Determining Total Cost of Ownership

Below is a great link to an article De terming the Total cost of being a restaurant owner. This is a must read if you are thinking about opening your own restaurant.

Owning food service equipment - Free food service equipment advice and quotes from multiple restaurant equipment dealers

Small Business Jobs Act of 2010

On Sept. 27, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Small Business Jobs Act, the most significant piece of small business legislation in over a decade. The new law will provide critical resources to help small businesses continue to drive economic recovery and create jobs. The new law extends the successful SBA enhanced loan provisions while offering billions more in lending support, tax cuts, and other opportunities for entrepreneurs and small business owners.

The New Law Puts More Capital in the Hands of Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners:

• SBA Enhanced Loan Provisions – $14 billion more in lending support
  • The law extends SBA loan provisions (with the 90% guarantee and reduced fees) through Dec. 31. The $505 million in subsidy for Jobs Act loans will support about $14 billion in overall small business lending. In the first week of the Jobs Act, SBA provided nearly 2,000 loans totaling nearly $1 billion in lending support.
• Higher Loan Limits — significantly increases maximum loan sizes in top loan programs
  • The law permanently increased 7(a) and 504 limits from $2 million to $5 million (for manufacturers in 504 loan program, up to $5.5 million).
  • The law permanently increased microloan limits from $35,000 to $50,000, helping larger entrepreneurs with start-up costs and small business owners in underserved communities.
• Alternative Size Standards — more small businesses eligible to get SBA loans
  • The law expanded the number of small businesses eligible for SBA loans by increasing the alternate size standard to those with less than $15 million in net worth and $5 million in average net income.
• Temporary Enhancements to Help with Working Capital, Commercial Real Estate Refinancing
  • The law increased the maximum amount of SBA Express loans from $350,000 to $1 million (expires 9/27/2011).
  • In coming months, the law will allow some small businesses to refinance their owner-occupied commercial real estate mortgages into the 504 loan program (expires 9/27/2012).
• Dealer Floor Plan Pilot Extension, Expansion
  • The pilot program (begun 2009) will be extended to 2013. Though the old pilot has expired, the new, larger pilot will be implemented in coming months. This will help small businesses owners who sell cars, RVs, boats, other titleable inventory.
• Small Business Intermediary Lending Pilot
  • In six to twelve months, the law will provide for funding up to $20 million per year in small business loans over the next three years for an intermediary-facilitated loan program targeting small businesses that need loans up to $200,000.

The New Law Strengthens Small Businesses' Ability to Compete for Contracts, Including Recommendations from the President's Task Force on Federal Contracting Opportunities for Small Business:

• Equal Treatment across Federal Contracting Programs
  • The law reaffirms "parity" among federal small-business contracting programs. When awarding contracts that are set-aside for small businesses, contracting officers are free to choose among businesses owned by women and service-disabled veterans, as well as businesses participating in HUBZone and 8(a) programs.
• More Opportunities for Small Businesses
  • The law will eliminate the "Competitiveness Demonstration" program, which limited opportunities for small contractors in 11 industries where they excel, such as construction, landscaping and pest control. This will build on the $24 billion small businesses won in these industries in Fiscal Year 2009.
  • The law will give contracting officers the ability to reserve orders for small business participation on contracts with multiple awards using the Federal Supply Schedule (GSA Multiple Award Schedule). The law makes it harder for agencies to "bundle" contracts, a practice that makes it more difficult for small businesses to compete.
• Combating Fraud, Waste and Abuse
  • The law will put in place a legal standing of "presumption of loss" when a business misrepresents its ownership status or size in winning a government contract. It allows the federal agency to claim a loss on the purchase, allowing those agencies, including the Department of Justice, to vigorously pursue fraudulent firms.
  • The law will hold large prime contractors more accountable to their own subcontracting plans by requiring written justification when plans aren’t met and when small business subcontractors aren’t paid on time. This will help eliminate "bait-and-switch" tactics that occur when large primes – after winning the prime contract – don’t follow through with their own plans to give subcontracts to small businesses.

