Miscellaneous

🍨 Tamara Keefe founded Clementine's Naughty and Nice Ice Cream in St. Louis, MO in 2015. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the company has seen a 2,000% revenue increase, expanding from one to eight locations. They offer unique alcoholic flavors and award-winning vegan options without a coconut or soy aftertaste. Clementine's ice cream contains 26-28% air compared to commercial brands' 100% overrun. Their pints are heavier due to high butterfat content and less sugar; they use 10 pounds of strawberries and two pounds of sugar per batch, unlike larger brands that might use six pounds of sugar for four pounds of strawberries. Keefe grew the business, earning a spot on "Oprah Winfrey's Favorite Things" in 2019, by sending ice cream to Oprah's team monthly for two years. In 2023, Clementine's moved to a 25,000-square-foot facility with an in-house bakery and expanded into Illinois, planning the first Kansas City shop and aiming to open 40 parlors in five years.

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality since 1999, covers F&B trends and guides coverage. Host of "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast, he also wrote "Kitchen Dish" column for The New York Sun (2005-2008). Prior to joining NRN, Thorn lived in Thailand writing for Manager magazine and Asia Times. A magna cum laude Tufts University graduate (BA in History), he studied French cooking at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and Chinese culture at Nanjing and Beijing Universities. His work includes contributions to the Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America (2012) and Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets (2015). Thorn won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award and was inducted into the Disciples d'Escoffier in 2014. Native of Denver, he resides in Brooklyn, NY. His expertise spans French cuisine and Asian culinary trends, restaurant operations, and service trends. Email: [email protected], active on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter (@foodwriterdiary), and Instagram (@foodwriterdiary).

🍷 Sonesta International Hotels Corporation launches "Global Table by Sonesta" to debut in 2025, featuring Wines of Rioja as its inaugural partner. From April to June 2025, nearly 40 Royal Sonesta and Sonesta Hotels & Resorts will offer Rioja wines, coinciding with the region's 100th anniversary. Events include tastings and dinners at select locations like Washington DC, Boston, St. Louis, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, Toronto, Columbus, White Plains, and Miami Beach. This initiative is part of Sonesta's evolving food and beverage programming, with plans to spotlight different regions or trends annually.

🔊 In an innovative move, an audio article has been made available for download through a Buzzsprout link. Users can now enhance their content consumption experience by listening to the material at their convenience. No specific dates, locations, numbers, or statistical information provided. The 'why' centers around catering to diverse user preferences and potentially increasing accessibility. The 'how' is through a simple download via the provided URL.

📖 Joanna Fantozzi, with over seven years in restaurant and hospitality journalism, is a Senior Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality since August 2021. She holds a bachelor’s degree from The College of New Jersey and a master’s from CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. Previously, she held roles at Insider and The Daily Meal and has contributed to The New York Times and Forbes. Joanna has been an editor at Informa since October 2018.

🥞 Celebrate Pancake Day at Covent Garden with a variety of pancake styles: classic buttermilk stacks at The Ivy Market Grill, French-inspired crêpes at Chez Antoinette, and boozy Crêpe Suzette at HENRi's Jackson Boxer from 3rd to 9th March for £14. The Breakfast Club offers iconic pancake stacks, while Balthazar features New York style pancakes. Apple Butter Café has an All Day Breakfast Menu with changing flavours. Capilungo's Carnevale Brunch presents an Italian alternative with a free Chiacchiere pastry from 1st to 4th March. Din Tai Fung offers a Crispy Golden Prawn Pancake for a unique experience.

🍴 Bret Thorn, Nation’s Restaurant News Senior Food & Beverage Editor since 1999 and Restaurant Hospitality editor since 2016, also hosted "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast. He wrote for The New York Sun (2005-2008), reported from Thailand (1992-1997), and worked for ABC News during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. His writing won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award, and he was inducted into the Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014. A Tufts University magna cum laude graduate and Phi Beta Kappa member, Thorn studied at Le Cordon Bleu and in China.

📊 Peter Thiel emphasized mastering one marketing channel to ensure business success. SEO dominates with the top 3 results out of 500,000 claiming over 70% of traffic. Online ads favor companies with the best funnels and budgets. Organic social media and influencers are ruled by the top 1%. To choose the right channel, consider search volume, content quality, response copy skills, influencer impact, sales team profitability, UX design, and partnership opportunities. Mastering a channel requires constant experimentation and learning from failed attempts. Follow Matt Lerner for weekly insights.

🍴 La Grande Boucherie opened in Manhattan in 2020 and expanded with Miami, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. locations recently. The Miami branch occupies a 13,000 square foot space in an Art Deco building dating back to 1938, seating 450 guests. Executive Chef Leonardo Pablo oversees a menu including French bistro fare, with options like Certified Japanese A5 wagyu. Emil Stefkov, founder of The Group Hospitality, notes Miami's cultural diversity as a key expansion factor. The company plans more openings in 2025.

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor at Nation’s Restaurant News since 1999 and Restaurant Hospitality since 2016, tracks F&B trends. He hosted "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast, wrote for The New York Sun (2005-2008), and contributed to Manager magazine and Asia Times in Thailand (1992-1997). A Tufts University history graduate (1990), he studied at Le Cordon Bleu (1986) and in China during 1988-1989, including witnessing the Tiananmen Square events. Thorn won the Jesse H. Neal Award (2006) and joined Disciples d’Escoffier (2014). Contact at [email protected]