On Foodable Weekly

Will they? In short, yes. Pizza is not going anywhere. It is still one of America's favorite foods for get-togethers, events, movie night, or cheap food on the fly. But, like many other sectors in the foodservice arena, we see a shift. Foodable Labs tracks over 6 million influences and over 100 pizza chains. Our data shows that pizza delivery over the last year is down, 12.8% to be exact, among 18-34-year-olds. What is causing the slip? Watch the video for more.

The delivery game is changing and on this episode of On Foodable Weekly: Industry Pulse, we’re looking at what you need to do to take advantage of this growing market. More than sixty-eight percent of consumers have ordered online delivery in the past 6 months. Meanwhile, nearly thirty-five percent of millennials have reduced their restaurant visits in the past year. With online delivery orders nearly quintupling (yes, that's FIVE) in just the past year, restaurants need to recognize that while this could be a threat, it could also be an opportunity.

Did you know that 71.2% of top foodie influencers cause others to visit restaurants and bars? Ever wonder which restaurants and cities foodies love the most? Foodable labs analyzed a data set of 7.3 million food influencers to figure out which foodie cities are the happiest. Of those 7.3 million influencers, Foodable Labs looked at those who dine out at least eight times a month and search exclusively for “happy terms.” Here’s what we found! San Diego - 91.56Scottsdale, AZ 91.31Austin, TX 91.08Kansas City, KS 90.76Palo Alto, CA 90.55Sarasota, FL 90.37Columbus, OH 89.37Boulder, CO 89.11Thousand Oaks, CA 88.62Portland, ME 88.51 See which restaurants ranked the highest across America at www.foodabletv.com/top-restaurants

Mooove over beef, pork is hogging up the top spot as consumers’ most loved protein. With a sentiment score of 89.5 (out of 100,) consumers now prefer pork over any other protein. Beef has dropped to the number 5 spot below chicken, seafood, and lamb. Millennial demand for fresh seafood is up 49.5% and consumer mentions of pork menu dishes are up 23.6% from last year. That's more growth than both chicken and beef combined! Aside from beef no longer being the most loved protein, top foodie influencers are slowly moving away from animal proteins altogether, showing a 309% increase in mentions of vegan menus since just last year. The healthy halo category of restaurants is now one of the fastest growing segments in both restaurants and menu items. Chefs and operators are increasing their involvement in vegan menu development to meet this new consumer demand with healthy halo concepts increasing vegan menu offerings 211% over this time last year. Watch the episode above to learn more about the latest protein trends!

The craft beer sector has shown a steady growth despite many small and independent breweries being acquired by beer giants. According to the Brewers Association (BA), “in 2016, craft brewers produced 24.6 million barrels, and saw a 6 percent rise in volume on a comparable base and a 10 percent increase in retail dollar value...By adding 1.4 million barrels, craft brewer growth outpaced the 1.2 million barrels lost from the craft segment, based on purchases by large brewing companies. Microbreweries and brewpubs delivered 90 percent of the craft brewer growth.” In an effort to continue nurturing that growth, the BA decided to create an Independent Craft Brewer Seal with the reasoning that the logo would serve as a tool for craft-beer enthusiasts to distinguish if their favorite beer was made by an independent brewer or not. In order to carry the stamp, a brewery has to meet the “craft brewer definition” determined by BA. Craft Brewer Defined by Brewers Association Foodable has been following the growth of craft beer in the U.S. since its inception and has reported on the origins of "Beervana," what the craft beer market expectations and challenges are, and the network has also provided a behind-the-scenes look into some craft beer companies through its show Beer Artisan. Most recently, though, the debate on what it truly means to be a craft brewer and consumer sentiments towards independent brewers who have been acquired by non-craft beer businesses have sparked Foodable’s curiosity. Enter Foodable Labs, our sister data company, which has helped us compare the overall sentiment scores for three beer brands (Four Peaks Brewing, Cigar City Brewery, and Lagunitas Brewing) before and after their acquisitions. Each beer brand was acquired by a company with more resources with goals of amplifying the beer production, as well as, the reach of the craft beer’s brand.

With more than 100,000 Floridians still without power, the state is working feverishly to return to normalcy. All the while, the Category 5 Hurricane Maria looms nearby. Though Maria is not expected to hit Florida, residents are still cautious and have not fully recovered from Irma’s destruction yet. But restaurants in Florida have stepped up in the wake of Hurricane Irma, offering discounts, ice, and even power to those without. Though many restaurants are recovering themselves, they have come out in droves to support their communities. Hospitality businesses across the state are doing their part by offering free water and ice to anyone in need. Many have had specials for first responders or have simply offered outlets to victims for them to charge their phones while soaking up some a/c. Some, like Tijuana Flats, have dedicated percentages of their sales to hurricane relief efforts. According to previous reporting by Foodable, 13,000 stores of publicly-traded restaurant chains in the U.S. were in areas hit by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma. According the Credit Suisse’s Jason West, this is 15% of total units, meaning these chains are definitely going to see more of a summer slump. Watch the episode above to learn more about how restaurants are responding to Hurricane Irma.

