State of the Gulf | Restaurantville Monthly, November/December 2012

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MONTHLY CONNECTINGTHETEXASRESTAURANTCOMMUNITY

State of the Gulf

Photo courtesy of Texas Department of Agriculture

Texas Seafood Restaurants Going Local and Sustainable

2 | November/December 2012 R E STAU R A N T V I L L E M O N T H LY

PUBLISHERRichie Jackson, CEO

Texas Restaurant Association

EDITORWendy Saari, Vice President, Marketing & Communications Texas Restaurant Association

CONTRIBUTORS

Chantal RiceDale Willerton

ART DIRECTOR Joanna King,

Graphic Design Manager Texas Restaurant Association

ADVERTISINGJoanne Pantaze, JP Solutions

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or [email protected].

Editorial questions can be directed to Wendy Saari at 512-457-4100 or

[email protected].

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R E STAU R A N T V I L L E M O N T H LY November/December 2012 | 3

contents

D E P A R T M E N T S

18 TEXAS 360

24 COMMUNITY NEWS

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F E A T U R E S

05 STATE OF THE GULF: TEXAS SEAFOOD RESTAURANTS GOING LOCAL AND SUSTAINABLE

15 MEMBER MEMOIR: ORLANDO’S & CAPROCK CAFE

16 LEASING Q AND A’S

122012


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State of the Gulf

There are plenty of fish in the sea, or—in Texas’ case—the Gulf. But with unpredictable forces (extreme economic conditions, nat-ural disasters, oil spills) wreaking havoc on the Gulf of Mexico’s fish habitats, ever-changing dynamics in the wholesale seafood industry and consumers’ demand for local seafood steadily grow-ing, some Texas restaurants could be facing an ocean of trouble if they don’t adapt to face these challenges head-on.

By Chantal Rice

Photo courtesy of Texas Department of Agriculture

Texas Seafood Restaurants Going Local and Sustainable


SEA CHANGE Today, the Gulf of Mexico ac-counts for 40 percent of the commercial seafood caught in the continental United States, according to the non-profit Ocean Conservancy. Gulf sea-food is an international com-modity, reaching plates across Texas, the U.S. and even other countries. That’s a significant amount of demand. And it’s not just Gulf shrimp, oysters and flounder; fishermen and suppli-ers are now selling a wider vari-ety of Gulf seafood than ever. It wasn’t always this way.

“Back in the early ’70s, there were five or six varieties,” says Jim Gossen, founder of Gulf sea-

food supplier Louisiana Foods. “The biggest change I’ve seen is the variety of seafood available to restaurants.”

As airlines began shipping sea-food throughout the world, Gos-sen notes, variety became more available. With that came the world market, and more com-petition for Gulf fishermen and wholesalers.

“If you wanted halibut from the Pacific Northwest or wild salmon from Alaska, you could fly it in within a couple days,” he says.

With world demand grow-ing for all types of seafood, and access to it becoming more af-fordable, seafood from the Gulf continued to gain popularity

throughout the world—but so did seafood from other regions. And Texas restaurants started to catch on.

“When I first started the busi-ness, 100 percent of what we were selling came from the Gulf,” Gossen says. “Now it’s more like 18 to 20 percent.”

Jeff Barker, director of op-erations for Chamberlain’s Fish Market Grill, a fine-dining sea-food restaurant in Dallas, has been flying in seafood from both coasts, as well as relying on Gulf seafood vendors, for more than 25 years. He says since many Chamberlain’s customers’ favor-ite seafood comes from places like Alaska and Maine, he must

Oyster boat, photo courtesy of Louisiana Foods


meet that demand in order to keep his business afloat, even though that means sourcing less from Gulf suppliers.

“There has been a big push to use Texas seafood… but there is only so much Texas seafood that our guests want,” Barker says. “We can get items [from the Gulf] when they’re in season, but today’s seafood diner wants wild Alaskan halibut, wild Pacific salmon and oysters from Maine. Therefore, we have to shop glob-ally to cover the menu and bring the guests what they want.”

“It is great for the economy to source fresh seafood from Texas, and the Gulf has some great of-ferings,” he says. “Local seafood should be very fresh, but with

today’s modern transportation systems, you can get fresh sea-food from far-away places also.”

WHY BUY LOCAL?“Local” has become a buzz word in today’s marketplace, and—diners’ desire for seafood variety notwithstanding—the push from consumers for more local seafood options has made many Texas restaurateurs take notice of this trend.

“Some of the species that may have been considered less desir-able previously have been recog-nized as quality seafood prod-ucts, particularly black drum. It’s a fantastic product and we have local fishermen that bring it in. We sell a ton of it,” says Brad Lomax, owner of Water Street Restaurants in Corpus Christi. “Back in the ’80s, when sport-fishing species, particularly red-fish and flounder, became more regulated, people started look-ing at alternatives. Then restau-rant customers started getting more educated. People’s pal-ates expanded, and regulation constraints forced people to try other species, like grouper, am-berjack and black drum.”

