CHICAGO—Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago announced a new, in-room dining menu at the Chicago hotel that has been certified organic by Oregon Tilth, an international nonprofit research and organic certification organization. A first in the North American hotel industry, the downtown Chicago luxury hotel now provides discerning guests with innovative meal options that utilize the freshest ingredients available, sourced daily from local and sustainable farmers. Divided into five different menu categories for breakfast, lunch, dinner, late-night snacks and spa dining, the in-room dining menu at Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago features cuisine by executive chef Frank Brunacci. The...

ROSEMONT, ILL.—U.S. Foodservice, one of the nation’s largest food distributors, announced a new initiative that helps restaurants and other food establishments bring local and regional products to their customers. U.S. Foodservice’s restaurant customers can now easily determine if a product is locally sourced through the company’s online ordering system. Local products will be identified by a special “local” icon and will include detailed product information, including the location of the grower or manufacturer and the distance from the supplier to the U.S. Foodservice distribution center. “This is an industry leading approach that provides transparency about our product sourcing and promotes...

RIPON, WIS.—UniMac, a leading manufacturer of heavy-duty industrial commercial laundry equipment, has just launched its new website. The site, www.unimac.com, was developed to provide new tools and resources for the company’s customers. The new UniMac site is intuitive and easy to navigate. It makes it simple for a non-laundry expert to research and make determinations about products and services. The site features different areas for specialty sectors such as hotels, firehouses, long-term care and athletic facilities. Each section includes information about why laundry is important to that industry and how UniMac solves each industry’s specific laundry issues. “This website is the...

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF.—Wen-I Chang, founder and president of Atman Hospitality Group, Inc., has published a book that profiles 23 green hotels—both pre-LEED pioneer green hotels and the LEED certified hotels that followed. The creator of the book, called "World's LEED Hotels: Innovation, Renovation & Development," is Ling Ling Chang, project manager with Atman Hospitality Group. Twenty of the hotels profiled in the hard cover book are in the United States, one is in the U.S. Virgin Islands, one is in Sri Lanka, and the other is in Chile. Hotels profiled include: Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur, Calif.; Maho Bay Camps,...

AUBURN, N.H.—Aquawing Ozone Injection Systems (AWOIS) LLC, in Auburn, N.H., recently released a new laundry ozone injection system engineered to serve the hospitality market, including hotels, motels and B&Bs, according to Brett Daniels, the company’s vice president. The new ozone system works by infusing a continual flow of ozone, at a consistent concentration, into the wash process to properly clean moderately soiled linens and towels. The system, according to Daniels, produces cleaner linens over traditional washing, while significantly reducing the use of natural gas, water and chemicals, as well as resulting costs. “This system was created to address the laundry...

ITHACA, N.Y.—Restaurateurs need to inform customers of their sustainable restaurant practices both to strengthen menu prices and encourage patronage. Based on a study of 393 residents of Taiwan, research findings published in the August 2010 issue of Cornell Hospitality Quarterly (CQ) indicate that a substantial percentage of respondents would be willing to pay more for menu items that are produced using sustainable restaurant practices. The article, “The Dynamics of Green Restaurant Patronage,” by Hsin-Hui “Sunny” Hu, H.G. Parsa, and John Self, is available in a free download as the featured article in the August CQ issue. The researchers found a...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—New Orleans restaurateur Ralph Brennan testified on Tuesday this week before a House congressional subcommittee, providing details about the BP oil spill’s devastating impact on tourism and restaurants in the Gulf Coast region. Brennan is a former chairman of the National Restaurant Association and is president of the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group, LLC. He joined other tourism representatives and Gulf Coast Claims facility administrator Kenneth Feinberg before the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection. “Across the affected areas, restaurants report a range of experiences and concerns,” Brennan said. “Those located seaside or in beach communities are decimated...

TROY, OHIO—Hobart has launched Advansys, an advanced warewashing system. Advansys technology includes innovations that save operators time and money, makes the equipment easier to maintain and service, and improves productivity. The first product available in the Advansys line is Hobart’s new Advansys Ventless Door Type, which was introduced earlier this year as the AM Select Ventless warewasher. The unit is a recipient of this year’s National Restaurant Association Kitchen Innovations award, which recognizes groundbreaking foodservice equipment as selected by an independent panel of experts and received the Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI) Product of the Year award for 2010. The patent-pending...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes HEALTHY MINI BAR as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. HEALTHY MINI BAR is a provider of healthy, environmentally conscious amenities and specialty foods to hotel guestrooms and convenience centers. HEALTHY MINI BAR strives to meet all the definitions of healthy lifestyle, therefore the company offers a variety of  foods like low calorie options, organic, vegan, vegetarian, gluten free snacks, and diabetic friendly options, just to name a few. HEALTHY MINI BAR items do not contain high fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated oils/fats also known as “trans...

MIAMI GARDENS, FLA.—Sweet Flavor announces the launch of its new site specializing in biodegradable disposable tableware. The company also announces a new line of bamboo and pine disposable tableware. “This is giant step forward in the growth of our company,” says Jamil Bouchareb, co-owner of Sweet Flavor of Florida. “Market research shows that four out of five caterers and consumers choose to use a sustainable food serving solution over a more harmful, non-biodegradable choice. Sustainable disposable tableware is the wave of the future.” Sweet Flavor of Florida sells to hundreds of eco-conscious fortune 500 companies. Some of its major clients include...