sites, listen to customer feedback and suggestions and try to incorporate their ideas when you can. Also, be sure to thank all of your customers for their recommendations and comments to assure them you are really listening! 4. Stay Connected with Foursquare: Foursquare is a website that allows users to check in to the different venues including stores, restaurants and events. Many Foursquare users have downloaded a mobile application that allows them to check in to places on their smart phones. By claiming your business listing on Foursquare you have the ability to see who is checking in to your restaurant in real-time. When someone checks in to a venue the most out of anyone else, Foursquare declares that person the mayor of that location. Many businesses have begun offering deals to the person who becomes the mayor, since he or she is a very loyal patron. 5. Blog Away: Do you have a website? If so, you have the capacity to have a blog! A blog is a great outlet to publish content that you can then share on social networks. You can blog about anything related to your company or your industry, but make sure it is worthwhile for the reader. Share interesting facts or information about the food you serve, or even recipes of your most popular dishes! Then, link to these posts when you participate on social media networks like Facebook and Twitter. Another great tactic is featuring customer restaurant reviews as guest blog posts! This way you are both encouraging engagement and are also giving customers something they will want to share with their social media networks. 6. Use Yelp: Yelp is a social site where users can leave company reviews. Chances are there is already a Yelp page created for your restaurant, but you can claim this page by submitting business details that will confirm you as the owner or manager. Once you have claimed your page you are able to respond to reviews and see analytics if you participate in advertising. Also, people See 10 WAYS page 14

2 FLORIDA FEBRUARY 2 Appell Pie Monetizing the media Howard Appell Today s Restaurant Publisher Since this month s issue is about Social Media and Marketing I thought I should break out the article I wrote many years ago which has stood the test of time. Whether you are a restaurant owner, a foodservice equipment dealer, a food broker or a manufacturer you can make more money by using the media skillfully. The media is a tool which if handled in the proper way can increase sales, increase your target market's awareness of your product and lend credibility to your business. When I had my equipment dealership on New York's Bowery I advertised my company's ability to deliver a job on time with the most economical prices in a trade newspaper. The ads were designed to show the public a satisfied customer each month selected from the jobs which we had completed. Photos of the proud new owner were taken in the new kitchen and the owner's quote was below the photo. The title of the ad each month was "Another Opening By Appell Foodservice Equipment" I ran that ad campaign for at least two years. What did this ad campaign do for my business? The message was delivered to any restaurant owner or owner to be, that we were the dealership who could deliver on time and do it within budget. In the ad we looked like General Motors! Even with this success, I was not aware of how to fully use the media to increase my business. I never sent a press release to the newspaper that I was advertising in. Why? I didn't fully understand the power of the press and the ways it can successfully help a business grow and create the image of a strong and profitable company. Public Relations VS. Advertising According to public relations companies, PR firms are not usually involved in the design or placement of ads. They are responsible for the placement of stories in the media which show a company in a favorable light. Did your restaurant sponsor a charity event or give a free meal to any kid with straight A's in school?. Did you celebrate your 10th anniversary by giving away free soda with every dinner? This type of information is needed by media outlets every day to fill their pages or air time. Send a press release to a newspaper telling them your story. "Don't try to sell in the press release, just be informative. Include your name and telephone number in the release in case a follow up is needed by the editor. "If you need help in writing the release and distribution, don't just look in the yellow pages, ask around for a referral and use a PR firm that specializes in handling restaurants or foodservice clients." Said Barry Epstein of Barry Epstein Associates, a Boca based PR firm. Advertising is different from public relations in that you want to get a message to the public about a particular product or even a company with the results being a sale. Repeat customers are cultivated by advertising over a long period of time. Some studies have shown that it takes a reader at least 7 viewings of the same ad before it is fully read or understood. How many times have you been watching TV during the commercial break and see a piece of a commercial that attracts you?. You saw the ad, but you didn't catch the company name. You have to wait for the ad to appear again to see it fully. While an effective marketing effort involves much more than just advertising, it is nonetheless vital to a client's success. In short, how can I beat a path to your door if I don't know where your door is? Advertising as a marketing strategy is profoundly different from public relations. Advertising is a controlled "spin" on your business paid to (hopefully) speak to a targeted audience. Remember, in all advertising, your future customer tunes in to only one radio station, WII-FM (What's In It For Me). If you don't win their heart and head in your advertising, you lose." See APPELL PIE page 9 Index of Advertisers Abacus...4 AMC Wholesale...5 Americas Business Capital...3 Barry Epstein...10 Broward Nelson Fountain...9 & 13 Culinary Software Services...7 Finkel Business Brokers Florida Restaurant Assoc....6 Incolor Furniture...9 Itex...15 Locksmith Specialists...13 Menu Cover Man...2 Miller & Associates...11 Restaurant Beverage Service...13 Restaurant Vendors Association...13 S.E.R.V.E Sherman Postal Chairs...11 Skinny Tea...3 Smart LED...2 Thunderbird...16 Toby Neverett Auctions...1 U Sell Club...8 United Restaurant Equipment...8 P.O. Box , Boca Raton, FL (561) Fax (561) howard@trnusa.com Today s Restaurant is published monthly by Today s Restaurant News. This issue s contents, in full or part may not be reproduced without permission. Not responsible for advertisers claims or statements. PUBLISHER... Howard Appell ASSOCIATE EDITOR... Wesley Paul CONTRIBUTING EDITOR... Joe Dunbar CIRCULATION MANAGER... Eric Spencer ADVERTISING MANAGER... Howard McKinney ART DIRECTOR...Jim Pollard SALES MANAGERS... Terri McKinney... William Lagusker GET INVOLVED! Today s Restaurant accepts contributions for our monthly articles and features including Calendar Events, New Openings, Under the Toque and What s Going On? Call or for more info on how you can get your business or product featured in Today s Restaurant!

3 Marzetti offers many products for the foodservice industry. Beginning with their heritage as a 4 Star restaurant more than 110 years ago, Marzetti remains committed to some of the best in foodservice today. Innovation and Quality are cornerstones of what we offer to meet your needs. The Marzetti family of foodservice products for restaurant use offers an impressive variety of convenient single serve pouch and cup sizes, as well as bulk packaging. Combine all this with competitive pricing, service, strict quality assurance standards and coastto-coast production & distribution, they offer foodservice sizes of dressings and sauces; croutons; hearth baked breads; yeast rolls; precooked egg noodles and pasta; sour cream; dips; and caviar. Marzetti products can be viewed and the company can be reached at Marzetti.com. Food Warming Equipment (FWE) will feature a number of Heated What s Going On Important new products, corporate news and industry events. The Truffle & Wine Co., the largest producer of the T.melanosporum truffle in the world, announced its expansion into distributing European truffle varieties and now serves as a year-round truffle source. With offices in Australia, the United States and soon Europe, The Truffle & Wine Co. will continue to harvest truffles from its own farm, while also expanding its portfolio with a variety of new truffles from Northern hemisphere countries including France, Italy, Spain, and Eastern Europe. This new development places The Truffle & Wine Co. at the top of chefs lists as a reliable year-round supplier of this coveted ingredient. The restaurant world is abuzz with truffles, more than ever before in its history, says Vice President of Sales Frank Brunacci. We harvest the best that Australia has to offer, and there will be no difference in our quality or approach to the other regions and seasons in the truffle world, particularly the Périgord truffle from France. For all information call or visit truffleandwineusa.com. Photo Jessica Koscielniak Holding Cabinets at this year s Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, to be held in March. Among them are the company s patented Humi-Temp Pizza Cabinets that eliminate hot & cold spots by circulating hot, moist air throughout the cabinet. Pizza operators control the moisture in order to achieve the results they want whether that s crispy thin crust or deep dish that melts in your mouth. From display units to under counter units to full size units, FWE has a cabinet for everyone. They even have custom graphics that wrap around their cabinets and include everything from logos to photos and text. On the cooler side of things, FWE will feature their Commercial Refrigerators that stand up to the most demanding and punishing environments. Using a forced air Cold- Temp system that maintains balanced temperatures, FWE Refrigerators also have exclusive Food Sentry controls that offer the ultimate performance and accurate cabinet temperatures. For more information, call or visit Mini desserts are ideal because they can be eaten quickly and conveniently, without the guilt that larger portions bring, says Todd Michael, Foodservice Sales Director at Knouse Foods. Our proprietary research with Datassential found that more than half of 300+ foodservice operators surveyed believe that people who only think pie filling is good for pies are missing out. We completely agree and encourage chefs to use our Lucky Leaf Fruit Filling or Topping in all types of menu applications. Lucky Leaf Fruit Filling or Topping is made with real fruit and comes in more than 14 flavors, including top sellers like Apple, Cherry, Blueberry, Peach and Strawberry. It s ready to use, which is ideal for any labor-skilled kitchen, and shelf stable for added food See WHAT S GOING ON page 6 3 FEBRUARY FLORIDA

4 FLORIDA FEBRUARY 4 What s Going On from safety. For more information and recipe ideas, visit: Another Broken Egg Café is targeting South Florida for growth in. With four locations currently open in the state from Orlando to Key West, plans are underway to open over 30 more locations. Stuart Ottinger, President of Double R Restaurant Group is opening new locations in Clearwater, Naples and Delray Beach in. Another Broken Egg Café in imenupro lets the operator create their own restaurant menus online. Instantly create and update a restaurant menus in-house without any hassles. I AM NCR REAL-TIME Designed specifically for menus it includes a culinary spell checker. The product was built by the creators of MenuPro an industry standard for menu design and used by over 20,000 restaurants worldwide. For all detailed information visit imenupro.com. Sass Stools offers old fashioned soda fountain stools and bar stools. Designed like the old days of the corner drug store, they offer many styles and color options to enhance any decor. Manufactured of cast aluminum and steel with true 50's sizing of 13" tops and 2.5" pedestals to present a slim and more petite look. Constructed with hand I am a mobile application that gives you immediate insight into your restaurant s performance. Get on-the-go control of your business so you can keep an eye e on operations and make important decisions even en when you re not there. For information call or visit us on the web. We are NCR. We make everyday easier. florida.hospitality@ncr.com NCR Local Florida page 2 machined swivels, these stools are as durable as they are beautiful. For information visit the website at sassstool.com or call The company is located in Springfield, Oregon. Hotel Happenings Wyndham Hotel Group, the world s largest hotel company with approximately 7,590 hotels and part of Wyndham Worldwide Corporation has announced the signing of a management agreement to expand its upscale Wyndham Hotels and Resorts brand in Florida with the addition of a beachfront Wyndham Grand resort in Clearwater Beach. The property is a new-construction, 450-room on South Gulfview Boulevard at the north end of the Walk. It will become one of the largest hotel resorts in the market upon opening in early With approximately 24,000 square feet of event space, it will also house one of the largest banquet and meeting facilities in Florida s Pinellas County. Value Place has entered into an agreement with Gold Coast P r e m i e r Properties, LLC to build a new Value Place hotel in South Florida, with plans to build additional properties in the future. The first property will be near Zoo Miami. It is expected to break ground in. Gold Coast s development of the new Value Place hotel takes place at the same time that the corporate brand is building two company-owned locations in Davie and Lake Worth. Nobu Hotels and Eden Roc Miami Beach recently announced plans for the Nobu Hotel at Eden Roc Miami Beach to open during the second half of. Chef Nobu, Academy award-winner Robert DeNiro and Hollywood producer Meir Teper are the masterminds behind the Nobu Hotel project. This is the second U.S. hotel under the Nobu Hospitality brand and shall encompass the largest Nobu Restaurant and Bar Lounge in the world. The new Eden Roc Miami Beach Hotel will feature a "hotel within a hotel concept" with Nobu Hotel at Eden Roc Miami Beach will feature 210 guest rooms; a signature Nobu restaurant and bar; an additional new beach front restaurant concept; new banquet and catering menus. Miami-based Trust Hospitality announced the opening of The Stiles Hotel, formerly known as the Nash Hotel, located at 1120 Collins Avenue in South Beach's historic Art Deco district. The Stiles Hotel has completed renovations of its 54-guest rooms and lobby area, with a new restaurant planned to debut in early spring. Hyatt Regency Orlando welcomes the New Year with new offerings including a new seafood-focused restaurant, spa treatments for business travelers, and a new kosher kitchen offering specialized menus for meetings and conventions. The former Napa restaurant has transitioned into Urban Tide, offering diners a modern twist on Florida seafood favorites. Further food and beverage developments include a new kosher kitchen which will be completed for events and meetings for use by Passover this April. "As Hyatt Hotels' largest meetings property, we're constantly evaluating how we can best accommodate our many diverse groups during their stay," said Nate Hardesty, Director of Sales and Marketing. "Orlando continues to raise its profile as an ideal destination for meetings and leisure travel, and we want to ensure our offerings are evolving to provide the best possible guest experience." Online at for more information. Dunavant Enterprises, Inc. has chosen Salamander Hotels & Resorts to assist with the development of and manage the anchor hotel of its new multi-phase Henderson Beach Resort in Destin. Named The Henderson, a See WHAT S GOING ON page 12