“...restaurant

customers started

getting more

educated. People’s

palates expanded,

and regulation

constraints forced

people to try other

species...”

— brad lomax, water

street restaurants

Alaskan Halibut, Chamberlain’s Fish Market Grill


Some Texas chefs are embrac-ing this concept wholeheartedly. Take Chef Bryan Caswell, whose Houston eatery REEF claims no other Texas restaurant show-cases as many species of Gulf coast fish. REEF is focused on “bycatch”—seafood caught un-intentionally when fishermen are targeting other species, and of-ten discarded as waste. Instead of allowing these species to be wasted, Caswell relishes the challenge of creating sophisti-cated, if not unusual, seafood dishes that dazzle his guests.

Carol Huntsberger, owner of Quality Seafood Market, a nearly 75-year-old wholesale, retail and seafood restaurant business in Austin, notes that, in earlier days, many people — chefs included — were not very seafood-savvy.

“I believe that has improved with education and the desire for better health and, of course, the Internet,” Huntsberger says.

The State of Texas has gotten on board with educating con-sumers and restaurateurs about buying and eating local seafood. The Texas Department of Agri-culture’s Go Texan program pro-

motes Texas products, including Texas seafood, and encourages restaurants throughout the state to source from local seafood vendors, in addition to encour-aging consumers to support res-taurants serving local seafood. Texans support Texans, notes Robert Champion with the Texas Department of Agriculture. And given the chance, he says, Tex-ans prefer a product—particu-larly shrimp—from the Lone Star State versus one from outside Texas’ borders.

“Consumers are smart, in-formed and expect Texas premi-um wild-caught shrimp to be a culinary option,” Champion says.

Such support from far-reach-ing entities like TDA for the Texas-based fishing and restau-rant industries has indeed had a positive impact on some restau-rants throughout the state.

“I think the Go Texan pro-motions, especially regarding shrimp and oysters, have educat-ed the public to the quality of our products,” says Water Street’s Lomax, adding that more than 50 percent of his restaurants’ seafood comes from Gulf waters,

BLACK DRUM

AMBERJACK

GROUPER


including Texas oysters, black drum and Water Street’s No. 1 menu seller since 1983: Texas wild-caught fried shrimp.

Go Texan promotions have also cued consumers into the fact that opting for Texas seafood at area restaurants means more dollars are flowing into local communi-ties, and that with less transport and energy usage to get the fish from ocean to plate, there’s also a positive environmental impact. But education is only part of the answer. After all, an incred-ibly well-informed consumer won’t opt for local seafood over imported fish if it doesn’t taste spectacular. Luckily, say TDA reps and restaurateurs alike, the naturally delicious flavor of Texas seafood, combined with chefs’ desires to present tempting reci-pes made with local fish, is win-ning over more consumers.

“When it comes to the prod-uct itself—take shrimp, for in-stance—imported and/or farm-raised shrimp lack taste, texture and might be treated with anti-biotics. Wild-caught shrimp from the Texas Gulf have sweet, ex-plosive flavor that Texans love,”

Carol Huntsberger, Quality Seafood


says Barclay Anthony, a third-generation restaurateur and CEO of Sea Island Shrimp House, a 47-year-old San Antonio es-tablishment. “Sea Island serves more than 11 million wild-caught Texas Gulf shrimp per year, so we are certainly advocates of locally sourced seafood.”

KEEPING AN INDUSTRY’S HEAD ABOVE WATER While restaurants’ demand for Texas seafood grows, the num-ber of sources has declined. Some Gulf coast fishermen moved their businesses to other waters or shuttered their doors altogether because of a per-ceived lower volume due to har-

vesting regulations, while oth-ers closed shop when following generations lost interest. Add in struggling economic conditions and unpredictable weather, and it’s a perfect storm of misfortune for many Texas fishermen and seafood suppliers.

“The drought and storms dev-astating the Gulf states created chaos in the supply chain. Many catfish farmers went out of busi-ness due to the high cost of feed, resulting in less overall domes-tic supply and increased catfish prices,” says Sea Island’s An-thony. “And red tide was present this summer and shut down oys-ter harvesting, another hurdle for seafood restaurants. Therefore, for safety reasons, we were un-able to offer fresh shell oysters.”

The general consensus among Texas’ seafood restaurateurs and wholesale suppliers is that there has been consolidation in the seafood industry, and there are fewer fishermen and wholesalers today than there were even 20 years ago.

There are fewer fishermen and wholesalers

today than there were even 20 years ago.

Sea Island Shrimp House

Photos courtesy of Louisiana Foods


“It used to be that fishermen would beg you to buy their fish, since there was an abundance of both fishermen and fish com-ing from the Gulf,” supplier Gos-sen says. “Now, you beg to buy from them because the demand is high and the volume is lower.”

