Look at GINGER. Once not that long ago it was just a spice in a container. Then fresh ginger came into vogue as we learned to give our food a little boost. Now it has its own elevated position in the beverage world not just as a stand-alone ginger ale, as it seems to be a compatible, healthy flavoring for any number of drinks whether hot or cold. As for snacking, ginger and chocolate are the darling of combo treats!

A parallel is the flower, HIBISCUS. Yes, its fragrance and compatibility make it a charmer again for beverages and plenty of flavor enhancers. Look at how pomegranate drinks have become more palate pleasers with the addition of ginger and hibiscus!  Somehow dishes and beverages seem to have a more chef-fueled flavor when you add something that some would consider exotic, something such as hibiscus.

Maybe the current number one trend-setting position goes to SORGHUM. In the summertime we enjoy the bounty of color from the fields of sorghum and appreciate how farmers are turning those fields into profitability. Now we see a different side to this grain as the growing gluten-free market space has heartily embraced the flavor of sorghum beers after several early rollouts of G-F ales that were less than enticing. Not only the beverage world but the chef-driven universe has embraced this sweetener with some top-tier creative moments.

Let’s end our discussion today with two food words that are making the rounds.
-Meatballs are everywhere and seem to have found a place at every tier of dining. They can quickly be fancified or presented as the alternative to the spate of burger spots.

-Parm. Eggplant has long championed its association with parm-topped dishes and now poultry-inspired foods are grabbing plenty of menu headlines. Sure, chicken parm has been a popular dish for a long time, but it now seems to be a pervasive special!

All these words and products speak the same language: Versatility as they are compatible with a range of pairing options. Time to uncover some of these foods and avoid total food hibernation.

A Mintel survey indicates we’ll be thinking more about “home” even at quick service and fast food restaurants. They anticipate this restaurant tier to start using more “comfort” words in menu descriptors. They also expect significant growth in this market space. “Homespun” goodness will pervade menus implying that careful preparation is at work in the kitchen regardless of the restaurant’s price point! Other prospective trends include:

–Regional foods will win over the menu as more restaurants work to bring in popular dishes from areas well-known for their specialties, such as Memphis Barbecue.

–Menus will have a section devoted to healthier dishes with lower-calorie foods. This concept will become more prevalent across price points.

–Restaurants will move more to customized ordering systems to give consumers more dining options that they will be able to impact.

Not to be left behind when we talk of trends, The National Restaurant Association surveyed 1,800 chefs, members of the American Culinary Federation, to get their input for their list, “What’s Hot in 2012.” Here are some headliners with the word “local” making its way into 3 of the top 10 trends:

–Locally sourced meats and seafood, and locally grown produce. A little further down the trend list is locally produced wine and beer.

–”Healthy” makes its presence felt with healthful kids’ meals, whole grain items in kids’ meals, and Gluten-free/food allergy-conscious items.

They see a continuation and growth of food trucks, the continued importance of the farmer in bringing products to market, and more fruit and vegetable side dishes on kids’ menus.

What’s interesting about these lists is the greater emphasis on product sustainability. It appears our emphasis is more on the practical, rather than the outlandish: All trends that have a chance of surviving and becoming more commonplace rather than single shots at fame.

Fun to follow these concepts as many are homespun ideas that have already had an impact on our food universe.

According to Andrew Freeman, (Andrew Freeman & Co) a great food guru with a major hospitality background, this is the year of  the potato. No complaints from me as potatoes have been my friend for years. He says expect to see menus wrapped around the food such a:

–French Fry Menus: Choose Your Cut, Color, Sauce (like the French Fry Menu at Jasper’s Corner Tap & Kitchen in San Francisco)
–Mashers with Mix-ins
–Custom Cut Chips and You-Pick Dips

Or, Grilled Cheese, which he calls the next burger as in:

–Signature Sandwiches
–Gourmet Interpretations, Creative Variations, Old-Time Classics
–Artisan Ingredients (or Not), or:

Produce-ing Desserts, Vegetable Desserts

–Experimentation with Flavors
–Innovative Creations Combine Savory and Sweet

They, of course, have numerous additional ideas and let you look back at prior food trend lists to see how well they did!

