Kathleen Furore
March 19. That was the official start of spring — but Chicago evidently wasn’t paying attention. As chilly to downright cold temperatures linger here in the Windy City, I’m wondering if the weather gods will ever deliver outdoor dining-appropriate weather. As patio tables continue to sit empty or in storage in many places around the country (see Denver snowstorm, May 6), I’m sure many of you are wondering the same thing.
Crazy weather patterns aside, it is time to firm up event plans and new menu items for the warm weather our ever-positive publisher Ed Avis has assured me will arrive. We hope the information in this issue will help you tackle that task.
The World Cup is a key opportunity on the event front. Our hotline news story offers great information about how to turn this giant tournament that so many of your customers want to watch into a profit-generat- ing event for your restaurant.
In the culinary arena, we’ve turned our attention to plant-based dining — something more and more diners are looking for at the restaurants they patronize. Our cover story takes a look at our readers’ experience with vegetarian/vegan menus, and shares input on incorpo- rating plant-based dishes from Gracias Madre, a pioneer in the plant-based space.
For ideas on building a fun, revenue-generating spring and summer behind the bar, don’t miss the story on frozen cocktails. You’ll discover how these icy bever- ages are driving bar business at Mexican restaurants in San Antonio and Chicago and find tips on how to create the best version of these colorful, slushy libations.
Those stories are just the beginning...
Turn the pages of the flipbook, click on stories in our web-optimized version of this issue...and get ready for a profitable (and hopefully sunny) dining season ahead.