SeaFood Business

DEC 2012

SeaFood Business is the global trusted authority for seafood buyers and sellers. We are the seafood industry's leading trade magazine with more than 30 years of experience. Our coverage is based on the "business" of buying and selling seafood.

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Foodservice Survey It doesn't matter how it's cooked, consumers want seafood's origins. restaurants feature chalk- boards that highlight up to eight fish each day, referring specifically to their origins. At the Rose Villa Restau- rant in Akron, Ohio, din- ers want to know how fresh their seafood is, says Do- menic Fana, president. "We mention where our seafood is from and the date when it was harvested, espe- cially for the shellfish," he says. "If it has been previ- ously frozen, we'll let them know that, as well." If you're serving crab close to crab packing houses like Rich Evanusa does at Beach to Bay Seafoods in Princess Anne, Md., you have to make sure it's local. "On the Eastern Shore, Menu this SFB bienniel foodservice survey shows challenges with menuing seafood BY LAUREN KRAMER A t the end of the day, if a seafood buyer can't get the product he or she needs, then it's time to consider other species or other proteins (gasp!) to put on the menu. As we examined the results of SeaFood Business' biennial foodservice survey, it was evident that many restau- rateurs and operators share similar concerns and chal- lenges relating to sourcing, pricing and sustainability. Tese challenges have not changed much since we started surveying buyers 40 SeaFood Business December 2012 more than 30 years ago. "One of the most com- mon questions we field is about salmon and the dif- ference between wild and people do not want to be buying imported, pasteur- farm-raised," says Bill Bayne, president and co- founder of Fish City Grill in Addison, Texas. His res- taurants menu both and his managers are focusing on educating diners on where their seafood comes from. "People like to know about the origin of their food, both from a qual- ity standpoint and from pure curiosity," he says. Te The Big Picture Sourcing, pricing top buyer challenges What do you consider to be the three biggest challenges facing the seafood foodservice sector? (multiple responses) Sourcing/product availability Wholesale seafood prices Customer's limited discretionary income Sustainability Rising energy costs Food safety Competing with retail or takeout business Labor Other (specify) Trafiic 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% Visit us online at www.seafoodbusiness.com ized crabmeat," he says. Evanusa has established rela- tionships with particular wa- termen and says he's willing to pay a premium to main- tain his quality standards. Rising prices for seafood become have for restaurateurs, and many have been reluctant to raise their menu prices for fear of losing their customers. Te last time SeaFood Business challenging Photo courtesy of Fish City Grill

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