5 How text marketing has changed in the past 3 years David Case Today s Restaurant Contributor Being in the hospitality business for 40 years and recognizing the way we have done business in the past, if we kept doing it the same way the odds are that we will have a shrinking audience and eventually have to close the business. The power of the mobile industry has changed drastically in the last three years with the ability to have more people having a smart phone buy their side at all times. Just look around when you're eating in a restaurant how many people are actually on the phones during the dinner hour? That should tell you that we are going full blown into the mobile world. The average person looks at their cell phone 150 times a day or more. Eighty percent of people keep their cell phones next to them 24 hours a day seven days a week. So why do we need text message marketing? The two questions you have to ask yourself as a business owner is what does it really take to get a new customer to walk in the door? Second question is what is the cost to keep them coming back again and again? Imagine that you can actually capture cell phone numbers and have the ability to remarket to them on a weekly basis to keep them informed with specials, new menu items, special events for the month, or recipes to try at home. The phone number is the golden egg when it comes to marketing for your business. Is there any form of marketing in the world where you can send a message to a 1000 of your text customers and know that 97% looked at your message within 5 minutes? With the proper promotion on a slow night the coupon redemption rate is from 2 to 7 % redemption. When it comes to capturing your phone numbers and to build a database you have to use every form of marketing. Tracking ads in print, in house marketing, virtual employee cards, websites, social media, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and more. They can all have a different text code key words so you can gather the data to see how each segment of marketing is doing to build your data base. Eighty percent of people keep their cell phones next to them 24 hours a day seven days a week. Imagine if you could capture 30 cell phone numbers a day you could have a data base of 10,000 within a year. If you could re market to those 10,000 phone numbers 3 times a month that's over 350,000 messages a year. Once you have that data base you can communicate to your existing customers and prospect customers on a regular basis and know confidently that they received your message. So if you want to learn how to grow your data base and start increasing sales on your slow nights please text my virtual card. Go to text message and text To: And the text message or key word is "Case" Then send the message and you will get all my Information. Let me show you how I can help build your data base so we can increase your sales for the year. David Case your Textpert. David Case is a Florida international University graduate in hospitality management. Was a food and beverage director for Hilton and Holiday Inn Corporation and operated a seafood steak and lobster house called Strebs restaurant in Boynton Beach for 12 years. Owned a catering company called Catering by David located at Boca Dunes golf and country club and Inverary golf club. Have been involved in the technology world for the hospitality industry for the last four years. Under the Toque Chef Dwayne Dewey Hooper SWEET DEWEY S Boca Raton Chef Dwayne Hooper, called Dewey by his friends, is the owner and chef of Sweet Dewey s BBQ located on West Glades Road in Boca Raton. A Chicago native, he has recreated family recipes from his Mississippi-raised mother and grandparents. He offers traditional BBQ Platters, Sandwiches, Sides etc., along with Cedar Plank Salmon, a 7oz. salmon filet basted with mustard & basil, topped with diced tomatoes & served with coleslaw & choice of one side. His Sweet Dewey's Catfish Plate, a Southern fried catfish served with sides are a favorite. Healthy options include a Grilled Vegetable Sandwich, which consists of Portobello mushrooms, tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, red onions, fresh arugula & provolone cheese served on whole grain bread; a BBQ Veggie Burger; Vegetable Cous Cous Salad; Zesty Cilantro Lime Quinoa Salad and many other dishes and sides. Sweet Dewey's offers all the slow-smoked favorites, from St. Louis and baby back ribs to pulled pork, beef brisket and chicken. Chef Hooper, who founded and then sold Hooper s BBQ sauce, which is available in 460 retail outlets throughout Florida, launched in 2014 his own Sweet Dewey s BBQ sauce, available in six flavors which is sold at his restaurant as well as retail outlets in the state. Chef Hooper is a graduate of the Washburne Culinary Institute in Chicago and has lived in South Florida for 27 years, starting as a chef in Boca Raton s Casa Vecchia, La Vielle Maison and Down Under. From there he spent nine years at The Polo Club and another 15 years at Saint Andrews Country Club, where he was famous for his weekly Chicken and Ribs night. Also he has served as a private chef over the last two decades for a Boca Raton resident. Chef Dwayne Dewey Hooper A Chicago native, he has recreated family recipes from his Mississippiraised mother and grandparents. Chef Hooper can be reached at Sweet Dewey's BBQ located at 9181 Glades Rd. in Boca Raton or online at 5 FEBRUARY FLORIDA AMC WHOLESALE, INC. YOUR LOCAL DISTRIBUTOR FOR THESE QUALITY LINES: More Product Lines Available CALL! Stocked in Miami Call AMC Wholesale, Inc. for the dealer nearest you! amcwholesale@bellsouth.net Call Us Today!

