Beer and Burritos: 5 Rabbit Teams Up with Chipotle

Photo Credit: Crain's Chicago BusinessBedford Park brewer 5 Rabbit Cerveceria is teaming up with Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. of Denver to produce a special edition Saison-style beer for the restaurant's upcoming Cultivate festival.

The festival is scheduled for Sept. 7 in Lincoln Park — the actual park, not the neighborhood. It's billed as a day of "food, farmers, chef artisans, thought leaders and musicians."

5 Rabbit's Saison con Miel Mexicana, made with flaked rye and Mexican honey, will be among the beverages on sale that day. The brewery is making 30 barrels, or 930 gallons.

Andres Araya, 5 Rabbit's co-owner, said Chipotle approached the startup brewery about producing a farmhouse ale.

"We took that idea and worked on several concepts and eventually decided on the idea of a Saison with indigenous Mexican honey," he said.  READ MORE

Quiznos, Smashburger Founders to Debut Live Basil Pizza Concept

The founders of Quiznos and Smashburger will debut a new fast-casual concept this week that aims to redefine the next generation of pizza.

Live Basil Pizza will open Thursday in Denver and offer made-to-order 11-inch pizzas, baked in less than five minutes in a high-temperature brick oven.

Live Basil is a new concept developed by Consumer Capital Partners, a Denver-based private-equity firm lead by Richard and Rick Schaden, the father-son team that also built the Quiznos sandwich chain. Quiznos changed hands in a debt-for-equity swap last year, but Consumer Capital still operates and franchises the 206-unit Smashburger “better-burger” concept.

The new pizza concept was initially rumored to be called Honest Pizza, but there was a last-minute switch, said Rick Schaden, who is developing Live Basil with Consumer Capital managing partner Tom Ryan.

The name Live Basil better represented what Schaden described as a differentiated positioning within the rapidly growing fast-casual pizza niche, with a focus on freshness and quality ingredients — like the basil plucked from live plants as the pizza is assembled in front of guests.

Rather than calling the concept fast-casual pizza, “We call this the fresh pizza segment,” Schaden said in an interview with Nation’s Restaurant News.    READ MORE

Hand-held computers changing the way restaurants do business

Photo Credit: MyDesert.comThe restaurant menu is the newest thing to go digital.

Sleek, black and modern iPads are making a big splash at a few local restaurants, changing how those fine-dining establishments run their businesses.

“The days of just an old, order-taker as a server are gone,” said Tim Snyder. “It’s an interaction that has kind of come off the page, if you will, but in a different dialogue.”

Fine dining is an industry built on human interactions, but the tablet is changing that interface in a variety of ways. Tablets have become a contemporary substitute for the paper menu, creating a more knowledgeable consumer. Payments can be done tableside, taking a fraction of the time to pay a check. Some restaurants have opted to update their point-of-sale systems with tablets instead of boxy computers. Even the server’s pad has been updated to a hand-held device.

“It definitely changes the dynamic but it also streamlines the process,” said Angelica Pappas, spokesperson for the California Restaurant Association in Sacramento. “As consumers get more comfortable and understand the benefit of efficient service ... you’ll see more restaurants doing it.” READ MORE

Fine-dining Veterans are Taking Their Talents to the Fast Casual Space

Photo Credit: QSR.comOn Fort Lauderdale, Florida’s 17th Street, tucked in the shadow of giants Chipotle and Panera Bread, an upstart burger joint dreams of someday entering the same upper ranks of the fast-casual world that those two brands helped create. Though the restaurant carries a familiar name, its vibe is decidedly fresh.

Welcome to Shula Burger.

The Shula’s brand has earned credibility in the restaurant world, not only because of its world-famous namesake, former NFL coach Don Shula, but also due to the renown for its 15 Shula’s Steak Houses around the U.S. But the Florida-based company thinks its future success lies in this young fast casual that swaps white tablecloths and crystal stemware for hamburgers and hand-dipped Häagen-Dazs milkshakes.

With five Shula Burger stores in South Florida—the most recent of which opened this spring in Delray Beach—Shula’s is betting that its fine-dining know-how applied to a more casual and economical environment will make Shula Burger a national concept that can propel the parent company to new heights.

Restaurant Trends to Watch This Summer

Photo Credit: Nation's Restaurant NewsAs the weather heats up, restaurants will naturally be turning to stone fruits, wild salmon and other hallmarks of the summer to entice guests. But several trends not specific to the season will also likely hit their stride this summer, ranging from popular new beverages to specialized service to new culinary techniques.

Cider: The next generation

Hard cider’s popularity is accelerating, according to research firm GuestMetrics, which analyzes point-of-sale data at full-service restaurants. Cider sales in restaurants grew by 40 percent in 2012. But year-over-year sales in the first quarter of 2013 jumped by 70 percent, the company said.

“Ciders obviously have made a huge jump in the market,” said Joe O’Connor, beverage director of Big Night Entertainment Group, which operates six restaurants in the Boston area. “They are appealing to all and easy to drink,” he said, adding that they’re particularly popular at brunch and in the early evening, and as a bonus they happen to be gluten-free.  READ MORE