On this episode of On Foodable Weekly, host Paul Barron talks to Tom Holt of Urbane Cafe about why he decided to take on a full made-from-scratch menu in Ventura, California 12 years ago. In 2003, Holt was a professional motocross racer and couldn’t find a healthy fast casual in Ventura. He took that as inspiration to create his own. And thus, Urbane Cafe was born. Everything at Urbane is made from scratch from the bread and the sauces to the dressings. The ingredients they use are as fresh and local as possible. Barron asks Holt about his thoughts on how the fast casual sector is starting to get crowded. Of course, some concepts are going to succeed and other are going to fail, but being a “winner” isn’t the end goal for Holt. For him, there is a greater purpose to his menu. “I don’t want to see any losers. I want to make sure that we’re able to really feed the general population with good healthy food,” he says. Find out more about Urbane Cafe and their mission by watching the episode!

Foodable met up with some of the great minds in hospitality at this year’s HUB conference in Southern California. On this episode of On Foodable Weekly we hear how CEO Sam Polk started Everytable and how the company stays profitable. Everytable creates healthy grab-and-go meals and sells them for cheaper than the price of local fast food. The goal is that everyone, even those in food deserts, can afford to feed their families nourishing meals. Everytable is able to offer these meals at such low prices due to their small stores. Each store is about 700 square feet and only requires 2 employees working at a time. Their food is prepared at a nearby commissary kitchen in bulk and delivered to the stores daily, minimizing labor costs. Find out more about how this company is improving local communities by watching this episode of On Foodable Weekly.

Eureka! is one of those brands that comes across as a one-off, independent restaurant concept. The brand even has 22 separate social media accounts on both Instagram and Facebook for each of its locations— the latest opening last month in San Diego, Ca. “I've done that consciously,” said Justin Nedelman, CEO and co-founder of Eureka!, a multi-unit gastropub that was born soon after the economic recession of 2008 began. “At that time, in the recession, I think people with money were trading down, but they still wanted service; and folks that had limited income and still wanted a great experience, they were really discerning and weren't going to spend that money on a big chain restaurant.”

On this episode of On Foodable Weekly, our host, Paul Barron, gets to talk to Erik Oberholtzer of Tender Greens and Chef Stephen Giunta of Cargill about how plates are getting greener. As the guys explain, we are seeing that while alternative proteins like cricket and plant based proteins are on the rise, traditional proteins are not going away anytime soon. Chef Guinta explains, “The plant based proteins are becoming part of dishes. They're not replacing traditional proteins- You’re not going to replace a pork chop with quinoa, for example, but they’re additions and more of a balanced approach.” Oberholtzer adds that while we are seeing interesting food technology coming out like the Impossible Burger or soy proteins from Beyond Meat, he prefers to stick to whole ingredients. “What we’re seeing at least out of the fine dining world is that a lot of chefs are really leading with plants, they’re making plants the star. Plants are taking up more of the plate but proteins don’t go away.” Learn more about the future of protein by watching the episode above!

As consumers continue to demand more transparency, more customization, and more healthy options, what is the future of foodservice? Okay, so this conversation has been on the table for at least a decade. But, today, something is fundamentally changing in our industry. In this episode of On Foodable Weekly, we sit with Scott Davis, President of CoreLife and Steve Schulze, Co-founder of Nekter Juice Bar to talk about how the consumer is enforcing their values with their dollar and the industry is reacting. The customer has created a whole new segment that we call, "future brands." These restaurants are more focused on lifestyle and offer more than just a meal. For example, CoreLife is focused on providing fitness classes like yoga, and lifestyle content. Neckter Juice Bar also offers a cleanse to renew and revitalize your body. Lifestyle brands seem to operate the way that consumers want to experience food today, fitting in with their needs and preferences - convenience is key. So, what happens when your lunch spot becomes your gym and health spa? Watch the episode for more.

Amazon.com Inc. slashed prices at Whole Foods Market stores Monday, with some items seeing cuts up to 43 percent. Items like organic Fuji apples and organic rotisserie chicken were accompanied by orange signs showing the old price, the new price, and text reading “More to come...”. In total, over 400 items have seen price cuts. According to Bloomberg, prices on whole trade organic bananas fell 30 percent, responsibly farmed tilapia — 33 percent, and organic Fuji apples — 43 percent. Since Amazon won antitrust approval by the FTC last week, the e-commerce giant has made some big announcements about the companies’ futures. Soon, Whole Foods’ healthy and high-quality private label products will be available through Amazon.com, AmazonFresh, Prime Pantry, and Prime Now. Amazon Lockers will be available in select Whole Foods Market stores where customers will be able to pick up products shipped from Amazon.com as well as return items. In addition, Amazon Prime is becoming Whole Foods Market’s customer rewards program, meaning Prime members can expect special savings and other in-store benefits. Stay tuned to Foodable for more on this and other industry news.