6 FLORIDA FEBRUARY 6 New Openings New business opportunities in Florida s foodservice industry. Now Open FISH CRAZY RESTAURANT & FISH MARKET, US 41 N, North Naples DUFFY'S SPORTS GRILL, Stoneybrook Golf Blvd, Estero ROCCO'S PIZZA (2ND), 1201 S Ocean, Hollywood SHOUT KARAOKE, 109 N Olive Street, West Palm Beach CAVATAPPI, 1915 Ponce De Leon Blvd, Coral Gables FOUR SEASONS RESTAURANT, 8202 Glades Road, Boca Raton CHEZ L EPICIER, 288 S County Rd, Palm Beach ZAXBY'S, 5613 Okeechobee Blvd, West Palm Beach SUSHI YAMA BISTRO, 330 Clematis Street Ste 107, West Palm Beach ELIA MIAMI, 888 Biscayne Blvd Ste 110, Miami THE EGG & I, 1933 N University Dr, Coral Springs CHICK-FIL-A, 3678 W Gandy Blvd, Tampa CHICK-FIL-A, 9301 West Flagler Street, Miami PANINIS BAR & GRILL, W Linebaugh, Tampa CASAVANA CAFÈ, 320 Terminal Drive, Ft Lauderdale ERBELLI'S GOURMET PIZZERIA, 8744 E State Road 70 Ste 301, Bradenton FUSION BOWL, 504 E Kennedy Blvd, Tampa CUPS FROZEN YOGURT, 6000 Glades Road, Boca Raton OMEI CINA BISTRO (OPENED EARLIER), 6434 Naples Blvd Ste 406, Naples THE TURTLE CLUB COASTAL TAVERN AND CLAW BAR, 139 West Marion Avenue, Punta Gorda THE DEL PRADO DINER, 229 Del Prado Blvd Ste 15, Cape Coral THE BRASS TAP, 1600 East 8th Avenue, Tampa DANISH PASTRY CO., W Forest Hill Blvd Space K101, Wellington TIN ROOF - LIVE MUSIC JOINT (1st in FL) from Nashville, 8371 International Drive, Orlando HISTORIC DOCKERS RESTAURANT & PUB (2nd), 318 N Federal Hwy, Dania Beach THE VEGAN CAFÈ & JUICE BAR, 416 Clematis St, West Palm Beach BURRITO SAN, 119 SE 1st Ave, Miami MARIO THE BAKER, 225 SW 6th St, Pompano Beach RABBIT COFFEE ROASTING COMPANY, 1411 W 13 Street Ste B101, Riviera Beach LA RACHETTA WINE & BEER BAR, 2411 N Federal Highway, Pompano Beach MOMI GYOZA BAR, 1036 S Miami Ave, Miami FRESH AMERICAN BISTRO, Collins Ave, Sunny Isles Beach DANA'S GOURMET MARKET - GOURMET DELI, 1092 S Tamiami Trail, Osprey DUNKIN DONUTS, 3824 South Tuttle Ave, Sarasota KAM S BUBBLE TEA & SUSHI, 1813 Fruitville Road, Sarasota NEW YORK SLICE PIZZA (OPENED EARLIER), 501 N Beneva Road, Sarasota SOUTHSIDE GRILL (OPENED EARLIER), 8389 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota PEI WEI ASIAN DINER BY P.F. CHANG'S, 1831 South Federal Hwy Ste 300, Delray Beach RHINO DOUGHNUTS, 126 NE Second St, Boca Raton RHINO DOUGHNUTS, 8085 W. Oakland Park Blvd, Sunrise HABLO TACO, 615 Channelside Dr Ste 127, Tampa SMOOTHIE KING, 817 SE 17th Street, Ft Lauderdale SWEET! IN THE CITY - Cupcakes & Catering, 6350 North Lockwood Ridge, Sarasota MELLOW MUSHROOM, 5701 Sunset Dr Ste 102, Miami MAMA GIZZI'S GOURMET PASTA SHOP, 2212 N Dixie Hwy, Lake Worth RUSTIC INN, 1065 North Highway A1A, Jupiter TILTED KILT PUB & EATERY, 3300 Airport Road, Boca Raton LA MIA FOCACCIA, 6330 N Powerline Rd, Ft Lauderdale SACK IT, 3015 Grand Ave, Coconut Grove TENNESSEE STILL COMPANY, 1141 Pine Island Road SW, Cape Coral IVAN'S GASTRO - CARIB-ASIAN UPSCALE, Biscayne Blvd, N Miami Beach SALSA FIESTA (6th in FL), 6769 Main Street, Miami Lakes JERK HUT JAMAICA TROPICALE, 513 N Franklin Street, Tampa LA VIA RISTORANTE AND BAR, 4443 Lyons Rd Ste D104, Coconut Creek LAFAYETTE MUSIC ROOM RESTAURANT/CAJUN-CREOLE, 550 S Rosemary Ave Ste 236, West Palm Beach HOT N SPICY, 3824 Jog Road, Greenacres HOG SNAPPERS SHACK & SUSHI, 421 SE E Avenue, Stuart RED MESA MERCADO, st Avenue North, St Petersburg ALL AMERICAN SHAKE SHOP, 410 9th St N, Naples BLAZE FAST-FIRE D PIZZA, 215 N Cattleman Rd, Sarasota BLAZE FAST-FIRE D PIZZA, 2146 N Federal Highway, Boca Raton KURO JAPANESE CRAFT KITCHEN, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood TONY S PASTA AND PIZZA (opened earlier), 455 Lantana Rd, Lantana URBAN TIDE, 9801 International Drive, Orlando THE CHEFS PANTRY BAR AND GRILL, 322 North Alexander St, Mount Dora DARRELL'S DOG GONE GOOD DINER (7th), SW Hwy 27/441, Belleville MAVERICK'S PUB & EATERY, 53 South Magnolia Ave, Ocala BREWMASTERS KITCHEN, 5295 W Irlo Bronson Highway, Kissimmee NOBLE CRUST RESTAURANT - FARM-TO-TABLE, th Ave N, St Petersburg THE CENTER BAR, S Bay Dr Ste 128, Bonita Springs HAVEN WINE BAR BY BERN'S STEAK HOUSE, 1002 S Howard, Tampa SLOW AND LOW BAR-B-QUE (2ND), 5490 Stadium Parkway, Viera THAI THAI HOUSE, 6977 N Wickham Rd, Melbourne WILD FIRE BBQ, Hwy 27, Dundee FRESHROOTS KITCHEN, 1605 E Plaza Dr Ste 101, Tallahassee CRAFT BEER CARTEL, 557 SW 12 Ave, Ft Lauderdale A FARM-TO-TABLE CONCEPT RESTAURANT, 1289 Penman Road, Jacksonville Beach CHAR HUT (opened earlier), 6268 W Sample Rd Ste 408, Coral Springs IZZIBAN SUSHI & KOREAN BBQ (2nd), 5310 E Colonial Dr, Orlando CEVICHE ARIGATO, th St Ste B, Lake Park TACO GRILL, 3341 NE 32nd St, Ft Lauderdale WINNERS TAKE & BAKE, 830 E Oakland Park Blvd Ste 101, Ft Lauderdale FIREDOG SALOON BBQ & BREW, 2871 E Commercial, Ft Lauderdale CRAFTI BAR, 21 W Las Olas, Ft Lauderdale CHIX-N-WINGS (new concept), US Highway 19, Clearwater BOB EVANS RESTAURANT, 2189 Gulf to Bay Blvd, Clearwater THE CRAZY CUCUMBER AT MARKET STREET, 4414 SW College Rd Unit 1910, Ocala CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL, 777 South Federal Highway, Deerfield Beach PANERA BREAD, 777 South Federal Highway, Deerfield Beach CAROUSEL BAR-B-Q & DRIVE THRU, 204 S Powerline Road, Deerfield Beach GODFATHERS, 241 N Ocean Blvd, Deerfield Beach NAKED LUNCH, 1951 NW 7th Ave, Miami BEG FOR MORE - JAPANESE TAPAS, 2831 E Oakland Park Blvd, Ft Lauderdale ALL GREEK TO ME, 5456 W Sample Rd, Margate IHOP, Panama City Beach Pkwy Ste 100, Panama City Beach TEDDY'S PATIO BAR & GRILL, 1632 S Military Trail, West Palm Beach OLD FLORIDA BAR & GRILL, 250 W Indiantown Rd Ste 101, Jupiter BLACK OLIVE ESTIATORIO, 3001 N Federal, Ft Lauderale DOS GATOS BAR, 66 Hypolita Street, St Augustine SWAMP HEAD BREWERY, 3650 SW 42nd Ave, Gainesville MADE IN ITALY REST & MARKET, 10 NE 27th St, Miami LAS PAMPAS GRILL - ARGENTINIAN, 830 East Oakland Park Blvd, Ft Lauderdale 221 CAFÈ - SIMPLY NATURAL, 221 Northwest 1st Ave, Miami JONES FAMILY RESTAURANT, 6823 State Road 54, New Port Richey WHOLE FOODS MARKET, 1903 S. University Dr, Davie Hotels New Openings DOUBLETREE BY HILTON JACKSONVILLE AIRPORT, 2101 Dixie Clipper Drive, Jacksonville COURTYARD MARRIOTT MADEIRA BEACH, 601 American Legion Drive, Madeira Beach 94-ROOM HAMPTON INN & SUITES, 20 Summit Oak Place, Deland Hotels Under Construction RUNAWAY RESORT HOTEL (early stages), 21st Ave, Hollywood, TBD THE NAUTILUS HOTEL, 1825 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, March - April WASHINGTON PARK HOTEL, 1050 Washington Avenue, Miami, March AC HOTEL MIAMI BEACH, 2900 Block of Collins Ave, Miami Beach, May THE HENDERSON - a Salamander Beach & Spa Resort, 2700 Scenic Highway 98, Destin, Spring ROOM WYNDHAM GRAND RESORT, on South Gulfview Boulevard, Clearwater Beach, Early 2017 (not a typo) 153-ROOM HOMEWOOD SUITES, 9000 Astronaut Blvd, Cape Canaveral, Fall NAUTLIUS HOTEL, Collins Ave & 18th Street, Miami Beach, Late - Early HOTEL & HOMES SOUTH BEACH + BEACHCRAFT SIGNATURE REST, 2399 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, March 2 HILTON FT LAUDERDALE BEACH RESORT, 505 N Ft Lauderdale Beach Blvd, Ft Lauderdale, Mid YOTEL HOTEL (1st in Miami), 227 NE Second St, Miami, Mid to late 2017 RESIDENCE INN BY MARRIOTT, 9200 Collins Avenue, Surfside, Mid BEACHWALK RESORT + RESTAURANT, 2600 E Hallandale Beach Blvd, Hallandale Beach, April - May MELI COSTA HOLLYWOOD BEACH RESORT, 201 North Ocean Dr, Hollywood, Mid to late GUY HARVEY OUTPOST RESORT + Seafood Restaurant, 860 A1A Beach Blvd, St. Augustine Beach, Mid TOWNEPLACE SUITES BY MARRIOTT, Flamingo Crossings Blvd, Lake Buena Vista, Jan- Feb 2016 SPRINGHILL SUITES BY MARRIOTT, Flamingo Crossings Blvd, Lake Buena Vista, Jan- Feb 2016 CARIBBEAN-THEMED LOEWS SAPPHIRE FALLS RESORT, 6000 Universal Blvd, Orlando, Summer 2016 THE WESTIN HOTEL ON GULFSTREAM, One North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Summer ROOM ME MIAMI HOTEL AND A REST, 1100 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, Mid We Have TOO MANY Leads! It s true! We have reached the point where we now have TOO MANY LEADS to fit on the New Openings page! If you want MORE LEADS with MORE DETAILED CONTACT INFORMATION SIGN UP NOW FOR OUR NEW LEADS REPORT and have ALL our leads with ALL our contact information delivered directly to your every month starting RIGHT NOW... Visit trnusa.com or call for more information! DAVIE VALUE PLACE, 5700 Reese Road, Davie, Spring 24-STORY OCEANFRONT CONRAD FORT LAUDERDALE, 551 N Ft Lauderdale Beach Blvd, Ft Lauderdale Beach, Mid COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT, between 5th & 7th streets, St. Augustine Beach, TBD THE WESTIN DAYTONA BEACH RESORT, 900 North Atlantic Avenue, Daytona Beach, Jan - Feb 2016 MARRIOTT BOUTIQUE PROPERTY, Daytona Beach, Mid to late 2016 HARD ROCK HOTEL & CAFÈ, State Road A1A/south of SunSplash Park, Daytona Beach, Late 2016 THE SURF CLUB + ITALIAN EATERY REST LORENZO, 9011 Collins Ave, Surfside, Feb - March 2016 COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT AND RESIDENCE INN, Lake Nona Boulevard, Lake Nona, TBD RESORT-STYLE RESIDENCE INN BY MARRIOTT, Collins Avenue and 92nd Street, Miami Beach, March - April HYATT SOUTH BEACH, 1600 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, Spring ELEMENT NORTH ORLANDO, Colonial Drive, Orlando, Mid to late ELEMENT GAINESVILLE, University Drive, Gainesville, March - April 2017 (not a typo) ELEMENT ORLANDO, 5875 Carrier Drive, Orlando, July - Aug 2016 ELEMENT MIAMI DORAL, 3265 NW 107th Avenue, Doral, March 5 ALOFT SOUTH BEACH + CONTINENTAL RESTAURANT, 2360 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, March 19 ALOFT CORAL GABLES, 2524 South Le Jeune Road, Coral Gables, January LEGOLAND HOTEL, 1 Legoland Way, Winter Haven, May 15 MONARCH HOTEL, West Bay Harbor Drive, Bay Harbor Islands, or later OPAL SANDS RESORT - 15-stories + Rest & Bar, 430 N. Gulf View Blvd, Clearwater Beach, Mid to Late NOBU HOTEL within the Eden Roc Miami Beach, 4525 Collins Ave, Miami, Late FOUR SURF CLUB + Surf Club Dining Room, 9011 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, Feb - March 2016 AC MARRIOTT, 2912 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, March - April 90-ROOM BOUTIQUE HOTEL + 30 waterside condos ( to be named), 453 Edgewater Drive, Dunedin, TBD HOTEL INDIGO MIAMI BRICKELL, 145 SW 11th St, Miami, Sept - Oct 2016 ELEMENT BY WESTIN HOTEL, 3201 E Colonial Dr, Orlando, July - Aug PARAMOUNT FORT LAUDERDALE BEACH, 700 N Atlantic Blvd, Ft Lauderdale, Mid 2016 MARGARITAVILLE BEACH RESORT + 7 Restaurants & Bars, 1111 North Ocean Drive, Hollywood Beach, July - Aug FLOW HOTEL (the first phase ), Bayshore Dr & Birch Rd, Ft Lauderdale, TBD PLAYA LARGO RESORT & SPA, Overseas Hwy, Key Largo, July - Aug FAENA SAXONY HOTEL, 3201 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, TBD MELIA COSTA HOLLYWOOD BEACH RESORT, 777 N Ocean Dr, Hollywood, TBD 352- KEY EAST MIAMI AT BRICKELL CITY CENTRE, 799 Brickell Plaza, Miami, Sept - Oct SPRINGHILL SUITES (PLANNING STAGES), State Road 49 and Western Way, Lake Buena Vista, TBD TOWNPLACE SUITES (PLANNING STAGES), State Road 49 and Western Way, Lake Buena Vista, TBD THE HOTELS AT ISLAND GARDENS ( 2 luxury hotels), Biscayne Bay, Watson Island/Miami, TBD ATTON HOTELS BRICKELL, 1500 SW 1st Ave, Miami, Mid 2016 HYATT HOUSE (EARLY STAGES), 5360 International Dr, Orlando, TBD QUALITY INN FRANCHISE HOTEL, South St & West Dixie Ave, Leesburg, TBD EXTENDED STAY STAYBRIDGE SUITES / 6 stories(permits just filed), Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, TBD EMBASSY SUITES & SPA, 202 N. Tamiami, Sarasota, TBD 139-ROOM ALOFT HOTEL, One Palm Avenue, Sarasota, Aug - Sept 255-ROOM WESTIN HOTEL, Gulfstream Ave & N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, June - July ROOM KIMPTON HOTEL, Main Street and U.S. 301, Sarasota, TBD HOTEL ORMC (Orlando Regional Medical Center), 1315 S Orange Ave, Orlando, Feb - March 2016 UNITY PLAZA HOTEL Rooms (plans just approved), Magnolia and Forest, Jacksonville, TBD THE CONRAD HOTEL, 551 N Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd, Ft Lauderdale, Summer Under Construction BURGER FI, U.S. Highway 192 & Celebration Place, Celebration, TBD SUBWAY, U.S. Highway 192 & Celebration Place, Celebration, TBD CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL, U.S. Highway 192 & Celebration Place, Celebration, TBD TOOJAY'S ORIGINAL GOURMET DELI, U.S. Highway 192 & Celebration Place, Celebration, TBD YEOMAN'S CASK & LION & FULL LIQUOR BAR, 202 North Morgan St, Tampa, Spring TALDE MIAMI BEACH (from NY), 4041 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, Summer KAHWA ESPRESSO BAR (7th), Fountainhead Drive, Tampa, Spring LA TABLE DU MARCHE FRENCH RESTAURANT, 6907 Red Road, Coral Gables, Feb - March HOPTINGER BIER GARDEN & SAUSAGE HOUSE, 333 First Street North, Jacksonville Beach, Spring SOHO BAY - high-end Modern Bentley Bay, 520 West Ave, Miami Beach, Feb - March SEGAFREDO EUROPEAN REST/CAFÈ, 600 SW 145th Terrace Ste 69, Pembroke Pines, Feb - March WYNWOOD DINER, 2601 NW 2nd Ave, Miami, March - April FILLING STATION & GARAGE, 3200 NE 12th Ave, Oakland Park, March - April SALUTE MARKET BAR & GRILL, 5530 PGA Blvd, Palm Beach Gardens, TBD RIVER OYSTER BAR (relocating from S Miami Ave), Northwest North River Drive, Miami, Feb - March or later BAR RITA, 1401 S Andrews Ave, Ft Lauderdale, Feb - March or later PB STATION, 21 SE 1st Street, Miami, Feb - March or later J & G GRILL, 223 NW 23rd St, Miami, March - April MUSSEL BEACH'S (new concept (to be named), Lake Victoria Gardens, Palm Beach Gardens, Spring PANISUCO, 4354 North Federal, Ft Lauderdale, Feb - March or later ISLAS CANARIAS REST & CAFÈ, 285 NW 27th Avenue, Miami, Feb - March or later HOFBRAUM BEERHALL, 943 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Feb - March or later THE FOUNDRY, 2781 Atlantic Blvd, Pompano Beach, Feb - March or later GOURMET GARDEN CAFÈ & JUICES, 6139 N Federal Hwy, Ft Lauderdale, March 30 or before JUPITER DONUT FACTORY (2nd), Okeechobee Blvd, Royal Palm Beach, March 1 JOSEPHINE'S CAFÈ, SE Ocean Blvd, Stuart, Feb - March BLACK ROOSTER TAQUERIA, 1323 North Mills Avenue, Orlando, April Introducing SafeStaff Online Foodhandler Visit or call to register.

