From the Publisher
Posted by estiator at 15 February, at 10 : 26 AM Print
FROM THE PUBLISHER: P.S. ΜΑΚRΙΑS
Organic in Restaurants
IN THIS ISSUE, Estiator looks at the trends from 2018 that are shaping 2019 and the future of foodservice. As a generation born with the internet comes into adulthood, the cultural impact of their technology habits is changing the way restaurants attract business and control their operations. Indeed, with the internet’s ability to bring people into immediate contact with global food cultures; inform them with the latest health and wellness findings; connect them together into virtual communities; and place orders directly to restaurants with the swipe of a finger, the foodservice industry is finding itself evolving at a pace never before experienced.
Our cover story, then, looks at the impact of organic foods on the restaurant industry. Once the domain of specialty stores, organic and “clean label” food has gone mainstream in the last decade in grocery stores and, today, is quickly making its way onto restaurant menus across the country. With upscale restaurants leading the way and with large chains like Panera (along with a bevy of hip and exciting upstarts) jumping on the organic bandwagon, we ask the question to our readers: Are you going to take advantage of the trends and begin to serve natural and organic items at your diners, family restaurants, luncheonettes, pizza places and cafes, or will you wait until the business leaves you before you address the growing demand? The feature also raises the question of “truth in menu” practices, noting that while organic labeling is aggressively monitored and enforced at the farm and grocery levels, there is no effective monitoring of restaurants making organic claims, leaving the opportunity for widescale deception.
31 Years Is No Small Achievement
The first issue of Estiator
THIRTY-ONE years in the life of a magazine is no small achievement. With this issue, Estiator has reached this milestone with a sense of satisfaction and gratitude to its subscribers and advertisers. Estiator filled a large void. It gave a forum and a voice to Greek-American restaurant professionals. It gave them an identity and showcased their successes. It keeps them informed and helps them face the challenges of sector that is continually growing. It helps strengthen the communication and collaboration among them.
Estiator serves its readers with a classified section as well as the advertisers promoting their goods, and gives all interested parties access to the Greek-American market. The magazine’s journey was not an easy one. Nonetheless, we overcame difficult times and gained widespread recognition as a publication promoting the entrepreneurial feats of people who worked miracles through their hard work.
Investing the fruits of our success in the upgraded staffing and organization of our magazine, with a renewed format and content, Estiator is responding to today’s reality with a sense of responsibility and awareness of its mission. We are grateful for the support of our readers and all those who promote their business in our pages.
Let Us Remain Non-Partisan
WE HAVE repeatedly stressed that just as we do not want Greek political parties campaigning here, we, too, must also not involve ourselves in Greek political affairs. The Greek people are in a position to decide for themselves who the best person to govern them is.
This applies even more so to Greek-American media. During the era of the great national division, Atlantis supported the monarchy and The National Herald supported the Liberal party led by Eleftherios Venizelos, adding more fuel to the fire.
Babis Marketos, under whom Estiator’s publisher served for 16 years at The National Herald wrote:
“I had only formally met the president [Constantine Karamanlis] once up until 1968. We had upset him in 1958, because, in a piece we ran from far off New York, we had called upon the Greek people to support the Liberal party in the 1958 elections and not Karamanlis’ National Radical Union. The opposite occurred. The people voted for the NRU, and ever since, having recognized our error, we decided that the newspaper should follow a different policy. Reporting just the facts, we moved on to a new phase of analyzing the political affairs taking place in our Greek homeland.
This phase enabled us to remain a political publication, but, concurrently, strictly non-partisan. We adopted this policy and proclaimed that The National Herald would henceforth remain neutral and outside of any party differences and arguments during any election contest. It would remain free and unfettered, enabling it to analyze, offer praise or exercise criticism without coming under the influence of any party motives or partisan behavior. We had written that for us and for the Greek-American community, any Greek government that arises from the free will of the Greek people ought to be a good government. It should be entitled to respect, just like the main opposition, which plays its own role, and has an equally important mission. We stood by this position with strict objectivity up until the eve of the coup d’état, on April 21, 1967”.
