Article

2006 restaurant show wraps up

The 2006 National Restaurant Hotel & Motel Show offered big-time speakers and trendsetting technologies. Even if you attended, you probably didn't see everything.

May 24, 2006

CHICAGO — Ted Koppel and Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy were great speakers for the National Restaurant Hotel & Motel Show May 20-23. But they were upstaged by President George W. Bush when he came to deliver an update on the war on terror and illegal immigration (Read alsoPresident Bush speaks at NRA Show).

NRA officials said they invite the president to speak every year, but "we can't plan for him attending," said NRA spokeswoman Sue Hensley. In fact, only a small group knew of the president's intentions a couple weeks ago for security reasons, Hensley said, and the public didn't know until May 20, two days before his speech.

After his speech, President Bush worked the crowd. (White House photo)

With less than 48 hours to prepare for a visit from the country's top leader, NRA staffers scrambled to credential press and qualify about 4,000 attendees. But the effort was well worth it.

"How often do you get the president to speak? It was just a great opportunity," Hensley said.

Opportunity indeed. For a day, the foodservice industry's largest show was center stage of the national media. Nearly every network led with a newscast about the president's speech and more than 500 newspaper and wire stories surfaced on the Internet just hours after Bush spoke.

Although the president only has a 35 percent approval rating, according to FOXnews.com, he spoke in front of a strongly partisan crowd. Nearly every question was prefaced with, "You are doing a fine job, sir."

NRA president Steven C. Anderson said Bush doesn't normally receive such a warm welcome. "It's good for him to see this side of America."

Booth flow

While Bush's arrival may have been good for the show, it wasn't necessarily helpful to the 2,100 exhibitors vying for time with the 73,000 attendees. During the president's speech, many, but not all, exhibitors said the floor was dead.

"We didn't experience that," said Larry Starkey, president of Sani Floor LLC. "If I didn't know he was there, I wouldn't have known based off of attendance."

Booth traffic at the NRA Show depended on where the booth was located, most exhibitors said.

(Fred Minnick)

Starkey said he received 600 leads. His Sani Floor product was on display in the Kitchen Innovations area and the North Floor. Not all exhibitors were privileged to have two spaces, however. ReServe Interactive was hidden in a back corner of the Technology Pavilion.

"Even though our booth location didn't lend to a lot of walk-by traffic, we received many qualified leads from individuals who knew what they wanted and were ready to buy," said Lynn Carter, co-founder and chief technology officer for ReServe Interactive. "We were especially pleased with SmartBooth, the lead generation program offered by NRA, and look forward to reviewing the information they've provided."

Lynette McKee, chief franchising officer for Dunkin Brands, said she received 25 good leads in the first day. It was especially important for Dunkin to show a strong brand presence as the company shifts away from single-unit franchisees to multi-unit operators, she said. The company is also making a run for the West.

"We only have 66 stores west of the Mississippi," she said. "A lot of people don't realize that because Dunkin has such great brand recognition."

Recently acquired by Sagittarius Brands, Del Taco faces a similar challenge. Predominately on the West Coast, the Mexican QSR is expanding to the Midwest and East Coast. And like Dunkin, Del Taco consumers remember their tacos.

"People come up to me all the time and ask, 'When are you bringing a Del Taco to my town,'" said Andy Verostek, franchise sales manager for the chain.

Del Taco used the NRA Show to seek potential franchise operators.

If you think Verostek is just selling his brand, think again. During the course of this interview, a long-haired man – not wearing an NRA badge – walked up to the Del Taco booth, bragging on how he is the biggest fan of Del Taco. The man said he now lived in the Chicago area after calling California home. Verostek took the gentleman's contact information.

"We'll invite you to our VIP opening to our store in Naperville (10 miles from Chicago)," Verostek said to the man.

The Del Taco fan left with a big smile on his face.

"That guy will tell 20 of his friends, and they will all go to that store when it opens," Verostek said. "Now with Sagittarius behind us, we are able to take Del Taco nationwide and this show helps us get our name out there and educate people who don't know about our new affiliation with Sagittarius (which also owns Captain D's)."

While Dunkin Brands and Del Taco have rather well-known brands, BD's Mongolian Barbeque, a comparably smaller chain with 26 stores in the Midwest, used the NRA show as a catalyst to generate new prospects.

"There are so many 'mom and pops' in the Asian segment that it's important to get the BD's name out there," said Deb Fratrik, chief operating officer. She said BD's is after Generation X and Y operators who can help build a solid foundation for the young franchise.

"At this show, you can really find potential operators who have a passion for this business," Fratrik said.

Product notes

(Click hereto listen to editor commentary on products showcased at the NRA Show)

Dow AgroSciences is bringing a trans-fat-free cooking oil to the marketplace. Produced from the company's specially bred NEXERA canola and sunflower seeds, the oil is an alternative to partially hydrogenated frying oils, which are high in trans fats and have been linked to a significantly increased risk for heart disease. Dow AgroSciences' new oils, which have a unique combination of high oleic and low linolenic fatty acid content, are defined as containing zero trans fats and lower saturated fats, making them a healthier choice for foodservice. According to Dow research, adults and teens equally preferred foods fried in these oils to traditionally fried foods cooked in partially hydrogenated oils. In addition, the research also shows these oils can provide a 50 percent longer fry life for foodservice applications.

"Our oils give restaurants, for the first time, a way to reduce saturates and get trans fats out of favorite fried foods without having to take them off the menu or compromise taste," said David Dzisiak, global business leader for Oils at Dow AgroSciences.

Nu-Vu's Rhapsody ComboBake oven has programmable controls, pass-thru cooler-to-touch doors and a slam-cam handle. A Kitchen Innovations award winner, the oven uses V-Air so users don't have to turn pans. Najib Maalouf, president of Nu-Vu, said it can bake 40 1 foot-long loaves in 10 minutes.

The oven is only 41 inches tall and 30 inches wide, which "saves a lot of space in the kitchen," Maalouf said.

NatureWorks PLAis a corn-based alternative to petroleum-based plastic serviceware. The product is used in a wide range of drink cups, lids and food containers, said NatureWorks spokesperson Mary Rosenthal.

The QX720 will help increase throughput and per-customer sales

-- Paul Rasori VeriFone VP

Rosenthal said NatureWorks PLA is the first corn-based plastic available and it's more of a responsible disposal option than traditional plastics. The product is comprised of only renewable resources, field corn, Rosenthal said.

It is used at an array of restaurants and retail stores including Mrs. Fields, Wal-Mart and Wild Oats Markets.

VeriFonelaunched the V 670 and the QX720 at the NRA Show. The V 670 is a portable payment system that ensures PIN-based payment transactions meet the highest level of security. The QX720 is a rugged and secure drive-thru consumer operated payment solution that supports credit, debit and contactless cards.

The V 670 was designed for tableservice while the QX720 was built for the QSR operator who places emphasis on speed. Paul Rasori, VeriFone vice president of marketing, said fast-food customers use credit and debit more to pay for orders and "the QX720 will help increase throughput and per-customer sales."

Sur-Seal Lid System uses specially printed shrink film to create a leak-proof seal. Each cup is custom sealed and varying cup rim diameters are easily accommodated, said William Bakker, president of Green Line products, the manufacturer of the lid system.

The Sur-Seal Lid System can place a lid on a cup in only a second. (Fred Minnick)

It only takes a second for the lid to be placed on the cup, Bakker said. The lid conforms to variable cup sizes by locking snugly around the rim, and "the result is a safer seal that is more resistant to drink spillage," he said.

McDonald's is testing the lid system in Canada, where the product is produced.

(To see the NRA Show slide show,click here)