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- Rick Knapp x1935

A few weeks ago, I walked upstairs and found myself at the Krusty Krab.  Our kitchen had become a seafood lover’s paradise for the most recent Handy Crab Cakes cutting.  Crab cakes are a great way to add sophistication to your menu for minimal cost.  There is a price level for every food budget.  My personal favorite, featured at the most recent Quandt’s Foodshow, was the gluten-free crab cake. I am continually surprised at the quality of gluten-free products coming from our vendors.  For the non-celiac population, there is really no need for distinction because this crab cake tastes even better than a flour based product.

Not only is it a delicious breading, the crab really stands out- giving the cake its flavor.  These cakes are made from fresh lump and claw crab meat and are all-natural.  The ingredient list reads like a grocery list: fresh crab meat, mayo, rice flour, eggs, mustard, and seasonings.  It is a 2-12 pack, 3 oz cakes.

Restaurants are always looking for cost-effective ways of updating their menus-
this gluten-free crab cake, is the way to go!

For chefs, Veal is an easy way to take your menu to the next level.  Veal is not an item one always finds on restaurant menus, so when it does show up- people are intrigued and excited.  The other bonus for buying veal, is that it often yields less cost per serving when you take into account the low amount of waste. Boneless cuts yield 3 to 4 servings per pound.

Berry Veal has been cutting and processing portion controlled veal products for 70 years and is a family owned and operated business.
Here is a list of the products Quandt’s is currently stocking:

29983- Veal Patty Breaded Raw 4oz

30075- Veal Cutlet Top Pounded 5oz

30078- Veal Thing Breaded Italian- Fry or Bake 4oz

30457- Veal Steak Breaded Raw chopped and formed- 6oz

30547- Veal for Stew= ½” Random 2-5lb pack

38569- Veal Top Round Cap-off 2-5lb pack

38590/38652- Veal Leg Bones Frozen- 25 lb pack

38625- Veal Ground 2-5lb pack

38630- Veal Cutlet Leg Pounded 5oz

38637- Veal Chop EE 12oz

Here is a Veal Cacciatore Recipe

1 ½ clove Fresh Garlic

1/3 cup Olive Oil

2 cups White Wine

10 lbs Berry Veal for Stew

Simmer on stove top in large pot until meat browns (10-20 min)

Add:

1 tbsp Garlic Powder

2 tbsp Chopped Basil

4 diced Tomatoes Diced

8 Green Peppers Sliced

64 Oz Tomato Sauce (according to taste)

Cook over low heat for 1.5 hrs. Delicious!!

Staying on the protein kick- watch out for my chicken tender post coming up later this week!

A few weeks ago, Richie from Rich’s stopped by to give us some samples of their gluten free pizza crusts.  Now, for the unenlightened, you may be thinking- Hey! Where’s the flour?!  But the truth of this product is in a story Richie told us. There is a pizzeria that uses UPS every week to ship this product to his restaurant. The reason being- his business has doubled since bringing in and advertising the gluten free option.  I’m not sure which is worse- families that stop at your pizza joint and don’t eat any pizza- or worse, those families who don’t stop at all because of a family member with Celiac. Gluten Free pizza crusts come in 10.5 “personal-pan” size and give everyone the opportunity and enjoyment to eat go out for pizza together. Probably the best feature of this product, is that it comes with a thin tin pan that stays with the pizza from freezer right to the pizza oven. This is key because it means that the crust is not accidentally being tainted by touching any flour-covered surfaces. The 10.5” comes in a 24- 7.75 oz pack. The item # is 16305.

Quandt’s will also be bringing in an 8” size in a few weeks, so keep your eyes peeled.  This is available in a retail pack which is another segment of your business to tap into. People can buy their gluten free crusts from you to make at home on the nights they can’t make it up to the pizzeria.

Bonus product! This pizza crust can also be easily folded in half to make meat & cheese Panini sandwiches. As a girl who loves her flour, these even won me over! They were de-li-cious!

Looking to spice up your appetizer menu? Quandt’s is now stocking 4 new Asian-flair appetizer items from TMI Trading Corp. I don’t know about you- but “potsticker appetizer” are my two favorite words. Item # 15310 is a Chef One Chicken Teriyaki Potsticker, 150 ct to a pack. Frozen to steamer/pan/ fryer- pair these with a cup of Minor’s Sweet N’ Sour sauce (item # 6830) and you have a plate pleasing to the eye and stomach. Quandt’s is also offering a Chef One Spinach Potsticker (Item # 15311) for your vegetable-loving crowds. I would love to have these with a nice Wasabi Aioli (#1559).

Again for perhaps the dieting crowd would be TMI Vegetable Springroll (Quandt’s # 16389) or the TMI cooked Lo Mein Noodle (Quandt’s #16393). The springrolls can be baked or deep fried and the lo mein noodes just need to be defrosted and warmed. Quick and simple. These are lighter options that can be combined with other entrees for a diet meal that doesn’t taste like a diet.

