Smart Business Magazine’s Review of Chicago’s Restaurant Landscape

At CHD Expert, we not only provide data to our clients, but sometimes we get the change to work with magazines and other news outlets. Most recently, we got the chance to work with Mark Scott, Senior Associate Editor at Smart Business Magazine  and provided him with restaurant data for the city of Chicago. In this month’s edition of Uniquely Chicago, Mark writes about how Chicago shouldn’t only be recognized for it’s pizza, but for it’s diverse food scene as well. Click the image of the article below to read the full story and to learn about the restaurant landscape in Chicago.

Uniquely Chicago – Restaurants, A Slice of Life

If you are a journalist looking for restaurant or foodservice data, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d be happy to help you complete your story or provide you with data on the foodservice or restaurant industry. Email us at cathy@chd-expert.com.

CHD Expert Releases New Data About the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Industry

New data available from leading foodservice database and analytics company, CHD Expert reports on the status of the restaurant and lodging industry in the nation’s fourth most populous state, Florida.

With the 2013 Florida Restaurant and Lodging Show taking place later this month in Orlando, foodservice database and analytics firm, CHD Expert reports on Florida’s current lodging and restaurant landscape.

With great weather, world-class amusement parks, natural wonders, and over 1,000 miles of coastline, Florida is a top destination for domestic and international travelers. People come to Florida looking for a nice time and according to CHD Expert’s latest data, Florida leads the country with 367 active resorts, accounting for over 20% of the Nations Resorts. By comparison, the state with the second highest number of resorts in the nation is California with 179, accounting for 10 percent of the national total.

Holding the third place, behind California and Texas, the state of Florida hosts over 6% of the hospitality and lodging market in the US. There are a total of 4,323 different lodging facilities in the state of Florida, 14 percent of which have a restaurant as part of the facility, much higher than the national average of 7.8 percent. Contrarily there are 2,632 hotels and motels in the state that do not include a restaurant, of which over 29 percent offer a complimentary breakfast to their patrons.

In terms of restaurant industry landscape, Florida has 44,811 total restaurants, which makes up 6.5 percent of the total restaurants in the United States of America. Figure 1: Florida Restaurant Breakdown by Market Segment compared to US Market

Figure 1 Florida Restaurant Breakdown by Market Segment compared to US Market

Florida is a family destination identified by its high percentage of Family Style restaurants. About 12 percent of the restaurants in the state of Florida fall into the “Family Style” segment, defined as a full service restaurant that does not serve alcohol with an average check of $6 to $12. In comparison, this is a much higher percentage than other large states like California (10 percent), New York (10 percent) and Texas (9 percent).

Florida hosts 11.4 percent of the Steak and Seafood restaurants in the United States, and Steak and Seafood restaurants make up 3.8 percent of the Florida market. Varied Menu is most common menu type in Florida, making up 20.5 percent of Florida’s menu type mix, followed by Pizzerias, which make up 10.1 percent. These menu types are similar to the US footprint in these menu type categories. Figure 2: Top 10 Menu Types in Florida Compared to US Market.

Figure 2 Top 10 Menu Types in Florida Compared to US Market

Florida also hosts a very high percentage of the US menu type totals in Latin and Caribbean menu types, although the numbers of these ethnic restaurants are not substantial compared to the more common menu types. Figure 3: Florida Top 10 Highest Percent of US Menu Types

Figure 3 Florida Top 10 Highest Percent of US Menu Types

Similar to the US Market, most Florida restaurants are independent (restaurants that have between 1-9 total units) and not part of a major chain. However in the full service restaurant segment, Florida has a slightly higher percentage of Chain Restaurants than the national average. Figure 4: Full Service Restaurants US Market Vs. Florida Market

Figure 4 Full Service Restaurants US Market Vs. Florida Market

Other fortuitous news for aspiring restaurateurs in Florida, is that 49.81 percent of restaurants in Florida have been in business for 5+ years. With the difficult times in the past for restaurants, Florida is coming back fiercely, with over 4400 new openings in the past 12 months.