For a restaurant owner like Herbert Story, whose simple yet popular S&D Oyster Company in Dallas has relied on Gulf seafood suppliers since 1976, wholesaler consolidation has meant start-ing from scratch in many ways, and cultivating new sources the way he did 36 years ago when he started the business.

“All of my suppliers—fish, shrimp and oysters—were coast-al-based, not local. Many, sadly, have closed shop,” Story says. “I’ve had to work the system when I lost suppliers just like I did initially: Start reaching out to friends and acquaintances.”

Fortunately, Story’s estab-lished relationships with vendors means the quality of seafood products S&D receives is still high, despite the fact that he’s in Dallas and not along the coast.

“We do rely heavily on the sup-pliers to do their part to ensure

the highest quality,” he says, not-ing that quality, access and vari-ety all come down to maintaining good relationships with suppli-ers and wholesale vendors, and even the fishermen themselves.

Chamberlain’s Barker adds that proximity to an airport like Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport means access to fresh Texas seafood is easier.

But what about cost? Is it more expensive to procure fresh, top-quality local seafood for restau-rants located inland versus those on the coast?

“It is fairly easy to get higher-end seafood to Austin. It costs more to get it here by air and there are minimums, but we can get it,” says Quality Sea-food’s Huntsberger, noting that her buyer, Tom Cantu, has been with the company for almost 53 years, an advantage in an in-dustry where relationships are paramount. “It is about the rela-tionships with the fishermen and the companies that sell seafood products, and their understand-ing of what is high quality and what is fresh.”

Photos courtesy of Louisiana Foods


THE CASE FOR SUSTAINABILITY For centuries, the Gulf provided an abundance of offerings for fishermen. But in recent times, the Gulf has struggled to keep up with growing human demands, and many species have dramati-cally declined because so many fish have been removed and too few left behind to reproduce. This overfishing, says the Ocean Conservancy, not only harms fish, it harms the livelihood of

fishermen, coastal communities and other ecosystems.

Through its partnerships with fishermen, and its support of sustainable fisheries in the Gulf and new policies that help en-sure the abundance of fish spe-cies into the future, the Ocean Conservancy hopes to have an impact on curtailing overfishing. And according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-ministration, positive changes are taking hold. The catch by

American fishermen has reached a 17-year high—an example, says the Ocean Conservancy that the Magnuson-Stevens Act (the nation’s fisheries-conservation-and-management law) is work-ing and increasing the number of fish in the ocean. Closer to home, evidence indicates that the pop-ulation of red snapper is recover-ing and growing in the Gulf.

But proponents of sustainabil-ity say in order for Gulf species to thrive, it will take more than adherence to a law; it will take dedication from every link in the seafood chain—from fishermen, to wholesalers and venders, to restaurants and chefs, right down to the seafood-dining con-sumer—to make a real impact and enable Gulf species to thrive for years to come.

“The Gulf shrimp industry has made great strides in the sus-tainability arena by lessening our carbon footprint and reducing our overall bycatch of non-target species,” says TDA’s Champion.

In addition to promoting sus-tainable Texas wild-caught Gulf shrimp through its Go Texan pro-gram, TDA also closes coastal

This overfishing, says the Ocean

Conservancy, not only harms fish, it

harms the livelihood of fishermen, coastal

communities and other ecosystems.

Quality Seafood, Austin


waters each year from May 15 to July 15 to let indigenous shrimp species repopulate.

Gossen with Louisiana Foods says his business participates in a variety of initiatives that en-courage sustainability, including a cage-grown oyster project and a total-catch program in which the fishermen Louisiana Foods partners with keep everything edible from their catch, which Louisiana Foods then sells to its restaurant buyers. Though it took a few years for the program to stick, it’s now wildly success-ful, Gossen says.

“Now, we don’t have to try to influence chefs to buy these spe-cies; they’re in demand,” he says.

Restaurateurs are also com-ing up with some clever ideas to support the sustainability of Gulf species.

“The idea of sustainability is becoming more popular with our customers. That’s something they started asking for,” says Water Street’s Lomax, “and we wanted to actually make a dif-ference. That’s when we entered into the oyster-shell recycling program.”

The more than 70,000 pounds a year of oyster shells Water Street produced used to go to landfills. Now, through a part-nership with Texas A&M–Corpus Christi and the Harte Research Institute, Water Streets oyster

shells are cleaned and dried in the sun before being reintro-duced to the coastal system.

“It’s a recycling effort,” Lomax says, “that promotes more oys-ter regrowth.”

However restaurateurs and consumers support the Texas seafood industry, it’s most im-portant, says Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, that they do support it.

“Texas seafood is recognized for its quality, freshness and fla-vor,” Staples says. “When you want the best, you want seafood from Texas.”

And that’s no fish story!

Caminada Bay Oyster Farm Photo courtesy of Louisiana Foods


45 State Restaurant Associations

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Orlando’s & Caprock CafeDavid Cea | LubbockTRA Member since 1984

Mike Cea moved his fam-ily to Lubbock, Texas in Au-gust 1965 to take advan-tage of the opportunities created by the growing population of Texas Tech University.