Diners are always looking for appetizer options beyond the usual mozzarella sticks and nachos. Add these to your menus and watch your profits soar!

Until Next Time…

Lauren Hathaway
Assistant Buyer

Hello and Happy Spring! It’s hidden somewhere beneath that snow, I promise!  My name is Lauren Hathaway and I’m an Assistant Buyer for Quandt’s Foodservice Distributors. But on here, you can just think of me as the hostess with the inside scoop on new products. Several times a month, we hold new product demonstrations here at the main office.  Vendors and brokers come in to show us what they’ve got! We get to try out and pick the best products to serve our customers.

Recently, a broker from Tyson and Ken’s Foods showed us some delicious new frozen chicken options as well as specialty salad dressings.  Quandt’s is now offering an 8oz airline bone in chicken breast.  This comes in a 4 (5) lb pack and would be a great addition to a lunch or early-bird smaller portion menu.  If you need some new marinade ideas- read on!

My favorite offerings from the demo were the new specialty dressings offered by Ken’s Foods.  Cucumber Wasabi, Honey Lime (a personal favorite!), Chipotle Ranch Mayo, and Texas Petal Sauce (for all you onion ring lovers out there!!). These will be sold in 4 (1) gallon packages. The dressings are a tasty addition to veggies, chicken tenders, sandwiches, salads, fries, and onion rings. The Cucumber Wasabi goes great with tuna or swordfish and the Honey Lime works well as a marinade for fish or chicken.

According to a recent study, the top 10 flavor combo’s in 2010 will be: garlic, hot/spicy, Italian, Latin/Spanish, Asian, Creole/Cajun, Teriyaki, Citrus, Berry, and Chipotle.  As you can see, we’ve incorporated this outlook into our new product choices.  Many of your restaurants and eateries will be looking to include these flavor pairings as well.

Check back for the latest product demonstrations at Quandt’s!

Though kids don’t carry the family wallet, they still exert plenty of financial influence in the dining arena. From burger joints and pizzerias to sandwich shops and fast-casual chains, restaurants across the country have clamored for their slice of the kids’ menu pie with targeted offerings and a kid-centric vibe.
Today, the kids’ menu remains a compelling—if not necessary—restaurant program. With attractive dining options and an equally pleasing kid-friendly environment, many operations are wooing families and their influential youngsters through the doors—and reaping profits for their efforts.

“Kids drive decisions and there’s no question our kids’ menu helps attract them,” says Stacy Hettich, brand director at Fazoli’s, a quick-service Italian franchise that commits a lot of attention to its child-friendly atmosphere. “Having a kids’ menu is such a positive attribute for our brand and certainly contributes to our success.”

But creating and maintaining an attractive kids’ menu demands more than a pint-sized meal. Today’s children, products of the Internet age, cable television, and no-score soccer games, are accustomed to interaction, choice, and feeling special at every turn. Parents, meanwhile, focus their eyes on price and health. A kids’ menu that appeases both audiences will do much to spark revenue, boost brand loyalty, and encourage repeat visits.

Know the Target

In 2008, Cosi, a fast-casual chain headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, focused its attention on kids’ offerings. With a growing contingent of suburban operations, Cosi leaders saw the need to introduce a formal kids’ menu to satisfy the family dominated demographics of its nearly 150 locations.

“We didn’t have a printed kids’ menu, we didn’t package meals, and we just knew this was a missed opportunity,” says Jill Lawrence, Cosi’s senior director of marketing.

In the summer of 2008, Cosi unveiled its first kids’ menu. Young patrons can order pizza or a sandwich, a healthy side (carrots, potato chips cooked in unsaturated oil, or a fruit cup), a cookie, and a take-home beverage cup, which includes a flavored straw for milk orders. Cosi’s revamped efforts triggered an immediate jump in sales.

Knowing the target audience spurred Cosi’s quick success and opened the brand’s eyes to the power of a well-conceived kids’ menu. Still, emerging as a popular brand with kids and parents extends beyond the menu and into the creation of a child-friendly environment.

At Which Wich sandwich shops, kids place their orders at a tot-sized counter, a modest, low-cost design feature that allows children to replicate the adult experience.

“Kids represent about 10 percent of our business and that’s a big enough chunk that we’re going to pay attention to what they want and how they’re treated,” says Which Wich founder Jeff Sinelli.

At one of Sinelli’s other brands, Dallas-based Burguesa Burger, the bag that serves “The Little Luchador (Wrestler)” kids’ meal turns into a Mexican wrestler’s mask.

“You can’t overlook the element of packaging in attracting kids,” he says.

Fazoli’s directs its kids’ menu at the 4–9-year-old crowd, pairing each kids’ meal with a Tony Tomato activity book. At its Tuesday Kids’ Nights, Fazoli’s serves up 99-cent meals as well as a guided arts and crafts activity.

“You have to know your brand well and Fazoli’s has become synonymous with families because of these family friendly programs,” Hettich says. “We’ve done our due diligence and research and it’s paid off.”