When evaluating the average check cost in Florida, 23.8 percent of the time the bill ranges between $15-20. The check exceeds $50 less than one percent of the time and under $5 approximately 6 percent of the time. The majority of restaurant menu types that earn over $5 million annually are Varied, Italian and Seafood.

“Florida is a great place to visit and this is apparent when you look at how the states economy is impacted by the tourism industry,” said Nicolas Watson, Global Marketing Manager of CHD Expert. “With Florida’s popular resort culture and wide range of lodging accommodations, this state is designed to cater to the tourism industry. This makes Florida a prime target for businesses who want to sell products to the restaurant and lodging industries, and this recent data helps make the sales process more lucrative and effective.”

To access the most up to date lodging and restaurant information on Florida in its entirety, please contact Nicolas Watson: nwatson@chd-expert.com

National Food Safety Month and It’s Impact On Foodservice

Author: Nicolas Watson

Did you know that September is National Food Safety Month? CHD Expert wants to help generate awareness for food allergies and help take a stand by preventing a reaction by taking action, as foodservice is at the core of our business.

This year’s annual National Food Safety Month (NFSM) highlights the increasing importance of food allergen awareness during the month of September. One of the main topics that is being discussed is how to keep diners safe from serious, and sometimes fatal, food allergy reactions, as food allergies have now become a daily topic in the news cycle.

It’s been said that food allergies are increasing and according to FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education ) more than 15 million Americans have food allergies. Interestingly enough, there are eight foods that make up 90% of allergies!

Check out this promotional Infographic that has been created to promote these common allergens and how to avoid cross contamination in honor of food safety month. This infographic was created by Tork, National Restaurant Association and ServSafe:

In honor of food safety month, please help us spread awareness for food allergies and the importance of educating both restaurants and diners on how to dine out safely! Plus here’s a great blog post that outlines four tips to dining out safely from Hudson Allergy, New York’s Premier Adult Allergy & Asthma Specialist.

CHD Expert Presents: The Clean Data Challenge – How Accurate is Your Organization’s CRM or Database?

CHD Expert is challenging organizations to test the accuracy of their current CRM or database. If you utilize data for sales, marketing, or business decisions, take the challenge and compare the accuracy of your data to CHD Expert’s Foodservice Industry National Database.

Chicago-based foodservice database and analytics company, CHD Expert, is rolling out the Clean Data Challenge: How Accurate, Complete, and Clean is your Organizations Database? The company is asking organizations to compare their current data to CHD FIND® (Foodservice Industry National Database), the industry’s highest standard for foodservice data.

Customers can count on CHD Expert’s database. With consolidated data from over 80 different sources, it is guaranteed the most accurate in the industry, and every record is supported with a money back guarantee. To prove this, CHD Expert is proposing that businesses take a stand against dirty data, and compare their current data records to CHD Expert’s FIND® Database. To help make this happen, CHD Expert is extending a free sample match opportunity until September 30th, 2013.

The Clean Data Challenge will provide participants with a gauge on the accuracy and completeness of their current database, as well as put them in contact with a CHD Expert data specialist to help determine the best ways the data can be used to benefit their business. This includes insight surrounding market penetration, and how many additional foodservice operators are available in the selected sample region.

To participate in the Clean Data Challenge, please identify and provide CHD Expert with 1,000-2,000 records for comparison. A CHD Expert data specialist will then walk participating organizations through a 4-step process, summarized below.

Step 1: Data Preparation: Select geography from current records that makes up approximately 1,000-2,000 records, and compile it in .xls or .csv format. Include a unique ID, business name, address, and phone#.

Step 2: Data Cleansing: CHD Expert will prepare the data as follows:

• Postal normalization
• Removal of dirty data and special characters
• Formatting of all fields
• Deduplicating repeated records

Step 3: Match and Append: CHD Expert will then match the clean data to CHD FIND’s master records, appending it with information from the CHD FIND database. This can include, data on market segment, market information, and/or contacts. Which businesses have closed will also be identified. It all adds up to a clear, defined picture of the current holes in the data.