In October of 1965, he opened Or-lando’s Pizzeria and Italian Restau-rant on Ave. Q. This original location is the oldest full-service restaurant in Lubbock. David Cea started work-

ing for his father at the young age of nine busing tables for 85 cents an hour and spent most of his youth working with his family in the res-taurant. After a brief time studying to become a forest ranger, David switched his major at Texas Tech to Restaurant, Hotel and Institutional Management and re-joined the fam-ily business after graduation. David is currently the Vice President of both Orlando Enterprises, Inc. and CapRock Restaurants, Inc.

David shares his thoughts about the value of TRA membership:

What is the greatest value you receive from being a Texas Restaurant Association member?“Networking with other TRA mem-bers and traveling to meet new people is the greatest value. Prior to membership in the TRA, I was not politically active. Now my partners and I are involved. I am currently on the board of the TRA Education Foundation because it is impor-tant for me to work with the future members of this industry. I view TRA membership and my work with the Foundation as an investment in continuing my education within the restaurant industry. Small indepen-dent restaurants need assistance and support if they are going to compete and keep up with the larg-er chains. TRA helps me stay com-petitive. My fellow members share their ideas and the staff at TRA is al-ways available to answer questions and share advice.”

MEMBER MemoirORLANDO’S & CAPROCK CAFE

The Texas Restaurant Association looks back over 75 years as members share their stories.

Find this and more stories about extraordinary TRA members at our 75th Anniversary page on restaurantville.com.


Dale Willerton, The Lease Coach, a commercial lease consultant that works exclusively for tenants answers some of the most frequent questions he gets from Texas restaurant owners.

Q & A With The Lease CoachJust who does the real estate agent really work for?Frequently, a restaurant ten-ant believes that the real estate agent/broker is working for them. Please note, however, that the list-ing agent’s commission is being paid by the landlord and even an outside agent may be sharing in that commission. Remember, the higher the rent, often the higher the agent’s commission. Brokers and agents do a great job, but who are they working for and who is paying them?

The plaza I am leasing space in is for sale and my lease is expiring soon, should I negoti-ate my lease renewal with the existing landlord or wait until the property sells?As almost every investor who buys a property wants to raise the rent, you will want to negotiate your renewal with your existing landlord before the property sells.

My landlord is concerned about my use of the patio space and wants me to reduce the number of outside tables and chairs if I do this I will lose business, what are my options?A restaurant tenant called me recent-ly about this very problem. When originally buying the restaurant, he didn’t check the Lease Agreement closely enough—there was no stipu-lation as to the number of allowed patio tables and chairs. Gradually, the new owner kept adding more furniture, expanding the patio area to the point where the landlord final-ly confronted him and forced him to reduce the open patio concept. Un-fortunately, the patio was where all the customers wanted to sit and this has now negatively affected busi-ness. The seating area and the chair count are too important not to docu-ment in the Lease Agreement.

My landlord never seems to visit the property and I want to meet him face to face, how can I do this?Absentee landlords can be very chal-lenging to work with. I remember one client who was trying to meet his landlord—a retired doctor who still practiced at his leisure and en-joyed sunny days on the golf course. Obviously, this proved to be difficult, but meeting a landlord personally can become necessary for tenants if problems arise and/or they simply want to know who they are deal-ing with. Keep reaching out to your landlord. Perhaps invite him to din-ner at your restaurant.

I understand the importance of location, location, location when it comes to site selection. What are some of the elements of location to consider? For most restaurateurs, selecting the right property is critical enough, but leasing the right location within

www.theLeaseCoach.com | www.HelpULeaseRestaurant.com

LEASING Q & A’S WITH THE LEASE COACH

For a free copy of his leasing CD, Leasing Do's & Don'ts for Restaurant Tenants Contact Dale at 1-800-738-9202 or [email protected].


TEXAS 360

that building can be even more im-portant. Remember, the most dif-ficult part of any Lease Agreement to change or modify after opening is the physical location. When con-ducting site selection evaluate lo-cation within the location (will the restaurant be located at the end of a quiet corridor or situated on the out-side pad?), visibility (for both drive-by and walk-by traffic), signage, storage and parking.

I am approaching my lease re-newal and my landlord still has my initial deposit---how can I get this money back? This can often be a contentious is-sue between restaurant tenant and landlord. Many landlords delay re-funding the restaurateur’s deposit—even when there have been no prob-lems with the restaurateur’s tenancy. When one of The Lease Coach client tenants is planning to move, we will proactively approach the landlord several months in advance to discuss a walk-through inspection date and repayment of the deposit. Often we

need to invoice the landlord in order to get the deposit back for the ten-ant—simply waiting and hoping to get a check in the mail often doesn’t work.