Keep It Simple, Not Too Simple

Kids can be finicky eaters, a reality that encourages operators to provide options that will satisfy their youngest clientele.

Fazoli’s hosts a five-item kids’ menu (pepperoni or cheese pizza, spaghetti, meat lasagna, and fettuccine alfredo), though the Lexington, Kentucky–based brand will occasionally add limited-time offerings. The decision to retain a tight, targeted menu rests as much in ease of ordering and preparation as it does in a sturdy sales history.

“Long term, pizza and spaghetti have proven their worth,” Hettich says, adding that consistency with menu, customer experience, and price is just as important. “Parents want to come in and see familiar offerings. They want to know that their expectations will be met.”

Many eateries have adopted a layered ordering platform that has kids pick options from designated categories. At Which Wich locations, kids grab a red crayon and a pre-printed bag to select their sandwich options along with cheese, bread type, toppings, and drink variety. Though choice is provided, the options do not overwhelm.

“Kids’ palates aren’t as big as adults, but you still have to provide a range of options to appease the kids’ tastes,” Sinelli says.

“It’s all about having an appropriate number of options on the menu because kids enjoy the power of choice,” Cosi’s Lawrence says. “That’s one of our things that has proven to be a real hit.”

Package and Price

Packaging the different components of a kids’ meal together isn’t just a best practice because it allows for customization, it also enhances value perception, an important element in today’s struggling economy.

McDonald’s Happy Meal may have set the gold standard for a successful kids’ menu when it created an offering that provided an entrée, side, and drink. The Golden Arches then priced the Happy Meals to sell; not only did the kids love the Happy Meal, but so did parents, who enjoyed the low-price, all-inclusive meal. Value continues to be a selling point in the kids’ meal realm, as the average quick-serve price of a kid’s meal combo in the second quarter of 2009 was a mere $3.60, according to consumer research firm Mintel.

Yet Sinelli, who merely looks to cover the cost of his $3–$4 kids’ meals, says the kids’ menu is about more than profit.

“We’re trying to build our brand with kids, knowing that we’re in this for the long haul,” he says. “It’s a slower path, but it allows the brand to build on experience rather than spending thousands on creating a splash.”

For more information, visit QSRMagazine.com

Quandt’s would like to inform our customers, effective with deliveries starting Monday, November 2nd, 2009 there will be a .05 per container deposit charge applied to your invoice that will show as a separate line at the bottom of your invoice.

So a 24ct/case would equal $1.20/cs etc.

Products affected will be:

Water – anything under a Gallon Size

Carbonated Soft Drinks

Including Sparkling Water, Carbonated Energy Drinks, Carbonated Juice (anything less than 100% juice, containing added sugar or water).*

(Source * FAQ’s NYS Dept. of ENCON)

There are No Exemptions in New York State for Schools, Hospitals, State, County or Local Governments Agencies, Non profits and Nursing Homes.*

(Source * FAQ’s NYS Dept. of ENCON).

In addition Quandts Foodservice Distributors, Inc. is not responsible for picking up returns (empties); the originator of the product (Manufacturer) is responsible.

Along with this letter we have provided a list of companies that can possibly assist you with this part of the law and in no way has a relationship with Quandts Foodservice Distributors, Inc.  Also, both Nestles Inc. and Polar Beverages (Adirondack) are working on return programs and will communicate with you on a direct basis.

Any questions please give Quandts Foodservice Distributors, Inc. a call and we will do our best to work with you through this change.

Polar Beverages (Adirondack) has had an agreement in place for 2009 whereby signed up Healthcare Facilities were not being charged a deposit fee on soda products – that will continue for the remainder of 2009.  Beginning with January 1, 2010 there will be cost basis changes and the deposit contract will be changed to include the new Bottle Return Law that goes into effect 10/31/2009.

One side note those accounts that we deliver outside of New York State and Connecticut – Quandts Foodservice Distributors, Inc. will not be “billing” the Deposit Charge – those accounts effected will have to take the appropriate steps to comply with the law.

For more info please visit the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation’s website

http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8500.html

Yoplait is the #1 selling yogurt brand in the US and the best-selling yogurt in Upstate New York.

Yoplait flavors available:

1. Yoplait Original Variety Pack-Strawberry & Mixed Berry   Item #37920-48/4oz.
2. Yoplait Light-Strawberry   Item #37921-12/6 oz.
3. Yoplait Light-Very Vanilla   Item #37922-12/6 oz.

NEW Yoplait ParfaitPro

Create perfect parfaits in seconds with less mess and less waste.

1. Vanilla ParfaitPro   #37930-6/4 lb.
2. Strawberry ParfaitPro   #37931-6/4 lb.

Deeply chocolate, enrobed in chocolate and filled with a dark chocolate truffle.  Serve wickedly warm, unleashing a rush of molten chocolate to your cutomers’ wild delight.  Your plates will be dressed to kill.