7 TEN 10 BREWING CO., 1010 Virginia Dr, Orlando, Feb - March or later MUSTARD'S LAST STAND, 3210 South Atlantic Ave, Cocoa Beach, March 1 HONEST JOHN'S WHISKEY & PROVISIONS, 1045 Old Camp Road, The Villages, March - April DARRELL'S DOG GONE GOOD DINER (8th), 2536 Burnsed Blvd, The Villages, Feb - March or later TRASCA & CO EATERY, 155 Tourside Drive Ste 1500, Ponte Vedra Beach, April 30 or before MOOYAH BURGERS FRIES AND SHAKES (1st of 3), to come when available, Jacksonville, Mid to Late JAE'S SINFUL DELIGHTS BAKERY & CAKE SHOP, 539 Richard Jackson Boulevard, Panama City Beach, April 30 JUPITER INLET RESTAURANT, 1000 N US Hwy 1, Jupiter, Late URBAN COMFORT - REST & CAFÈ, 2601 Central Avenue, St Petersburg, Feb - March or later POM POM'S TEAHOUSE & SANDWICHERIA, 2950 Central Avenue, St Petersburg, Feb - March or later PINELLAS ALE WORKS - Craft Brewery and Tasting Room, st Avenue South, St Petersburg, TBD JUS THAI (2ND), th Street North, St Petersburg, Late Feb or March THE DOG BAR, 2300 Central Avenue, St Petersburg, Summer THE CIDER PRESS CAFÈ (2nd), 601 Central Avenue, St Petersburg, Spring THE BURG DINER (also owns The Burg Bar & Grill), 1752 Central Ave, St Petersburg, Feb - March THE BLUE GOOSE, 49 9th Street North, St Petersburg, Feb - March THE ATRIUM CAFE, th Ave South, Naples, Spring STRAWBERRY HUT SANDWICH SHOP (2nd), to come when available, Lakeland, TBD SUNSET BAY CAFE, 158 Sandestin Blvd N, Sandestin, Feb - March TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFÈ, Boy Scout Road, Ft Myers, Feb - March or later TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFÈ, 2000 NW 87th Ave, Doral, Spring TONY D'S, 3300 NE 32nd Street, Ft Lauderdale, Feb - March PARIS MORNING, 4900 S University Drive, Davie, Feb - March L EPICIERE, 195 NW 36th St, Miami, Feb - March EAST WEST BISTRO BUFFET, 801 North Congress Ave, Boynton Beach, Feb - March EGGCETERA CAFÈ, SE corner of Lantana and Jog, Lantana, Spring FRATELLI'S PIZZERIA & REST, 291 SE Port St Lucie Blvd, Port St Lucie, Feb - March MCFADDEN'S RESTAURANT & SALOON, 8291 International Dr, Orlando, Spring MANDEVILLE BEER GARDEN & RESTAURANT, 428 North Lemon Ave, Sarasota, March - April PDQ, S. Cleveland Ave, Ft Myers, Spring FLAPJACK JOHNNY'S, 7432 Hwy 50 Ste 103, Groveland, Feb - March ZO S KITCHEN, Durbin Lake Drive, Jacksonville, Sept - Oct JIMMY JOHN S GOURMET SANDWICHES, Durbin Lake Drive, Jacksonville, Sept - Oct UNCLE MADDIO S PIZZA JOINT, Durbin Lake Drive, Jacksonville, Sept - Oct WENDY'S RESTAURANT (new build), Bartram Run Drive, Jacksonville, Spring THE FAMOUS TOASTERY, to come when available, Jacksonville Beach, May - June ITALIAN - SICILIAN REST (to be named) (very early stages), 22nd St and East Ave, Ybor City, TBD/ DENNY'S RESTAURANT, 351 East Main Street, Apopka, Feb - March CIVIL SOCIETY BREWING CO - Brewery Bar, to come when available, Jupiter, Mid to Late GILBERT'S UNDERGROUND KITCHEN (just signed 5-yr lease), 510 South 8th Street, Fernandina Beach, Late Feb or March DOWNTOWN (very early stages still), 220 Riverside Ave, Jacksonville, TBD IZZYS FISH & OYSTER, 423 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, Feb - March B & G - BREAKER AND GRAY, 2637 N Miami Ave, Miami, Spring BISCAYNE DINER, 8601 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, March - April ALTER RESTAURANT, 223 NW 23rd Street, Miami Beach, April - May HOUSE OF SFIHAS, 3952 W Hillsboro, Deerfield Beach, Feb - March OUT OF THE OVEN - Takeout/Catering/Outdoor, 2290 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, Spring ISLA DEL ENCANTO, SW 127 Avenue, Miami, Spring POP'S BBQ, 419 E Sheridan Street, Dania Beach, Feb - March NUCENTRO, NW 41st St, Doral, Feb - March MIYAKO JAPANESE BUFFET, Federal Hwy & Atlantic Ave, Pompano Beach, Feb - March New Openings Subscribe to the New Openings list at RAFINA GREEK TAVERNA, 6877 SW 18th St, Boca Raton, Feb - March BRAIN FREEZE, 3905 NW 107th Ave, Doral, Feb - March OCEAN DINER, 2891 Ocean Blvd, Stuart, Feb - March or later 3 SONS BREWING CO (looking for a location), to come when available, Dania Beach, Sept - Oct THREE HORNS BREWING CO - Brewery & Bar, to come when available, Lake Worth, TBD WILD OAK ARTISAN ALES, to come when available, Boynton Beach, Feb - March or later THE HABIT BURGER GRILL (based in Calif), 1801 S Federal Highway, Delray Beach, Spring or Summer MULLER'S KITCHEN, 1133 SW Martins Down Blvd, Palm City, March - April TOBACCO ROAD (closed it's Miami location), Port Miami, Nov - Dec CARLO'S BAKE SHOP, Port Miami, Nov - Dec THE CELLARS WINE BAR, Port Miami, Nov - Dec THE DISTRICT BREW HOUSE, Port Miami, Nov - Dec SEVERAL SPOTS ON THE NORWEGIAN ESCAPE, Port Miami, Nov - Dec FOOD REPUBLIC, Port Miami, Nov - Dec NEW DINER (to be named), Royal Palm Blvd, Coral Springs, Feb - March or later NOBU RESTAURANT AND BAR LOUNGE, 4525 Collins Ave, Miami, Late LONG DOGGERS RADICALLY RELAXED GRILL & BREW, to come when available, Cocoa Beach, Mid to Late SILVERSPOT CINEMA AND RESTAURANT, 4443 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek, Feb - March or later WAFFLE HOUSE (new const), Ulmerton Road, Largo, Mid BUFFALO WILD WINGS, to come when available, Viera, Mid LAFFA MEDITERRANEAN KITCHEN, 1250 S Miami Ave, Miami, April - May MY CEVICHE, 2100 NW 42nd Ave, Miami, Spring MY CEVICHE, 3339 North Miami Ave, Miami, Spring MY CEVICHE, 232 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, Feb - March or later CHILI'S BAR AND GRILL, State Rd 54, Wesley Chapel, Feb - March ACE CAFÈ - British CafÈ Based in London, Garland Ave, Orlando, Mid to late PIE TOPIA - Fine dining restaurant, th St N, St Petersburg, Feb - March or later GRILLIT RESTAURANT, to come when available, Tampa, Sept - Oct or later GRAZIANO'S MARKET, NW 41st Street, Miami, Feb - March RICE HOUSE OF KEBOB, 5818 South Dixie Hwy, Miami, Feb - March or later BANGING BANJO BREWERY (early stages), 3200 NW 23rd Ave Ste 500, Pompano Beach, TBD MARLOW'S TAVERN, off SR-408 at Alafaya Trail, East Orlando, TBD SPOLETO - MY ITALIAN KITCHEN (2nd), to come when available, Winter Park, April - May SPOLETO - MY ITALIAN KITCHEN (1st ), University Blvd Ste 255, Orlando, Feb - March BREZZA, 551 N Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd, Ft Lauderdale, Summer BRITISH OPEN PUB, 2053 S Tamiami Trail, Venice, Feb - March VILLAGE INN RESTAURANT, 3130 Daniels Road, Winter Garden, Feb - March SAGE WOODSIDE TAVERN, 2110 Tamiami Trail N, Naples, Spring CAPT. KIRK'S STONE CRABS FRESH SEAFOOD MARKET, 629 8th Street South, Naples, Mid to late 7TH AVENUE SOCIAL, 849 7th Avenue South Ste 101, Naples, Feb - March ANOTHER BROKEN EGG CAFE, 670 Tamiami Trail N, Naples, April - May FAMOUS TOASTERY (BASED IN NC), to come when available, Jacksonville Beach, TBD FREDDY'S FROZEN CUSTARD & STEAKBURGERS, 6224 N Lockwood Ridge Rd, Sarasota, Feb - March FREDDY'S FROZEN CUSTARD & STEAKBURGERS, 3558 SW College Road, Ocala, Feb - March or later YOGEN FR Z (based in Canada), 2429 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, Feb - March or later YOGEN FR Z (based in Canada), 9900 Universal Blvd, Orlando, Feb - March or later YOGEN FR Z (based in Canada), 4954 New Broad Street, Orlando, Feb - March or later YOGEN FR Z (based in Canada), 5250 International Drive, Orlando, Feb - March or later VIKINGS STEAK SEAFOOD & SUSHI BUFFET, 5040 W Atlantic Ave, Delray Beach, Feb - March BONEFISH MAC'S (4th So Fl location), 6174 W Sample Road, Coral Springs, Feb - March VINNIE'S OLD FASHIONED DOG HOUSE, to come when available, Ft Lauderdale, TBD HARRY'S PIZZERIA, McFarlane Rd, Coconut Grove, Spring TOOJAY'S GOURMET DELI, 2835 Brownwood Blvd, The Villages, Oct - Nov PEACH VALLEY CAFÈ, to come when available, The Villages, Mid NORTH QUARTER TAVERN, 861 North Orange Avenue, Orlando, Spring SOUTH KITCHEN & SPIRITS (early stages), 3638 Park St, Avondale, TBD ADENA GOURMET GRILL BAR AND STEAK HOUSE & WINE BAR, 901 South Federal Hwy Bldg 1740, Hallandale Bch, Feb - March or later BRUCCI'S PIZZA, Gate Pkway & 249, Jacksonville, Spring M SHACK - BURGERS SHAKES & MORE, 1012 Margaret St Ste 1, Jacksonville, Feb - March TOMOKA BREWING CO., 4746 S Clyde Morris Blvd, Port Orange, Spring MILK BURGER (FROM NY) (1ST FL), to come when available, Miami, TBD We Have TOO MANY Leads! It s true! We have reached the point where we now have TOO MANY LEADS to fit on the New Openings page! If you want MORE LEADS with MORE DETAILED CONTACT INFORMATION SIGN UP NOW FOR OUR NEW LEADS REPORT and have ALL our leads with ALL our contact information delivered directly to your every month starting RIGHT NOW... Visit trnusa.com or call for more information! THE BULLBRIAR + WINE CELLARS & PRIVATE DINING, Forsyth and Laura Streets, Jacksonville, Late CINÈPOLIS CINEMAS (DINE-IN), 201 North US 1, Jupiter, April - May THE FAT ROOSTER (supposed to open last year), 200 E Atlantic Ave, Delray Beach, Feb - March WENDY'S - new Upscale (const starts in Spring), 3887 Jog Rd, Greenacres, Summer BRAZILIAN CHAIN RESTAURANT NARU SUSHI (1st in US), International Drive, Orlando, May - June STK ORLANDO STEAKHOUSE + ROOFTOP DINING VENUE, Downtown Disney, Orlando, Spring RED GINGER ASIAN-ROBATA GRILL CONCEPT, 736 First Street, Miami Beach, Feb - March ARMADILLO CAFE BOCA, 8221 Glades Rd Ste 6, Boca Raton, Feb - March JOE'S MARKETPLACE AND DELI, Turkey Lake Road, Orlando, Mid to late DRAFTS SPORTS BAR & GRILL, Turkey Lake Road, Orlando, Mid to late WESTGATE'S UPSCALE DINING CONCEPT EDGE STEAKHOUSE, Turkey Lake Road, Orlando, Mid to late FOOQ'S, 1035 N Miami Ave, Miami, TBD COFFEE CULTURE, 200 US Highway 1, Jupiter, March - April CALAVERAS CANTINA, 200 US Highway 1, Jupiter, March - April WARSAW COFFEE COMPANY, 815 NE 13th Street, Ft Lauderdale, March - April TUNIES (3RD), 900 N Federal Highway, Ft Lauderdale, Feb - March ROK:BRGR BURGER BAR & GASTROPUB, to come when available, Orlando, Late NEW CONCEPT ( to be named ), 2033 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, TBD ITAR BISTRO MARKET ARGENTINEAN AND ITALIAN, 7065 Westpoint Blvd Ste 100, Orlando, Feb - March FORD'S GARAGE RESTAURANT (2nd) (1st Ft Myers), Causeway Blvd, Brandon, March - April BESITO MEXICAN - high end Concept (1st Fl), 205 Westshore Plaza, Tampa, Spring MAPLE STREET BISCUIT CO., to come when available, St Augustine, Mid to late V PIZZA - AUTHENTIC NAPOLETANA PIZZERIA (2nd), 528 North 1st Street, Jacksonville Beach, Feb - March JIMMY HULA'S ORIGINAL FISH TACOS BURGERS AND BEER, Atlantic Blvd Ste 63, Jacksonville, Feb - March or later DAY MARKET KITCHEN, 1850 SE 17th St Ste 109, Ft Lauderdale, Feb - March THE HOT SPOT DINER, 1625 Shepherd Rd, Lakeland, Feb - March 26K SUSHI + TAPAS (Kosher), 9487 Harding Ave, Surfside, Feb - March CRIMSON - KOSHER RESTAURANT, 9555 Harding Ave, Surfside, Feb - March MENCHIE'S FROZEN YOGURT, San Jose Blvd, Jacksonville, March - April MENCHIE'S FROZEN YOGURT, 3267 Hodges Blvd Ste 2, Jacksonville, Feb - March THE LUNCHBOX, 78 NW 25th Street Ste 106, Miami, Feb - March FRESH HEALTHY CAFÈ (Canada-based), 8001 S Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, June - July FRESH HEALTHY CAFÈ (Canada-based), 8000 W Broward Boulevard, Plantation, March - April SQUARE GROUPER TIKI BAR (2nd), 1918 Seaway Drive, Ft Pierce, Feb - March or later THE EGG & I, 315 SE 17th St, Ocala, Feb - March THE EGG & I, 2447 Wickman Rd, Melbourne, Feb - March DICK'S LAST RESORT, 17 S Ft Lauderdale Blvd, Ft Lauderdale, TBD BYBLOS - FINE DINING, 1545 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, March - April BERGHOFF'S OKTOBERFEST GERMAN BIERGARTEN, 5250 International Dr, Orlando, Spring KONA GRILL, NW 12th St, Miami, Spring CABO FLATS CANTINA & TEQUILA BAR, NW 12th St, Miami, Spring NITROGEN SUSHI AND GRILLE, 6779 W Indiantown Rd, Jupiter, Spring CAPTAIN JACKS, 1146 Blue Heron Blvd, Singer Island, Spring UNCLE LOUIE G ITALIAN ICES & ICE CREAM, 2657 Atlantic Blvd, Pompano Beach, Feb - March BESITO MEXICAN REST + FULL BAR, 250 WestShore Plaza, Tampa, April - May CAFFEBENE (1ST IN FL), 4690 State Road 7 Ste 107, Coconut Creek, TBD ZOES KITCHEN, Panama City Beach Pkwy, Panama City Beach, Feb - March OSAKA JAPANESE HIBACHI STEAKHOUSE & SUSHI BAR, Panama City Beach Pkwy, Panama City Beach, April - May COOPER'S HAWK WINERY, 110 S Orlando Ave, Winter Park, TBD RA SUSHI, 110 S Orlando Ave, Winter Park, TBD STRIKE 10 - BOWLING & SPORTS & LOUNGE, 801 N Silks Run Ste 1505, Hallandale Beach, Feb - March or later RUDINO'S UPSCALE SPORTS BAR, 4115 State Route 7 Ste Z, Lake Worth, Feb - March DELI (TO BE NAMED), 6647 Boynton Beach Blvd, Boynton Beach, Spring TACO BAR MEXICAN CAFE (early stages), 2300 Oakland Park Blvd, Oakland Park, TBD LUCKY'S MARKET (based in CO), 7700 Peters Rd, Plantation, Fall ZAXBY'S (just started const), 4285 South Ferdon Boulevard, Crestview, Aug - Sept SWELL PIZZA, to come when available, Delray Beach, Feb - March or later LIME FRESH MEXICAN GRILL (1st in Palm Bch Cty), 9789 Glades Road, Boca Raton, Spring UNION BURGER (British Chain ), Narcoossee Road, Orlando, Spring SAMBUMBIA PUERTO RICAN CUISINE, to come when available, Lake Mary, TBD SWINE & SONS PROVISIONS, 595 W Fairbanks, Winter Park, Feb - March THE OUTPOST~ NEIGHBORHOOD KITCHEN, 2603 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, Feb - March QUALITY MEATS (1st in FL) (NY based), 1501 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, Feb - March OCC BURGER, 7280 SW 90th Street, Miami, Feb - March YO! SUSHI - A BRITISH CHAIN OF SUSHI RESTS, 140 University Town Center Dr Ste 125, Sarasota, TBD SUPER FOOD AND 11 East Building, 11 E Forsyth St, Jacksonville, TBD DAILY EATS AND FRESH KITCHEN (2 rests), 4th Street and 45th Avenue North, St Petersburg, Spring HOFFMAN'S CHOCOLATES, 801 S University Dr, Plantation, Feb - March MEAT IN THE MIDDLE, 499 East Oakland Park Blvd, Ft Lauderdale, TBD THE HANGAR, 1675 N Buena Vista Dr, Lake Buena Vista, Mid THE BOAT HOUSE ORLANDO, 1675 N Buena Vista Dr, Lake Buena Vista, Spring MORIMOTO ASIA - a 2 story Rest & Cocktail Lounge, 1675 N Buena Vista Dr, Lake Buena Vista, Summer TOBACCO ROAD, 69 SW 7th Street, Miami, Late COPPERTOP BREWERY, 151 Commerce Road, Boynton Beach, March MODERN AMERICAN TAVERN (to be named), 208 Beach Dr NE, St Petersburg, Spring 7 FEBRUARY FLORIDA

