On Foodable Weekly

On this episode of On Foodable Weekly, Paul Barron is at the Nightclub & Bar Show in Las Vegas with “Bar Rescue” host and consultant Jon Taffer.

Watch the full episode as Taffer dives into how different technologies are impacting the bar scene; why he’s not a fan of tablet ordering; what one of the most important things every brand needs to attract Millennials; and why alcohol in fast casual has not been as prevalent as it should be, but how that is changing.

On this episode of On Foodable Weekly, brought to you by Foodable WebTV Network, Paul Barron speaks to two wine experts– Joseph Phillips, Master Sommelier and Francesco LaFranconi, Executive Director of Mixology & Spirits Education both from Southern Wine & Spirits about the recent developments in the cocktail scene. Consumers, specifically millennials have become more educated and passionate about wine which is driving the consumer to these beverages more than ever.

Watch the episode to see if the new popularity of wine and spirits will lead to an upcoming rise of celebrity sommeliers, mixologists, and bartenders- like how this has happened in culinary.

In this episode of On Foodable Weekly, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, host Paul Barron heads to the NAFEM Show to speak to not one, not two, but three industry experts to uncover and share the latest tips and tricks for operators around the world. The guests include: President of MAFSI, Joe Ferri; president of CFESA, Paul Toukatly and FCSI Chair William Taunton!

Watch the full episode to learn more about industry trends in operations today.

In this episode of On Foodable Weekly, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, show host Paul Barron and QSR Magazine editor, Sam Oches, chime in on the attempts of quick-service chain restaurants to enter the fast casual sphere. What are these big guys doing right and what are they doing wrong? Is it even possible for QSRs to make the jump or will they plummet into profitless pits?“It’s an interesting move. I think in the last couple of years, a lot of QSR concepts have been exploring that idea of upgrading to fast casual. And you know, it’s worked to some degree for some,” Oches said. “But on the other hand, I think there’s a lot of evidence for why some of these bigger legacy QSR brands should probably just stick with QSR.”The approaches QSRs have been taking vary. Wendy’s has been steadily adding fast casual components to its menu without full-out embracing the movement, while KFC jumped headfirst into fast-casual with its KFC Eleven concept, yet it ultimately failed. Why are these brands doing what they do?Barron and Oches first discuss Del Taco and Rubio’s, two brands whose menus are primarily fresh mex. In a decade, Rubio’s has gone from going toe-to-toe with Taco Bell to successfully elevating itself to fast casual, yet Del Taco, which is attempting to do the same thing, may struggle. This could be due in part to the fact Del Taco has already been established for 50 years, whereas Rubio’s has a younger history, Oches said. As a legacy consumer chain with a loyal customer base who has an expectation with their visit, it would be challenging to make that leap and requires a huge investment in the supply chain and equipment of the franchise.The next two brands Barron and Oches explore are Sonic and McDonald’s. Both brands have been around for nearly as long as the other and have the same brand trademarks, yet, Barron reveals according to the Restaurant Social Media Index, Sonic has increased its score from 73.5 to 88.8 in consumer sentiment, whereas McDonald’s has fallen from an 80.82 to 67 in the last four quarters.Why?“Sonic is very much a middle-class brand…that really resonates in the Midwest and in the South, and it’s something that is kind of a down-home brand, and I don’t think they try to pretend they’re much more than that,” Oches said. “Whereas McDonald’s wants to assert itself as the leader in limited-service restaurants. And if that means upgrading the menu, if that means upgrading its restaurants, it’s going to try to do that. I don’t think Sonic is much going to try to play that ballgame.”Yet, Oches doesn’t count McDonald’s out of the running.“I would never bet against McDonald’s. When you look back at the last 20 to 30 years, you actually see McDonald’s go through this a couple of times,” he said.He believes the company should aim for the millennial demographic, which is now at the cusp of starting families, in an authentic way. By winning back this generation and having them bring their children to get Happy Meals, McDonald’s will win the next generation as well. Watch the full episode to get more insight on QSRs making the shift to fast casual.

In this episode of On Foodable Weekly, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, host Paul Barron and top-notch bar operator Stephanie Richardson pour over the highly anticipated 2015 Nightclub & Bar Show. Richardson, who is also an advisory board member for the event, gives some insight on how first-timers should make the most of their visit. From more than 70 conference sessions, 50 panel experts, 700 floor exhibitions and two different back-of-the-house tours at number one resorts who will show guests how they run the bar and kitchen right down to their glassware, show attendees who can take this knowledge back to their businesses will learn that what happens at Vegas doesn't always stay at Vegas.

Watch the full episode to get the inside scoop on what The Nightclub & Bar Show has to offer!

In this episode of On Foodable Weekly, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, host Paul Barron discusses with Rudy Miick, Founder and President of The Miick Companies about one of the recurring challenges in the industry– staffing. Hiring, keeping and training staff are consistently major issues in this industry. The restaurant industry turn over rate is consistently 25 – 30% higher than others.

Watch the full episode to learn why that is and how to hire those employee "rockstars" and how to mold staff into these A players.

In this episode of On Foodable Weekly, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, host Paul Barron discusses the trends and studies evolving around mobile concepts– including food trucks, food carts and pop-ups with AJ Barker, Concept Developer at Think Tank Hospitality Group. Learn why there is still a huge consumer demand for mobile food and how these units are continuing to be used as a launching pad for a brick and mortar, while also being added as a supplement to existing ones.

Watch the video to also see how brands within all industries are using these concepts to market their products.

In this episode of On Foodable Weekly, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, host Paul Barron speaks to Dr. William Davis, Author of Wheat Belly Total Health & Cardiologist, about the recent gluten-free and grain-free lifestyles that consumers are now adopting and how to properly incorporate them onto restaurant menus.

Watch the full episode to some of the health benefits that have been attributed to embracing these dietary habits.

In this episode of On Foodable Weekly, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, host Paul Barron speaks to Jeff Fromm, President of FutureCast and Co-author of Marketing to Millennials, about how to attract the millennial generation to restaurants and the new trends in millennial consumer dining habits.

Watch the full episode to learn more about how to market to this demographic by creating compelling shareable content that will inform, inspire and engage this segment of consumers to create content for you.

In this episode of On Foodable Weekly, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, host Paul Barron speaks to Cathy McPhillips, Marketing Director at Content Marketing Institute about how content marketing is playing a larger role in the restaurant and hospitality business.

Watch the full episode to see the tactics of content marketing that are proving to be the most effective and are helping to transcend restaurants into lifestyle brands.