Short Order News
Einstein Bros. Coming Soon
Sodexho Inc. will open Hawaii’s first Einstein Bros. Bagels location at Pearl Harbor this spring. Einstein Bros. is a mainland chain with over 400 locations and serves bagels, coffee, sandwiches, soups, salads and pastries. “There is a lot of opportunity for our company to grow in this type of market, particularly Hawaii,” says Brett Ladd, vice president of operations for Sodexho’s government services division.
Mickey D’s New Labels
At the Winter Olympics, McDonald’s unveiled new packaging that features nutritional data printed right on the box, wrapper or cup. Based on a 2,000 calorie daily diet, the packaging provides a nutrition facts chart like those found on retail food items, as well as special symbols for calories, protein, fat, etc. next to a percentage of the daily value found in those products. The new packaging began appearing in the United States in February.
Taste of the Stars
The sixth annual Taste of the Stars gala is scheduled for May 6 at Leeward Community College (LCC). The event supports the Culinary Institute of the Pacific and features LCC culinary students and Hawaii’s chefs, including Alan Wong, Chai Chaowasaree, Colin Nishida, D.K. Kodama, Guillaume Burlion and Roy Yamaguchi. Tickets are $100 each. Call 455-0215 for more information.
NRA’s Hotel-Motel Show
The National Restaurant Association’s annual Hotel-Motel Show is scheduled for May 20-23 at McCormick Place in Chicago. The tradeshow provides information on the latest trends in food and beverages, equipment, technology and training. Seventy-three thousand attendees are expended with over 2,000 exhibitors from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. For more information, visit www.restaurant.org/show.
Padovani Making Chocolates
After closing his restaurant at the Doubletree Alana Hotel last year, Philippe Padovani quickly got back in the food business by opening Padovani’s Chocolates in downtown Honolulu in early February. Located on Queen Street at the Davies Pacific Center, the chocolate store sells handmade chocolates, starting at $1.50 a piece.
Dazzle with Honolulu Chefs
The Central Union Preschool and Kindergarten is hosting its annual Dazzle dinner and benefit on May 12. The program includes food from Roy’s, Alan Wong’s, Chai’s Island Bistro, Side Street Inn, Sheraton Hotels and chefs D.K. Kodama, Hiroshi Fukui, Eric Leterc, Randal Ishizu and Russell Siu. Wines will be selected by master sommelier Chuck Furuya. The funds raised go to the school’s educational programs, scholarships and campus improvements.
Local ACF Hosts Conference
The Kona-Kohala ACF Chefs de Cuisine hosted the ACF Western Region Conference on Feb. 2-6 at the Hilton Waikoloa Village. Almost 500 people attended the event, which included workshops and seminars on Hawaii Regional Cuisine, Kona coffee, teas, Hawaiian chocolate, local fish and produce. Food demos were conducted by Chef Steve Arakaki from the Hilton Waikoloa and Chef James Babian from the Fairmont Orchid. The chapter was recognized with three awards, including the Are You Really ACF? gold plate award. This is the third year the chapter has received the award.
ServSafe Offers Certification
ServSafe is offering ongoing food safety certification training at Dave & Buster’s at Ward Center. Classes will be held May 2-3 and June 6-7 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The classes are $140 per person and help food service establishments prevent food borne illnesses while improving employee performance. Attendees who register early can save 50 percent off the cost. For more information, contact Ed Fernandez, 640-6378.
Lion Pride Café Opens
A venture of Centerplate and Lion Coffee, Lion Pride Café recently held its grand opening at the Neal Blaisdell Center. It serves Lion coffee, tea, soft drinks, pastries, sandwich wraps and other items and is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Regular clients include people from Straub Clinic and commuters who park at the center. The City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Enterprise Services rents out the space.
Roselani Ice Cream Growing
Roselani Ice Cream, made on Maui, is growing at a steady pace. In 2005, sales were up 15 percent from the previous year, and sales outside of Maui have grown 70 percent. The ice cream is available at over 100 food service venues across the state, and it is now being served aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines’ Pride of Aloha. The ice cream has its own scooping station on the ship, with a revolving 15 varieties served. Additionally, Norwegian’s entire fleet serves Roselani in its food service operations.