I am thinking of selling my restaurant---what is involved here with regards to my Lease Agreement? Whether you sell the shares in your tenant corporation or assign the Lease Agreement, getting landlord permission before doing so is almost always necessary. If you currently have a personal guarantee on your Lease Agreement, you will assuredly remain responsible for the lease if the purchaser defaults. Rather than assign your Lease Agreement, you can negotiate to surrender your Lease Agreement and have the buy-er enter into their own formal Lease Agreement.

Nominations Due for National AwardsOne of the key roles of the National Restaurant Association is to enhance the image of the industry through awards and recognition programs These programs help raise awareness of the positive impact restaurants have in their communities.

The Restaurant Neighbor Award recognizes restaurants for outstanding community service. Winners are honored at the state level and then compete for one of four national awards. The Faces of Diversity Award was created to raise awareness about the important role restaurants play in helping people achieve their American Dream.

The deadline for entry to these programs is January 7, 2013. For more information about the Restaurant Industry Awards and to enter, visit www.restaurant.org/awards.

18 | November/December 2012 RESTAURANTVI L LE MONTHLY

TEXAS 360

The Texas ProStart Invita-tional competitions are right around the corner and this year’s events are shaping up to be better than ever! Fifty-three culinary and 34 manage-ment teams, a total of 435 high school students will compete at the regional competitions. The top six teams in each cat-egory from regionals will then compete at the state competi-tion in March for the chance to represent the state of Texas at the National ProStart Invitation in Baltimore in April.

This year’s teams have a lot to live up to as we had outstanding results in 2012. Our culinary team placed 11th and our management team placed first at Nationals—the highest we have ever placed in either category. We are confident that this year’s teams are up to the challenge and everyone attending is sure to be in-spired by their creativity, knowledge and passion for our industry.

We have changed the format of competition a bit to reflect how the National competition runs. Day 1 cu-linary teams begin competition with Product Check-in and management teams check in their display boards

and other materials. That evening we will host a dinner for students, teachers and volunteers. At state, US Foods Food Fanatic, Todd Pear-son will run the students through a sensory challenge and other fun culi-nary activities. Learn more about the Food Fanatics at foodfanatics.us-foods.com. Day 2 culinary competi-tion begins and management teams begin their verbal presentations.

This year we are excited to wel-come Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Texas franchisees as our title spon-sor, Carmelo’s Ristorante Italiano as our culinary competition sponsor and US Foods as our management competition sponsor. Auto-Chlor, Texas Beef Council and many TRA chapters continue as long-time sup-porters of the competition.

Full Speed Ahead! Gearing Up for the Texas ProStart Invitiational

Texas ProStart Invitational Regional CompetitionsHurst | January 22–23 Humble | February 11–12

Texas ProStart Invitational State Finals

Waco | March 20–21

National ProStart InvitationalBaltimore | April 19–21


TEXAS 360

“Thanks to the generous support of companies like these we are able to provide an amazing experience for students participating in the Tex-as ProStart Invitational,” said Jerry Walker, chair of the TRA Education Foundation and owner of Lunada Tex-Mex Grill/Subway franchisee. “These students are incredibly pas-sionate about our industry and to see them in action at competition is truly inspiring. They are the future of our industry.”

Texas ProStart is an industry-based high school culinary arts and restau-rant management program that pre-pares students for careers. Currently, the program is offered in 170 Texas high schools, reaching over 15,000 students annually. Don’t miss the opportunity to see the future of our industry in action. Be prepared to be inspired and amazed!

For more information contact Yvonne Loya at 800-395-2872 or visit www.restaurantville.com/foundation.

Larry Oberkfell, IFMA; Malcolm Simmonds, J R Simplot Co.; Mike Roach, Ben E. Keith Foods; Steve Patterson, J R Simplot Co.; and Jeff Holloway, J R Simplot Co.

Mike Roach Honored by the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association

Mike Roach, President of Ben E. Keith Foods has been named winner of the Distinguished Industry Achievement Award by the International Foodser-vice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) at the annual Presidents Conference November 6 in Scott-sdale, AZ, sponsored by J R Sim-plot Company.

The award acknowledges dis-tributor leadership and overall excellence within the foodservice industry, and gives manufacturers

an opportunity to share their appre-ciation for the integral role distribu-tors’ play in the foodservice channel. It recognizes an individual who has brought about positive change in the foodservice distribution community and has been a pioneer in the areas of management, marketing and op-erations. Roach joined Ben E. Keith Foods more than 30 years ago and has served in several capacities prior to becoming President in 1998.

www.benekeith.com


TEXAS 360

Due in large part to restaurant operators’ dampened out-look for sales growth and the economy, the National Restau-rant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) fell sharply in October. The RPI—a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry—stood at 99.5 in Oc-tober, down 0.9 percent from September. In addition, Octo-ber represented the first time in 14 months that the RPI fell below 100, which signifies con-traction in the index of key in-dustry indicators.

