Johnson & Wales University, Charlotte

I would like to thank the staff at Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte, North Carolina for hosting us on our visit to Charlotte. Johnson and Wales are rapidly becoming one of the leading culinary universities in the world and the new facility has given them a significant boost.

The state of the art Culinary School has just graduated it's first class, after being enticed to move to Charlotte. With over $24 million grants from the huge financial community in Charlotte, the home of Bank of America and Wachovia it boasts some of the finest culinary training facilities in America. The multiple classrooms, kitchens and lecture theater were made possible by generous grants from manufacturers and suppliers.

Charlotte is rapidly making it's mark and has become the leading US financial center after New York. This influx of "Big Money" has created an atmosphere of growth and support for education and training of future generations. It is a potential location for a Chef's Studio to develop the culinary tourism of the area.

Jason Dolby was our guide and Chef Peter Reinhart our host. Peter is one of Americas leading chef's, specializing in pastries, and can often be seen on cooking programs on PBS. We look forward to working even more closely with this outstanding facility.

Starting a Restaurant

A new report from the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research questions the widely held belief that 99% of new start ups fail in the first year.

Using actual restaurant statistics for independent restaurants operating between 1996 and 1999 in Columbus, Ohio, the researchers found that the failure rate for independent restaurants was 26 percent in the first year. Not only that, but the total failure rate for the three-year period was 60 percent-far lower than the conventional wisdom suggests. While the study is limited to the Columbus market, there is no reason to believe that it is materially different from the United States as a whole. Over the three-year period, the study also found only marginally greater failure rates for independent operators (61 percent) over franchise outlets (57 percent).

The researchers also interviewed a sample of the restaurant owners to determine the factors that make for restaurant success. Surprisingly, the entrepreneurs did not point to external factors and gave little credit to advertising or promotions for their success. Instead, they said that successful restaurant operators must have a clear concept that they espouse passionately and consistently. Successful restaurateurs also must be able to commit huge amounts of time to their business and be willing to adapt to changing situations.

The article, Why Restaurants Fail, by H.G. Parsa, Ph.D., John T. Self, Ph.D., David Njite, MS, and Tiffany King, is available at no charge from the Quarterly's publisher, Cornell Center for Hospitality Research, at TheCenterforHospitalityResearch.org.

BabyBoomers Love Their Food

FEBRUARY 13, 2006 -- The generation most generous with itself in food purchases is none other than the baby boomers -- now defined as those aged 45 to 54. They spend more on food than other population segments, says a report published by market researcher Packaged Facts.

Entitled, "Baby Boomers and the U.S. Food and Beverage Industry", the report says 78 million baby boomers spend an average of $123 a week on food, compared with $102 by 25 to 34 year olds and $75 for 65 to 74 year olds. Additionally, the report found that in excess of 12 million boomers spend more than $150 per week on household groceries.

The report also suggests that many boomers' position as heads of households with children is responsible for them passing on the trend to eat well to future generations, including preferences for fresh, natural, and organic ingredients.

"Boomers are spending more on food because they can afford to and because health, particularly anti-ageing, is a major concern," said Don Montuori, Packaged Facts publisher. "They are a driving force behind the success of functional and fortified foods, as well as organics, and they prefer gourmet foods of convenience that meet the demands of their elegant yet hectic lifestyles." (Gourmet Retailer)

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