The most joyous time of the year is upon us, and to you, your families and friends, I wish you all a very happy holidays. We hope you will take the time over the next few weeks to relax, share old memories and make new ones, while enjoying the company of your loved ones. You, the business owners, store managers, employees, chefs, etc., are who help our industry grow and prosper, and we are thankful to have such great partners this holiday season.
As you travel this holiday or entertain at home, we promise this issue will provide some much needed time away from the welcomed chaos and inspire you with some new ideas and updates. Our editorial team works hard to bring you up-to-date and empowering content, and this issue is no exception.
Important business insights in this issue include Tree Talk’s HR Corner, the concluding part of the series Reevaluating Your Business and Effective Websites for Business Owners. HR Corner covers the critical process of evaluating performances and setting goals with employees, while Revaluating Your Business and our websites article cover more marketing-based necessities such as leveraging press relationships and establishing a user-friendly site.
Perfect for this time of year is our article on natural immune boosters. As dessert professionals, you all know how hard it is to miss even one day of work, so it’s imperative that health be a priority during the cold and flu season. But don’t let the article dictate everything you consume this season; as we all know, this time of year is fantastic for a little bit of indulgence. As the weather turns for the worse, crepes are warming up plates, and we have some delicious ways to innovate with them in this issue’s Branching Out. Our Snickerdoodle Gelato and Gingerbread Tenero recipes are great American standbys too, so test them out and let us know how they work for you.
From our very own Professional Training Center’s evolution over the years, to new personnel and new products, growth is a trend this industry is experiencing in all areas. Frozen yogurt is expected to grow into double digits through next year. Gelato continues to be a hot trend year after year, and pastry is everywhere from televisions shows such as “Top Chef: Just Desserts” to live pastry events popping up all over the country. Also growing are our product offerings, and after much anticipation, we are finally ready to launch our new product mix called Tenerissimo™. For the first time in our company’s history, we are selling the machine equipment too. View the story and the new brands of Cafettone™, Fruittone™, and Yogurttone™ on page 28 to see how we are fully supporting our clients with this innovative frozen dessert launch.
Next time this column hits, it will be 2012, and a new year with new projects, goals and challenges will be awaiting us. But until then, sit back, grab this issue, have an affogato (maybe even spiked), and enjoy the moment. Business can wait until tomorrow; today it’s about you and those who support you.
Happy Holidays,
Marco Casol,
President and CEO