“Although restaurant op-erators overall continued to report positive same-store sales in October, their short-term outlook for sales growth and the economy is decidedly more pessimistic,” said Hud-

son Riehle, senior vice president of the Research and Knowledge Group for the Association. “Nearly two out of five restaurant operators expect business conditions to worsen in the next six months, which is double the proportion that expect conditions to improve.”

Texas operators reported softer same-store sales and traffic results in October, as compared to the national average. Twenty-nine percent of Texas respondents reported higher same-store sales while 36% reported a sales decline. On the national level, 40% of operators reported a sales gain.

While sales remained positive over-all, restaurant operators reported a net decline in customer traffic levels in October. In Texas, 43% of restaurant operators reported lower customer traffic levels in October up from the 31% reporting lower traffic levels in September. Nationally, 41% of opera-tors reported lower customer traffic

levels in October, unchanged from September.

Restaurant operators’ outlook for sales growth deteriorated significant-ly in recent months. Only 36% of Texas operators expect to have higher sales in six months, down from 62% last month. Nationally, 31% of restaurant operators expect to have higher sales in six months down from 45% last month and the lowest level in three years. Meanwhile, 21% of restaurant operators expect their sales volume in six months to be lower than it was during the same period in the previ-ous year, up from 11% last month.

The RPI is based on the responses to the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Industry Tracking Survey, which is fielded monthly among res-taurant operators nationwide on a variety of indicators including sales, traffic, labor, and capital expenditures.

Read the report

Restaurant Performance Index Fell to its Lowest Level in 14 Months as Operator Optimism PlungedSame-store sales remained positive; Restaurant operators are more pessimistic about sales growth and the economy


TEXAS 360

Study: Houston’s Restaurants, Hotels Energize Local EconomyA study, commissioned by the Greater Houston Restaurant As-sociation and Texas Restaurant Association, has found that in 2011 the city’s hospitality industry gen-erated annual revenue of $7.9 bil-lion.

It further reported that hotels, restaurants and their employees contributed an estimated $792 million in state and local taxes dur-ing the year.

“The combined efforts of the in-dustry have resulted in an appar-ent economic boon to the Houston economy,” said GHRA president Reg-gie Coachman, Western regional di-rector of franchise operations for the Schlotzsky’s sandwich chain.

The economic impact study, which was conducted by Ernst & Young, further found that in 2011, Houston’s hotels and restaurants employed 162,000 people, approximately 9 per-

cent of the city’s total private-sector employment, and helped create an-other 41,800 jobs at suppliers and other industry-related businesses.

“The economic success of the re-gion’s hospitality industry is directly linked to the thousands of owners, employees, suppliers and wholesalers who support it,” Coachman said.


TEXAS 360

First Class of Chefs Graduate with CIA Latin Cuisines CertificateSeven-Month Program Concludes with Ceremony and Celebratory Meal at Nao Save The

Date for the 2013 Texas ProStart Golf Classic

Nine culinary profession-als spent the past 30 weeks at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), San Antonio learning about the cuisines of Latin America and prepar-ing menus with leading chefs from many of the regions studied. A graduation cer-emony on Saturday, October 27, 2012 marked the completion of the first class of the college’s Latin Cui-sines Certificate Program. Graduates then celebrated with a special lun-cheon at Nao, the newest restaurant on the CIA’s San Antonio campus.

The Latin Cuisines Certificate Pro-gram immersed students in an in-depth, hands-on exploration of the unique ingredients, culinary tech-niques, and cultural traditions that span this rich part of the world. Stud-ies included the cuisines and cultures from throughout the various regions of Central and South America and the Caribbean.

Leading Latin American chefs Pedro Miguel Schiaffino (Peru), Yara Roberts (Brazil), Eric Calderón (Bolivia), and Hubert O’Farrell (Argentina) each spent a week as instructors-in-resi-dence, turning the campus into a cu-

linary conservatory for the study and practice of their respective cuisines. The final two days of each week in-cluded special menus prepared by the visiting chef and students and served to customers at Nao.

“As the first class to complete this program, you represent a new breed of powerful culinarians who will open windows of great opportunities for yourself and those you will work with on the global stage,” keynote speak-er Nelson Millán of the San Antonio Country Club told the graduates. “This experience is guaranteed to put you a step ahead of the curve in the food world.”

The second cohort of the Latin Cui-sines Certificate Program begins in March 2013. Food professionals in-terested in this specialization that is rapidly gaining popularity on Ameri-can menus can visit their website at www.ciachef.edu/lccp.

April 7–8, 2013 Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa

Register and find more info at

www.restaurantville.com/golf

BEFORE AFTER

• Refrigeration seals made on-site• On-site welding

• Custom stainless steel fabrication• Kason refrigeration hardware

(800) 428-7325www.sealtexinc.com

• Custom built walk-in doors and floors

Proud of Our Past... Committed to Your Future

11303 Antoine Dr. • Houston, TX • 800-989-6411

www.GlazierFoods.comConnect with us:

www.facebook.com/GlazierFoodswww.twitter.com/GlazierFoodsCo

marketplace

For Advertising Information contact Joanne Pantaze at 512-273-2639 or [email protected]

WWW.BREADBASKETS.COM

• INCREASE MENU EXCITEMENT• ADD VALUE TO YOUR FOOD PRESENTATION• MINIMUM ORDER ONLY $35 ONLY $35• NO PREMIUM FOR LESS THAN CASE ORDERS

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LIMITED TIME OFFER call817-403-0866 for details

or email: [email protected]

Get A Custom

MOBILE APP For Your Business

only $9900*

*iTunes and Android maintenance fee not included. Basic Business App included in special offer pricing.


COMMUNITY NEWS

Greater Houston Restaurant Association to Honor James Coney Island at Annual Gourmet GalaPlease join the GHRA on January 19, 2013 at the JW Marriott for our Annual Gourmet Gala, Diamonds and Spurs, honoring James Coney Island! Guests will enjoy live music, casino ta-bles, great food and more! The evening will also in-clude:

Live Western RaffleOne pair of custom boots made by famed boot maker Rocky Carroll at RJ’s Boots. Approximate Value: $2,500. Tickets on sale now through the GHRA office, or at the event. 1 ticket for $25; 5 for $100.

Silent AuctionThe famed Silent Auction includes packages sure to dazzle ev-ery guest. From a 4-night stay at a large family ranch to a Power Lunch with Mayor Annise Parker, every pack-age is put together with care and con-sideration.

Wine PullMore than 100 bottles of wine (value: $30-$300) will be available. Purchase a $20 cork to receive a randomly se-lected bottle from the display.

Event DetailsPLACE JW Marriott Houston Galleria

TIME 6:30pm VIP Area Doors Open (by

invitation only) 7pm Cocktails and Hors D’oeuvres 8pm Dinner, Casino and Live Music

For more information or sponsorship opportunities, please visit our website at ghra.com/gala/ or call 713.802.1200.

Montgomery County Restaurant Association Helps Conroe ISD Develop a Culinary Arts ProgramThe Greater Montgomery County Restaurant Association, a Texas Restaurant Association chapter, assisted Conroe ISD in developing a Culinary Arts program at Conroe High School. The chapter began working with the school district over a year ago by providing a culinary consultant and assisting with course curriculum. The result was the conversion of an unused area at Conroe High School into a place for the Culinary Arts pro-gram.

HOUSTON GALLERIA

5150 Westheimer Road . Houston, Texas 77056

• Signature cocktails• Lavish seated dinner• Live music• Western Raffle

• Silent Auction• Wine Pull• Casino• PhotoBooth

Featuring

JW MARRIOTT ®

19th, Please be Our GuestSATURDAY JANUARY

Contact Holly Myers ([email protected]) for details about sponsorship or attendance.Proceeds benefit the GHRA scholarships and education initiatives

More than 450 guests

expectedTickets starting at

$200 per person

spurs&Diamondsgala

Honoring JAMES CONEY ISLAND

Sponsored by:

550 Westcott, Suite 380 Houston, TX 77007

special thanks to our 2012-2013 founder’s club sponsors:Ben E. Keith, Coca Cola Refreshments, Glazier Foods Company,

Heartland Payment Systems, Hospitality Pro Search, Pierpont Communications, Inc., Sysco Houston, Inc., and US Foods

sponsored by Houston, Inc.

Houston, Inc.


COMMUNITY NEWS

The 2012 TRA President’s Dinner in Dallas was a success!On November 13, the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association welcomed TRA President Scott Plowman and wife Melissa to The Mercury on Pres-ton Road. The celebration of the Texas Restaurant Association’s 75th Anni-versary continued as iconic Dallas res-taurateurs shared stories about their time with the association. At the po-dium were Gus Katsigris of El Centro College of Food & Hospitality, Estella Martinez of Matt’s Rancho Martinez, and Mark Maguire of Maguire’s Res-taurant, Maximo, and rise no 1. 2012-

2013 GDRA President Janice Provost of Parigi Restaurant introduced TRA President Scott Plowman.

The GDRA would like to thank spon-sors DMS Management and Chefs’ Produce for making this event pos-sible. Thanks also go to Libbey Glass and M W Periscope for donating the commemorative wine glasses that each guest took home, to MCrowd Restaurant Group for donating wine, and to American Ice for donating a beautiful ice sculpture with the TRA 75th Anniversary logo.

Looking for a new ice maker? HVAC? Restaurant technology provider? Look no further than the all new TRA Online Buyer’s Guide. Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, easily find TRA Allied members eager to help you run your restaurant better.

restaurantville.com/buyersguide

New Online Buyer’s Guide

marketplace

For Advertising Information contact Joanne Pantaze at 512-273-2639 or [email protected]

TexasRestaurantLaw.com is your free one-stop shop for all legal questions related to the restaurant industry.

Provided by the attorneys at the law firm of Looper Reed & McGraw, the site offers advice on:

• How to deal with landlords• What to ask and not ask

potential employees• How to protect your trade secrets• Buying, selling and franchising

your restaurant• and much, much more.