In this episode of On Foodable Weekly, Foodable Network's CEO and Host, Paul Barron, sits with restaurant owner and bar expert, Vaughan Dugan, to discuss the ever shifting beverage segment. Craft beer, craft soda, and craft cocktails have all become hot topics in the beverage business. "It's really kind of exploded over the last several years; bar owners obviously see the opportunity to kind of elevate and enhance their business model," says Dugan. Craft means transparency and higher quality to most people. Beverage programs are now held to a higher standard, much like food service. Whisky from Japan! Non-U.S. spirit brands in high demand in U.S. cocktail rooms, may not be a new trend, but it is certainly going strong. We have seen Japanese whiskey become the talk of the town. Why? According to Dugan, "As more of the consumers learn more and more about this resurgence of booze, in general, they're getting more intelligent... When you hear about a Japanese whiskey basically beating out all the born and bred in the good ol’ USA, it opens up everybody’s eyes..." Watch the episode to hear more on topics like margins and staffing best practices in the beverage business.

On this episode of On Foodable Weekly, Paul sits down with Nicole Aylward, the director of Marketing at Rockit Ranch to talk about how restaurants are using technology to improve their their digital presence. Rockit Ranch is a restaurant group with a number of different restaurants, based in Chicago. Aylward begins with social media and the importance of having the brand's voice match up on different platforms. Facebook and Instagram are a massive part of modern marketing strategies. At Rockit Ranch, pushing out the brands message is not the job of one marketing manager. Aylward explains that operators, chefs and other staff are all trained to talk about the brand in a way consistent with its personality. “So each one of them have a personality whether it’s female or male, what they might wear, what they might do and eat and see and experience.”

On this episode of On Foodable Weekly, culinary trends are taking the stage. Just a few years ago, many diners hadn’t heard of exotic dishes and ingredients like kimchi or ostrich steaks. In an effort to keep their art interesting, chefs are constantly innovating to provide their customers with experiences that WOW diners. However, today's customers are more educated and more adventurous than ever. This is pushing chefs to continue experimenting and is certainly keeping chefs on their toes! Mark Garcia of Avocados From Mexico says the new consumers’ well-traveled palates are pushing guests to ask for more from their dining experiences. Watch the episode above to learn about even more culinary trends we’ll be seeing this year.

This episode of On Foodable Weekly: Industry Pulse is chock-full of great beverage insights from coffee makers to bartenders and spirit distillers. Host Chelsea Keenan hears from beverage experts about consumer trends they are seeing and trends they are pushing for in the next few years. The founder of Intelligentsia Coffee, Geoff Watts, and Sourcing Director Michael Sheridan take us to the root of coffee, or more specifically— the cherry. Coffee is grown on trees in the form of cherries. These are then picked off the trees and from there the seeds can go through a variety of different processes at different stages, all creating different flavors from the same coffee bean. Watts outlines the process for honey coffee, a very popular process with today’s consumers. Be sure to watch the episode for other great insights from our experts on this episode of On Foodable Weekly: Industry Pulse.

Charcuterie and cheese boards have long been staples for wine lovers looking for a tasty, complimentary snack, but when lung doctor Nick Proia started thinking about the different effects these snacks were having on his arteries, it didn’t make sense to him. Watch the episode to learn more about chocolate specially formulated for wine!

On this episode of On Foodable Weekly, our host, Paul Barron, sits down with City Winery’s National Wine Director, Rachel Speckan and Maple & Ash’s Head Sommelier and Director of Wine Imports, Daniel Pilkey. They discuss wine sale trends, consumer attitudes towards different types of wine from various regions, wine selection tips for wine directors and small restaurant concepts and other topics.

On this episode of On Foodable Weekly: Industry Pulse, we uncover another Artisan Food Find from the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York. As we have begun to see in recent months, condiments are slowly starting to take center stage. Items like vegan mayonnaise and unique pickles are just a couple condiments rising up in the ranks. An England-based company, The Foraging Fox, has gotten a head start with their 100% natural beetroot ketchup which they started creating three years ago. The Foraging Fox was founded by Frankie Fox after having an abundance of apples and beetroot from her family’s crop. Shortly after, she enlisted friend and former colleague Desiree Parker to come on as co-founder. With a dedication to new ingredients and fresh thinking, the team spent the last three years perfecting their ketchup. Aside from being natural, vegan-friendly, allergen-free, gluten-free, non-GMO, and free from high-fructose corn syrup, the beetroot ketchup is naturally nutrient packed. Beetroot is a superfood associated with an array of health benefits such as lowering blood pressure. Watch the episode above to learn more and stay tuned to the Artisan Food Finds series for more artisanal products!

On this episode of On Foodable Weekly: Industry Pulse, we see how long-standing brand, Cacique, is adapting in response to the millennial consumer, while still staying true to their identity. Cacique has been at the forefront of authentic Mexican cuisine for over 40 years. Their traditional products like queso fresco and crema are staples of the brand. Watch the episode above to learn more about the innovations Cacique is making in response to the millennial consumer!