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Greetings!
Welcome to the December issue of the PG Distributor. We hope you have a busy month ahead of you with great holiday events for your guests, followed up by some holiday celebrations of your own. This month, we're taking a look at how the Wyndham has improved its lobby experience in a few locations. We're also spotlighting an article from our blog about whether or not diners really want healthy options when eating out. And, we're talking to Executive Chef Gilberto Contreras about how he's improved the food at the Sheraton National by teaching his staff to get back to the basics.
Don't forget Progressive Gourmet has all your holiday menu needs covered. Visit our website or ask your sales representative for a complete list of holiday products. Place your orders early and have a stress free holiday season!
As always, don't forget to find us on Twitter and Facebook to keep up with all the latest PG news. |
Not Just for Standing Around, Lobbies Get an Upgrade
After noticing the number of guests that were just standing around awkwardly in their hotel lobbies, management for the Wyndham Hotel Group decided to create a new food and beverage concept that could meet the needs of guests and provide an additional source of revenue. Eat. Refresh. Live. (ERL) was created and has been installed in ten Wyndham locations around the world. According to this article from Hotel F & B magazine, it has been a huge success. Though your location may not be able to undertake such a project, it can still help to liven up the lobby in an effort to give guests a more relaxed, comfortable environment. |
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Blog Spotlight: Do Diners Really Want Healthy Options?
 Progressive Gourmet's blog, The Banquet Bulletin, is a weekly look at issues in the foodservice industry, along with product presentation ideas and more.
As menu labeling laws start to take effect in 2011, any restaurant with over 20 locations will need to include calorie counts and other nutritional information for regular menu items. Many in the industry are afraid that this will deter people from eating out, but a recent study by Technomic, Inc. suggests otherwise.
The study shows that nearly 50% of people claim they want healthier menu options when dining out, but only a quarter of diners actively consider nutrition facts when eating out.
Keep Reading... |
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Getting Back to Basics to Improve Service : A Conversation with Gilberto Contreras
 When he was young Gilberto Contreras' mother told him he would be a chef one day, as he often took breakfast orders from his family and whipped up delicious creations in the kitchen. After dropping out of high school to support his new wife and baby, he was given the opportunity to take part in a six-month culinary program that set him on the path to becoming the current Executive Chef at the Sheraton National in Arlington, Virginia. Now, if he recognizes talent in his team, he encourages it.
"After having to drop out of high school, to be where I'm at right now, I feel pretty good," he said. "All you've got to do is apply yourself and learn some things. If I see some potential [in a staff member], I'm like 'come on!'."
Having worked his way up through the ranks of hotel kitchens since the early 1990s, Contreras took over at Sheraton National in March and has been earning the respect of his team with his hands-on style and back to basics approach to food.
"I'm teaching these guys to go back to basics and plan ahead," he said. "I'm more of a cook's chef because I came from there."
Continue reading our interview with Gilberto
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The Progressive Gourmet Team
800-224-7630 |
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| Featured Product |  | | The Entree Ratatouille Fillo Star (0002FSRHC5) is a favorite of Executive Chef Gilberto Contreras, who says, "Having different vegetarian options for groups that are in for a few days is great." |
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