Top Ten Biggest Food Trends for 2010

I came across this on the Comcast.net news page....taken from The Daily Beast Blog.

The 2010 Top Ten Biggest Food Trends are:

1) Organic Chocolate
2) Coconut (water, ice cream, yogurt)
3) Gluten-free Food
4) Exotic Citrus
5) Nostalgic Comfort Food (Oreos, peppermints, meatloaf, mini burgersetc.)
6) Anything Pickled (ginger, green beans)
7) Smoked Fish
8) Bacon Sweets - chocolate or carmel covered bacon - Homer Simpson would love this one. I'm intrigued as well....
9) Tricked Out Popcorn
10) Spicy Snacks

Check out the full story at this link: http://www.comcast.net/slideshow/news-foodtrends/1/

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Egg Plantation, Newhall

We thought the Egg Plantation in Newhall, CA deserved some recognition for a number of reasons...

First off, they are looking ahead on the holiday calendar. Valentine's Day is a just a month away so good planning on their part in creating this poster.

Secondly, way to take advantage of one of our favorite lines of products, the E-Z Marketing line. These products are designed to get your marketing pieces on the table in record time. They are easy to make and look great too. You can even upload your logo for a more personal touch.

Lastly, the Egg Plantation is diving into the MyMenuLab world fast! They've only been signed up for less than a week, and already doing great things...Congrats!
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Social Media

If you've read up on Restaurant Marketing Trends that are due to continue into the new year, you have probably heard of the term "Social Media". What's the hype about? Business writers from the Miami Herald Niala Boodhoo and Bridget Carey say "For most businesses, if you're not on social media, you're losing out on lots of potential growth. 2009 was the year that sites like Facebook and Twitter became mainstream -- and the growth of people depending on social networks increasingly for information." (posted 1/4/2009)
Sounds like a good idea to me...why not use these social networking sites to help spread the news about upcoming events, post coupons or sell specials? It's a good side-kick for the kind of neighborhood marketing that MyMenuLab is a part of. Your tried and true, loyal customers are like a mini marketing team, and you can bet that some of them are hooked on these Internet networking sites. Plus, they'll be dazzled when they arrive to see your snappy looking specials advertised on a table tent or poster and then tweet about them to their friends.
By the way, here's the definition of Tweet as posted by Wikipedia:
"Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to the author's subscribers who are known as followers."
( I really did have to look that up)

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MML University

Having trouble getting started on MyMenuLab? This is your chance!

MML University is held 6 times a week. It's the perfect opportunity to speak live to an expert while watching them create and process products....all from your own computer screen! This isn't just for beginners either...more advanced users have the opportunity to learn and share more tips and tricks as well. Spend 30 minutes with us or stay for the whole hour!
Log in by going to www.mymenulab.com and follow the links.

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New Year's Eve: Advertise Your Party!

It's not too late to create a super simple, but effective advertising campaign for your Christmas or New Year's Eve Party! 10 minutes of your time and you can have a great poster or table tent to let your customers know about upcoming events and parties...it's marketing that pays for itself!
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Thanksgiving Drink Recipes

Top off your green bean casserole with a real treat, certain to induce napping on the big day. (AND, If you are asleep you won't have to have any of Aunt Martha's mincemeat pie!) These drink recipes are great for a crowd and sure to please.


Hot Cider Punch
1 gallon apple juice
1 gallon apple cider
8 cinnamon sticks
10 whole cloves
1 cup sugar
juice of one lemon
Bring to a boil and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Let cool a little and add 4 cups dark rum. Serve in mugs with cinnamon sticks for stirring.
(If you like a hot buttered rum, add a pat of butter on top.)

Homemade Irish Cream
2 cups whiskey
1 pint half & half
1 can Eagle brand milk
1 Tbsp. chocolate syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
Put items in blender (in batches if needed) and blend until well mixed. Chill well and serve over ice or with coffee. Keeps for 2 weeks in the fridge.
Hint: add a touch of peppermint extract or schnapps, or your favorite coffee syrup for a Holiday touch!

Enjoy...and Happy Thanksgiving!




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Halverson's, Stoughton, WI

The planning has begun...at least for Halverson's in Stoughton, WI. Thanks to Sean Altenberg, Sysco Baraboo, they have three great new marketing pieces to advertise their "Homespun Thanksgiving". This is the perfect example of marketing made easy!



Kudos to Sean and Halverson's!
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Brought to you by the number ??

We want to wish a very special someone a HAPPY BIRTHDAY today. She's so good to us, she even cooked pancakes and sausage for us on HER birthday! Anyone want to join in in wishing Tressa Mills a very happy birthday?
P.S. She's the one on the left.
Thanks Tressa, for being a GREAT boss! Happy Birthday!
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Waiters World

Are your servers lacking inspiration lately? This is a neat link, not just for them, but for anyone in the restaurant/food biz. Especially enjoyable for any foodie is the "Cool Link for Professional Waiters", for information on wine, specialty beers, food trends, training tips and beyond.

Check it out at www.waitersworld.com
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Fall Fun

It's my favorite time of year in Michigan...fall colors, pumpkin carving, cool weather, football, comfy sweatshirts, crisp apples and apple cider. With Thanksgiving right around the corner (yikes) it's time to get prepared to market your special feast with a poster or table tent from MyMenuLab. Hey, since you gotta work on the big day, you might as well make it profitable, and a little advertising won't hurt! Or, create your holiday menu on a slugger insert...affordable and EASY!
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Great idea for Kids Menus!

Looking for an alternative to the Kids Placemats? This slugger was created by Ken McAllister - SYSCO Detroit. Check out the Kids Stuff section for many colorful choices in sluggers, table tent inserts and buzz cards, as well as the traditional placemats!
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Wedding Bells & More

Does your restaurant have catering or event planning services? A banquet room? Or a fantastic bakery? Check out the Holidays/Events section for themed products to advertise your specialty. Super simple stuff to help boost your business...
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