The New Law Promotes Small Business Exporting, Building on the President's National Export Initiative:

• Export Express Pilot Becomes Permanent
  • The law turns the Export Express pilot loan program into a permanent program with 90% guarantees for loans up to $350,000 and 75% for loans between $350,000 and $500,000.
• State Trade and Export Promotion Grants Pilot
  • In coming months, the law will provide $90 million in competitive grants over next three years for states to help small business owners with exporting.
• Increased Staff and Strengthened Export Counseling Resources.

The Law Expands Training and Counseling:

• Major Investment in Counseling and Training
  • In coming months, the law will provide $50 million in grants available to Small Business Development Centers.
• More Opportunities in Export Counseling (see above)

The New Law Provides $12 Billion in Tax Relief to Help Small Businesses Invest in their Firms, Create Jobs:

• Extension, Expansion of Tax Cuts — 8 Tax Cuts
  1. The highest small business expensing limit ever, of $500,000
  2. General business credits carried back five years
  3. Accelerated/bonus depreciation
  4. Zero capital gains taxes for those who invest in small businesses
  5. Increased deductions for start-ups
  6. Deductions for employer-provided cell phones
  7. Deductions for health insurance costs for the self-employed
  8. Limitations on penalties for errors in tax reporting that disproportionately affect small business
  

Treasury Department Provisions

• Small Business Lending Fund – $30 billion
  • The law will provide smaller community banks with low-cost capital (as low as 1%) if they go above and beyond 2009 small business lending levels.
• Establishes State Small Business Credit Initiative
  • The law will provide up to $1.5 billion to support state-run small business lending programs.

December's Recipe - Holiday Glazed Ham

December's Recipe

Holiday Glazed Ham Recipe

A delicious recipe that will make your holiday guests come back for a second helping.

Ingredients:

• 1 boneless fully cooked ham (about 6 pounds)
• 1 tablespoon whole cloves
• 1 can (20 ounces) sliced pineapple
• 1 cup apricot preserves
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• Maraschino cherries

Preparation:

• Place ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Score the surface of the ham, making diamond shapes 1/2 in. deep; insert a clove in each diamond. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 1-1/2 hours.
• Drain pineapple, reserving juice. In a small saucepan, combine the pineapple juice, preserves, mustard and allspice. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened.
• Spoon half of the glaze over ham. Secure pineapple slices and cherries on top and sides of ham with toothpicks.
• Bake 30-45 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 140°, basting twice with remaining glaze. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.                          
•   16 Servings
• Prep: 20 min. Bake: 2 hours + standing                                                                                                                
  
• Nutrition Facts: 5 ounces ham (calculated without cherries) equals 249 calories, 6 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 86 mg cholesterol, 1,776 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 32 g protein.

New Videos

We at People's Restaurant Equipment understand that times are tough and also time is tight so we have added a new feature to our website. We have begun to add videos that will hopefully help you to get a better understnading on some of the larger equipment we sell. we also hope that by us trying to relay some of the important points of a peice of equipment it will help you feel more comfortable in your purchauses with us here at Peoples. Below are links to our newest videos please feel free to comment and let us know what other information might be helpful in making your buying experiance easier.

True TBB-2 Back Bar Cooler

True TWT-28 Work Top 2 Door Refrigerator

True TWT-27 Work Top 1 Door Refrigerator

Turbo Air TWR-48SD 2 Door Work Top Refrigerator

Southbend S36D 6 Burner Commercial Range

We hope you like them! Also would like to Thank Pete for Starring in our Southbend video. Please continue to check back because will will be adding more and more videos.

Vollrath LLC

We here at People's Restaurant Equipment believe in supplying you the customer with top notch products and that is why we have introduced the full line of Vollrath small wares and their newly acquired line of counter top equipment. Vollrath is a very well known brand name in the Food Service Industry. Restaurateurs know that when they purchase Vollrath they are purchasing something that with long outlast their import counterparts. Vollrath prides themselves on their quality and craftsmanship which they have stood behind for over 134 years. In the Restaurant Equipment buiness most business owners that have been in business for many years know that buying cheap imported small wares is a very short sighted business plan, with Vollrath you can rest assured that you are getting a top quality product at the very best price.