Step 4: Delivery of Results: CHD Expert will provide participating organizations with the results from the Clean Data Challenge, and walk through the findings with selected participants. For further incentive, participating organizations will be provided with approximately 200 NEW additional sales and marketing leads in the same geography, which are currently NOT in the database.

“Rarely does a company have a database that is 50-60% accurate. Normally it is significantly worse,” states Brad T. Bloom, Director of Sales for CHD Expert North America. “What I find most interesting is people’s reaction when the challenge shows them how incomplete and/or inaccurate their data truly is. Some people are shocked, and some are not surprised at all. Regardless of their initial reaction, they are glad they participated in the challenge, and come away with a lot of insight. If your organization has data, put it up to the challenge. You will be surprised to see how it compares to the industry’s best.”

No business is too big or small to participate in CHD Expert’s Clean Data Challenge. If your organization is interested in participating, please register on CHD Expert’s Data Challenge Page and a CHD Expert representative will be in contact.

CHD Expert Announces New Menu Type Segmentation Filters as part of Their Foodservice Database Web Based Query Tool Easy2FIND

We have some exciting news to share!  We have made some improvements to Easy2FIND, our web based query tool, and have just rolled out a new list of filters that allow for more granular menu type segmentation.

Now for example, a company that is looking to sell Thai products to a Thai restaurant can select a “Thai” menu type, as opposed to just being able to select, “Other Asian” which was previously the only way to pull data on Thai restaurants. Our Asian Segment now includes the following menu types:

• Chinese
• Indian / Pakistani / Bangladeshi / Sri Lankan
• Japanese
• Sushi
• Korean
• Thai
• Vietnamese
• Other Asian (Cambodian, Malaysian, Indonesian)
• Asian unclassified

We are excited to announce the launch of Easy2FIND’s new extended menu type segmentation, just in time for the National Restaurant Association’s Annual Show! This new segmentation allows users to take a deeper look at menu types and specifically filter for the exact segment they are looking for. Here are a handful of new menu types that have been added to our database:

• North African (Tunisian, Algerian, Moroccan)
• Lebanese
• Vegetarian
• South Western/ Tex Mex
• Chicken wings
• Russian
• Pizzeria

For the full list of new menu types, please click here.

Are you attending the show and looking to get a head start at marketing to the companies you hope to connect with? If so, this might be a great opportunity to put together a marketing and sales list of restaurants, distributors, manufactures and any others that you hope to connect with at The National Restaurant Association’s Annual Show in May.

We can pull a one-time list for you or, if you’d like some help on how to best reach your target audience we also have foodservice consulting services as well. We’d be happy to do a live demonstration of Easy2FIND and discuss ways in which our foodservice products and solutions can help your business.

Please feel free to email cathy@chd-expert.com for more information or to set up some time to meet.

2013 State of the Pizza Insustry Report

We are excited to announce that we’ve collaborated with PQM Magazine, and a few other key industry players like Technomic, Mintel, the National Restaurant Association (NRA) and IBISWorldwide to put together the 2013 Pizza Industry Report. Additionally, PQM also included some information about international pizza growth, thanks to Euromonitor International and the editors at Food- Service Europe & Middle East.

In summary, the report suggests that the pizza industry did well in the last year, and key indicators project another strong year coming up. Particularly promising is the forecast that independent operators will continue to prosper and hold their own against the big chains. Innovations have also been seen popping up throughout different regions, another positive sign for a healthy industry.

Across the United States, pizzeria owners continue to stick to cherished traditions of pizza making while embracing new ideas and technologies. And, best of all, the consumer’s love for pizza endures from generation to generation, ensuring that one of the world’s most popular foods will remain popular for a very long time.

When was the last time you had pizza? What’s your favorite slice or pie? We’d love to know. Participate in our poll below to see if others favor your favorite slice too!

To read the full report, click here. And, if you have any questions or want to get more data about the Pizza Industry, we’d be happy to provide you with a quote. Just email us at nwatson@chd-expert.com. Enjoy!

