CHICAGO—The National Restaurant Association recently announced the recipients of the annual 2011 Kitchen Innovations (KI) Award, an honor recognizing groundbreaking kitchen equipment in the foodservice market. An independent panel of judges comprised of internationally recognized food facilities consultants, multi-unit executives and design experts selected KI Award recipients for their innovations that provide new solutions to restaurant and foodservice operators. KI products will be showcased in the interactive Kitchen Innovations Pavilion area of the 2011 Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show at Chicago’s McCormick Place from Saturday, May 21 through Tuesday, May 24. The KI products will enable foodservice operations to run faster and...

PORTLAND, ORE.—The Doubletree Hotel Portland announced the grand opening of Gather Food & Drink. In Portland’s newest dining spot, guests will taste the freshest flavors of the Northwest. Inspired seasonal fare is the focus of the restaurant and bar. Gather is about offering selections that reflect the changing array of food and drink that is produced locally. Chef Steven Ward infuses the freshest ingredients from local farmers and showcases them in seasonal menus. Those culinary delights serve as a complement to the regionally inspired wine, beer and spirits offered in Gather. “We’re very excited to offer our guests a unique...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Kendall College and the National Restaurant Association, through its Conserve: Solutions for Sustainability initiative, have joined as co-founding sponsors of the International Foodservice Sustainability Symposium (IFSS), which will be held May 24-25, 2011 in Chicago, immediately following the NRA Show 2011. Developed by Railing & Associates, IFFS is the first conference of its kind to focus exclusively on the more complex sustainability issues such as emerging technologies, green building and perhaps the most highly nuanced subject of all—sustainable food. “The IFSS will provide foodservice professionals with the information and tools they need to make critical decisions about complex sustainability issues,”...

WAIKIKI, HAWAII—Halekulani, located in Honolulu, is now offering menu items free of genetically modified organisms (GMO). As of March 2011, Halekulani is the first luxury hotel in the United States to offer guests this pedigree in organic gourmet cuisine. “Halekulani is introducing its new ‘GMO-Free Cuisine’ in response to its clientele’s growing desire to be provided this option in an era of increasing focus and awareness on product choices and wellness,” said hotel COO Peter Shaindlin. Halekulani’s GMO-Free Cuisine is available at the hotel’s oceanside open-air restaurant, Orchids, as well as through in-room dining. Menu items, as conceptualized by executive chef...

SAN FRANCISCO—Honoring its 30-year commitment to environmental responsibility and care, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants will celebrate Kimpton EarthCare Week from April 15 to 22, 2011. From pop-up eco art exhibits to organic spa packages and recycling drives, this national celebration builds upon Kimpton’s devotion to environmental responsibility and will inspire guests to give back to local communities when they stay, eat and play with Kimpton. Local community members, hotel guests and restaurant diners can participate in Kimpton EarthCare Week events and offers in 23 cities nationwide. Activity examples include: • Pop-Up Eco Art Exhibits: Select Kimpton hotels will partner with local...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—To help its members expand environmental sustainability efforts, the National Restaurant Association announced that it is working with the Atlanta-based Zero Waste Zone program to identify best practices, create resources and measure the impact of perishable organics waste management efforts. Celebrating its second anniversary today, the Zero Waste Zone program is administered by Elemental Impact. The collaboration is part of the Association’s Conserve: Solutions for Sustainability initiative. “Atlanta’s Zero Waste Zone program has been incredibly successful, and we are now looking to expand that success to communities nationwide,” said Scott DeFife, executive vice president for policy and government affairs...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Hobart’s new Energy Star qualified CLeR conveyor-type warewasher uses Advansys Energy Recovery technology and Hobart’s patented NSF-Certified Opti-Rinse system to save foodservice operations up to $11,000 annually in energy recovery and water efficiency. The Advansys Energy Recovery technology captures the warewasher’s exhaust heat and uses it to preheat the cold inlet water up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, reducing the energy needed to reach the required 180 degrees Fahrenheit rinse-water temperature. “Hobart’s new CLeR Warewasher adapts Hobart’s unique Advansys Energy Recovery technology, introduced so successfully in the Advansys Ventless door-type warewasher, to the rigorous productivity demands of the high-volume CLe conveyor-type...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Restaurant Association issued the following statement, in response to the release of the government’s new 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans: “We support the Dietary Guidelines’ recommendations around a total dietary meal pattern which focuses on increasing consumption of whole grains, fruits and vegetables,” said Joan McGlockton, vice president for Industry Affairs and Food Policy at the National Restaurant Association. “There has been a growing trend of restaurants offering more whole grains and produce, and we look forward to continuing to work with restaurant operators and chefs to provide even more healthful menu options for adults and...

CHICAGO—The Hyatt Regency McCormick Place’s approach to sustainability is not to make one big splash with one giant investment. Instead, says Roger Martin, director of engineering at the 800-room hotel, “Our focus is to do a lot of the little things that add up to one big green initiative.” That approach is definitely working. The hotel, which is part of the giant McCormick Place complex that attracts close to 3 million visitors annually, reduced its electricity consumption by 12.7 percent from 2009 to 2010 and its water consumption by 24.4 percent. Part of those reductions was a result of...

TARRYTOWN, N.Y.—GreenPan Inc. has opened an office in  Tarrytown, N.Y. GreenPan develops and manufactures products based on three core principles: convenience, health and environment. GreenPan’s pans include a new eco-friendly Thermolon non-stick technology. Thermolon is completely PTFE and PFOA free, consumes less energy during the application process and cannot be overheated. It is also a better conductor of heat then traditional coatings. The perfect heat distribution allows even heating and cooking on low to medium temperatures, which equals lower energy bills. The mineral coating used on all GreenPan products is not only heat resistant up to 850 degrees F, but...