8 FLORIDA FEBRUARY 8 BUY, SELL & SERVICE RESTAURANT EQUIPMENT USED & NEW RESTAURANT EQUIPMENT SALES Kitchen Equipment and Smallware Supplies Hood Cleaning and Full Kitchen Cleaning All Kinds of Equipment Repairs We sell these quality brands & more Imperial Range Royal Kelvinator LoLo Fagor True Beverage Air Spartan Victorinox Mercer Cutlery United Restaurant Equipment & Service Equipment Showroom & Store OPEN TO THE PUBLIC 298 West 21st Street, Hialeah, FL (305) Office (786) Cell Service Center 509 West 27th Street Hialeah, FL (305) Office (305) Cell Changing the Way You Do Business! BUY OR SELL ANYTHING! FOR ONLY $ 10 A MONTH! ENTER AS MANY PRODUCTS AS YOU LIKE YOU RE IN CONTROL EASY LISTING & EDITING You can sell your products without any limits! There are NO extra LISTING FEES SELLING FEES PICTURE FEES When you receive payment from buyers, there are no deductions! YOU KEEP 100% OF YOUR MONEY! What s Going On from Salamander Beach & Spa Resort, the 171- room property will open spring The property will encompass the current Henderson Park Inn and add a new 171- room luxury hotel named The Henderson across the street. Fourth Wall Restaurants president and founder Michael Stillman, along with chef/partner Craig Koketsu have announced that the celebrated New York restaurant group will open the second location of its New York flagship, Quality Meats at 1501 Collins Ave in Miami Beach Feb. Rising star chef Patrick Rebholz, until recently chef de cuisine at Charleston s legendary Peninsula Grill, will lead the kitchen. This is Fourth Wall s first foray outside of New York City; although Stillman and his father, legendary restaurateur Alan Stillman are no strangers to South Florida as they were the original owners of Smith & Wollensky at South Pointe Park when it opened in December Located at the former Bancroft Hotel, an historic Art Deco gem that is being re-envisioned by Stillman and longtime design collaborators AvroKO, Quality Meats Miami Beach will retain the classic Deco features of the building while infusing it with the feeling of family owned butcher shops that are the trademark of the Quality Meats brand. Under the direction of sommelier Lewis Starkey, Quality Meats Miami Beach offers an exceptional wine list, with more than 30 wines by the glass and selections that represent the best of Old and New World vintages, with a concentration on California including both elite and undiscovered vineyards. The restaurant will seat well over 200 diners on two floors in the main dining room, on the outdoor patio, in second floor private dining rooms and even a hidden wine nook. There is also an indoor-outdoor bar and lounge. Quality Meats Miami Beach can be reached at or Cruise News: Norwegian Cruise Line announced a multitude of new partnerships with leaders in the fields of dining, beverage and entertainment to feature innovative branded experiences onboard Norwegian Escape. During an exclusive event in New York City, the line revealed that their largest ship ever, Norwegian Escape, will include several new culinary experiences, along with two Tony Award-winning musicals, and a unique Supper Club, when she begins sailing from her homeport of Miami in November. Norwegian Escape's ultimate culinary experiences, which will be helmed by James Beard Award-winning Iron Chef Jose Garces and Miami restaurateurs Jose Mendin, Andreas Schreiner and Sergio Navarro of The Pubbelly Restaurant Group will be onboard; in addition to new beverage concepts The District Brewhouse, featuring craft beers from Wynwood Brewing Company, and The Cellars, A Michael Mondavi Family Wine Bar. Scala creates intelligent digital signage solutions that move products, consumers, and sales metrics. Scala solutions improve brand loyalty, optimize customer experience, and reinforce business objectives. With Scala menu board software, making nationwide menu and price adjustments allows for constant and instant display board updates. We offer the flexibility to modify the digital menu board display, customizing for certain hours, or catering to local tastes maximizing targeted sales. Showcase the products that are pertinent to each target market. Operation can be done in-house or remotely. Scala software will eliminate the need to print and distribute static signs each time your menu changes to save you those costly printing and distribution fees. For all info visit scala.com. Newk's Eatery, the fast-casual restaurant known for its culinarydriven menu and open kitchen, has announced a new development agreement with franchisee Aeolus Group. The multi-unit operators have committed to open 11 Newk's locations in the Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Lakeland and Clearwater markets in Florida. Aeolus Group is a Five Guys Burgers and Fries franchisee with nine years of experience in restaurant development and management. One of its operating partners is a longtime resident of the Tampa Bay area. Visit newks.com for more detailed company information. page 4 The National Restaurant Association Show (NRA) brings together the industry's best organic products, franchise opportunities, bakery items, kitchen tools, table ware, flatware, crockery, food service technology, catering paraphernalia, sustainable products, snacks and munchins, packaging items, preservative and flavoring agents, bar tending and cocktail mixing products and more. The Show will be held from May in Chicago, Il., at McCormick Place Convention Center. This event brings restaurant professionals and the who's who of the catering industry together in an atmosphere conducive to business growth and development of the trade. With special pavilions dedicated to sustainable products, franchise See WHAT S GOING ON page 14

9 Getting social love for your food & your brand! By Pernille Bruun-Jensen CMO, NetBase Your menu is set, people are coming in the door, but you don t seem to attain that ever-important buzz you d hoped for. Ask yourself, Am I getting social? With so many people taking to the Internet when they like or dislike something, not having a strong social presence for your restaurant is not only disadvantageous, it s dangerous. Advertising will always have its place as we all know, word of mouth is what makes the business world go round. But did you know that word of mouth has taken on a significantly greater meaning in the age of social media? There are many companies out there that are doing social extremely well, as can be seen by the frontrunners in the NetBase Social Top 50 Fast Casual Report, and they offer lots to learn from. Far and away the leader in social for fast casual restaurants is Chipotle Mexican Grill, coming in with 15.3 million mentions, accounting for 61% of the total share. How are they and other top contenders, like Panera, Five Guys, and Jimmy John s, doing it? Well, you ll need to check out the report for specifics, but some of the things top restaurants pay attention to include: Using social media for instant feedback on promotions and launches Taking advantage of sentiment analysis to accurately filter noise Tracking the impact of different campaigns how they fare in different markets Using social listening tools to improve customer care That last point is crucial in maintaining positive mentions among your user base. If someone has a bad experience (or even offers constructive criticism) the way you respond will cement how that user will view your company going forward and how others will view you as well. If you re new to social media, or looking to expand further into that realm, there are a number of ways to help you stay relevant, grow that follower count, and strengthen your branding. Using hashtags. Hashtags, when used well can be a great boost for your business. The key is knowing when and how to use them. Start slow, use them sparingly in ways that reinforce your branding and slowly expand out (usually when starting a new campaign, or bringing attention to a service you want to highlight, like Panera s #LeagueOfBrisket). Establish a presence on Google Places. Not everyone uses Facebook, so putting all the eggs in that virtual basket limits your exposure. Create a place page for your restaurant on Google Places and ask visitors to add a review in exchange for a free appetizer or 10% off next time around. Having a corresponding Google page is smart too. But don t worry, you don t have to have unique content for each platform. Just make sure what you re posting makes sense for each (text posts wouldn t work on Instagram or Pinterest, for example as they re both image-based platforms). Claim and monitor your Yelp page. Yelp is the go-to for many when deciding on where to eat, and having a solid reputation there is a big bonus. When monitoring, if someone posts a negative review, make sure you respond, but always keep a professional tone and remain positive. Remember, it s not just the poster who is reading this; it s anyone who looks at your Yelp page. How you respond affects how you are viewed, regardless if the review was fair or not. Get Mobile. Make sure your webpage is designed for mobile platforms (mobile-responsive). Mobile visitors outnumber desktop users by leaps and bounds. If they can t view menus from their phones, they are much less likely to visit altogether. Stay current with your market base. Monitor and understand what is being said about your business in the social media realm and, of course, correct any issues immediately. Knowing what your audience is saying, feeling, and wanting can be the difference between a successful launch or campaign flop. Looping back to Chipotle: While they were top dog on the leaderboard among the 50 restaurants surveyed, there are areas where they actually fell short of their competitors and THAT is valuable intel, too. Be sure to use the report as a litmus test to see what you are doing well and where you could improve. And comment with any surprises! Quality & Style Comfortable and Ergonomic TARI TABLE We Are Manufacturers incolorfurniture.com ARI CHAIR WHOLESALE ONLY! Call now for information, retailers and pricing! (305) info@incolorfurniture.com 8358 NW 68 Street Miami, Florida FEBRUARY FLORIDA Appell Pie from page 3 So often, when people look through Today's Restaurant News in my presence, I hear the comment "Oh, I see "X" Company placed an ad this month" Invariably my response is that the ad has been running for several months. Longevity is a key to successful print advertising. Ad design and the need for the product are other elements to a winning campaign. Often an ad is designed and expectations are high for the phone to ring off the wall. Nothing happens. Why? Is the publication reaching the target audience? Is the ad beautiful but not carrying the right message? Is there a need for the product? Has the ad run only one time? Advertising expenditures must be judged in the same manner that mutual funds are evaluated, over time. Not everyone needs your product when you want to sell it. Timing is important. Advertising and Public Relations are essential elements to a successful business. If you use them, they will serve you well. Call us for all your SYRUPS, JUICES and CO2 fountain needs! sales@browardnelson.com

10 FLORIDA FEBRUARY 10 What s Going On from opportunities, latest technology, organic products and more, the organizers the National Restaurant Association ensure that buyers coming to the fair can easily get to their preferred products. For all information visit them online at show.restaurant.org. Cookshack s release of the Fast Eddy s by Cookshack FEC240 pellet fired smoker oven is now available for commercial kitchens. It offers authentic wood flavor, small foot print, and large capacity. The authentic wood flavor and heat are achieved by the 100% food grade wood pellets which are controlled by a fully automated wood pellet system. Pellets eliminates large heat fluctuations that dry and shrink meat. Oven temperature ranges are from 160 F to Bruce s of Great Neck is Restauranteur to the Stars in West Boca Restaurant Review by Barry Epstein Barry Epstein, APR Networking Expert ADVERTISEMENT page F. Cookshack is the only manufacturer of Commercial Pellet Smokers. This smoker does not require gas, simply plug it into an outlet to run the IQ5 controller, add pellets and it is ready to make barbecue and smoked foods. Cookshack, located in Ponca City, OK, manufactures commercial and residential smoker ovens, pellet grills and charbroilers. They distribute their products worldwide direct and through a Stuart Powell, Cookshack President/CEO dealer/distributor network for all information visit their website online at cookshack.com HotSchedules delivers easy-to-use, web-based employee scheduling functions that allows the restaurant owners and other bosses to keep up with avail- Bruce's of Great Neck was founded in 1976 on the "Gold Coast" of Merrick, Long Island. After several years of operation, Bruce's expanded to Roosevelt Field, Long Island. In 1983, Bruce decided that Great Neck, NY, would be the perfect place to sell the highquality line of baked goods. Expanding the concept to a full service restaurant, Bruce's became a "one-of-akind" operation. It had something for everyone from cinnamon raisin bobka french toast, nova platters, to gourmet panini's. Over the years, a complimentary, basket of fresh baked goods had become their trademark and tradition. President Bruce Zipes believed in the "word of mouth" advertising and that satisfied customers would spread the "word" around town. He only uses the highest quality ingredients and standards to meet the high expectations of his customers at his famous restaurant and bakery. Today, that tradition continues in his new bakery/restaurant in the Boca Greens Shopping Plaza on U.S. 441, State Rd. 7, Boca Raton, Florida, where they have been open for 16 months with a new menu, bringing something different to the usually boring bagel stores, e.g. Bobka French toast, fresh lobster and jumbo shrimp salads, gourmet omelettes made with baby spinach, plumb tomatoes and choice of melted gouda, fontina or Brie cheese, waffles and pancakes made with buttermilk and eggs instead of just water, etc. Joan Rivers came in around August 2013 while she was staying at the Boca Raton Resort & Club, remembering the portrait Bruce made of her in NYC and ordered the chunky lobster salad on brioche. When she left she told Bruce "I wish we had a Bruces in NYC where I live. Bucky Dent is a regular too, along with a number of stars that stop in when they are visiting in South Florida. At Bruce's, catering became the most renowned in NY. Patrons from Manhattan, Queen, Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Long Island flocked to Bruce's for all special occasions to include baked goods, custom catering or just to relax in the celebrated restaurant. When Westbury Music Fair needed a special cake to commemorate Bob Hope's 75th birthday, Bruce invented the celebrity "look-a-like" cake. A recent sampling of portrait cakes included the likes of Jay Leno, Bill Cosby, Christie Brinkley, Cindy Crawford, Katie Couric, Matt Lauer, Tom Cruise, Heather Locklear, Howard Stern, Julio Iglesias and Mickey Mantle. Bruce has been seen on numerous television shows including: The Regis Philbin Show, The Today Show, The John Stewart Show, Fox and Friends, The Food Channel and major news shows on NBC, CBS, and ABC. Bruce's has also won the prestigious award from the Metro Channels "NY Eats" for the best challah in New York City. Write ups have also appeared in Newsday, the NY Post, The Daily News, and NY Magazine. Over the years, Bruce has been proud to be associated with hundreds of celebrities and luminaries from all walks of life. Some of Bruce's Highlights include: Hilary Clinton visited Bruce's "Love the chocolate ruggies"; Bruce appeared on The Food Network's "Cupcake Wars": Bruce's donated cakes to Derek Jeter's Turn Two Foundation; Bruce made a portrait cake for George Steinbrenner's birthday; Bruce created an anniversary cake for "The Howard Stern Show"; Bruce appeared on The Today Show with a portrait cake and new dessert cookbook. Palm Beach County also gave Bruce s a perfect inspection, said the West Boca News. Bruce's is deeply committed and firmly believes in community service, whether donating a dinner for 100 retuning Gulf War veterans and their wives, making a road more attractive in Great Neck, being a major sponsor for the Great Neck Art Center or daily donations to senior citizen, group homes or soup kitchens. Bruce's was honored to be the recipient of the Giraffe Award, Great Neck's most prestigious award for continued outstanding community service. As former President George Bush Sr. said in his letter of commendation to Bruce's: "You are to be commended for your spirit and deep involvement in your community. Our Nation thrives on civic pride and you are a local institution that Great Neck (and now Boca) can be proud of! The Marketing Help You Need Marketing and PR Specialist Barry R. Epstein Associates specializes in Restaurants and Hospitality. Current and former clients include Mussel Beach, Out of Denmark, Bruce s of Great Neck, Whole Foods in Florida, Bice and many others. We would like to talk to you about handling your PR, if you are not already using a PR firm or you would like to change representation. We also do a weekly internet television show you can be on to promote your business and we send a link of your segment to put on your website (e.g. and to send out in s to your customers and prospects. We also send it out on Vimeo, Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and YouTube, so you get a lot of exposure for a minimal cost. Our website is where you can view previous shows. We provide introductions to your marketing prospects and help evaluate your present operation, make recommendations for improvements, and help you grow your business. For more info: Barry@BarryEpstein.com abilities, time-off requests, employee certifications and the daily roster. Message the team about the schedule or important store updates using the platform, or through and text alerting. Plus, the employer and their staff will have access to a bilingual customer care team. This can be used to save time by not having to create and update schedules using spreadsheets. For all ordering information visit HotSchedules.com. Evo, Incorporated, a U.S. based designer and manufacturer of cooking equipment, announced the launch of the Evo EVent Cooktops. This new cooking technology, combined with an innovative ventilation system, offers restaurant operators unrestricted food preparation flexibility. The Cooking Stations are designed for front-of-house display cooking in restaurants, grocery stores, corporate cafes and university dining, without any constraints and restrictions due to overhead hoods and externally ducted ventilation. The EVent incorporates a highefficiency griddle attached to a self-contained downdraft recirculating system and fire suppression system. The ventilation motor pulls the smoky and grease-laden air across the griddle surface into a series of filters inside the model. One of the filters removes smoke and grease particulates thoroughly before returning the filtered and clean air back into the restaurant. The entire cooking station operates quietly and the clean air is returned into the restaurant at only 7 degrees warmer than ambient room temperature. For more information visit McFadden s, the New York mainstay with over 35 years of rich history and 14 locations, will be opening its first Florida location on International Drive. The Venue, slated for a Spring opening will feature an oversized outdoor patio, HD TVs for the ultimate sports viewing experience, and a food menu featuring authentic Irish fare and American comfort food - like gourmet burgers and signature appetizers. Known for its lively party music McFadden s offers a unique drink menu featuring famous Fishbowl drinks and live DJ entertainment. Located at 8278 Universal Blvd, at the new I Drive 360 entertainment complex, to the right of the Orlando Eye, the restaurant can be reached at channels informing hotels and restaurants about new glassware, flatware, and dinnerware products can be reached at Foodservice.Libbey.com. Work on the planned $300 million- $400 million isquare Mall+Hotel in Orlando, is expected to begin by summer. In addition to the mall, the project includes an upscale mall with international retailers, along with a 26- story hotel and multi-level mall, an indoor ice skating rink, a 100,000-squarefoot convention center, a 500-seat live performance theater and a rooftop observation deck with rotating restaurant. Opening is planned for summer Got to This winter, Chef Tom Colicchio will open Beachcraft at 1 Hotel & Homes South Beach, bringing his seasonal love of seafood to Miami. At Beachcraft, the Mediterranean-inspired menu will showcase South Florida's local farms and fishermen in a stylish, seaside setting designed by Meyer Davis. Tom will also be at the helm of the pool restaurant & bar, named Sandbox and Sand Bar, respectively, as well as the property's lobby bar, called Tom on Collins. The property will located at 2377 Collins Ave in Miami Beach and can be reached at EnviroPure Systems Inc., a T&S company, has introduced an ozone recirculation system as an optional addition to its onsite organic food waste disposal systems. The new feature eliminates the need to add fresh water during EnviroPure s digestion process, relying instead on water that is naturally extracted from food waste as it processes through the system. EnviroPure, an organic food waste disposal system, breaks down food waste in just 24 hours through a combination of mechanical processing and aerobic decomposition. The end result is a safe, grey water byproduct that meets, and often surpasses, municipal wastewater requirements. A 100% natural micronutrient additive accelerates the digestive process with no intrusive odors, no invasive pests and no damaging carbon footprint. With a typical schedule of grinding food waste ten times a day, a foodservice operation could expect to save about 400 gallons of water daily, says Jim Slanina, president of EnviroPure. That s a significant amount of water so, from a sustainability standpoint, the ozone system has tremendous appeal. And from a cost standpoint, saving water saves energy as well, so this is a win-win benefit all around. For more information, visit The new Tenacity Dinnerware line from World Tableware, Libbey Foodservice is a stylish choice for foodservice operations. This new dinnerware allows restaurants, cafes, bars and more to serve up their dishes on the classic design of Tenacity, which can match any existing décor, theme or Atlas Metal Industries if offering style. The rolled edge feature stands up their Designer Series the Mobile Cold to busy foodservice use. Some pieces Serving Unit - DSCI Series. The well is are available in both a medium or narrow rim. This line is also available in 20") and fractional sized pans. This sized to accommodate full size (12" X Cream or Bright White. Tenacity Libbey Designer Series unit can stand alone or Foodservice Libbey Glass foodservicesee WHAT S GOING ON page 16

11 Can Small and Large Businesses Grow Via LinkedIn? Gary Kissel Today s Restaurant Contributor When I hear this question I immediately respond, Yes, of course. I am an example of a small business owner that has benefitted greatly from using the world s #1 professional network. LinkedIn s dynamic search engine is useful for any size business to target a market and find prospective clients. I used it to find, connect and engage with real estate investors that purchased properties from me and are currently looking to buy more. I realize that some still wonder if LinkedIn has staying power. The facts con tinue to suggest that LinkedIn s growth is beyond remarkable. Forbes Magazine has a - warded LinkedIn the distinction of being the fastest growing technology company for 2012 and Note the word technology. That denotes a much larger universe than say, social media or mobile. It s truly significant that Google, Facebook or Apple isn t the company being identified by Forbes. Regardless, I d venture to bet that the common public perception is that any one of these three giants greatly surpassed the growth of LinkedIn during this time frame. (Google actually ranked #17!) See Forbes 2013 chart inset In 2014 LinkedIn added an average of over 5 million subscribers monthly! As of this writing its member base exceeds 330 million. As amazing as this growth is it is almost beyond comprehension that LinkedIn has only achieved 1/10th of its longer term objective of connecting 3.3 billion worldwide. Small and large business owners alike have been extended access to new features during this growth spurt as well. Most recently, all members were allowed Rank Company LinkedIn Facebook Apple Business Social Networking Social Networking Computer -Ware Last Yr. Sales (mil) $1,109 $5,489 $169,104 Last Yr. Sales Growth 80% 36% 19% 3-Yr Avg. Sales Growth 102% 87% 55% Est. EPS Growth 51% 25% 15% LinkedIn also provides a very high degree of credibility to all members. the ability to publish short articles or blogs prominently on LinkedIn. This was formerly a domain for only LinkedIn Influencers like Bill Gates or Richard Branson. Members can also post their own video or power point presentations since the platform is recently much friendlier to the visually robust environment that exists on Facebook, for example. LinkedIn also provides a very high degree of credibility to all members. Potential clients will typically go to Google (as the mother of all search engines) to check out a business or individual. Once there, a LinkedIn profile will be displayed prominently since Google holds LinkedIn in high authority and esteem. It has progressed to the point where the absence of a LinkedIn profile raises the red flag of suspicion in the marketplace. In summary, there are several ways in which any business owner can flourish on LinkedIn. Marketing features are plentiful now and all are accessible to each and every member. LinkedIn s sheer growth cycle has meant that it has become more accepted worldwide and a LinkedIn profile is a credibility factor even on Google. Innovation has trended to be inclusive rather than exclusive for the normal entrepreneur. All in all, time spent learning LinkedIn s full array of social selling tools will benefit any business or person large or small. Did I mention that LinkedIn s demographic for per capita income is twice that of both Facebook and Twitter? Why would anyone choose to avoid a market with buying power like that? Gary Kissel is a LinkedIn Strategist, Author & Speaker. Online at One Stop Shopping CACTUS MAT Frosty Factory of America Covers, Inserts, Place Mats, Check Presenters, etc. Full Line of Floor Covering, Mats & Misc. Baker s, Hanging, Bench, Receiving and Floor Scales. Frozen Drinks and Smoothie Machines Refrigerators, Freezers, Display Cases and Merchandisers Cast Iron Cookware and Misc. Products Bakeware/Cookware/Tableware, Kitchen, Pizza, Barware and Janitorial Supplies. Flatware and Food Prep Quality Outdoor and Indoor Furniture Pizza & Tortilla Presses, Grills, Wood Burning Ovens, Misc. Items IF YOU NEED IT - WE HAVE IT! Ben Miller & Associates CALL FOR THE DEALER NEAREST YOU: (954) Melamine Dinnerware, Specialty Drinkware Tumblers, Room Service Trays, Buffet Items Manufacturer of Superior, Inexpensive China - Ovenware - AlumaTux. Stocked in Florida Booths, Wood & Metal Chairs, Wood/Resin & Laminate Table Tops & Bases Beer Frosters, Bottle Coolers, Ice Merchandisers, Prep Tables BenMillerAssoc@aol.com 11 FEBRUARY FLORIDA 8WAYS YOU CAN GET INVOLVED What s Going On? Do you have a new product or service? Let us know! Calendar Events Looking for something to do? The calendar is loaded with events! Classified Ads The best advertising deal in America! Only $149 for 12 months! 3 6 New Openings Opening or reopening a new restaurant? We ll put it on our list! Industry Spotlight Do you believe your business is worth a closer look? Call us! 1 Advertise 4 7 Here In today s economy, can you afford not to advertise? Under the Toque Know a professional chef with a special story? Drop us a line! Photo Bites Is there a special event in your area? We ll get fun pics! Call today for more info:

12 FLORIDA FEBRUARY 12 Calendar Events Upcoming industry affairs Send your Calendar Event info to Today s Restaurant! February The Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest Beach Clubhouse at Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club Miromar Lakes Blvd. East Miromar Lakes, FL info@swflwinefest.org March SNAXPO World Premium Event for the Snack Food Industry The 78th Annual Exhibition & Conference Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center Orlando, FL April The 29th Annual Sandestin Wine Festival Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort Sandestin, Florida May The National Restaurant Associaton Show (NRA) McCormick Place 2301 S Dr Martin Luther King Jr Dr. Chicago, IL Show.restaurant.org October 6-8 The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show Orange County Convention Center International Drive Orlando, FL The 19th Americas Food & Beverage Show Miami Beach Convention Center Hall C Miami Beach, FL info@worldtrade.org FINKEL BUSINESS & REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE WE HAVE BUSINESSES SERVING PALM BEACH, BROWARD AND DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA! BUY OR SELL YOUR RESTAURANT WITH US! Call today for more information Peter Robinson Sales Agent NW 78th Ct, Tamarac FL probinsonbiz@aol.com What s Going On from become an integral part of a total serving system. Quality construction, Atlas' exclusive Reversa-Panel and heavy gauge stainless steel tops gives years of cost efficient, trouble-free service. For over 52 years Atlas Metal Industries, Inc. has been a leading manufacturer of quality food serving equipment. Since 948, Atlas Metal Industries, Inc. has been developing innovative designs that continue to be the specified standard used by many of the leading Food Service Consultants in the industry. Call for all ordering information. Mighty Top Sandwich Units from Structural Concepts with optional hinged glass lid are designed for full product visibility when lid is open or closed. Clear glass lids are energy efficient, high quality, 2-pane, Low-E glass encased in an aluminum glass frame with satin finish. Concealed hinges with integral stainless steel gas spring lid supports provide easy lifting and closing in one fluid motion. For all information call ,7138 or visit The 6th Annual "Smokin in the Square Kansas City Barbeque Society" will be held March 6th-7th, at the Seville Square in Pensacola. Professional barbecue teams from around the U.S. will gather to compete at the first barbecue contest locally to be sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society (KSBS). Professional teams will be competing for prize money and points. For all details call The National Restaurant Association projects total restaurant industry sales will total $709.2 billion in, an increase of 3.8 percent over the previous year's level of $683 billion. Sales at table service restaurants - a segment that includes fine, casual and family dining - are expected to hit $220 billion, an increase of 2.9 percent in nominal terms for and.6 percent in real terms. Left to right Bottom: Jill Pavlov, Kimberly Kenney, Cortney Hickey. Middle: Debbie Abrams, Alex Bimonte, Carla Zorovich. Top: TBA Co- Founders Julie Mullen and Elizabeth Kelley Grace The American Culinary Federation s (ACF) has announced its American Culinary Classic. This competition is open to international culinary teams, limited to 12, as well as regional, city, college, company and military teams from the United States. This event will take place during the ACF National Convention, July 30-Aug 3,, at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando. Call for all details. The Buzz Agency, an award-winning public relations, social media and special events firm headquartered on Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach, has significantly expanded its client roster to include a number of high profile businesses and organizations from across South Florida. New this year to the TBA client team are Allianz Championship, Allied Capital & Development of South Florida, LLC (Harbourside Place), Boca West Foundation, BoConcept Furniture Miami, Burger Bar, Congregation B Nai Israel, Delivery Dudes, Discover The Palm Beaches, ECJLuxe, Heaton Companies (Tarpon Flats, Old Oak Lane), IHelpMoms.com, La Ferme, Lee Cohen, Esq., Max s Social House, My Wingman Sports, Nick s New Haven Style Pizzeria & Bar, Plumosa School Foundation, SMOKE BBQ, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, and Sweet Dewey s BBQ. The firm, which recently celebrated its five-year anniversary, was co-founded by Julie Mullen and Elizabeth Kelley Grace, communications industry veterans. The Buzz Agency also added a new position to its staff, bringing the full-time team to seven. Agency owners anticipate more growth is coming soon. Interested applicants with a background in public relations and/or social media are invited to their resume to tba@thebuzzagency.net. Online at thebuzzagency.net. Edibles by Jack s product Edible Asian Spoons are now available Internationally. Developed and introduced by Different Tastes Catering of Boston sixteen years ago, the Edible Asian Spoon began as a local trend but, over the years, it has become a mainstay for many caterers, country clubs, hotels and restaurants throughout North America and, now, internationally. In the past, caterers would offer a porcelain or plastic Asian spoon with hors d'oeuvres atop it for their guest's enjoyment. The Edible Asian Spoon's creator, Jack Milan, always saw this as an inconvenience for the guest. In one hand, the guest held their beverage glass; in another, the Asian spoon. Guests had to wait for a server to come around in order to dispose of the spoon. It is because of these circumstances that the Edible Asian Spoon was born. Currently, the Edible Asian Spoon is available in the fifteen. Shelf life is six months or it may be frozen. The Edible Asian Spoon is also available in limited Gluten-Free and Kosher lines. For ordering details visit ediblesbyjack.com. page 14 Calibre International offers a variety of unique promotional products to meet marketing and promotional needs. They create lasting brand recognition with their high quality imprinted and engraved products. With their new Digital Printing Process, virtually limit- See WHAT S GOING ON page 18

13 Restaurant Vendors ASSOCIATION The Restaurant Vendors Association is a South Florida networking group concentrating on the hospitality industry. What makes the RVA unique and successful is members do not compete with each other. Only one company is allowed for each business category - this insures a free flow of information THE RESTAURANT VENDORS ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY Alcohol Beverage Law - Food Safety S.E.R.V.E. Program, Inc Michael McClain Apps NPSAPPS Karrie Klimas Beverage Compressed Gases CO2.TANK / Broward Nelson Fountain Service Lee Spencer Coffee / Tea / Espresso Restaurant Beverage Service, Inc Jeff Ostroff Credit Card Payment Processing Service First Processing Jill Perris Desserts / Ice Cream Gelato Fino Desserts Debbie Durinski Dining Rewards Rewards Network Robert Kovachich Discount Dining Card Primecard Sherry Funt Equipment KC Kitchen Equipment Ken Cohen Exhaust Hood Cleaning Airways Cleaning & Fireproofing Joe Jacobs Floor Drain Cleaning Bio-Clear, Inc Joe Jacobs Grease Trap Maintenance All Clear Technologies, Inc Jennifer Hosler HVAC, Refrigeration, Kitchen Equipment Repairs TWC Services, Inc Marc Daniels THIS MONTH S FEATURED MEMBERS and leads between members and creates a win-win situation for everyone. Members generate business for one another and are assured of quality product and services in return. Food and beverage operators recognize RVA members as fair, efficient and reliable. New members are always welcome! Insurance Anderson Insurance Eric Anderson Janitorial Services / Emmaculate Reflections Cleaning Service Jerry Donath Locksmith Company Locksmith Specialists, LLC Pat Cullins Magazine TravelHost Magazine Sharon Zalkin Music / Audio - Visual Systems Melody AV / Mood Media Maggie Naylor Payroll Services PayMaster Payroll Service Martin Joyce Pest Control Orkin Pest Control John Kennedy Point of Sale Touch Screens Ext Pinnacle Hospitality Systems Tim Sapp Publications Today's Restaurant News Howard Appell Refrigeration Door Seals / Gaskets Arctic Seal and Gasket Fred Froberg Restaurant Brokers We Sell Restaurants Ken Eisenband Sanitation Chemicals Swisher Gene Ruggere 13 FEBRUARY FLORIDA Broward Nelson offers a full line of Premium Gourmet bagin-box soda syrups and bar juice concentrates. Along with private label syrups, we also carry a full line of Coca Cola soda syrups. CO2 gas, beer mix and nitrogen are available in various size cylinders. We also provide Bulk CO2 and nitrogen generators for any size bar or restaurant. Soda and juice dispensing systems are custom tailored to meet your needs. We have been at the same location and under the same management for the past 43 years. Online at: Restaurant Beverage Service has been serving many of the finest and largest hotels, resorts, restaurants and country clubs in South Florida for over 21 years. RBS is the exclusive distributor for China Mist Iced Tea, Java Mist Coffee, New England Coffee, Monin Flavorings, Lavazza, Café Don Pablo, Mighty Leaf Tea & many other fine coffees, teas, espresso and beverage related products. We offer free brewing equipment, free water filtration, monthly QA with preventative maintenance and in house service available seven days a week. We serve Key West to Port Saint Lucie. Your Security is our Top Priority! S.E.R.V.E. Program, Inc. LEADERS IN TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION FOR: Responsible Alcohol Vendor State Approved Employee Food Handler Professional Food Manager Beverage License / Application P.O. Box Ft. Lauderdale, FL FAX: Do You Lock Your Doors? Or Do You Secure Your Doors? Physical Security for Internal and External theft. Locks for front of house, back of house, main office, liquor room. Key control for entire business Safe work Call today: MyLocksmithSpecialists.com locksmithspecialists@gmail.com Covering Dade, Broward and Boca Areas 241 SW 21 Terrace, Fort Lauderdale BROWARD DADE CO2-TANK COFFEE TEA ESPRESSO We Now Distribute Premium Gourmet Fountain Syrups Post Mix Syrups and a Variety of Top Quality Concentrated Bar Juices CO2 Gas, Beer Mix Nitrogen and Helium Bulk CO2 in Various Size Cylinders Free loaned equipment Local, National & European Brands In-house Service 365 days/year Written quality assurance reviews Ask for Jeff:

14 FLORIDA FEBRUARY 14 What s Going On from less possibilities can be created from customization of multi-colored logos to personal messages. Calibre International is now offering their Pizza Cutter Bottle Opener along with many products for Bar & Beverage items to Safety related items for customized use. Visit highcalibre.com for further information. The National Restaurant Association announced that John G. (Jack) Crawford, President and CEO of Ground Round Independent Owners Cooperative (IOC), was elected Chairman until January Also, Joseph J. K a d o w, Executive VP and Chief Legal Officer of Bloomin Brands, Inc., was elec ted Vice Chair; and Jeffrey W. Davis, Chairman of United States Beef Corporation, an Arby s Franchisee, was elected Treasurer. Artegon, Festival Bay's transformation into the new, $70 million, 1.1 million-square-foot mall, Artegon Orlando has opened. Its Artegon Marketplace Orlando is an entirely new shopping concept for the region described as being inspired by the world s famous marketplaces. The Village at Artegon Marketplace houses 165 artisanal shops and stores. Among the offerings are hand-made leather goods, accessories, jewelry, sculpture, mixed media artwork, custom clothing and locally-sourced foods. Artegon Marketplace Orlando is anchored by Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, Ron Jon Surf Shop Cinemark Theaters, Sheplers Western Stores, Toby Keith s I Love This Bar & Grill. For more details and photos, visit or Mango's Tropical Café & Nightclub Complex is planning to open in the summer of. The $30 million, 55,000-square-foot project is located at the corner of I-Drive and Sand Lake Road. Mango's is slated to give conventioneers and tourists another entertainment venue in the I-Drive corridor. Visit for details. Today s Restaurant invites you to submit information for the What s Going On column. Please your story to us and try to keep the word count between words. Get free publicity for your company. Visit our website at for info on advertising opportunities. page 16 Classified Ads 12 months for only $149. Classifieds available online at Business for Sale or Lease Ocean Front Commercial Property For Sale in Daytona Beach Shores. More than 6200 sq. ft. Newly renovated interior including new roof and 140 feet of full length windows. $695,000 For Virtual tour go to or contact Richard Merlino, Remax Signature at rmerlino@cfl.rr.com Restaurant and Catering Business For Sale. 104 Seat with 2 kitchens and 1 Prep line, 3700 square feet. Business is open for Breakfast and Lunch 6 days a week. Closed Sundays. Largest Catering Business in South Central Florida. 28 years in Business! Asking $275,000 Call John at Also, 8800 square foot Building also for Sale for $400,000. Restaurant and 3 rental store fronts all occupied and paying rent. Sell Your Business with Russell Cohen of Murphy Business & Financial Services. Over 425 businesses sold since Call me at rcohen@murphybusiness.com Employment GENERAL MANAGER WANTED! RESTAURANT PLACEMENT GROUP is searching for a Top-Notch GM for a popular contemporary American restaurant & bar in Boca/Delray. Also for a new Ft. Laud location. Must have solid credentials with high-volume operations, a dynamic personality, and great people skills. resume to: Resume@RestaurantPlacement.com. Resume must include CITY, , and phone #. STRICT CONFIDEN- TIALITY assured. Sales Associate wanted for National Company to call on local merchants and restaurants for an & internet program the most successful and affordable way for a merchant to reach their customers. Generous Commissions, Residuals & Bonus Potential for Good Performance. Fax Resume to or Call Sales position for Restaurant Point of Sale leader. Miami and West Palm Beach area. Base compensa- tion plus commission/complete benefits package. Responsible for generating direct sales Contact: Tim (954) ext Pinnaclehs.com Uniform company in Boca Raton looking for office/warehouse personal. 35hrs/wk for filing, answering phones, checking in shipments, packing orders, and assisting with walk-in customers. Starting $12/hr. Call Lobster Tank Depot New Lobster Tanks & Live Support Systems Crab Trout Clams Catfish and More! Preventative Maintenance Service Professional Used Tanks (when available) Services Repair Supplies Parts Since 1978 Replacement Equipment Employee Training Call us before you buy: Merchandise CASH FOR USED RESTAURANT EQUIPMENT! One piece or entire location. TOP DOLLAR PAID. Also do appraisals. Call Toby at / Call Today! Services Is your POS Feeling Outdated?? Cloud Based PCI, secure, easily accessible in the cloud. Online ordering, mobile payments, loyalty, surveys, kitchen video, labor management, and more RESTAURANT PLACEMENT GROUP Exclusive recruiting, placement, and consulting services for the Restaurant, Hospitality, and Food Service industry. Personalized, professional service with absolute strict Confidentiality and Guaranteed results. Contact Ken Spahn at Ken@Restaurant Placement.com or (561) ; RENT your next POS System! Never have to buy an expensive system again! Always have current software and updated hardware. Be Smart... SAVE Money! Two ways from page 1 can connect their Yelp and Foursquare accounts so their Foursquare check ins will show up on Yelp. If you are doing any local search marketing for your business online, Yelp is a necessary listing to claim, and the same goes for Merchant Circle and Urbanspoon! 7. Give people a sneak peek: Videos are a great way to give people a behindthe-scenes look at your restaurant and even short videos capturing employee interviews or of the chef cooking up a signature dish. Once you record the videos, upload them to YouTube and start promoting them on your other social media channels! A great way to encourage customer participation is to interview them and feature the videos on your blog or another social site. If your customers are featured they will be more likely to share the content themselves. 8. Get Alerted by Google: Setting up Google alerts for your restaurant name is a great way to track brand mentions on the Internet. To do this, visit and set up an account. You can tell Google to send alert messages to your whenever your restaurant name is mentioned online and they will send you a link to the site where your restaurant is mentioned. By doing this, you can track the sentiment people have with your restaurant whether it is positive or negative and even respond in a timely fashion. 9. Go mobile: Many restaurants, like Chipotle and Pizza Hut, have created their own mobile applications that allow customers to place food orders on their smart phones. Though this may not be an option for all restaurants, it is definitely something to consider if a large portion of your target market uses smart phones. If you cannot create a custom application, create a mobile version of your website that allows customers to surf your site easily on their phones. 10. Create a social media editorial calendar: Create a calendar that shows what dates and times certain pieces of content will be distributed. The best way to do this is include all the different social distribution channels (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.) and detail what pieces of content you are going to promote through each channel and at what time. Even though you may think posting on social sites often is important, think quality over quantity. Reliability and consistency is always appreciated, so make sure you are promoting quality content whenever you offer information or resources. Also, be aware of your audience on each social site. Knowing your audience and your target market will change what and how often you share content. And last but not least: encourage engagement. Don t forget about scheduling in spots on your editorial calendar to ask customers questions or take polls to encourage engagement! So there you have it 10 ways to create an effective social media marketing plan and promote your restaurant! Have you employed a social media strategy for your restaurant? What tactics have you found to be successful? Article submitted by: MenuCoverMan a Division of Blueberry Brands. They can be contacted at or on their menucoverman.com or blueberrybrands.com. Menucoverman supplies restaurants throughout North America and the Carribbean with next day service.

15 Former bar owner creates green coaster solution Company s mission: Produce green, sustainable product Pompano Beach, FL - Bust Out Products' new drink coasters Magic Mug Rugs are making a huge impact when it comes to driving down contaminated paper product waste and driving up profits for the beverage and hospitality industries. Magic Mug Rugs is the invention of Mike Meier, a third generation restaurant and bar owner. His 40-year quest to eliminate contaminated bar napkins and pulp-board coasters in his own establishments drove him to create and patent the first totally reusable custom drink coaster. "My colorful Magic Mug Rugs are custom printed, super absorbent, dishwasher safe and completely reusable," Meier explained in a recent interview. "Paper waste accounts for 31% of what is dumped into our landfills. My vision is to significantly reduce that number." Conscientious beverage and hospitality companies, like the Fort Lauderdale Blue Martini, one of the hottest martini lounge chains in the nation are looking for solutions that reduce their environmental footprint with regard to paper waste. Jim Marcil, General Manager of Fort Lauderdale Blue Martini says, "Magic Mug Rugs drink coasters work great, and have saved me over $1000 per month in paper products." The product actually costs much less to use than standard pulp-board coaster that lasts only a few days in a restaurant. Magic Mug Rugs can be found in food and beverage establishments and retail home products, gift and souvenir stores Social media from page 1 With Instagram you will post photos and people will respond to them by marking them with a heart if they love the picture, the venue, or have enjoyed this food or want to enjoy it. As the restauranteur should use hashtags which are symbolized with the symbol # used before a keyword that describes what is in the photo. If I want to show a picture of Sushi I could use the following hashtags to get more recognition and to be seen in the conversations for #Food, #Restaurant, #Japanese #Seafood, #Sushi #Lunch #Dinner #Salmon #octopus #Tuna #MiamiBeach #Miami #FineDining #Gourmet #Chef and more. To be more visible on Instagram you would want to have 7 to 9 keywords using these #Hashtags. On the website known as Pinterest you create "Boards " to represent the pictures you want to promote and showcase. You can have a Board for each category or group things together on one Board. Using the Japanese Food and this theme a board that would cover many of the topics could be "Japanese Food." You can show the restaurant, pictures of the various Japanese dishes on the menu, you can even show guests enjoying the food and the chef and staff members preparing and serving the food. You can creatively present your entire Japanese Restaurant business in pictures online. Let's use the same restaurant and promote a "Sushi Lunch Special" on Magic Mug Rugs is the invention of Mike Meier, a third generation restaurant and bar owner. in over 30 states. Their catchy mottos include "Don't Drink Without Protection!" and "Put Your Mug On Our Rug!" Bust Out Products is the manufacturing division of Bust Out Promotions, LLC., a Green and Made in the U.S.A. Company serving the retail, beverage and hospitality industry since For all information visit the company website online at drinkcoastersusa.com or bustoutproducts.com. Or you can call them at Twitter. You register your business on Twitter and I'm going to use my Twitter "handle " Successipes for the example and the Tweet could be : #Successipes enjoying #Sushi #Lunch at XYZ #japanese #Restaurant #miamibeach. Fresh #Salmon#Tuna (305)xxxxxxx. For the BBQ Restaurant : You'd have pictures of Ribs for example and use Hashtags such as #Restaurant #BBQ #Miami (or your city location) #Food #Ribs. What are the Keywords which describe what your restaurant offers? Make a plan. Work the plan. What results will you have in your business a year from now if you just did one thing every day to promote your restaurant and your food? A year from now with just one photo a day, you' could have 365 photos posted online which are targeted to helping you build traffic to your restaurant with new and repeat customers. If you don't have a plan and do this, your competitor probably will. They are also reading this article. You can ignore this information and a year from now scratch your head and wonder why your traffic is down. It's your choice. Make a plan. Work the plan. Get help planning your marketing and create a well-rounded plan to reach your audience. Lori Wilk is Executive Producer of BYL Network, Inc. and a LinkedIn Open Networker. She is also the host of Successipes on BYL Network's Money Channel. Lori can be reached at (702) or at BYL Network at or online at KNOCKOUT Your Competition with HUNDREDS of verified monthly sales leads from our NEW OPENING LEADS REPORT Why waste your salespeoples valuable time chasing down dead leads when you can have HUNDREDS of verified leads delivered right to your every month? Today s Restaurant New Opening Leads Report is available for Florida, Georgia and Texas each state report is*only $389. PER YEAR! That s less than $33. a month perstate! Similar reports from other companies can sell for ten times that amount. Why spend thousands per year when can you get quality, verifiable leads right now from the Foodservice Industry Authority Today s Restaurant! Call today for info or sign up right now at Why wait? Beat your competition to the punch! LESS THAN $ 33. A MONTH! * FEBRUARY FLORIDA

16 FLORIDA FEBRUARY 16