Supermarket News approaches the food trend list from an entirely different perspective and lists the number 1 trend which will impact everything as food prices. They do not believe prices will lessen much as production costs continue to increase, but they see grocers coming up with clever ways to entice the consumer including bonus points getting used toward lay-away programs for bigger purchases as coupon use continues. They expect to see more grocers joining the “farm to fork” philosophy as food origin has become an important factor in purchasing. Likewise, they expect grocers to cater more to the largest population of shoppers, the baby boomers, 76 million of them, “will control 52% of the total $706 billion spend on groceries by 2015 – making them the largest food influencers and purchasers.”

Solutions seem to be as prolific as the number of individuals offering advice. Now there is a strategy that everyone can employ and use wisely. Tomorrow, October 24 is the 1st National Food Day. What does that phrase really mean? In its most simple terms, it means, that there will be an emphasis on food issues throughout the country. Most cities have signed on with some sort of program and chefs, of course, are playing a significant role in the program.

What about the individual response? Yes, we can all get involved and do something. One day can make a difference. Support your local farmer. There are still plenty of farmstand markets bringing in the best of fall fruits and vegetables.  In some communities, individuals are helping plant a school garden so that young children can benefit from what is truly fresh. Restaurants are having a large variety of programs to bring in individuals and demonstrate how we can all pitch in and make a difference. Find a sustainable food project in your community and participate.

Yes, everyday can be a food day, but sometimes we need to pull back and think about how we can help others and create a stronger, better, more harmonious approach to food issues.  We can be a healthy nation.

When you stay at a mid-tier property, and you hear the restaurant server explain that the coffee is “a little better, a little stronger, more like Starbucks,” you know what to expect.  Actually, it’s a matter of what the hotel company has heard: Stop pouring the weak stuff. I can water it down if it’s too strong, but it can’t work the other way. Whether changes were made due to consumer response or survey responses or just plain common sense, the reason remains less important than the reality. Starting the day, or in my case at any point of the day, with a decent cup of coffee makes a difference.

Maybe this is all part of the renewed and improved market for business travelers. Now that they are back on the road, it seems each of the hotel brands is ready to do some upscaling to grab that important market segment. With smart work from a hotel’s sales staff, leisure travel, likewise, has all the appearances of getting a bounce. If there are few other signs of economic improvement, these are noteworthy.

Not just the coffee service but the whole breakfast scene is being revitalized. The days of a sweet roll and a cup of coffee are moving further into the annals of hotel hopping. Hyatt just announced they are reworking their Summerfield Suites and rebranding them as Hyatt House, a brand that will offer a variety of comforting selections including made-to-order breakfasts. That feature is a big drawing card for almost any guest. From a hotel perspective, it’s a newly vital component of the brand message. Look at how well the Bistro concept works for the Courtyard franchise.

If you are paying over $500 a night for a room, your concerns include a good quality restaurant with a menu that addresses a wide-range of tastes and allows for substitutions. Yet if your stay is more moderate as in the under $200 a night category, a made-to-order breakfast becomes a positive plus in overall decision-making. The word “complimentary” has a smart marketing ring to it!

A decent cup of coffee and a hot breakfast are two important trends making their way through the moderate, mid-priced hotel industry. All segments of the traveling public seem responsive to this type of positive change. Now just stop charging for wi-fi and you’ve got a friend!

The Subway chain in Oregon and Texas offers gluten-free sandwiches. (The program was rolled out several months ago, but I recently observed the process firsthand–quite different from a press release!) This is a big deal being advertised with banners and in-store literature. Anecdotally, they are reporting an impressive amount of interest and orders.

If you enter a Subway that offers a G-F menu, then you have hit the quick-service, made-to-order sandwich line. Before you scoff and say how could such a large chain pull off the G-F experience, let me share what I witnessed. The staff has been well trained and recognize the contamination possibilities. The roll comes wrapped but never even makes it to the counter until the sandwich person scrubs down the counter, announces that a G-F sandwich is about to be made, does a complete hand wash, and grabs a new pair of gloves. Pretty impressive actually! For those who worry about the isolation preparation. you have an advantage: You watch the process rather than speculate that caution is being followed!

When all is set and ready to go, the G-F sandwich gets further isolated during the preparation selection and ends up in its own specialty bag. What’s the upcharge for this attention to detail? A dollar more for a G-F sandwich: A price that goes down easily.

Maybe other fast food, casual restaurants, and nationwide chains will figure out that offering a gluten-free option is not price prohibitive but rather financially advantageous.

