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Pain at the Pump: How Gas Prices are Impacting Restaurants – Spring 2022

 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — We’re all feeling the pain at the pump as we’re officially hitting the highest gas prices world wide. How do these prices impact APS?

• We’re seeing an increase as much as 70% in delivery prices for getting products to our warehouse.
• This leads to a price increase for the products.
• Which then leads to restaurants raising menu prices in order to balance the rising cost of products while the restaurant’s margin of profit is already thin.
• Not only are trucking costs rising, less trucks are on the road. This makes the demand for delivery even greater and more competitive.

It’s a tough situation to be in as restaurants are still dealing with the difficulties and impact of the past two years.

By |2022-04-19T10:50:35-05:00April 19th, 2022|Coffee Chat with Nick|0 Comments
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Supply Chain Shortage Update: Spring 2022

 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — While things are improving, the restaurant industry is not out of the weeds yet when it comes to product shortages. What Albemarle Paper Supply is seeing this Spring 2022:

Raw materials – The supply level is improving but there are still some shortages in raw materials it takes to manufacture the paper supplies restaurants and small businesses rely on.

Labor – The labor force is getting a bit stronger on the manufacturing level, and for trucking and transportation. There are still jobs to be filled on the factory floors working the machinery.

Order Limits – Many manufacturers facing supply shortages have placed order limits on how much product suppliers can order. The good news here is that many of these limits are being lifted or raised, allowing product suppliers to order more inventory.

Now it’s a matter of actually increasing the number of SKUs or different types of products available.

What this means for restaurants and patrons: It will probably be another three to six months before paper product suppliers see comfortable levels of inventory. So if you’re a restaurant patron, be patient with your local restaurants. Everyone is still adapting to the post-COVID industry squeeze and things are looking up.

By |2022-04-12T10:15:12-05:00April 12th, 2022|Coffee Chat with Nick|0 Comments
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Notice Different Take-Out Boxes? Supply Chain Shortages Restaurants are Facing Now

 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Have you noticed different take-out boxes at your favorite restaurant recently?  There’s a more likely reason than management just decided to switch up the products.

As temperatures dip and people turn to take-out versus dining-out, Albemarle Paper Supply (APS) co-owner, Nick Kalogeromitros, shares an update on what he’s seeing when it comes to product shortages.

Imported Products

There are a lot of products not made in the US that suppliers are feeling a lag on receiving.  “We haven’t had straws in a couple of months now,” says Kalogeromitros.  Also listing gloves and plastic cutlery amongst those in short supply.

Raw Materials

Product manufacturers are having trouble receiving the raw materials needed to produce.  APS uses an aluminums, waxed, and deli paper supplier out of Chicago that manufactures products and they are having to short orders due to lack of raw materials.  

“Just this week we had a shipment and half the order did not get fulfilled because of raw materials issue,” says Kalogeromitros.  

Labor Shortages

And just like the restaurants they supply, the manufacturers are struggling to find staff.  Lack of employees to operate the machinery that makes paper products is also causing shortages for supplies including styrofoam and soup cups. 

As restaurants continue to struggle with the aftermath of the pandemic closures, keep in mind that the shortages reach far beyond lack of staff and pack your patience this holiday dining season.

By |2021-12-07T01:50:12-05:00December 7th, 2021|Coffee Chat with Nick|0 Comments
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S2E19 | Chef Bill Bigham

SEASON 2: EPISODE NUMBER: 19

EPISODE GUEST: Chef Bill Bigham

After a long career at Proctor & Gamble, Bill Bigham decided he wanted to pursue a new title: Chef.  

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After working for Procter and Gamble for 33 years, Bill Bigham decided he wanted to do something more with his time than hit the links.  The new goal: Chef.  He was accepted into the Inaugural Freshman Class of Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte, N.C., and at the young age of 56, he went back to school.

But golf was not off the table.  While at Johnson & Wales, he was lucky to land an internship at the exclusive Pinehurst Resort during the 2005 U.S. Open.

Bigham, now Chef Bill Bigham, earned an Associates Degree in Culinary Arts, graduating Summa Cum Laude and has since become a personal chef working everything from small dinner parties to grand openings. 

In 2007, Bill was named “Best of the Best” Personal Chef by Charlotte Magazine. 

He gives credit to the ethical culture of Proctor & Gamble and his midwestern work-ethic for his success.  “Tell the truth.  Don’t try to BS people,” says Bigham.

