Over a century ago, when the Golden Gate Bridge was just a twinkle in an architect’s eye and the fog was constant and dense, something new, different and ever-so spicy was concocted in the back rooms of San Francisco Italian grocery stores.

Somewhere between the late 1800s and early 1900s, scores of Italian immigrants poured into the Bay Area in search of newfound success and stability and carrying with them a knack for making salami. (more…)

DES MOINES, Iowa, June 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Adults following the health-promoting DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan to help lower blood pressure can also include nutrient-rich lean pork as the primary source of protein in their diets, according to new research published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.[1]

Purdue University researchers found that when adults ate lean pork, instead of the typical chicken and fish as their main protein source in the health-promoting DASH diet, they had the same blood pressure benefits regardless of protein source – with systolic blood pressure decreasing around 7 to 8 points and diastolic around 4 to 5 points after six weeks, based on a 24-hour blood pressure monitoring system.

“While the traditional DASH diet includes chicken and fish, our research suggests that lean pork may also be a part of this healthy eating pattern,” said study lead author Dr. Wayne W. Campbell, Nutrition Science Professor at Purdue University. “Many Americans enjoy red meat, so the recommendation to limit red meat in the typical DASH diet could be a potential barrier to adapting this eating plan. Swapping in lean pork could help more people follow this healthful eating plan.”

Read the entire story – http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-study-finds-lean-pork-can-be-included-in-the-dash-eating-plan-300097587.html

If you run a pizza restaurant, you make your living on well … selling delicious pizza.  It’s your main draw and what you’re most likely known for. But some of the best deli sandwiches we have ever tasted have been at our favorite pizza joints.

There is really nothing like a lush, meaty hero sandwich on fresh-baked sourdough, Dutch Crunch, or your choice of bread.  Sub sandwiches are as much an old and valued standby at pizza places as pepperoni pizza, and you should consider putting as much love and care into making your heroes as you do your signature pies. (more…)

It’s summertime and the picnics are easy.

As the weather warms and people turn their thoughts to the outdoors, picnickers are starting to clean up their barbecues in preparation for feasts of hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken.  Yes, these are the standard fare, but surely not the only food on the menu.

As a pizzeria, there is no reason to be on the sidelines. You can take advantage of this great summertime tradition by offers special menus, Limited Time Offers (LTO), promotions and special delivery options. (more…)

Customization, personalized menu items and staff engagement drive rapid sales expansion for restaurant brands, Technomic finds

Chicago, May 21, 2015, PRNewswire — The fast-casual segment’s blistering pace of sales and unit expansion continued in 2014, with annual sales increasing at more than three times the rate of the total restaurant industry—and even faster for the 150 largest brands contained in Technomic’s Top 150 Fast-Casual Chain Restaurant Report.

Within this rapidly growing sector, another subcategory of restaurants is rising far above the competition: build-your-own fast-casual concepts. In 2014, restaurants with a build-your-own format, which moves consumers down the make line and allows them to customize their meals, increased sales twice as fast as made-to-order fast-casual brands. The former reported a collective annual-sales gain of approximately 22 percent, compared with an 11 percent increase for the latter, according to data collected for this year’s Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report.

“Consumers certainly like the freshness, food quality and prices at made-to-order fast-casual brands, but there is something about the build-your-own format that they prefer significantly,” said Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Technomic. “More customers, especially Millennials, see the personalization and engagement that come in a build-your-own menu offering as the greatest differentiator in dining out. These trends are likely to lead fast casual’s growth for years to come.”

read full story here – https://www.technomic.com/Pressroom/Releases/dynRelease_Detail.php?rUID=368