Marketing mainstream reality.

Now a little background. The National Archives is the Nation’s repository of history, and the impressive food collection is a vital piece of that history. They have culled their materials to create an exhibit which will open June 10, 2011. “What’s Cooking, Uncle Sam?” will showcase 85 original records which trace the origins of the programs and the legislation aimed at the food supply and reflect the effects government programs have had on our food choices and preferences. Visitors will have an opportunity to examihttp://www.allbeforecoffee.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=8289&action=edit&message=10ne letters, diaries, photos, and maps from the collection. The Exhibition will focus on four broad themes: Farm, factory, kitchen, and table.

Then there is the world of internationally recognized Spanish chef Jose Andres who makes his home in Washington, DC and is the master of the restaurant scene with his restaurants under the creative arm of his ThinkFood Group. Andres will serve as the Chief Culinary Advisor to the exhibit. He calls himself a “cook and a storyteller,” and his most humble story, apropos to this exhibit, is his own personal success and achievements in his adopted country. Andres’s passion for food and how it can teach us to understand nations and history will become evident in the July 4th opening of his newest endeavor, America Eats Tavern. It is no coincidence that this pop-up 6-month restaurant will be on 8th Street within view of the Archives and in the Cafe Atlantico space which will move to  a new home.

Andres believes that chefs tell a story and that this restaurant, opening in collaboration with the Archives exhibit and in partnership with the Foundation for the National Archives, will expand food knowledge for all visitors. This unique, first-of-a-kind partnership will open the eyes of visitors to understand our nation’s past and project them into understanding the importance of food in our culture and our heritage.

Different titles; different jobs: One Nation of Food.

Then, the impasse. Your email is filled with offers. Deals, bargains, two-fers; you name it. They’re there. What happened? How did we get to this point, and why was no one offering us these “bargains” before? Marketing organization is the strategy that convinces businesses to take advantage of online energy. It’s simple for the companies, especially small companies, but no one should forget how well big players such as Gap (Groupon deal) and Amazon (Living Social deal) did with their offers!  Small businesses, on the other hand,  see the advantage of possibly getting 1,000 new customers. Will they have stickiness is the big question or does the purchaser only visit the place on his special deal visit?

Look at the possibilities that I awoke to this morning: Half-off a burger, $15 for $30 worth of food from a large selection of Asian and European restaurants, $25 for $50 at an American spot…I could continue, but it is rather alarming how these deals multiply. Subscribers are divided into only two groups: The Addicted and the Never Again. The fine print often gets the Never Again as they missed the expiration date or the deal was not what they expected.

The Addicted, a group I might claim chairmanship, means a daily scroll through the possibilities and some serious personal, private conversations about how many deals should one have floating in their cloud at any one time? I do have self-control, as in, I did not buy $20 worth of candy which looked like jelly beans for $10. Yet, a good chocolate offer…BTW, companies are sprouting up all over the country. New online contenders continually seem to offer a deal a day. Deal categories continue to expand from cooking classes to clothing to home decor and activity trips or vacations. You name it; there’s a deal site.

What’s one to do? Of course, cancellation would be an option, but then you’d miss the hot new restaurant that’s trying to get your attention. After all when you scan through sold out past deals, you see what you missed!

Just to show you the popularity of these programs, try to take advantage of the offer to get “free” money with a referral. Everyone you send it to seems to respond, “already subscribe.”

The obvious solution: Invest in the companies when they go public. They know how to make a deal.

It is not impossible for a good chef, often with multiple days of a heads up, to come up with a beautiful list of options. Yet, why not show that same spunk and put one or two items on the menu that say “We cater to everyone.” More customers are looking for creative alternatives.

These early days of spring are a perfect time to embrace the possibilities. Rice has lots of company; try quinoa–it makes a great salad or side dish. Broccoli has its adherents, but really no need to dance around the other extensive produce choices. How about fruits? So many more choices than just apples combined with walnuts. Truly.

Chefs who get it are rewarded with a steady base of customer loyalty. It may be time to clean off the back burner and see what new approaches can make a menu appearance. Research indicates consumers are dining out again. Make it worth their while–treat diners to creativity.

Simple rule of thumb: Know your prices. If you know the cost of the basics, then you know when an item “on sale” is truly a sale-priced item.

