Food

Twisted Concepts gains traction with Nutri-Twist drink

By Newsroom

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August 1, 2013

Peter Andoni has a child with Type 1 diabetes, so the owner of Shields Pizza looked on with frustration when his child played sports but couldn't enjoy the sugary drinks the other parents handed to their kids. "I had to look for healthy alternatives and realized there weren't any," Andoni says. "They all had high-fructose corn syrup or artificial colors." So Andoni decided to make a drink of his own that fit the health bill. Twisted Concepts' primary product is Nutri-Twist, a low-calorie drink without high-fructose corn syrup or gluten. It has been on the market for a year and recently rebranded itself from Twisted Water to Nutri-Twist. "We wanted to incorporate the nutritional aspects of the beverage in its name so our customers could see it as they walk by," Andoni says. The Bloomfield Hills-based company and its team of five employees are working to grow Nutri-Twists' reach beyond Michigan and into other big states, such as Texas and Minnesota. "We're growing literally every month," Andoni says. "We started out at Hiller's Markets and it has taken off from there." Source: Peter Andoni, founder of Twisted Concepts Writer: Jon Zemke

Latest in Food

FoodTruck Cafe’s trucks under one roof concept takes off

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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July 25, 2013

The idea of re-creating faux food trucks inside a cafe is taking off in Berkley, where locals are walking and biking to the newest restaurant based on an off-beat idea. The FoodTruck Cafe, with its three food trucks without wheels, is also drawing destination diners, says Kerry Johnson, who co-owns the business with Jon Glab. Wherever they come from, they're looking for good food, creative food that's fast and in a fun setting, they say. The trucks inside the space at 28557 Woodward Ave., which previously was a Coffee Beanery, serve sandwiches, salads, Mexican, coffee, and smoothies. The Sideshow Sandwich Emporium, Air Stream Espresso and Nacho Ordinary Nacho are the creations of the pair with a background in restaurants and hospitality. Johnson founded the Cupcake Station and Glab owned the Strawberry Moon in Ferndale. They combined sit-down restaurants with the outdoor feel of food trucks by decorating the cafe with picnic tables inside and outside and plastering the main wall with photographs that look like an outdoor scene of Detroit from the early 1900s. Writer: Kim North Shine Source: Kerry Johnson, co-owner, FoodTruck Cafe

Bistro 82 and Sabrage Lounge heating up downtown Royal Oak

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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July 18, 2013

The buzz about a two-story restaurant and lounge under renovation in downtown Royal Oak is that it will be the next "it" place to eat and hang out in metro Detroit Bistro 82 and Sabrage will be opening in the space formerly occupied by Spanish tapas restaurant Sangria at the corner of 4th & S. Lafayette. An impressive lineup will staff Bistro 82, which will occupy the bottom floor of the nearly 10,000 square-foot corner spot. Sabrage, which is French for the technique of using a saber to open a champagne bottle, will take over the top floor with a garden terrace, a stage for live music and booth seating along with a white onyx bar for post-dinner drinks. The staff's resumes will bring experience from top restaurants around metro Detroit, Michigan and California under one roof when Bistro 82 and Sabrage open by fall. Besides fresh and often locally-sourced dishes and a wine selection that is expected to rival top-seeded restaurants around the country, owner Aaron F. Belen of AFB Hospitality Group wants the two-story restaurant and lounge's interior design and atmosphere to also be a standout. A large shark tank built into a DJ booth along with a floor-to-ceiling wine cellar, extensive champagne list, private dining room, a specialized sound system designed by Harman Co. and Euro-bistro influenced meals served in courses are part of owner Aaron F. Belen's vision for Bistro 82 and Sabrage. The establishment will seat at least 159 people and 226 in the lounge, make a major investment to Royal Oak and create 75 full- and part-time jobs. Writer: Kim North Shine Source: Justin Near, publicist for Aaron F. Belen and Bistro 82/Sabrage/AFB Hospitality Group

State grants available for food trucks & farmers markets

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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July 11, 2013

Farmers market organizers and food truck operators have a chance to get some green -- $10,000 to $50,000 -- from the state if they can prove their business is unique, innovative and will be successful at making their communities a place with a special vibe and feel. The state and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation wants to promote food entrepreneurship as a means to promote a sense of place in Michigan communities by awarding matching grants through the Farmers Market Grant Program and the Mobile Cuisine Start-Up Program. “Farmers markets and food trucks improve our downtowns and bring vitality and economic growth to our communities,” says MEDC President and CEO Michael A. Finney in a statement announcing the grants. “These grants will support food entrepreneurs and local markets, strengthen communities and create jobs in our state.” The state will award up to $200,000 in grants to farmers' markets and up to $100,000 to food trucks. Writer: Kim North Shine Source: Kathy Fagan, communication specialist at Michigan Deparment of Economic Development