Our attorneys are always glad to answer your unique legal questions too, so call today at:

888.863.7157

DALLAS•HOUSTON•TYLER

Your Recipe for Restaurant Success— Texas Restaurant Law.com —


COMMUNITY NEWS

From the March 1957 Cover of The Chuck Wagon

Healthy Meals Just a Click Away for San Antonio Diners

Chapter News

¡Por Vida!, the popular healthy meal recognition program, has revamped its website, www.porvidasa.com, to offer a streamlined experience for users in search of healthy restaurant meals. The new ¡Por Vida! site offers a fresh look and a dedicated page to participating restaurants, allowing visitors to browse ¡Por Vida! menu items for each restaurant and learn about the nutritional criteria required to receive the ¡Por Vida! seal of ap-proval.

An interactive map easily guides visitors to the nearest participating ¡Por Vida! restaurant location. Users can check out ¡Por Vida! social media

sites, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, via the website to stay con-nected or visit the “news” section to find out about the latest happenings in healthy dining in San Antonio and surrounding areas.

The ¡Por Vida! campaign was launched in 2009 by The Healthy Res-taurants Coalition, a partnership be-tween the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, the San Antonio Res-taurant Association and the San Anto-nio Dietetics Association to promote healthier food choices in restaurants and spread good nutrition within the community.

The LUBBOCK RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION participated in a local job fair attended by 4200 high schools students who are about to graduate. High school counselors from most area schools also attended and the members manning the booth handed out countless business cards! Many already have students contacting them for interviews.

The GREATER AUSTIN RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION golf tournament sold out and 144 golfers had a great day on the course raising money to benefit the chapter’s scholarship fund and the TRA Education Foundation.


COMMUNITY NEWS

DECEMBER 18 Power Hour: Avoiding Holiday Scams, Greater Austin Restaurant Association

DECEMBER 30 Holiday Party, East Texas Restaurant Association

JANUARY 7 Holiday Party, North Texas Restaurant Association

JANUARY 10 Texas ProStart Teacher Roundtable, Greater Dallas Restaurant Association

JANUARY 15 Power Hour: Working with Local Government, Greater Austin Restaurant Association Board Meeting & General Assembly, Greater Dallas Restaurant Association

JANUARY 15 Deadline to purchase Texas ProStart Raffle Tickets

JANUARY 22-23 Texas ProStart Invitational Regional Competition, Hurst

TRA CHAPTER EVENTS

TRA EVENTS

Check out the TRA Calendar at restaurantville.com for a complete list of events!

ServSafe classroom training at Ace Mart locations around the state. ServSafe Proctored Exams given at TRA offices in Austin, Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. Register today!

TRAINING

CALENDAR OF EVENTS HIGHLIGHTS

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MB

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12

– J

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23


COMMUNITY NEWS

EMMA ............................................................................. AustinJK Bookkeeping Solutions ..........................................BudaBurleson Management, LLC .................................BurlesonCleveland High School ........................................ClevelandCalabrese & Winkler Holdings, LLC ........................ DallasNeo Pizzeria / Green Restaurant Services ........... DallasOlivella’s.......................................................................... DallasSleeper Sewell Insurance, Inc. ................................ DallasWhite Rock Abbey ...................................................... DallasBlackall Mechanical, Inc. ......................... Farmers BranchFlips Patio Grill / Hartnett Restaurant Venture LP ................................................................................... GrapevineBriggs & Veselka Co. ...............................................HoustonMarsh & McClennan Agency .................................HoustonTaquerias Arandas / Arandas Franchises, Inc. HoustonThe Burger Palace ...................................................HoustonMCrowd Restaurant Group, Inc.................................IrvingSyndicate Club .........................................................LakewayStokes Insurance Agency .................................... MagnoliaBest Restaurant Supply ......................................... McAllenDairy Queen / FAL CO LLC ........................................ PharrBliss Restaurant / House of Bliss, Inc. .......San Antonio

Chris Madrid’s Nachos & Burgers ................San AntonioContinental Green Produce ..........................San AntonioFind Me On Video ............................................San AntonioGreat Restaurants San Antonio ...................San AntonioLa Rielera / Viga Investments LLC..............San AntonioNewton Associates I, Inc. ...............................San AntonioSilo Restaurant & Bar ......................................San AntonioToscana Ristorante ..........................................San AntonioKrispy Kreme Doughnuts/Glazing Saddles LLC .................................................................................San Marcos

WelcomeNew Texas Restaurant Association Members

ADVERTISING INDEX

HEARTLAND ............................................................................ 14

MARKETPLACE .............................................................23 & 25

CLIPPER MILL

GLAZIER FOODS

LOOPER REED

SEAL TEX

TIME GROUP

TEXAS PROSTART RAFFLE ...................................................4

Documents

State of the Gulf | Restaurantville Monthly, November/December 2012