Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association Newsletter
(May 25, 2014 - May 31, 2014)
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As I See It...

mu·sic /ˈmyo͞ozik/ noun

 

Vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion.

 

Music can change the environment in our stores (and at the conference).   

 

It can also affect how customers feel about their shopping experience.  

 

In traveling to many of our MMBA member stores I've experienced several genres of music for seasonal effects; the traditional Christmas tunes, Cinco D mayo, St Patrick's Day.  

 

One day I stopped into a newly built store with a new manager and he said "I can't believe the previous manager enjoyed the silence, it's almost a deafening."  

 

A former employee at my store preferred silence and no music in our store and never turned music on when she opened.  

 

When other employees arrived we would walk in and first thing we would do turn on the tunes.  

 

There are several sayings and thoughts regarding music:

 

Dance like nobody's watching. Sing like nobody is listening.

 

Live Music is better. Neil Young

 

A reflection back to our spring conference in Alexandria:

 

Sunday evening was incredible. For those who were unable to make it this year our entertainment was Dueling Pianos.  

 

We were not forced to tap our toes, hum, sing along, conga or even do part of the chicken dance.  

 

But WE DID!  

 

The music that night allowed us to escape temporarily from our jobs, the sales reps, advertising ideas, in-store promotions, staffing issues, and on and on......... for some it may have been time to just let go and live in the moment.

 

Returned Food
Food



With more and more MMBA members adding food to their operations, there will be more articles like this in this newsletter.



Here is a note from the newsletter of MMBA Food Code Consultant Lars Johnson:


Hi, 

[I'm a] former food safety class attendee and owner of *****. I know you are a busy guy, but I have done some research and this one
still has me stumped. So, common occurrence  at the restaurant I took over, steak delivered to table, consumer A cuts into steak and says, "Could you put it back on just a little more?" Steak goes back to kitchen, steak goes back onto high temp grated grill, back up to temp, is put
on brand new plate and returned to same consumer.
Consumer is happy.

Until, rare occurrence, consumer B is not happy getting the same steak back. Their argument, "My knife touched it so you can't put it back on the grill, you have to throw it out and bring me a new steak." Looking in the code I find that "food that is...returned by the consumer shall not be
offered as food for human consumption." But, is asking for additional cooking the same as "returning"?

If so, it seems extreme. The high temp grill should kill any  bacteria and it is going back to the same person that potentially contaminated it. If so, how can the waste be avoided? We could cut open each steak before putting on the table and get prior approval from consumer before setting on the table. I have never had this done to me when served, so I think I must be missing something in the interpretation.
- LC

For this scenario we looked in the 2013 FDA annex. 3-306.14 4626.0335

Returned food and re-service or sale says:

Food can serve as a means of person-to-person transmission of disease agents such as hepatitis A virus.

Any unpackaged foods, even bakery goods in a bread basket that are not potentially hazardous (time/temperature control safety foods) and that have been served to a consumer, but not eaten, can become vehicles for transmitting pathogenic microorganisms from the initial consumer to the next if the food is served again.

We don't consider a steak returned for additional cooking as "returned for re-service or sale."

The intent of the code is to not serve leftover food from one customer to another.

The high temperature of the grill will take care of any likely biological contamination that a customer may have added to the surface of a steak."

(Michelle Messer, MDH)

So there you have it. One good thing about the approach to the Food Code these days is that is has taken on a more reasonable approach to some situations that used to be cut and dried "NO" answers. 

As operators, bear in mind that the contaminants might not only hit the grill. The customer might also be contaminated.

Here are a few tips for you:

 

* When bringing the steak back to the kitchen, only bring the steak plate. Do not carry dirty dishes, glasses, or someone else's food in the same trip.

 

* Don't set the food down unattended in the bus station

 

* Transfer the steak to a clean plate or dish with a clean fork or utensil and then bring it over to the grill/broiler

 

* Don't let this returned steak touch any other food on the grill

Use a clean plate for the recooked meat

 

* Wait staff should wash hands after handling the plate returned from the customer before handling other food or dishes."

 
Great question, thoughtful response. I see happy customers in the future!

 

Click Here to Contact Lars  

Pretty Much What Is Needed from Employees

 
Expanding Food Offerings
Wayzata Bar & Grill

As indicated in an article above, more municipal liquor operations are expanding their food offerings.

In going through some records, your humble editor found a clip about the 2011 grand opening of Wayzata Bar & Grill.

Click Here to See Video

Experience is a hard teacher because it gives the test first, the lesson after


Future Dates to Remember

2014 MMBA Regional Meetings 

 

Thief River Falls  September 10

Alexandria
September 17

Worthington
September 24

Rochester 
October 1

Duluth
 October 8

Metro
 October 9
Ask A Director

Gary Buysse
Rogers
763-428-0163

Cathy Pletta
Kasson
507-634-7618
  
Bill Ludwig
Paynesville
320-983-6255
  
Candice Woods
Hutchinson 
320-587-2762
  
John Jacobi
Isanti
763-444-5063

Michael Friesen
Hawley
218-483-4747

Lisa Kamrowski
Nevis 
218-652-3135

Steve Grausam
Edina
952-903-5732

Toni Buchite
50 Lakes
218-763-2035

Brenda Visnovec
Lakeville 
952-985-4901
 
Bridgitte Konrad
North Branch
651-674-8113
  
Shelly Dillon
Callaway
218-375-4691
  
Karissa Kurth
Buffalo Lake
320-833-2321
 
Paul Kaspszak
MMBA
763-572-0222
1-866-938-3925

 
Click Here For Newsletter Archives 
Sunday Sales: Convenience at What Cost?
The MMBA website now contains comprehensive information on Sunday Sales. 

It is a reference for members, legislators, media, city councils and the general public.

Click Here for the Website

 

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An International Law Firm...
An international law firm advertises for a secretary.

A golden retriever comes in and she passes the typing test.

In the interview, the HR manager says, "But how about foreign languages?"

And the golden retriever says, "Meow."
 
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