Thank You to Our Direct Connection Sponsors! |
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Continental Refrigerator Pizza Preparation Tables |
With pizza’s ever growing popularity, there’s no better piece of equipment to make your pizza on than a Continental Refrigerator Pizza Preparation Table.
These American-made prep tables provide durability and dependability in real-world kitchen environments. Ranging in sizes from 43” wide to 118” wide, these units come with a number of top-of-the-line standard features, including expansion valve systems, reversing condenser fans, field-rehingeable doors, and Santoprene(TM) magnetic snap-in door/drawer gaskets. Continental’s Pizza Preps can also be modified with FLEXIBLE options, including condensing units on the left or right of the units, drawers in lieu of doors, pan slides, overshelves, vision panel lids, and front breathing kits.
Whether your challenges are food safety, limited space, storage challenges, or eco-friendly requirements, Continental Refrigerator’s FLEXIBILITY will make finding the right equipment easy for you.
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IN THIS ISSUE
FCSI On Tap
BizEssentials Webinars
Conference 2022
Chapter News
Membership News
Industry News
Quick Links
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Together Again
FCSI Montreal April 21-23, 2022
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Did you know that the name “Canada” likely comes from the Huron-Iroquois word “kanata,” meaning “village” or “settlement”? This is the place to bring the FCSI The Americas village back together.
Late April is an interesting time in Montreal. Spring weather can still be a snowstorm or a heat wave. Sunday, April 17, is 2022’s Easter Sunday and Montreal loves Easter with parades and the signs of spring sneaking out from a snowy winter. It's a time of celebration and renewal. Hockey season is finishing (Canadians tickets should be cheap this year!) and the skis are put away.
Canada’s international symbol is the Red Maple Leaf which comes from the sugar maple tree (Acer saccharum). Montreal’s province, Quebec, is the centre of the Sugar Maple belt. Indigenous people of this area speak of the sweet water from the maple which was used for flavour (think Maple Venison) and for food preservation. Concentrated maple sugar was extracted with both heat and through freezing. Maple sweet water was introduced to the European settlers and an international industry has since flourished.
The sugar shack (cabane 'a sucre) eventually emerged with large vats to boil the sweet maple sap into syrup which is transformed into many products. This basic heat and metal (many still wood fired) arrangement is something that may remind us of the elemental foundations of our industry. You can experience a local cabane 'a sucre during the The FCSI The Americas Montreal conference.
A cool early spring evening with the smell of hardwood burning and the sweet steam of the cabane 'a sucre is what dreams are made of. This is where family bonds are strengthened, friendships grow, and the world is simple. It is Canada.
L’Auberge Saint-Gabriel has operated in Old Montreal since 1754 and is the oldest operating Inn (restaurant) in North America. The French culinary influence is obvious from the fine dining offerings to the breakfast counters of Montreal. International flavours are also part of the cultural fabric from all corners of the world. Montreal bagels and smoked meat sandwiches made the Montreal Deli an example of foodservice excellence across Canada long before poutine emerged as an international comfort food.
As your FCSI The Americas Canadian trustee I invite you to join us in Montreal. It is important that we reinforce our common purpose and celebrate the resilience of our industry and relationships. I can't wait to be together again in Montreal!
--Patrick Watt, FCSI
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Season Two of On Tap
presented by FCSI The Americas
The Season Two tour through the wide world of foodservice consulting concluded in November. But don't worry -- Wade will be back in January with Season Three!
Episode 18 | John Egnor, FCSI, JME Hospitality
Episode 19 | Phillip Landgraf, Ricca Design Studios
Episode 20 | Brent Hall, FCSI, Clevenger Associates
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Tax Advantages for Consulting Firms
Wednesday, December 15 @ 3:00 pm ET
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This month's BizEssentials webinar will address a topic all small business owners should understand. Our speaker will be Gene Marks, owner of the Marks Group PC consulting firm. The Marks Group provides technology and consulting services to small- and medium-sized businesses.
Gene is a past columnist for both The New York Times and The Washington Post and now writes regularly for The Hill, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine and The Guardian. He regularly appears on Fox Business, MSNBC, as well as SiriusXM's Wharton Business Channel, where he talks about the financial, economic and technology issues that affect business leaders today.
Through his presentations, Gene helps business owners, executives and managers understand the political, economic and technological trends that will affect their companies and—most importantly—the actions they can take to continue to grow and profit.
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FCSI TA Conference Montreal
April 21-23, 2022
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We're looking forward to the 2022 Conference in Montreal, Quebec!
Updates on the program and speakers, registration, and hotels is available on the conference website.
Check your passports, and apply for or update them now to be ready for April. As of now, Canada is only allowing vaccinated visitors to enter the country.
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Congratulations to our Newest Professional Members |
Congratulations to Katja Beck, FCSI and Teri Kidwell, FCSI!
Katja is a Senior Associate/Project Manager with more than 25 years of experience in the foodservice industry with a portfolio of design projects that range in size and scope.
Teri is President & CEO of ATK Design Studios. She established the company in October of 2016 after eighteen years in the industry.
If you're ready to upgrade your membership, contact Penny to learn how you can join the professional member ranks.
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Senior Associate Member Upgrades
Congratulations to the following consultant who is approved for Senior Associate status and has entered into the Professional Membership Process!
