Settled between the Sierra Nevada Mountain to the east and the Coast Range to the west, is the fruitful earth of the San Joaquin Valley. Rich soil, vast amounts of sunshine and ideal weather conditions is a trifecta of perfection for the agriculture. Proud residents and farmers proudly proclaim, “We feed the world” and well, they aren’t wrong. Every year millions of pounds of fruit and vegetables are harvested and send all over the United States and the world. From almonds and grapes, to plums, peaches and carrots, we have something for everyone!
The Central Valley is approximately 450 miles from northwest to southeast inland and parallel to the Pacific Ocean, covering approximately 22,500 square miles making it slightly smaller than the state of West Virginia.
Fresno County produces around 350 crops worth approximately $6.8 billion.
Fresno County’s largest crop is grapes. (playfresno.org)
Lyons Says Yes to Fresno!
The San Joaquin Valley is also the home of Lyons corporate headquarters – Fresno, California. With a central location, our ties to the agriculture industry are strong. Our strengths include the farming of tree fruit and citrus and the sourcing of California strawberries.
Lyons Fresno facility employs around 600 Central Valley residents.
Proud supporter of industry organizations including the California Restaurant Association and ProStart, a program that provides students with hands-on culinary experiences.
Proud supporter of a variety of local charities in the Fresno area.
Fresno & Foodservice
Fresno is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the country. So much, that Fresno is often a test market for some of the most lucrative companies in the food service industry. In just the past couple of years, Fresno has served as a test market for a few of the industry’s largest organizations including McDonald’s, Taco Bell and even Uber Eats!
It’s called Fat Tuesday for a reason! New Orleans is known for some of the most delicious cuisine and it’s also a time of the year when customers tend to really indulge. Make sure your restaurant capitalizes on the festivities by offering food and drinks synonymous with Mardi Gras. Staple dishes of this celebration include king cakes, beignets and of course anything with Cajun spice! For bars and lounges, offer specialty cocktails like Hurricanes, the famous Ramos Gin Fizz and Rum Milk Punch.
Mardi Gras means “Fat Tuesday” in French and technically refers to the day before Ash Wednesday
Carnival is the time period between Epiphany and Fat Tuesday
The first recorded Mardi Gras street parade in New Orleans took place in 1837
In 2013 New Orleans hosted the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras, an overwhelming time in the City that some called “Super Gras”
The official colors of Mardi Gras are purple for justice, gold for power and green for faith.
Source: History.com
That’s Too Much Bacon – Said No One Ever
True bacon lovers know how they like to get their fix but for those who are just starting to dabble in the bacon realm, below are a few ideas to inspire you.
Traditionalists appreciate good old bacon and eggs.
For those with a sweet tooth in the morning, a bacon topped donut will do the trick.
If you prefer to drink your breakfast, a bloody mary topped off with a slice of bacon is always a good idea.
A bacon wrapped hot dog has just enough “adventure” for some.
Crushed bacon baked into a pizza – umm yes please.
How about bacon wrapped asparagus? Because let’s face it, life is all about balance.
Maple is moving from the morning hours and making its way to all-day parts. Operators are pushing maple beyond traditional breakfast dishes and experimenting with it in non-alcoholic beverages, cocktails and savory concepts. Mentions of maple on menus are up overall 3.4% year over year¹. According to the Technomic Menu Monitor, maple is up 85% in non-alcoholic beverages and almost 15% in alcoholic beverages between the second quarter of 2016 and the second quarter of 2017².
Consumers are turning to food and beverage to connect with new cultures and experience new flavors. As the multicultural population continues to increase in the United States, more consumers are willing to try flavors that were once considered unique. This is especially true to millennials and younger consumers with forty-eight percent of millennials willing to try a new food simply because it sounds interesting².
64% of US consumers are interested in Asian-inspired foods
63% of US consumers are interested in Latin American foods
66% of US consumers are interested in Middle Eastern foods in restaurants
There is a desire to create these dishes at home but lack of skill has consumers visiting restaurants to fulfill their cravings. To capitalize on this movement, operators can offer a variety of concepts:
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