That’s where you meet suppliers like Sartori Cheese.” “It’s a great event with 9,500 booths with manufacturers from around the world. With quarantines now mostly lifted and many things going back to normal, Graff said he’s looking forward to a National Restaurant Association event that had to be cancelled last year.
“We did those changes just before the virus hit and we were well positioned to do curbside pickup at just the right time,” Graff said. Their restaurant chain was lucky or prescient in that they had just rolled out a program for quick pickup in the restaurant and a new app. Our supply team deserves a big pat on the back,” Graff said. “It was a challenge for all of our suppliers and for staffing at the restaurants even trucking had its challenges. “There’s something compelling about building those solid relationships.”Īs it did for everyone, the coronavirus pandemic caused challenges for Noodles & Company. But Graff admits he and his staff have a lot of “loyalty to incumbents” – his word for those suppliers they have worked with successfully in the past. While development of recipes is going on, the supply team goes to existing suppliers with the new ideas and may look into new products from new sources. “It’s a 14-month window from idea to launch.”
BUFFALO MAC AND CHEESE NOODLES AND COMPANY FULL
Once menu items reach that stage they are tested in some of the restaurants for a full quarter and marketing data will be used to determine if the entrees will get wider distribution. In the meantime Graff and his team will give a heads up to their suppliers that they will need to ramp up production if certain items go on the menu. They will then develop five or six of the most popular ideas and present them to a taste panel. Along with a culinary team of four and a group of four to five supply and quality assurance staffers, they brainstorm concepts and pitch them to rewards members of the restaurant to see if their ideas appeal to those loyal customers. Graff’s work includes overseeing development of all new menu items for the restaurant chain. Graff says their different categories include Asian, Mediterranean and healthy choices which are heavy on vegetarian ingredients – including zucchini that are spun into noodle look-alikes – they call them “zoodles”. Noodles & Company is “all about noodles” of course but strives for global flavors. They have cheeses that have gone into contests and beaten some of the world’s best cheeses.” “Sartori’s quality is up there with the very best in the world. That tells our customers that what they’re eating is very special,” he adds. “We pride ourselves on working with our partners like that. They make your vision their vision,” Graff said. “That’s one of the things we love about working with Sartori – their willingness to partner. Last summer they introduced ham and gruyere mac and cheese, featuring Black Forest ham and Sartori Gruyere. They even have a mac and cheese for gluten sensitive consumers. Then other ingredients are added – like barbequed pork or Buffalo chicken. Other macaroni and cheese entrees are built on the traditional base. “Twenty-five percent of our new customers order macaroni and cheese on that first visit,” Graff said. You might call the entrée a gateway item for first-time visitors to the restaurant. Graff said that translates into 2 million pounds of cheese sauce each year. The restaurants sell a whopping 10 million orders of Wisconsin Mac and Cheese each year. The other ingredients - like rbST-free cream - also add to the flavor profile. The way they make the cheese sauce – in 600-gallon batches - keeps it consistent and the ingredients add complexity to the flavor, he said. “What affects the flavor is the age of the cheese.” “I think those notes from the sharp white Cheddar add a lot to the taste,” he said. The sauce starts out in the kettle, with American cheese as the base, and then Sartori-made Jack and Cheddar are added. Graff said the entrée “gives people what they like” in macaroni and cheese.
If there’s a “secret in the sauce” for the Noodles & Company macaroni and cheese, it’s the cheese, Wisconsin cheese - and lots of it.
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