News

 

4/21/10 - New FDA regulations on menu labeling and salt content represent only a small portion of the challenges currently impacting the casual dining sector, and was just one of the topics discussed in a recent FOX Business interview with RLA client Samuel Borgese, President and CEO of CB Holding Corp. (the parent company of Charlie Brown's Steakhouse, Bugaboo Creek Steak House and The Office Beer Bar & Grill).  Rachel was on hand to prep Mr. Borgese for his interview with FOX Business anchor Cheryl Casone, regarding what CB Holding Corp. has done to address the repercussions of FDA regulations, the effect the current economic climate has had on the restaurant business and how the company is reclaiming its classic steakhouse heritage. 

 

After recently introducing new menus at all Charlie Brown's locations, the restaurant has seen comp sales rise consistently for the past few months. As the economy improves and consumers continue to recognize CB Holding Corp.'s efforts to improve the Charlie Brown's brand, this is a trend that is expected to continue.  Ms. Casone went on to discuss the future of the casual dining sector with Mr. Borgese, who said he expects significant recovery in the industry within six to twelve months.  Click on the image above to view the segment on FOXBusiness.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4/2/10 - Rachel recently attended Propel Media Events' Green Products Expo at the Marriott Marquis in New York City. About 300 press members and green enthusiasts gathered to catch a glimpse of the latest healthy living and enviornmentally-friendly products. These included home, food, cleaning, lifestyle, beauty and electronic items. Among the new products on display were Cuisinart's new CleanWater® Countertop Filtration System, which provides cleaner, healthier-tasting water while eliminating the need for plastic water bottles and the GreenGourmet™ Electric Skillet, which was developed using manufacturing techniques that reduce harmful carbon emissions by consuming less energy.

 

Mark your calendars for Propel Media Events' next media event, the 2010 Holiday Gift Guide Show on May 19th in New York City.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3/31/09 - Below is some of the recent news coverage RLA garnered for CB Holding Corp., parent company of Charlie Brown's Steakhouse, The Office Beer Bar & Grill and Bugaboo Creek Steak House.

 

         

 

Nation's Restaurant News: "We refreshed the flavor profiles," said Sam Borgese, chief executive of CB Holding Corp., Bugaboo's parent company. Prices were mostly kept consistent, and those that were lowered were just slightly changed, he added."

 

The Food Chain: "The most notable aspect of the menu is a new, simply-cooked flavor profile for steak.  "The goal is to allow the true flavor of our high-quality, perfectly cooked steaks to shine," said Tom Law, director of purchasing for CB Holding Corp., the Charlie Brown's parent company."

 

QSR Magazine: "In the tri-state area - New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia - we have access to some of the richest farmland in the world," Borgese says. "We teamed up with New Jersey Farm Fresh as a produce provider, for example, for that very reason. We want to support local, sustainable produce that circles around seasonality."

 

"The new menu roll-out Charlie Brown's introduced in early January with plans to expand to all 49 units this month is indicative of this commitment to freshness and top quality. In addition to focusing specifically on top-quality, USDA-choice beef, the company also made sure the salad bar offerings - including pre-mixed pasta salads, seasonal fruits and a range of proteins - have also been refreshed to raise the bar."

 

 

 

 

 

8/13/09 - Rachel recently attended the San Francisco Gourmet Show. The show had some great products to check out, especially in the cleaning and kitchen tools category. Among Rachel's favorites were: Goodbye Detergent! (Just Say No to Soap!); two lumps of sugar, fusionbrands, and StuckOnTools, the brainchild of a surgeon-turned product developer.  Of course, in kitchen electrics the big story was Cuisinart, and the debut of the company's new Elite food processor collection.  The Cuisinart Elite food processor collection is on retail shelves now and the feedback from users and press has been great. People love the fact that the blade locks in place, the unit is so quiet, among other things. 

 

To read the rest of Rachel's experience at the San Francisco Gourmet Show, please visit her blog.

 

 

 

 

5/08/09 - This news post is coming to you from the 2009 Association for Consumer Trends (ACT) Forum in San Francisco.  As always, the forum is jam-packed with fabulous speakers, networking opportunities with seasoned professionals and more than a few beautiful sights.  The activities and fun have been carrying on into the night, too, as we head down to Market Street.  Last night we made our way to the Ferry building and one of the greatest restaurants in San Francisco: The Slanted Door, nestled in the open market area of chocolate eateries, tea boutiques and of course, the incredible, organic Cowgirl Creamery.  A group of us had dinner at this Bay area favorite, where the food is fresh and evocative, and most importantly, delicious.  Overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, The Slanted Door serves modern Vietnamese cuisine blended with delicious local ingredients paired with a riesling-driven wine list.  The restaurant showcases the abundance of local produce as well as ecologically farmed meat, game and poultry found at farms around the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

Unwinding after an information-packed day of presentations at The Slanted Door (left to right: Cyndi Harles, President/Publicity Manager, The Blue Ribbon Group; Rosemary Mark, culinary consultant; Rachel Litner)

Our conversation inevitably lead to the return of home cooking, social media and sustainability.  Of course, the fact that we were in such a diverse and multicultural city brought us to the topic of ethnic foods and the use of culturally specific ingredients, as well.  I, for one, am thrilled to see the expansion of ethnic recipes and ingredients, and am thoroughly enjoying experiencing them firsthand at such dining destinations as The Slanted Door.

