Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

Changing the World with Ugly Food

Chalk it up to a great idea that I saw, photographed...but never connected the dots.

We were on a destination assessment assignment in Iowa a couple summers ago when I spotted a farmer selling carrots in a totally different way (click picture to enlarge). One sign read, "Carrots: $2/bunch." The other read, "Ugly Carrots: $1/bunch."

I chuckled and asked the farmer how his strategy was working. He grinned back and said, "I always sell out of the ugly ones first." When I asked what percentage of his crop was "ugly," he replied, "about a third...and I used to throw them away."

A thousand miles away, Abhi Ramesh was learning the same thing. According to the website for his Philadelphia based firm, "Misfits Market," over $1 trillion of food is wasted each year, either getting tossed at the farm, rotting in warehouses or going unsold in stores until it's inedible. Much of this is due to "modern-day beauty standards for food." Ugly fruits, misshapen vegetables, and delicious but imperfectly-sized produce are squandered at every level. Just a quarter of this wasted food could be used to feed the entire starving population of the world.

And that was the inspiration behind Misfits...and, like my Iowa farmer, they sell at up to half off. For $19, they'll ship 10-12 pounds of imperfect fruits and vegetables to your door, enough to feed a couple for a week. A larger box for bigger families is also available for $35. They're starting slowly, rolling out the organic service geographically in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Abhi hopes New York is next.

As their slogan goes, "Healthy. Affordable. Ugly."

And, brilliant.

Now it's Getting Serious

As the U.S. Government shutdown moves into record-breaking territory during a philosophical pissing match between petulant children that somehow convinced a majority of voters that they were sane and responsible adults, the fallout is beginning to produce dire consequences for American business.

Both sides should be ashamed that the federal workers that look to them for their livelihood are working (or not) without pay. That should be enough for the best and brightest among them to say "screw it" and look for work in the private sector. I know I would.

The shutdown is also costing the U.S. Economy billions. Small businesses are particularly at risk. But, nobody seems to care.

But, now comes word that craft brewers are being forced to sit on new beers because the federal government has to approve all new labels before the brews are available to the public. And, that department has been deemed non-essential and shuttered for the duration.

Non-essential?

In whose world?

The Lure of Nostalgia

The last Howard Johnson restaurant in America closed earlier this year...victim, not of bad reviews but, of the owner sexually molesting female staff. But, while it was still open, it was a pilgrimage site for Boomers that longed for all-you-could-eat fried clams.

Of course, it wasn't the fried clams the brought them to Lake George NY. It was the memories of those meals with family that was the lure.

Just as, when I used to return to my alma mater, I'd always hit the V.I. for its legendary cheese soup...even though the original recipe is long gone.

And, it's happening with Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips. Once over 800 locations strong, the Columbus OH-based chain is down to just four of the original stand-alone restaurants...all in Northeast Ohio.

According to the story in the Plain Dealer, the four remaining locations are becoming a bonafide tourist draw (especially during Lent). According to the owner of one: "It’s almost like a cult. They love the fish (but) also reliving their memories coming here with their parents or grandparents.”

He goes on to say: "We've had people call from around the country to see if we do mail order. One guy from Oregon wanted me to mail him four dozen fish & chips dinners -- I wouldn't know how to even do that."

I think I'd try to solve that dilemma.

But, channeling Samuel L. Jackson, here's the real question: "What's in your nostalgic past" to which visitors would beat a path?

If it's Too Loud, You're Too Old

That was a line from my wild, misspent youth, when hard rock overtook the land. 

The science of the effects of audio on the dining experience followed and, last decade, some restaurants began to ramp up the beats per minute and the volume to encourage faster eating (it worked), which resulted in at least one extra table turn a night.

Now, smart restauranteurs are looking for ways to tone down the sound (often in funky spaces that inadvertently amplify sound) to enhance the experience. Better conversations ensue. Healthier work conditions for staff.

And...better reviews. This Chicago Tribune article from a month ago (if you missed it) is worth a read.

What's For Dinner Tonight?

If it's not Burger King's "Nightmare King," you must not live near one.

I mean, really: The meat pile layers a quarter-pound of beef under a crispy chicken fillet, bacon, cheese, mayo and onions. All of it is loaded onto a glazed sesame seed bun that is nuclear green. 

Happy Halloween, y'all.

Organic v. Organic

I gotta be somewhat careful here, as there are members of my extended family that feel passionately about organic and vegan options for their lifestyle. And, I'm good with that. I've made several shifts in my consumption to be more vegan as a result of their recommendations. All good...and thank you.

But, let's be clear. Organic is stuff that isn't rock. That the word is supposed to convey other meanings is a challenge. And, it's one being dealt with by the Bareburger chain.

Bareburger has long claimed to be organic...but a recent challenge from a customer has rocked the company. Apparently, some of the meat served there is 80% organic. And the mayo and tomatoes weren't. But...restaurants aren't held to the same standards as other companies when it comes to just how organic is organic.

But, here's the classic bit from this story. Another restaurant that built its trade on being organic says they have no interest to be certified as such. “It is our own transparency and integrity that makes us organic, and not someone that puts the label,” Vladimir Grinberg said. “I don’t think the government knows more about food than we do.”

True dat.

 

On Tipping

The evolving debate over the custom of tipping often plays out in major cities facing $15/hour pay mandates. So, it's refreshing to see a restaurant in tiny Delta WI get international exposure through a Skift piece on the evolution of the practice.

Realizing that servers could, on a great weekend, walk away with $400/night during peak season (while line cookies wouldn't break $100), Delta Diner's Todd Bucher said no mas. And, he added the tip to the bill.

There was no discernable push back from customers because, in the end, they didn't feel a financial hit on the final bill.

Bucher expects a 30 to 40 percent growth in revenues within five years after eliminating tipping. He says staff turnover is down dramatically and he expects his once 5 percent profit margin will eventually hit 13 to 15 percent with this new operational structure.

So worth a read.

 

My Kinda Resort

Seen at a resort in Northeast Ohio (click image to enlarge).

Necessities indeed.

I'm there.

Smart Like a Whip

You gotta love the minds that gather each year at Destinations International's Annual Convention. One Destination Marketing Organization CEO (relatively new to their destination) was overheard telling another that their city's annual chili cook-off was next weekend. "Chilli...during the hottest month of the year," they exclaimed in exasperation.

To which another DMO pro quipped, "well, look at it this way. It's probably the only chili cook-off in the country that weekend. For chili aficionados, it oughta draw a crowd."

Too funny.

Reassessing the Problem at Hand

There's a famous quote attributed to George Burns that goes like this: "I don't have a drinking problem. I drink. I get drunk. I pass out. No problem."

Which reminds us that it's all in how someone views a situation.

Like Ken Harwood, who publishes an e-newsletter called Wisconsin Development News in which he links his subscribers to stories from around the State about (obviously) development issues. And, he often opines on the news...as he did last week when he linked to a story that America's Cheese Stockpile has just hit an all-time record at just under 1.4 billion pounds:

"World Hunger Statistics from the Food Aid Foundation suggest there are some 795 million people in the world who do not have enough food to lead a healthy active life. That`s about one in nine people on earth. The vast majority of the world`s hungry people live in developing countries, where 12.9 percent of the population is undernourished.

My math suggests that is about 1.74 lbs of cheese per hungry person. We DO NOT have a cheese surplus...we have a distribution problem. Time to step up and help those countries in need. (Financial aid) gets lost in translation -- cheese gets eaten."

True dat.