Step two: Plan menus around the sales. If this is the week that avocados are reasonable, then guacamole proves tastier. You can follow that rhythm through each department. Chicken thighs on sale; chicken thighs, it is.

There are few other strategies that work as well during the upward creep. Maybe the process is faster than a creepy crawl as a week does not go by without another commodity escalating upwards.

Coffee prices are up. Eggs are more expensive. Bread products continue to rise (pun intended). Name a food, a basic commodity, and you understand how the shopping scene has changed.

Besides the bread basket costs of grocery shopping, another effect is on restaurants. Consumers have only so much of their budgeted money for food, whether at the market or at a restaurant. The end result is the fast food and casual restaurants do much better while the mid-tier suffers. The end result is that the restaurant picture continues to struggle as many restaurants with higher price points cannot survive the slack sales.

As we all hold on tighter to our wallets, grocery shopping and dining out become the precious commodities. Increased pricing hits all of us hard.

We can’t afford heavy lifting.

Maybe two dining experiences this week demonstrate the extremes and define some sort of a norm. Take the first lunch with the chatty waiter who had a million recommendations and continued to descend upon the table with boundless energy. I love enthusiasm, but I also appreciate the opportunity to have lunch with a friend rather than being continually interrupted by service questions: How is it? Do you want a soda refill? Can I get you anything? The list goes on. I think my friend and I finished a few complete sentences without interruption. That is until it was time to leave. You guessed it: Nowhere to be found. We literally had to ask several people to find a way to get our check. Something is very wrong with this picture. Is the server too kind, too enthusiastic, or just plain annoying? You can vote for that outcome.

The following day, the experience was almost text book. A server arrived quickly, took the order, and appeared almost by magic when it was appropriate: Time to clear, time to inquire if there would be anything else, and time to leave the check. If you guess that the two adjacent day meals were at different price points or at restaurants so different in terms of their training, you’d be incorrect. Price points identical; training very important to both multi-unit midscale operations.

What’s the difference then? Personality plays a major part in the communication level. Efficiency certainly dominates the training, but the hovering, chatty, “new friend” experience is not what most people look for when dining out. Servers need to read guests; they need to read the table and determine what’s needed. It’s not an impossible characteristic of good service, but one that can make a meal a more pleasant experience than the missing server or the hovering one.

Perfect timing is what it’s all about. Not that complex a concept, but the difference between a positive dining out experience and one less than pleasant. The diner rules and dictates; the server sees and responds. The tip stays the same.

Dining out should have that careful orchestration that adds to the enjoyable aspect of the food. Everyone needs to know his part.

Maybe when we order a restaurant meal we have an expectation of all the sensory clues working together. That is after all how we prepare a meal when we cook at home. Sure, we anticipate the outcome, but we also consider the steps we need to follow in order to get there. The same process should work when dining out. We read a description of an item and often we ask the server for additional details or we add vital information such as inquiring whether a particular dish could be prepared without fish sauce. Or, for example, do you do a vegetarian Pad Thai? We need to keep the restaurant in the loop of any special food requests so that when an item arrives, the surprise value does not translate into major disappointment.

Case in point: When you order a carefully detailed menu item, and you receive an entree with a heavy brown sauce atop it, your eyes go into a dizzying downward spiral. Displeasure hits first. Even when someone tries to explain away a food, it might be a conversation that is lost on you as the visual clues have gone into high gear. Eating out is about more than just price or price point. Everything has to jell; food needs to be fairly priced, prepared well, and served properly. It almost doesn’t matter what we order. It’s what we are presented.

Not only five-star or top-tier restaurants needs to adhere to the eye principle, but everyone preparing a meal must pass the eye-appealing test. What we order matters little in comparison to what we receive! We first eat with our eyes and then we taste.

–Old Italian is Back or what they call, Old Italian is Newly Respectable. Remember the red-checkered tablecloths for those favorite spaghetti and meatball meals? Not only will you see the great standby dish but eggplant parm and lasagna are again ready for prime time. In many cities restaurants have already discovered these standbys with special meatball nights or even mozzarella bars. Artisan pizza shops are popping up everywhere and for those wondering what to drink, there are plenty of less familiar Italian grapes heading up wine lists. Many mid-tier and less casual restaurants have not suffered during these recessionary times and can increase their foot traffic by bringing in new customers for their take on creative, comfort foods.