Orlando Espinosa, Orlando Espinosa & Associates
Associate Members
Julie Byrnes, RealFood Hospitality Strategy and Design
Thomas Fribley, S2O Consultants
Kelli Pack, SmartDesign Group
Corporate
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In Memory -- Pepe Marius Griffo |
Pepe Marius Griffo passed away recently as a result of a chronic illness. He was 82. Pepe’s worked as a draftsman for the Tysen family in Pittsburgh, owners of Tafco. In the early 70’s he moved to the San Fernando Valley and joined Fred Schmidt Associates. From there he joined Traulsen as a Southern California salesperson where he soon became district and then regional sales manager. After several years he moved to Dallas and helped to launch Traulsen’s sales base in Texas and the South. He eventually became National Sales Manager and VP of Sales.
Pepe never forgot his design roots and his respect for consultants. He retired several years ago to spend more time with his wife Linda, son Tony, and his daughter. He loved to travel, play tennis, and rebuild cars including Corvettes. Dave Kuelpman and Michael Posternak will host a tribute to Pepe on Zoom December 8, 2022, at 8pm EST. Donations in Pepe's honor can be sent to the Crohns and Colitis Foundation or St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.
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Renew your FCSI TA membership by December 31 to ensure that you continue to receive all the benefits of membership.
Renewing is easy! You should have received an email with a link to renew online. Click the link and follow the prompts to process your credit card payment.
Didn’t receive the email? You can log in to your member profile to access the invoice and make an online payment.
Forgot your username and password? No worries, contact Penny for assistance at penny@fcsi.org or 309.808.2165 ext 3.
Renew by 12/31/21 to avoid disruption in member benefits.
Consultants who renew by the end of the year can win cool prizes!
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Update of BIM/Revit Standards and Guidelines for Your Review |
As you may know, FCSI has spent a number of years developing and refining a BIM/Revit Initiative that ultimately will provide worldwide standards for our members and the industry. The guidelines were developed so foodservice equipment manufacturers can streamline their BIM models to ensure efficient use by consultants.
The BIM/Revit Standards Committee created a draft of the program section entitled “BIM/Revit Standards and Guidelines” for FCSI membership to review. The Committee has asked that members of each Division review the document and submit comments and recommendations to info@fcsi.org by EOB Friday, December 10.
In addition, the Committee would also like to hear about your experiences with BIM/Revit through a brief survey.
We appreciate your input and look forward to your feedback!
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Upgrade to FCSI Professional Membership |
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Track Your 2021 CEUs Now and Avoid the Year-End Scramble! |
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CEU Opportunities Available on the FCSI Calendar |
We're finally getting back to in-person events, but there are still plenty of online opportunities to earn your CEUs. New sessions are updated weekly. Check out the upcoming events!
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Help Wanted? I'm Available! |
Let us help you get connected!
Here at FCSI The Americas headquarters we have recently had a few firms reach out asking if we know of any members who are looking for some project work. Project work -- writing reports, simple/complex design, and REVIT design seem to be the most common inquiries.
I realize that consultants may be hesitant to admit when things are slow, but your association is here to help! If you have some extra time and are open to doing project work for other firms, please reach out to me and let me know what kind of project work you are interested in. I promise to keep everything confidential and welcome the opportunity to do a little matchmaking between firms when wants/needs match up with experience and time available. Associations are built for times like these so email me at wade@fcsi.org. Together we are stronger.
--Wade Koehler, CAE
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Foodservice Equipment & Supplies Launches 5th Annual Kitchen Storage Makeover Contest |
One lucky foodservice operation will receive a storage and productivity assessment and makeover — and $50,000 in storage solution products — through Foodservice Equipment & Supplies (FE&S) Kitchen Storage Makeover Contest sponsored by Metro.
Submissions must include:
- Up to 10 pictures (smartphone pics fine) of the operation’s storage areas in need of help,
- or operators can create a video (under 5 minutes) walking judges through the support
- areas most in need of help
- Up to 400-word overview of the operator’s current approach to foodservice
A panel of independent judges chosen by FE&S will select the winner. Following an on-site assessment of the space, the Metro team will select specific storage components, which may include shelving, workstations, wall-shelving, worktables, custom configurations, track systems and more – courtesy of Metro. The winner’s transformation story will appear in FE&S magazine.
Entries must be submitted at FESmag.com/ksm between November 1 and February 28.
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You’re invited to receive a free subscription to Top Industry News. This e-newsletter covers everything the well-informed consultant should know about the state of the industry in one concise package.
Top Industry News covers developments such as:
- Innovative Launches
- Key Players
- Economic Forecasts
- Sales and Acquisitions
Please sign up here to claim this benefit of membership provided by Foodservice Equipment Reports as part of its long-standing support of Foodservice Consultants Society International. You’re also invited to browse FER’s complete selection of newsletters – all newsletters subscriptions are complimentary to FCSI members.
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Compass Consulting Industry Report |
This month's report shows that confidence in future business conditions is declining rapidly. General staffing, inflation, and supply chain disruptions will probably continue through the holidays. View the entire report.
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Want to share your stories, projects, or insight? |
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Headquarters is always happy to feature articles from Consultant Members in the Direct Connection. We encourage Consultants to take some time and share experiences with the membership. No idea or topic is too silly!
If you would like to have an article featured in the Direct Connection, submit it to Amy by the 23rd of each month.
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