His favorite dish?  While in Italy he had a dish comprised of only 3 ingredients:  homemade pasta, white truffle, olive oil

Top Turkey Tips, “Brine your turkey and don’t overcook your bird.”

– Chef Bill Bigham

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By |2022-08-02T12:45:12-05:00November 22nd, 2021|Paper Trails, PodCasts, Season 2|0 Comments
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S2E18 | Magnolia Coffee Co’s Ben Alleman

SEASON 2: EPISODE NUMBER: 18

EPISODE GUEST: Ben Alleman

“I realized that I could change somebody’s day because I’m the first person they’re speaking to, most likely.” Magnolia Coffee Co Production Manager, Ben Alleman, got into the coffee scene because he wanted a change from the restaurant industry. He quickly fell in love with what he calls the ‘counter-culture.’

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“I realized that I could change somebody’s day because I’m the first person they’re speaking to, most likely.” Magnolia Coffee Co’s Production Manager, Ben Alleman, got into the coffee scene because he wanted a change from the restaurant industry. He quickly fell in love with what he calls the ‘counter-culture.’

And working with coffee isn’t too dissimilar from the culinary scene. “There’s a little bit of science, culinary, bartending,” says Alleman. “It’s culinary on multiple levels because we’re starting with an agricultural product.”

With more than a decade’s worth of experience in the industry, Alleman still feels he’s learning all the time with the many variables that come with coffee. From learning the machinery to the different brewing techniques, “It’s constant evolution and learning process.”

Not unlike wine, coffee’s quality is determined by climate, elevation, soil, weather conditions, and how the beans are dried and cared for before they come to Magnolia in their green form. There are worldwide barista competitions from brewing the best cup and distinguishing the different roasts similarly to a sommelier. Some of the finest tuned palettes can pick out the region, elevation, and variety

When Alleman began his career in coffee, he scoffed at the idea of being able to discern the different beans. “There’s no way you can look at that bean and tell me it’s an Ethiopian,” says Alleman. “I can do it from across the room now. it’s just a thing you learn over time.”

Magnolia’s goal is to make the top 3-5% of coffee accessible to the everyday coffee drinker. While Alleman himself hasn’t gone to the origin spots of the coffee, Magnolia’s owner has traveled extensively to the different growing regions.

But even with the best beans, it always comes back to that counter culture and the barista behind the bar. Alleman says the best response to a first sip is when someone says, ‘Wow, I don’t need to put anything in this!’

Says Alleman, “You can really change somebody with a really good cup of coffee.”

“You can really change somebody with a really good cup of coffee.”

– Ben Alleman, Magnolia Coffee Co

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By |2022-04-04T23:40:42-05:00November 17th, 2021|Paper Trails, PodCasts, Season 2|0 Comments
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S2E17 | Lindsay Anvik of Babe & Butcher Charcuterie Boards

SEASON 2: EPISODE NUMBER: 17

EPISODE GUEST: Lindsay Anvik

Through the ebbs and flows of financial crises, pandemics, and life’s hardships, Manolo’s Latin Bakery owner, Manolo Betancur has continued to persist and focus on people first to find business success.

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“I’ve never met a cheese I didn’t like.” 
 
Meet the Babe behind Babe & Butcher, Charlotte’s iconic charcuterie board company, Lindsay Anvik. 
 
Fun fact:  Before the charcuterie biz took off, Lindsay worked with Shady Records at the peak of Eminem & 50 Cent’s careers. 
 

After years of various jobs, she felt like she wanted to break out of the corporate machine and start her own marketing company.

 
“I bet on myself,” recalls Anvik on launching her business and landing speaking engagements.  Naturally shy, having never done a speaking engagement before, she told the potential client, “if I get anything less than 5-star reviews I will pay for everyone’s ticket.”  This gamble paid off, snowballing into more engagements and clients.  
 
The charcuterie board biz was born out of a hobby.  Always a fan of cooking, Anvik’s friends encouraged her to make boards for events.  She first brought them to a charity event and they were a hit.  Her entrepreneur wheels began turning…
 
Always a marketer, Anvik knew she needed a strong brand, working with her partner to develop the name (she’s the babe, he’s the butcher).  
 
Initially overwhelmed by 2 boards a day, Babe & Butcher’s skyrocketing popularity has allowed their business to grow to the capability of putting out 150 boards daily.  
 