–Good News at the Top. Plenty of businesses and individuals have not suffered with the rest of the country. Restaurants will do well with creating contemporary dishes for the crowd that is less concerned about coupons than eating the latest food creation.

–The New Food Emporiums or what they call, Stealth Competitors Creeping Up. We’ve talked plenty in this blog about the expanded venues for dining whether from a food truck, a pop-up restaurant, a grocery store, or a convenience mart that has expanded its menu. These are all competitive outlets for fixed rent-driven restaurants. The growth of the non-traditional is expected to continue as Walgreen’s and other drug stores continue to increase their front-of-store grab ‘n go items. A segment they anticipate will suffer deeply is the fast casual restaurant that offers curbside service. The competition for these dollars now comes from these new quick stops: Filling up the car combined with a run inside to a newly minted quick food stop.

–Bricks-and-Mortar vs. Meals-on-Wheels. These are the ubiquitous food trucks that connect with their customers often through social media outlets. Their appeal has widened, much to the chagrin of restaurants that have to pay rent, utilities, and employee benefits. Many of these trucks, as we have noted, like to set up shop within eyesight of a full service operation. Makes sense from the food truck operator’s viewpoint as certain foods sell best in certain areas, but it proves to be a killer sport for the dues-paying restaurant. The question is will chefs join the mobile brigade?

–Korean Food and the Nothing is Sacred Taco. Although they have been predicting a rise in Korean food, not much happened in that department outside of Korean neighborhoods until the unlikely pairing of Korean food and tacos which proved a winner for a number of food truck operators. Restaurants have caught on, too. They cite a Philadelphia restaurant that has a popular bar staple, Korean short rib tacos, which they believe will become a highly imitated concept. Tacos themselves have seen an explosion at a number of restaurants (and, of course, food trucks) at various price points. Baum & Whiteman believe the wrapper will become more important than the contents! Here’s a potato and egg taco from the popular LA-based Koji BBQ truck.

More tomorrow as the Trend March continues.

Sure the tomatoes are lush and mouth-watering, but a table filled with baby squash varieties has no equal. Price seldom enters that equation as the beauty of squash blossoms with the mini zucchini attached far outweighs any price anxiety. Anyway the blossoms are feather weights and barely tip the scale. Even if your local market managed to have these beauties, you would favor the 2-hour farm stand. No contest.

As for the grocer, everyone wants my number or wants to give me a number. They want my business; my loyalty. Grocers have been in this game a long time, but I’ve noticed we’re moving away from the two-price tier of shopping. If you have a card, you get one price and those who have not given away their lifestyle purchasing info are charged higher. Never really liked this system and much prefer the one I am seeing more of: Everybody gets charged the same price and those with reward cards get a little kickback for future purchases. No more confusion about the tagged price and what you have to give away to save the 40 cents. Reward those who have the “special card.” That’s OK.

More restaurants want to sign me up, too. Restaurant loyalty cards are nothing new as Chicago-based Lettuce Entertain You demonstrated over a decade ago. Reward the repeat diners; that’s not rocket science, but good business. The Palm has had its 857 Club for years, and now other restaurants at the full range of price points want to get in on the action. Not a bad move as the economy is still a laggard affecting restaurant sales.

Specials will continue if not increase during these confusing times. This year we’ve seen a growing number of restaurants move into the happy hour space. Expect that concept to proliferate as it drives business at an otherwise slow period and for many spots extends their volume into a strong bar business.

As for good decisions, think it took Starbucks a long time to join the free Wi-Fi brigade. Irony there is that I’ve been seeing smaller coffee shops move out of that space. Yes, it’s a space issue as all day computer campers scout out the perfect area for their work. Not an easy problem to fix anywhere regardless of size of the establishment. Certainly helps when the weather is nice and outdoor access expands the arena.

My mantra today is quite simple: Let me buy the freshest foods I can afford and reward me for loyalty that involves a simple question not a long form!

–Whole Foods Market started a week-long promotion (4/11-17), Tax Relief Week, with specials throughout the store and a cup of free coffee on the 14th–hope they plan to burn the midnight oil, too, as we’ll need that cup wayyy later than the regular closing hours!

–Starbucks has an early Earth Day present for you on Tax Day: Bring in a reusable travel mug on the 15th and get a free brewed coffee (up to 20 oz.). BTW, they are doing the mug venture daily by offering 10 cents off the cost of a beverage when you come in with your own mug.

