Past Events
Held Tuesday, June 5, 2012
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Midland Hills Country Club
2001 Fulham Street
Roseville, MN 55113
DOWNLOAD REGISTRATION FORM HERE.
Selling Desserts trade show and seminars will feature a wide array of “after-the-entree” products, including coffee, cheeses and specialty drinks. This event is for those establishments and chefs who make their dessert offerings in-house, to operations that use high-quality pre-made desserts. From artisanal producers to large manufacturers, Selling Desserts will explore the world of dessert and other post-meal offerings. Speakers’ presentations will include details on their menu items, marketing/sales tactics and server training. Contact Foodservice News if you would like to exhibit. Check back regularly for further details and exhibitor updates!
Speakers
• Heidi Woodman, pastry chef/co-owner, Heidi’s Minneapolis and Birdhouse
• Peter Kelsch, president/founder, Espresso Services Inc./Intermix Beverage
• Tim Niver, partner/general manager, Strip Club Meat & Fish
Premier Sponsors
Exhibitors
• Caulfield & Associates • Food Marketing Services
• TSBL Distributing • Intermix Beverage/ESI
• CenterPoint Energy • 2 Gingers Irish Whiskey
• Pure Market Express • Izzy’s Ice Cream
• Instantwhip Foods • Saint Agnes Baking Co.
• Foodbridge/Sweet Street Desserts/Schroeder Dairy
• Prestige Wine Group • Excel Marketing
• Sara Lee • Muddy Paws Cheesecake
• Great Northern Baking Company • Mirabella Foods
• Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association
• Rasmussen & Associates/Bindi
• Fahlstrom Farms • Anderson’s Maple Syrup
• Golden Fig • Turmeric Trail
• Pierce Christopher Purveyors • TeaSource
• Sweet Jules Gifts • Ames Farm
• St. Croix Chocolate Co. • Shepherds Way Farms
• Hoch Orchard & Gardens
11:00 – 11:30 AM
Coffee: Brewing success through the menu
The last impression from a great meal is often the cup of coffee poured at the end. For that
reason alone, says Peter Kelsch, it’s vitally important to have a good coffee and espresso
program that doesn’t subtract from the experience. But coffee also goes far beyond the cup
— it can be incorporated deep into the menu via desserts and cocktails. Kelsch will speak about
current trends and incorporating a coffee program that, when fully utilized, can impact an entire menu—particularly post-entrée.
—Peter Kelsch, president and founder of Espresso Services Inc. and Intermix Beverage. Kelsch is a coffee and beverage expert whose companies service all manner of entities, from independent cafés and restaurants to large chains and hotels on all things coffee and beverage, including specialty cocktail products and other blended drinks.
1:00 – 1:30 PM
Dessert: From scratch and for profit
Heidi Woodman’s desserts at Heidi’s Minneapolis are known for their elegant simplicity and
unfussy, nostalgic flavors. “I’m a cook,” she has said. While the dessert program at Heidi’s
is built entirely from scratch and meets the high expectations of diners looking for a singular
experience, Woodman’s second effort (with her husband, the acclaimed chef Stewart),
Birdhouse, will be a casual setting and the dessert menu will incorporate products from local
artisanal producers. Woodman will speak about both menus, the development of specific items
from creation to costing, and training staff to sell them.
—Heidi Woodman, co-owner/pastry chef of the acclaimed Heidi’s Minneapolis and the
soon-to-open Birdhouse, also in Minneapolis. Woodman was named among Tasting Table’s
Best Pastry Chefs 2012.
2:00 – 2:30 PM
Digestif: Dessert in the glass (or on the plate)
Post-entrée options depends on the concept, of course, but there are other factors, namely
the diners at any given time during the evening. Service guru Tim Niver is also an expert behind the bar, and there is much play between food and drink when it comes to a diner’s post entrée decisions, he says. The Strip Club’s post-entree menu includes a wide range of hand-crafted cocktails, infused liquors, and non-alcoholic concoctions, and a perfectly executed, but limited, dessert menu. Niver will talk about the Strip Club’s philosophy, compared with others from his broad experience.
—Tim Niver, general manager and partner of the acclaimed Strip Club Meat & Fish in St. Paul, learned his trade at many top restaurants across the country, including managing the floor at the Minneapolis Aquavit. He was also a founding partner of the revolutionary Town Talk Diner in Minneapolis.
Foodservice News holds three informational events for foodservice professionals each year, featuring a wide range of topics including marketing, menu development, financial practices and sourcing local products. Click here for information on past events.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Saint Paul Hotel
Topic: Best business practices (Event coverage HERE)
Cost: $35 for restaurant operators and foodservice/kitchen managers, $50 for vendors.
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Speakers and panelists include Stephanie Shimp, co-owner of the Blue Plate Restaurant Company (Longfellow, Highland and Edina Grills, 3 Squares, Groveland Tap and The Lowry); Paul Dzubnar, CEO of Green Mill Restaurants (Green Mill, Twisted Fork Grille, Crooked Pint Ale House); Keith Reardon, vice president of Morrissey Hospitality Companies restaurants, sports and entertainment divisions (properties include the St. Paul Grill, Pazzaluna, Tria and Enjoy! Restaurant); Jason Olson, senior manager the accountancy firm Eide Bailly‘s forensic and validation division; Sandi Piatz, director of business development for Eide Bailly Technology Consulting; and Jonathan Locke, chef and owner of the restaurant consultancy FoodSense, and Foodservice News columnist.
