Restaurant Brokers Take on the Trend “Go Local”

Natural. Local. Organic. Sustainable.  These are the buzzwords and common terms in the restaurant industry.  They are part of trend where the public (along with restaurant brokers) constantly read labels to try and make health conscious decisions regarding what we put in our body.  There has been a 78% increase in organic food sales over the last several years according to the Organic Trade Association U.S. Families’ Organic Attitudes & Beliefs 2011 Tracking Study.  They also cited that consumers are making these selections based on concerns over hormones, pesticides, antibiotics and their desire to steer away from high processed food and artificial ingredients. 

Local sourced foods on the other hand, allow consumers to feel more connected with the food they eat.  Rabobank, an agricultural lender, issued a study in February 2013 titled Local Foods: Shifting the Balance of Opportunity for Regional U.S. Produce.  The study focused on the produce demand in the US for both retail and foodservice.  The analyst say these local food trends will continue to grow over the next five years and “national growers, specifically in California, will need to adapt their business models to accommodate the desire for local, fresh produce.”  When Rabobank talked about this market, they used phrases such as “permanent mainstream trend” and “changed the competitive landscape”.  According to the Restaurant Hospitality article Locally Grown Food Now Having National Impact, now is the time to emphasize local produce in your restaurant.  That is a trend the restaurant brokers saw emerge in the south, where big cities are short distances to well stocked rural landscapes like farmers and markets making farm to table "business as usual."

Natural and organic foods aren’t the only things are the rise.  Craft beer and craft liquors have been emerging and the desire to have a cocktail made with quality natural ingredients seems to be trending.  Deep Eddy is a small distillery founded in Austin, TX that focuses on local and natural ingredients.  Their product line includes sweet-tea flavored vodka and straight vodka with the latest addition this month of Ruby Red Vodka and it is absolutely amazing!  Smooth and refreshing, with a hint of sweet and tart flavors.  This restaurant broker recently joined some of the guys from Deep Eddy at DBA Barbeque in the Virginia Highlands for my first taste of this handcrafted, grapefruit infused vodka.  One sip and I knew this drink was my new obsession.  Watch out …Ruby Red is coming!  This is such versatile flavor.  It can be used in a number of mixed drinks, eliminating the need for grapefruit juice or just sipped alone.    

My discovery of this new brand and flavor led me to research more information on this fruit and find out what all the hype is about on both a personal level and as a restaurant broker to the industry.  The grapefruit was discovered in Barbados in the late 1700s but was first named the forbidden fruit.  Since that time the grapefruit became increasingly popular and the US Ruby Red variety was cultivated in Texas and patented in 1929.  This was the real launch of the success for the grapefruit including becoming the Texas State Fruit and the center of the celebrity Grapefruit Diet.  According to statistics in 2012 the US consumed 325 Megatons of grapefruits, which is roughly 716.5 Billion pounds…that’s a lot. 

How in the world did American’s eat so many grapefruits? From drinks, salads, sauces, garnishments and desserts, there are no bounds to our obsession with this tangy but sweet fruit.  Some examples include General Muir’s Avenue A, an open-faced bagel that features grapefruit among other items such as nova, cream cheese, avocado, cucumber, onion and dill.  Two Urban Licks has created a grapefruit slaw to accompany their baby back ribs complete with none other than Texas BBQ sauce.   The Optimist restaurant has created a grapefruit sorbet and Davios served Caramelized Pink Grapefruit with Panna Cotta during Buckhead (Atlanta, GA) Restaurant week in March.  Hungry or Thirsty yet?  This restaurant broker is. 

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