1 4
1 4
Activated, or edible, charcoal first gained buzz among the health-conscious juice-and-smoothie crowd. Today, charcoal is appearing in more dishes and beverages at trendsetting restaurants around the country. Here are some spots utilizing charcoal’s striking appearance and flavor in innovative ways:
- Juice-and-smoothie chains like Pressed Juicery and Juice Press offer bottled beverages that tout the cleansing properties of activated charcoal. But those not necessarily seeking a beverage with a health halo can also partake in the trend. Beauty & Essex, with locations in New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, serves a cocktail dubbed “Black Tie White Noise,” featuring Gentleman Jack, Port Charlotte, yellow chartreuse, lemon and activated charcoal.
- ‘O Munaciello is a pizzeria based in Florence, Italy, that recently opened an outpost in Miami. The restaurant incorporates charcoal into the dough of its “black carbon pizza.” While pizza is not typically thought of as healthful, the restaurant touts charcoal’s indigestion- and hangover-aiding properties.
- La Brasa restaurant in Somerville, Mass., offers “bread with accompaniments” on its menu. While some spreads and dippings include the expected extra virgin olive oil and chicken liver pate, the eatery is also whipping up ash butter for customers to smear on a slice.
More restaurants are going completely cashless in favor of payment by credit card, app, Apple Wallet and other means. Operators either in the process of going cashless or fully there include Sweetgreen, with locations around the U.S., Vita Mojo, in London, and Commerce, in New York, which has been cashless since 2009. While there are potential benefits — quicker throughput, reduced vulnerability to theft and the ability to collect customer data — there are downsides. Operators must pay fees associated with credit card payments; some younger customers may not have a credit card; and tips, which are generally given in cash, may be skewed. Cash won’t go away anytime soon, but neither will the trend toward cashless payments.
Adding a sweet and fruity touch to beer can widen the consumer appeal of regular suds, according to Sin City Brewing Co. This spring, the Las Vegas-based craft brewery serves up a sour beer — a trend in its own right — with the option to add raspberry, blood orange, pineapple or passion fruit purees. “We wanted to do something different and interactive that would appeal to the entirety of our diverse fan base,” said Sin City’s master brewer Rich Johnson. The offering nods to a tradition hailing from Berlin of adding sweet syrups to the traditional Berliner Weisse beer. It’s also part of a much bigger trend: between 2010 and 2015, flavored beer launches rose 80 percent, according to Mintel.
In a tight labor market, restaurants are finding that benefits can be an important tool to building the best team possible. Industry leaders include multi-concept operators like Union Square Hospitality Group, which has expanded its paid parental leave, and emerging ice-cream chain Salt & Straw, which offers health insurance even to part-time employees.
Here are some creative benefits from outside the industry:
- Whole Foods Market: Paid time off can be rolled over year to year.
- Facebook: Offers employees grieving an immediate family member 20 days of paid leave, and 10 days of paid leave for an extended family member.
- Costco: Through a flexible spending account, employees can use pre-tax dollars to pay for childcare or adult day care.
- Netflix: New mothers and fathers get one year of paid parental leave.
• PwC: Employees can get $1,200 per year to pay off student loan