Event Sponsors:
CenterPoint Energy, North Country Business Products, The Christensen Group, Karlsburger, Waymar, American Fish & Seafood, Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS:
• Industry legislative update from Frank Ball, executive director, Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association
• Detecting & Preventing Fraud: What Restaurateurs Should Know, presented by Jason Olson, Senior Manager, Eide Bailly LLP
• PCI (Payment Card Industry) Compliance, presented by Sandi Piatz, Director of Business Development, Eide Bailly Technology Consulting
• Preventing fraud in the kitchen and FOH, presented by Jonathan Locke, Chef/Owner, FoodSense
• Top Restaurant Operators & 2012 Industry Outlook discussion panel, with Keith Reardon, VP Restaurants, Entertainment & Sports Divisions, Morrissey Hospitality, Inc.; Paul Dzubnar, CEO/Owner, Green Mill Restaurants; and Stephanie Shimp, Co-Owner, Blue Plate Restaurant Company. Panel moderated by Mike Mitchelson, Managing Editor, Foodservice News
Local Challenge 2011: The Element of ‘Craft’
On Tuesday, October 4, 2011, five leading chefs (pictured above) dove into menu development, combining locally- or sustainably-sourced product and classic techniques to create cost-efficient, unique menu items. Also featured dining and menu trends with Stephanie March, food and dining editor for Mpls.-St. Paul Magazine; and a legislative update from Frank Ball, executive director of the Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association. Click here for event coverage!
The 2011 Local Challenge was sponsored by:
The event also featured local craft breweries (Summit and Fulton), cheese makers and other local manufacturers and producers. The chefs: Chefs Erick Harcey (Victory 44), Ben McCallum (Three Sons Signature Cuisine), J.D. Fratzke (The Strip Club Meat & Fish), Steven Brown (Tilia) and Russell Klein (Meritage).
This event occurred on Tuesday, October 4, 2011, from 9 A.M. to 1:30 P.M.
Price: $35 for restaurant operators, chefs and foodservice/kitchen managers. $50 for vendors.
St. Anthony Main Event Center
219 SE Main Street, Minneapolis, MN 55414
Get the Sales Up!
Join Foodservice News at Kieran’s Irish Pub in Minneapolis on June 7 and hear from restaurant marketing leaders, social media experts and the master of restaurant promotions himself, Mr. Kieran Folliard, as we explore the best new ideas for building sales. Then stay for a sampling of 2 Gingers Irish whiskey and Green Ox Foods’ artisanally crafted and locally-sourced charcuterie.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Kieran’s Irish Pub • Minneapolis
8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Cost: $35 • Includes breakfast
Speakers:
- Kieran Folliard, co-owner/founder of Cara Irish Pubs., which includes The Local and Kieran’s Irish Pub in Minneapolis, The Liffey in St. Paul and Cooper in St. Louis Park. Folliard also founded Green Ox Foods last year with charcuterie specialist Mike Phillips, and recently introduced his own brand of Irish whiskey, 2 Gingers.
- Chris Lower, co-founder, director of marketing of Sterling Cross Group. Lower is an award-winning sales manager and marketeer, with 16 years in the retail, hospitality and medical-technical device industries. He is recognized as a creative and “out of the box” social media strategist, and is a regular speaker and presenter on online marketing.
- Doug Anderson, CEO and founder of Driven Group. A 25-year marketing veteran, Doug has been instrumental in creating and transforming brands like Country Inns & Suites by Carlson and Famous Dave’s. He is a recognized expert in franchise and multi-unit marketing and helps companies achieve brand loyalty and revenue gains through smarter marketing.
Renewing the Concept
Join Foodservice News and Parasole Restaurant Holdings at Chino Latino for a can’t miss breakfast discussion on revitalizing or—if necessary—recreating your brand. Hear the lessons learned from Parasole as they decided the fate of Figlio, and revitalized their Pittsburgh Blue and Il Gatto concepts.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
8:30 A.M. to 11:30 A.M.
Price: $35
Chino Latino
2916 Hennepin Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN
Speakers:
- Parasole CEO Dennis Monroe on the financial considerations related to making the changes.
- James Beard Award-winning chef Tim McKee on revamping the Il Gatto menu.
- Pittsburgh Blue Executive Chef Miguel Urrutia on the menu changes required to create the Blue Tavern and the new lunch menu.
- Parasole VP of Business Development Kip Clayton on the public and media relations and advertising considerations promoting the restaurants’ changes.
Local Challenge 2010
How to profitably source from local farms and purveyors
The challenges and future of going ‘local’
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
8:30 A.M. to 11:00 A.M.
Price: $35
Heartland Restaurant & Farm Direct Market
289 East Fifth Street, St. Paul, MN
Speakers:
JoAnne Berkenkamp, program director, local foods for the Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy
The Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy (IATP) is a non-profit organization working locally and globally to support fair and sustainable food, farm and trade systems. As program director for local foods, JoAnne Berkenkamp works closely with multiple agencies and organizations developing farm-to-table connections. In addition to other strategies for advancing local food and agriculture, IATP partners closely with the Minnesota School Nutrition Association to build Farm to School activities across the state.
Lenny Russo, chef and owner of Heartland Restaurant & Farm Direct Market
James Beard Award-nominee Lenny Russo has long been a leader in sourcing local ingredients for his four-star menu at Heartland. He is also an outspoken advocate for developing efficient distribution systems to get that local product to wholesale and retail markets. The new Heartland Restaurant & Farm Direct Market is a culmination of those efforts. Russo will speak about the new facility, including its year-’round farm direct market and eventual wholesale distribution area, and the brass tacks on building a profitable restaurant business based on a local and sustainable philosophy.
With an introduction by St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman
