A Fairfield County restaurant resource company has launched a new website that serves as a clearinghouse for information directed toward making successful eateries in Connecticut and New York.
The New England Culinary Group was formed in 2011 “to assemble an array of talented service providers and vendors who specialize in providing restaurants with the necessary products, services, and guidance to create, open and operate a successful business.”
The NECG in a press release announcing both its five-year anniversary and the new website ”“ NewEnglandCulinaryGroup.com ”“ calls itself “a networking group at its core.”
Co-founders Jeremy Staub, president of Box Brand Studio in New Haven, and Linda Kavanagh, the owner of MaxEx Public Relations LLC in Stamford, created NECG “as a way for service providers to not only stay connected to one another and the restaurants, but as a way to keep their finger on the pulse of an always evolving industry.”
“With so much incorrect information always swirling about out there about our industry, NECG serves as a great resource for getting to the root of it all ”“ and to the right people,” said Kavanagh, a former chef, in the company statement. “Networking with the people who are on the frontline, and also in the back of the house making things happen for these restaurants, is vital to our own businesses and credibility within the industry.”
NECG members are chosen through referrals from other members. NECG operates as a 501 (c)(6) professional organization, meeting regularly, providing leads and support in obtaining what it termed “optimal client contact,” including closed business deals and on-going relationships.
“Everybody from the wine distributor and food purveyor, the insurance provider and credit processor, to the kitchen equipment supplier and social media expert ”“ NECG is comprised of front- and back-of-the-house experts” said NECG”™s acting president, Mark Moeller of The Recipe of Success, a restaurant consulting business in Shelton that across 23 years has opened more than 300 restaurants. “What makes this organization unique is the passion and talent that only such a specialized network can have.”
The new NECG web site, created by Box 8 Brand Studio in New Haven, “provides restaurateurs with a strong network of service providers who are committed to providing the best products and services possible. Each facet of a client”™s business is carefully evaluated, executed and maintained according to the NECG”™s code of ethics. NECG”™s genuine dedication to the hospitality industry and respect for its operators is always at the forefront.”
The website consists of NECG member profile pages and contact information as well as industry news, NECG-produced special events, and NECG”™s so-titled “From Dirt to Digital Critical Path,” a tool for both first-time restaurant owners and seasoned restaurateurs looking to better manage operations.
Future site plans include a seminar series to cover topics including operations, concept development, architecture and design, payroll and insurance, changing industry laws, accounting and marketing and public relations.