 

More to come from the Forum soon; in the meantime, check it out for yourself!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming 2010 Events

 

Research Chef's Association Annual Conference & Culinology Expo 2010
March 17th -20th, Pheonix- http://www.culinology.com/
The Research Chefs Association is the leading professional community for food research and development. Its members are the pioneers of the discipline of Culinology® — the blending of culinary arts and the science of food.

 

Kitchen & Bath Industry Show 2010
April 14th - 18th, Chicago- http://www.kbis.com/
The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) is the world’s largest international trade show event dedicated to the kitchen and bath industry. It is the ultimate destination for viewing the latest and greatest products, designs, trends and education that the industry has to offer.

 

International Association of Culinary Professionals 2010
April 21st - 24th, Portland - http://www.iacp.com
The International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) is a worldwide forum for the development and exchange of information, knowledge, and inspiration within the professional food  community. With nearly 3,000 members from more than 32 countries, this organization of creative and talented professionals is engaged in and committed to excellence in the food industry.

 

Food Marketing Institute Show Show 2010
May 10th - 13th, Las Vegas - http://www.fmi.org/
Food Marketing Institute (FMI) conducts programs in public affairs, food safety, research, education and industry relations on behalf of its 1,500 member companies — food retailers and wholesalers — in the United States and around the world. FMI’s U.S. members operate approximately 26,000 retail food stores.

 

2010 Holiday Gift Guide Show
May 19th, New York City - http://www.giftguideshow.com/
The 2010 Holiday Gift Guide Show is a tabletop exhibition that allows one-on-one time with new and up and coming gifts for the holiday season. Exhibited products will include health, fitness, beauty and home items.

 

National Restaurant Association Show 2010
May 22nd - 25th, Chicago - http://www.restaurant.org/
Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry. Together with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, their goal is to lead America's restaurant inudstry into a new era of prosperity, prominence and participation.

 

Summer Fancy Food Show
June 27th - 29th, New York City - http://www.specialtyfood.com/do/fancyFoodShow/Register

Produced by the NASFT since 1955, the Fancy Food Shows are North America's largest specialty food and beverage marketplace.  Annually, the shows attract between 16,000 - 24,000 attendees and 1,300 - 2,500 exhibitors from 81 countries.   250,000 products are exhibited, including confections, cheese, coffee, snacks, spices, ethnic, natural, organic and more.

 

10th Annual Shopper Insights in Action
July 11th - 14th, Chicago - http://www.iirusa.com/insights/shopper-home.xml

Shopper Insights has become the vital force transforming ideas into innovation and can be applied to provide proof, deliver customer-centric shelf management, media allocation/delivery, category management, store design, customer experience, merchandising, private label management, packaging, product development and more.

True to its core, Shopper Insights in Action remains focused on the “action” – celebrating how insights are used to drive innovation that benefits brands and retailers alike. Join your industry as they come together to share best practices, learn emerging techniques/technologies and to challenge and debate the retail landscape, separating fad from trend.

 

Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting 2010
July 17th - 21st, Chicago - http://www.ift.org/cms/
Founded in 1939, the Institute of Food Technologists is a nonprofit scientific society with 22,000 members working in food science, food technology, and related professions in industry, academia, and government.

 

Retail 2020 Conference
July 28th - 30th, San Francisco - http://www.gourmetretailer.com/

This new conference presented by Gourmet Retailer magazine made its debut in 2008, and invited Rachel as a panel member, discussing public relations tactics for specialty food retailers.  The 2010 San Francisco Retail 2020 Retreat Conference will connect vendors, retailers and entrepreneurs under one roof to establish multi-industry networks that advance collective new business opportunities. The conference provides specialty food and housewares professionals with the benefit of senior executive expertise through various forums, lectures and workshops, offering valuable resources and insider tips from those at the top of their industries.

 

Gourmet Housewares Show
July 31st - August 2nd, San Francisco - http://www.thegourmetshow.com/
Specifically designed for upscale housewares including gadgets, cookware, cutlery, bakeware, tabletop, small electrics, kitchen textiles and specialty foods, the Gourmet Housewares Show is an essential show for specialty retailers and their industry partners. It is the marquee event for everyone serious about making strides in the gourmet housewares category.

 

BlogHer Food '10
October 8th - October 9th, San Francisco - http://www.blogher.com/
The second annual BlogHer Food '10 will bring bloggers from every walk of food blogging life together to meet, to eat, to learn, to eat, to share best practices, to eat, to blog...and to eat!

 

Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival
October 7th - October 10th, New York City - http://www.nycwineandfoodfestival.com
The third annual Food Network New York City Food & Wine Festival is hosted by and benefits the Food Bank for New York City and Share Our Strength.  It's the only festival that brings together both legendary culinary icons from around the globe and America's most beloved television chefs.

 

 

Visit us often to see what's new and exciting at Rachel Litner Associates!

 

"The preparation of good food is merely another expression of art, one of the joys of civilized living."
- Dione Lucas