Iron Chef Michael Symon finds Detroit hits the spot for eateries

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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June 27, 2013

Iron Chef Michael Symon decided Detroit had what it took to be a culinary destination when he opened Roast in 2008 at the Westin Book Cadillac. Crain's chats with Symon about winning the best burger in America title three years in a row and what other famous chefs say about the Motor City. Excerpt: "What are you hearing about Detroit from your peers? Some of my chef friends make fun of me because my restaurants are in Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Detroit. But when we have success in those cities, there is always an interest. They wonder how you can be successful outside of New York, Los Angeles or Chicago. I think in the restaurant world, it takes time to change people's perspectives. Chefs that I bring to Roast are always amazed that Detroit is so different than what is shown in the news." Read the rest here.

The (less than) skinny on Detroit Chocolat

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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June 27, 2013

File under "Things That Make You Say Yum." A teacher starts his day, every day, as an up n coming chocolatier. Excerpt: "Chocolate runs in his blood: He’s a fourth-generation chocolatier (the great-grandson of Ervin and Julia Morley of Morley Candy Makers) and he spent a decade working for Morley. Even though he’s a full-time elementary school teacher, Petz was unable to resist the pull of chocolate and in 2010 started Detroit Chocolat in Sterling Heights (to the delight of his mother and his wife whom he calls a “chocolate addict.”)" Read the rest here.

Ann Arbor’s Domino’s Pizza debuts DomiCopter, the future of pizza delivery

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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June 20, 2013

Are we looking at the end of pizza delivery dudes? Domino's unveils the DomiCopter, a proof of concept that pizza delivery can be by air. Watch the video here.

Berkley’s FoodTruck Cafe bringing food carts indoors

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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June 13, 2013

The FoodTruck Cafe is giving customers of rolling restaurants a place to sit down and eat indoors or out. The cafe is opening June 24 in Berkley with three food trucks re-created inside the cafe: the Sideshow Sandwich Emporium, Nacho Ordinary Nacho and Airstream Espresso. The cafe is taking shape inside a closed Coffee Beanery at 28557 Woodward Ave. FoodTruck Cafe will be open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and serve breakfast, including Airstream Espresso Illy coffee. Lunch and dinner feature the conundrum bacon sandwich with its applewood smoked bacon, avocado, tater tots, tomatoes, onion and mayo from Sideshow Sandwich, or Nacho Ordinary Nacho's barbecue pork nachos with pulled pork, Bermuda onions, Monterey Jack cheese, cole slaw and a dollop of crema de Sriracha sauce. The founder, Kerry Johnson, wants "to bring street food indoors." There will also be outdoor seating, and the vibe inside and out will be casual with picnic tables and twinkly lights. Writer: Kim North Shine Source: Kerry Johnson, owner, FoodTruck Cafe

Juice Juice Revolution

By Patrick Dunn

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General

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June 13, 2013

Caitlin James went from Peace Corps worker to successful entrepreneur in less than three years. And she's yet to cross her thirtieth birthday. Partnered with her four sisters and mentored by Garden Fresh's George Vutetakis, James has turned DROUGHT Juice into the local food business to watch.

Family turns unemployment into Aunt Nee’s salsa biz

By Newsroom

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Entrepreneurship

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June 13, 2013

There was nothing small about the Great Recession for Patrick Schwager's family in Garden City. Both of his parents lost their jobs in mid-2008. He was just graduating from the University of Michigan-Dearborn with a degree in business management and marketing in 2009 and his internship wasn't going anywhere. That's when the family rallied together and made a go of it with its Aunt Nee's salsa business. "For a solid year we were cash-strapped and unemployed," Schwager says. "We decided to make a major push to make it successful." Aunt Nee's had always been a hobby business for the family. They were always disappointed buying prepared salsa, often with its lack of freshness. Aunt Nee's sells the seasoning to the customers so they can add their own produce to make fresh salsa. Schwager brought on a friend as a partner, Carlos Parisi, and the business took off. "It's the best fresh salsa you can make yourself," Schwager says. Today you can find Aunt Nee's in a wide variety of supermarkets across Michigan, including 45 Kroger grocery stores. It now sells a little more than 50,000 packets of seasoning annually. It is gearing up to begin online sales later this year. Schwager hopes to cross into six-figures worth of unit sales within the next year. Aunt Nee's now employs five people and is looking to add a few interns this summer. It is also working with other local small businesses to help them get off the ground. Source: Patrick Schwager, CEO of Aunt Nee's Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.