–P.F. Chang’s celebrates the 15th with 15% Tax Relief Savings on every order except Happy Hour specials. That would be redundant!

–Cinnabon. Hit the mall stores from 6-8 P for Tax Day Bites. Get two free bites of their new cupcakes with flavors as tantalizing as Chocolate Passion or 24-Carrot Cake.

Check your individual city as so many local places figured out you need a break on the 15th whether or not you’re getting a refund. Here’s a winner from DC:

– Zola offers a repeat of its popular strategy from last year: Sit in the bar, sip a special IRS Raspberry Cocktail and enjoy the 3-course prix fixe special for lunch or dinner, and they’ll pick up the taxes. The Day is taxing enough! If your chaotic nature takes charge that day, don’t worry as the restaurant will have IRS forms, calculators, and envelopes. If you can manage the completion by 11 P, they’ll even mail the forms for you. Grab a seat.

Go out. Enjoy. Mark the end of the anxiety with a mini-celebration.

–The BPA controversy continues. Remember not that long ago the FDA said plastic containers that still held BPA were OK. The news was a little iffy for many people and they went out and bought BPA-free containers. Stores heard the cry and increased their supply of BPA-free water bottles and assorted sized food containers. They were able to charge a little more, OK, make that a lot more, as they were free of the dreaded, uncertain BPA. Now the FDA has new words on this topic. They are urging greater caution. Here is their most recent statement.

–Chefs who are hired to create a space need to listen to their bosses. They will not survive if they are out on the solo creative limb. See Fabio Trabocchi, one of my favorite chef geniuses, but he did not hear the words spoken and unspoken by the regulars at The Four Seasons New York. He could not man the space and just follow his heart. He had to follow what management wanted; in other words, the same Four Seasons type menu that has been filling the space for years. He was not given a restaurant to make his own as when he created Maestro at The Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner. He had to conform and give the Four Seasons guests what they expected: Nothing New. He was ousted this week. January is not a good month for him!

–Tom Colicchio of New York restaurant fame but more recently Bravo’s Top Chef has tried to make and remake his restaurants into more affordable destinations. He had started to cook again and not just be a celebrity chef  (Tom: Tuesday Dinner was his first attempt). His Craftsteak was always a step ahead of the menu mavens, but the concept seemed too expensive for those just looking for a steak. Now he’s ready to showcase Colicchio & Sons in that space. More of a relaxed, less expensive, fun vibe with a focus on more local purveyors.

–Restaurant Weeks have once again proven popular and convincing as many restaurants decided a single seasonal week is not enough. Business has been too good so in various locations throughout the country, a sizable list of restaurants are turning the one-week promotion into a longer lasting, table-filling affair. Sububran restaurants have banded together and decided they, too, could offer their own week or multi-week promotions. (Bethesda-Chevy Chase Restaurant Week).

–More Gluten-Free products hit the market. How about Risotto Chips from the folks that sell Bagel Crisps. Smart move into an ever-growing category of G-F free snacks. Arborio rice now has found a home in 3 distinct rice chip flavors: Spicy marinara, Parmesan & roasted garlic, and sea salt, the new darling of the scoopable chip industry.

–Today is the first day of the West Coast version of the Specialty Food  Show, the Winter Fancy Food Show in SF. How about a little chocolate water? The Metromint folks have a new drink: ChocolateMint Water (zero calories, just essence of mint and  chocolate). Just when you thought you had tried every possible flavored water. More from this show later.

So many stories. SO much news.

Enjoy your Sunday with its Starbucks newspaper insert: All-day oatmeal and hot panini $1 off coupon (good til March 8th).

See what I mean: Hard to stop telling you about the news you need to know!

As for some of the big national steakhouses such as The Palm, The Capital Grille, or Morton’s Steakhouse you see other ways the message is being transmitted: Deals, specials, promotions that keep getting extended. The Palm’s lobster and  steak special are both extended until the end of September. Am losing count how many times these have been extended! The Capital Grille just announced their $39 3-course dinner will be good until the beginning of November!  Morton’s has a similar promotion which continues until the end of September. These types of ongoing promotions were previously unheard of. That says a lot about projections, numbers, and negative info. It only works if the consumer believes that such a promotion is a good deal and not something that is still difficult to swallow.

Restaurant weeks have become multi-week and seasonal promotions. Restaurants tout that a single week could not accommodate all the interest. I think that is part of the story. Having visited a number of such establishments, I believe the other component to the decision is why not extend it an extra week if it helps draw the numbers and fill the tables. Why not?

BTW, the restaurants that did a good job during restaurant weeks are those that either let guests choose items from the regular menu or established a creative menu and not a skimping one that left people grousing about overpaying for something ordinary. The restaurants that have it figured out will garner long-term customer loyalty.

Restaurants can learn plenty from guest response. Listen.

Here are a few additional novel approaches. Thursday, August 13th is the 2nd Annual “Unite for a Bite”, a national program from Women Chefs & Restaurateurs (WCR) to support their membership. When you dine at one of the WCR restaurants–check the list from the above link–you’ll help support future leaders in the field. Participating restaurants will donate 5% of their food and beverage sales that evening for scholarship and educational programs to help women in the culinary field. If your favorite restaurant is not on the list, tell them to get on the program–there’s still time.

Not too early to plan ahead into the fall; at least that’s what the Missouri Restaurant Association believes. Their special promotion, Dine Out Missouri, rewards you for dining out. Not a bad deal. The September statewide promotion gives you money back for collecting your receipts. There are various takes on this concept such as a November one in Seattle that has 30 participating restaurants with $30 menus; some do $15 lunches. Check with your local or statewide restaurant association to see what their plans are to help keep the costs down.

Lest we forget, the “Julie & Julia” movie has encouraged a number of special events and promotions. It seems that restaurants are celebrating the movie, the anniversary of her birthday, and just about any Julia Child connection they can make. All of a sudden, everyone wants to be a French chef!

Bonne chance!

Why Washington was so late to decide is always a question open to discussion, but no matter the answer, the solution is: Problem Solved. Shamefully late, but better late than not at all. Judging by the sheer number of restaurants (200) in the metropolitan area participating, its popularity is obvious. Restaurateurs and diners need the financial incentives–these programs work!

Many cities report strong restaurant week promotions with a number of restaurants continuing an additional week or longer. That has become the norm and if anything defines success, the message from diners says, bring on the promos.

Some of my favorite follow-ups occurred in the Charlottesville area where two restaurants, Fossett’s and C&O were booked solidly and each decided to add a week to help diners who wanted to enjoy the benefits. At the Old Mill Room (Boar’s Head Inn), they opted to have a 3-course prix fixe menu for the month of August! Diners talk.

Once again, Open Table is the best way to secure a reservation–NOW. If prior events are a true indication, plan to dine at one of the many restaurants that are often hard to get into and normally pricier than this opportunity presents, but plan ahead, far ahead.

History says these programs work. Everyone can use the boost.

Enjoy.

Yes, no matter how many steps we move forward from the economic mess, we are still left with the reality that this has been a difficult year and much has changed. Maybe not at the very high end that appeals to individuals who are still quite comfortable and have little idea what I am referencing. They are a small percentage of overall dining patrons. They will continue to dine where they dine and support high-end establishments.

The rest of the dining out universe looks for opportunities to make dining out an ongoing affair, but a more affordable one. Look at casual restaurant chains such as TGI Friday’s–click for the buddy coupon, Applebee’s, and Chili’s. Even Bonefish Grill wants to play. They all say: Come inside; have we got a deal for you!

Restaurants that hosted Restaurant Week promotions report strong results with many continuing them into multiple week promos. Diners love the 3-course prix-fixe concept. We’ll probably see more of those promotions as they help both the diner and the establishment.

At a much higher end is a popular annual summer promotion, the multi-pound lobster special at The Palm. These dinners for two cost significantly more than many people are spending for dining out, and one wonders if the reduced price in lobster should not have convinced the restaurant chain to lower prices this year. After all, lobstermen have been complaining about how little they are getting for a lobster. Maybe they should just befriend The Palm!

So many restaurants have not adjusted or understood that the diner is more cautious. Results often mean a closed spot such as the once popular Olives Restaurant (as in chef Todd English’s outpost) in Washington, DC. No more. Shuttered. A week seldom goes by without such an event. It’s tough out there.

Adjust. Listen to your guests. Find a direction.

You set that table. We’ll come.