How will the 2012 Drought Affect Food Prices Next Year?

Here at CHD Expert, we’ve been tweeting about it in social media, but today we found a great infographic that displays a lot of great information about the 2012 Drought and what affect it is having on the corn crops.  

Since we are in the foodservice industry,  happenings in the farming industry do affect our business from certain aspects. And over the past few months, we’ve been reading several articles about the impact the 2012 drought is going to have on food prices.

According to the CNN Article titled, “Little hope for worsening drought in U.S. Plains,”  this year’s harsh conditions suggest that food prices next year could surge by as much as 4.5%, the USDA reported. Check out the Infographic below created by Circle of Blue to get a better understanding as to why the drought will have such a negative affect on food prices.

by Circle of Blue

This infographic has a timeline of major drought-related events for the U.S. corn industry, as well as the expected weather-related consequences on the 2012 corn crop.

We hope that this has provided you with a bit more information as to why the cost of food is predicted to increase over the next year. On a total side note, this really explains why it costs between $4 to $5 for your favorite cereal too! Corn = Cereal (see the bottom of the infographic.)

CHD Expert North America and AFS Technologies form strategic partnership

CHD Expert North America, LLC, the leader in collecting, managing and analyzing data for the Away-from-Home Global Foodservice Market, announces the strategic partnership with AFS Technologies. Combined with existing CHD Expert solutions, this partnership offers unparalleled visibility for foodservice manufacturers to all channels in CPG supply chain.

 This newly formed strategic partnership will allow AFS to provide an unparalleled solution to foodservice channel members, in both North America and Europe. “This strategic partnership, along with existing AFS solutions, will help our customers gain insight into sales patterns in the CPG supply chain”, commented Kurien Jacob, AFS CEO. “AFS is focused on connecting manufacturers, brokers, distributors, and operators to improve channel visibility for all related partners.”

This solution is focused specifically to help manufacturers address two major challenges within both finance and sales, including: identification of multi-dip payments and sales void opportunities.

“The combined solution collects and manages disparate data sources from manufacturers, distributors, and operators and combines this with the rich metric data from CHD Expert. Additionally, the combination of data and easy-to-use solution provides an incredibly rich and intelligent application, by which sales can begin to segment and target Operator opportunities,” said Cathy Kearns, CHD GM.

Manufacturer’s back office accounting will also benefit, as the solution will identify multi-dip payments, requested payments outside of deal window, and other related compliance issues. “Research and resolution of these issues typically takes dozens of man hours,” said Tim Vollman, head of partnerships at AFS. “And now users will have the visibility at their fingertips!”

Check out this press release on our website. Click here.

About CHD North America

CHD Expert is the worldwide leader in collecting, managing and analyzing data for the Away-from-Home Global Foodservice Market. For more than 10 years CHD Expert has been dedicated to support Foodservice channel members in providing a global vision and an in-depth understanding of the industry (in Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific).

Our objective is to support food service providers in their sales and marketing strategies by providing the most comprehensive and accurate foodservice census, housing operator intelligence for more than 4 million operators worldwide. For additional information, please visit http://www.chd-expert.com or call1-888-CHD-0154.

About AFS Technologies Inc.

AFS Technologies Inc. is the leading provider of business enterprise and on-demand software solutions. The company serves over 1,500 customers across the Americas with a portfolio of solutions for the food, beverage, logistics and financial segments. AFS logistics solutions and AFS food and beverage solutions are designed to reduce costs, improve efficiency, increase sales and margins, streamline internal processes, and assist in regulatory compliance. All AFS solutions utilize service-oriented architecture (SOA) built with Microsoft .NET framework technology. With a focus on modular design, the solutions allow customers in manufacturing, sales agencies, distribution, and complex software companies the flexibility to upgrade specific elements of the software without affecting the rest of the system. To match the needs of our diverse customer base, products are available on both a license and true SaaS model basis. For additional information, please visit http://www.afsi.com or call (602) 522-8282.