Check out our full line of Vollrath products at www.peoplesrestaurantequipco.com

So again we are proud to stock Vollrath at peoplesrestaurantequipco.com

Best ways to prevent getting sick from fruits, vegetables

More than twenty people were hospitalized from a salmonella outbreak linked to raw tomatoes. The incident serves as a reminder to take extra care with summer fruits and vegetables. Washing produce and properly cooking meat, poultry and eggs are generally the best methods to prevent illness.

Salmonella can be transmitted to humans when fecal material from animals or humans contaminates food. Symptoms are similar to the flu, but the poisoning can be fatal to young children, pregnant women and other people with weakened immune systems.

While there is no way for consumers to detect salmonella (you can't smell, taste or see it), there are some things you can do reduce the risk:

Wash all produce, whether organic or not, with cold running water. Scrub them gently with your hands or with a vegetable brush. Remove outer layers of cabbage and lettuce. Fruits should be washed, regardless of whether you are eating the peel, says Al Baroudi, president of Food Safety Institute (FSI) International. He says even if someone is peeling an orange, that person is touching part of the orange he is going to eat. Bananas are an exception. Don't bother with a special vegetable wash, studies show that it's not much better than water.

Wash your hands with soap and water thoroughly before handling food. Wash your hands if you come in contact with any contaminants, use the bathroom or smoke or eat.

Also wash cutting boards, counters and utensils to avoid cross-contamination. Avoid any kind of contact with raw meat when preparing fresh vegetables. Refrigerate sliced up fruits and vegetables.

Courtesy of CNN.com

National Food Safety Education Month

National Food Safety Education Month - September 2010

High-Risk Customers: Serve Your Fare with Extra Care

The National Restaurant Association encourages restaurant and food service operators to begin planning for the 15th annual National Food Safety Education Month. This month-long campaign is held every September and focuses on the importance of food safety education for the restaurant and food service industry, while raising the awareness of the industry's commitment to food safety. This year's theme is "High-Risk Customers: Serve Your Fare with Extra Care." 

 

At People's Restaurant Equipment food safety is a very high priority to us. That is why we stock all your essential needs to make sure your store is following all food safety rules and guidelines.

 

So Check out our website to see all the new food safety items we carry! And remember new items are added daily!

 

Apple Harvest

The 2008 Apple Harvest is now officially underway! Apples can be used in a variety of dishes from salads to dessert. Here are some selection and handling tips as well as a review of some of the common apple varieties and when they are harvested. Information courtesy of the U.S. Apple Association.

Selection and Handling Tips
To maximize your apple-eating experience, follow these simple tips for selecting, handling, storing and preparing apples:

Select apples that are bruise-free, and handle them gently to prevent bruising.

Select apples that are firm to the touch, for the best flavor and crunchiness.

Store apples in the refrigerator to slow ripening and maintain flavor.

Store apples away from strong-smelling foods, to prevent them from absorbing unpleasant odors.

Coat apple slices and dices in a mixture of one part lemon juice to three parts water - or in vitamin C-fortified 100% apple juice - to retard browning.

Apple Varieties
Red Delicious
America's favorite snacking apple. The heart-shaped fruit is bright red and sometimes striped. Crunchy with a mildly sweet flavor, they are also great in salads. Washington apple growers have been producing the world's best Red Delicious apples since the 1920s. The are harvested in September and October and available throughout the year.

Golden Delicious
The all-purpose apple. Mellow and sweet, they are great for eating out of hand, baking and salads. In salads and other dishes, their flesh stays white longer than other apples. The dry, warm climate of Eastern Washington is perfect for this delicate yellow beauty. They are harvested in September and available all year.

