January 2012 Issue

Welcome 2012

Another year ... Gee whiz, I’ve turned into my par- ents, thinking to myself that time is simply moving by too fast. When did that happen?

I guess when I wasn’t looking or I was busy working. Regardless of when

or how, another year is here, and we’re all now faced with upcoming elections – another battle of Main Street versus Wall Street, poli- ticians and pundits all throwing out the lan- guage of subterfuge, trying to win our votes and see who can take control of our wallets.

Yes, I have become my parents. Or at least my dad, looking through his cynical shades at the world of politics and those folks in D.C. who seem to constantly talk about doing things that will help my family, my business or even the lives of my staff – but in the end they simply seem to do nothing but argue and try to collect paychecks for another four to six.

Welcome to the world, 2012. What will you bring?

First of all – tangerine.

Yep, Pantone predicts the color consumers will crave will be Tangerine Tango – a “spirited reddish orange, [that will] continue to provide [America] the energy boost needed to recharge and move forward.”

I love to hear the descriptors placed on those new color palettes. I am not sure how many tangerine toasters will go flying out the door, but I will say a nice tangerine cast iron pot could recharge my soul.

Speaking of moving forward ...

Food writers, bloggers and psychics are predicting that the art of mixology will con- tinue to mesmerize consumers. I am with them on that ... and I predict your cus- tomers are ready to take even more of a plunge into the world of mixology at home creating their own simple syrups and look- ing toward discovering classic bartenders’ guidebooks and lessons.

Consumers and chefs will continue to focus their efforts on understanding where their food comes from and learn how the animal, vegetable, or mineral was treated, grown and processed before it found its way into their shopping carts.

And speaking of chefs, fortunately or un- fortunately, the reality-food-show-craze will continue. Now that just about anyone can get on television showcasing their culi- nary, entertaining or eating skills, specialty stores can expect the bounty of self-edu- cated culinary consumers coming in to test their own skills. Food is hot, and indepen- dent retailers and creative marketers will figure out ways to reach an entirely new audience of consumers interested (perhaps not yet educated) in cooking.

And finally, two of my favorite predictions come from LA Weekly writer Garrett Sny- der, who cheekily notes the following:

“Restaurants that feature seasonal rotating menus will become so advanced that the traditional paper menu will become obso- lete. Instead, kitchen staffers will be forced to make up the menu as soon as they are asked for it. The restaurant’s name, ad- dress and bathroom location will also be rotated regularly, making the reviews of confused Yelpers essentially meaningless. 

“The coffee world enters into a Fifth Wave. Coffee will be hand-grown, hand-picked, hand-roasted and hand-brewed, ensuring that numerous people will have touched your coffee by the time you drink it. Beans will become so precisely sourced that each bag will be accompanied by a brief biogra- phy of the plant’s life.”

Until then ... Cheers!