Along the way, Anvik learned some important business lessons that she shares;
1) It’s critical to know what you’re weaknesses are
2) Mistakes are important for growth
3) Take the leap – “just do it and learn from it in hindsight”
4) Surround yourself with smart people of different strengths – “you can’t be a one man band and grow”
 
And one that has been crucial to Babe & Butcher’s success in the age of social media:  people want a visual experience.
 
“Don’t skimp on packaging – you have to have something that is fun to interact with.”  
 
And that’s music to our ears.

“I think the company has grown because we’ve worked with other small businesses and helped each other.”

– Lindsay Anvik, Babe & Butcher

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By |2022-03-23T13:32:36-05:00October 4th, 2021|Paper Trails, PodCasts, Season 2|0 Comments
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S2E16 | Manolo Betancur of Manolo’s Latin Bakery

SEASON 2: EPISODE NUMBER: 16

EPISODE GUEST: Manolo Betancur

Through the ebbs and flows of financial crises, pandemics, and life’s hardships, Manolo’s Latin Bakery owner, Manolo Betancur has continued to persist and focus on people first to find business success.

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Manolo Betancur has a plan — to bring his Latin bakery concept to the poorest towns of NC in hopes to create jobs, growth, and spark life on desolate Main Streets that can use some love.

It’s this attitude that has helped his Charlotte, NC bakery, Manolo’s Latin Bakery, find success. “Business is not about money, business is about people,” says the former Colombian Navy vet.  A Colombian native, Betancur grew up ‘under the influence of the U.S.’  He came to America and studied at King University in TN before making his way to Charlotte.
 
After taking over his ex-in-laws bakery, there were a few things he knew would be imperative to success.  He did not want to create a niche Colombian bakery, instead offering a broad selection of Latin cultures from Cuban pastelitos, to Mexican bread, and Argentinean empanadas.  And he believes businesses have a social responsibility to give back to the community and pay employees what they need to live in a metropolitan city.  He strives to create a culture of respect and harmony, knowing the importance of hiring people smarter than him. “I’m a very bad baker,” laughs Betancur.
 
Through the ebbs and flows of financial crises, pandemics, and life’s hardships, Betancur has continued to persist.  Failure is not an option for him.  “The American dream is still alive. What you need to do is just stand up and work hard, invest in yourself and invest in knowledge. Challenge and difficult times, they’re always going to be there.”

“Business is not about money, business is about people.”

– Manolo Betancur, Manolo’s Latin Bakery

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By |2022-03-23T13:32:36-05:00September 28th, 2021|Paper Trails, PodCasts, Season 2|0 Comments
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S2E15 | Stomp, Chomp & Roll Restaurant Group

SEASON 2: EPISODE NUMBER: 15

EPISODE GUEST: Will Bigham

Vaulted Oak Brewing took up shop in what was once a BB&T bank and kept a lot of the elements, including the pneumatic tubes formerly used by drive-up customers. 

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Owner of the successful Charlotte, N.C. restaurant group, Stomp, Chomp & Roll, Will Bigham grew up in the franchise biz. His dad started off as a furniture salesman, but in an effort to move back to the south, he looked into franchising a Burger King. He started with a location in Albemarle, NC (our neck of the woods) and has expanded to 20+ locations since. Will’s childhood was in these Burger Kings, helping clean the drive-through as a kid and eventually working the window. “It’s a lot of getting your hands dirty – people don’t see a lot of the hard work that goes into it.” There was just something about the restaurant business that resonated with Bigham. He enrolled at Johnson & Wales and began his own journey in the industry. Working in popular Charlotte, N.C., and New Jersey restaurants, showing up early to learn how to bake the dishes he served. Bigham learned the ropes of business ownership by opening a dessert business with a pastry chef partner. “I’m an everyday learner so I’m just learning all the time.” But two big lessons of the biz: Patience & Hustling. And learning how to be solution-focused without blame. While operating the dessert business he opened Mama Fu’s fast-casual Asian restaurant, which he eventually flipped to what is now the Improper Pig barbecue joint. Then launched the popular breakfast spot, Flying Biscuit, and the Pizza Peel. Fun fact: his crust recipe was inspired by a delicious slice he had at Shakori Hills Music Festival and advice from “American Pie” author, Peter Reinhart. “I’m into the process of food,” says Bigham about finding joy in creating something people truly savor. With so many franchises, he’s learned a thing or two about locations. “I think you can build a business anywhere but the location is huge. But you can build a successful rest anywhere by taking care of people.” Bigham’s lunchtime orders at his Stomp, Chomp & Roll’s Restaurants: Pizza Peel – Godfather Pizza, Kitchen Sink Burrito Improper Pig – No Pig Sandwich, and his random mix of putting slaw on the black-eyed pea salsa Flying Biscuit – Black Bean Cakes & Creamy Dream Grits His tip for young entrepreneurs? Before you launch a business, work for one that’s similar to see if you like it. And be open to everything that’s coming your way.