Gala
Pinkish-orange stripes over a yellow background are the signature of this crisp, aromatically-sweet, snappy apple. Galas have gained popularity among consumers in the past 15 years. Snacking and salads are primary uses. Gala harvest begins in the middle of August and lasts through early September. Galas are stocked September to May.

Fuji
This immensely flavorful, new variety was introduced to the U.S. from Japan in the 1980s, but now the U.S. produces more Fujis than Japan. Each year, this big, super-sweet, crisp apple gains new fans. The Fuji holds its texture when baked. It's known for its hard texture and syrupy sweetness. It's also excellent for baking and salads. Washington's cool weather in the late fall helps develop its reddish-pink color and superb flavor. Fujis are harvested in October and can be purchased October to August.

Granny Smith
Green, extremely tart, crisp, juicy and versatile, they're available year-round. Grannies are a favorite of pie-bakers. They're also excellent for snacking and salads. Warm days and cool summer nights ensure crunch and flavor for October harvest.

Braeburn
This apple's rich, sweet-tart, spicy flavor is high-impact. Color varies from orange to red over a yellow background. Aromatic, juicy and crisp, this apple is very firm. They are great for snacking and baking. Washington growers harvest the variety in September and early October and can be purchased from October through July.

Jonagold
This juicy, orange-tinted apple has a tangy-sweet flavor. They're excellent for fresh eating, cooking and makes a great pie. Washington's warm dry summer and cool fall ensure that the delicate flavor develops fully for September harvest. Jonagolds are stocked from September through April.

Pink Lady®
Firm, crisp flesh and a unique, tangy-tart, sweet flavor are characteristic of this apple. Pink Lady is the last apple harvested in Washington state in late October. Crisp fall nights bring on the bright pink color that gives the apple its name. Supplies of Pink Lady last from November to August.

Cameo®
Sweet with a zingy crunch, Cameo® holds its texture for long periods. Look for the variety's characteristic white spots on the skin. The variety was discovered as a chance seedling in a Washington state orchard in the 1980s. Cameos® are harvested in September and October. Available October to August.

Energy Efficiency and Your Restaurant

Restaurants use about 2.5 times more energy per square foot than other commercial buildings. Energy costs have been increasing at a rate of 6 to 8 percent per year. Investing in energy efficiency is the best way to protect your business against rising energy prices.

You can reduce your restaurant's energy consumption by following cost Saving Tips provided by Energy Star.

Buy ENERGY STAR qualified appliances. If you're in the market for new equipment, think in terms of life-cycle costs, which include purchase price, annual energy costs, and other long-term costs associated with the equipment. High-efficiency appliances could cost more upfront, but significantly lower utility bills can make up for the price difference.

Cut idle time. If you leave your equipment ON when it is not performing useful work, it costs you money. Implement a startup/shutdown plan to make sure you are using only the equipment that you need, when you need it.

Maintain and repair. Leaky walk-in refrigerator gaskets, freezer doors that do not shut, cooking appliances that have lost their knobs—all these "energy leaks" add up to money wasted each month. Don't let everyday wear and tear drive up your energy bills. The pie chart illustrates the average energy consumption of a full-service restaurant. Findings show a general energy use rate of 35% for food preparation, 28% heating and cooling, 18% sanitation, 13% lighting, and 6% refrigeration.

Cook wisely. Ovens tend to be more efficient than rotisseries; griddles tend to be more efficient than broilers. Examine your cooking methods and menu; find ways to rely on your more energy-efficient appliances to cook for your customers.

Recalibrate to stay efficient. The performance of your kitchen equipment changes over time. Thermostats and control systems can fail, fall out of calibration, or simply become readjusted. Take the time to do a regular thermostat check on your appliances, refrigeration, dish machines, and hot water heaters and reset them to the correct operating temperature.

Check Our website www.peoplesrestaurantequipco.com for all our Energy Star Products

 

Click here for complete ENERGY STAR® Guide for Restaurants—
Putting Energy Into Profit.

Provided by ENERGY STAR®. For more information
visit www.energystar.gov