“It’s a lot of getting your hands dirty – people don’t see a lot of the hard work that goes into it.”

– Will Bigham, Stomp, Chomp & Roll

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By |2022-03-23T13:32:36-05:00September 21st, 2021|Paper Trails, PodCasts, Season 2|0 Comments
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S2E14 | Vaulted Oak Brewery

SEASON 2: EPISODE NUMBER: 14

EPISODE GUEST: Kiel Arrington

Vaulted Oak Brewing took up shop in what was once a BB&T bank and kept a lot of the elements, including the pneumatic tubes formerly used by drive-up customers. 

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Head Brewer, Kiel Arrington, takes Nick on a mini-tour of the brewery and what goes into making your favorite beers.

Owning a business was always in the back of Arrington’s mind and Vaulted Oak wasn’t his first attempt at starting a brewery business.  In 2015, he pitched a brewery to investors and they didn’t bite.  But Arrington wasn’t deterred and counts it as a good learning experience.

“It took years, up to a decade, in the food and bev industry to grow into where I am today,” says Arrington.

Years passed and Arrington started a family but didn’t give up on the brewery idea.  He started looking at the possibility of opening a bottle shop near Lake Lure when his realtor turned him onto a former BB&T bank location that was just bought.  

Arrington brought on business partner, Johnie Jones, and signed the lease in September 2019.  Next step – he had to bring on investors.  In the 11th hour, Arrington got it done.  (the space almost became a Pop-eye’s!)  

After breaking ground in July 2020 amidst a pandemic and dealing with delays and supply shortages, Vaulted Oak Brewing finally opened its doors on June 8, 2021.

And the brewery was immediately embraced.

“Overwhelming and humbling were phrases I used a lot of times.  We didn’t expect that level of support, especially in a pandemic,” reflects Arrington on the community support.

“Community was always a pillar of our business model. we wanted to be more than just a place to get a beer.”

Arrington’s advice for business owners:

  • Never burn bridges because never know when you’re going to need someone’s relationship.
  • Fail and fail often.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask for help. 

“It took years, up to a decade, in the food and bev industry to grow into where I am today.”

– Kiel Arrington, Vaulted Oak Brewing

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By |2022-03-23T13:32:37-05:00September 14th, 2021|Paper Trails, PodCasts, Season 2|0 Comments
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S2E13.2 | Cheats Cheesesteaks, A Cheez Whiz Smothered Biz from The Crunkleton’s Head Chef & Bar Manager – Paper Trails Podcast

SEASON 2: EPISODE NUMBER: 13.1

EPISODE GUEST: Chef Greg Balch & Ryan Hart

After finding creative ways to keep the Crunkleton afloat during the pandemic, Chef Greg Balch and Ryan Hart launched a side-hustle, pop-up cheesesteak business.  It quickly took off and they’re opening a brick and mortar soon.

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Meet two of the minds that make both the Crunkleton Charlotte and Cheat’s Cheesesteaks on the must-list of Charlotte, N.C.’s culinary scene: Executive Chef Greg Balch and Bar Manager Ryan Hart.

After finding creative ways to keep the Crunkleton afloat during the pandemic, Balch and Hart launched a side-hustle, pop-up cheesesteak business.  It quickly took off and they’re opening a brick and mortar soon. 

When it comes to what is the next for the food scene, both Balch and Hart agree that everyone has become accustomed to paying for delivery and pickup.  Inspired by this new dining trend, Cheat’s Cheesesteaks will be a 500 square foot, no seat restaurant, only focused on pickup orders.  

The secret to Cheat’s success?  It could be their popular slo-mo cheese-pour videos on Instagram.  Or it could be Balch & Hart’s dedication to finding the perfect meat, the ideal cheese, and the ultimate flavor convo to please the masses. 

 
 

“What if we’re just super honest and call it ‘cheat day?'”

– Chef Greg Balch on the Origin of Cheat’s Cheesesteak Parlor

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By |2022-03-23T13:32:37-05:00September 6th, 2021|Paper Trails, PodCasts, Season 2|0 Comments
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