Dr. Charles Feldman Participates in Industry Talks

Recently, Dr. Charles Feldman, Nutrition and Food Studies Professor, spoke on a panel at the Virtual Breakfast Sessions to Discuss Staffing Shortfall Solutions, hosted by Total Food Service and L. Sashin & Associates.

The restaurant, bar, and hospitality business has always been hard, but with work, a good concept, and efficient systems it was a doable, profitable, and a good way to make a living. Then came COVID-19, and they’ve been dealing with the pandemic for over 2 years, including lockdowns, altered menus to cope with changing dining habits, supply shortages, and price hikes. Additional regulations such as vaccination status, masks, and changing rules have made the profession difficult.

Dr. Feldman discussed how to create an environment where people want to work and how to tap into new avenues and attract new hires.

Additionally, Dr. Feldman participated in a discussion about data use for profitability in the restaurant and food industry. Along with the New Jersey Big Data Alliance, Montclair State University’s New Jersey Policy Think Tank for the Food Industry and Restaurants hosted a panel of technology and marketing experts, restauranteurs, and food service professionals discussing digital technologies, including payment tools, customer reservation, and social media marketing tools to create value and grow profits.

The New Jersey Big Data Alliance (NJBDA) was established in 2013 by Rutgers University, along with 8 higher education partners, to catalyze collaboration among New Jersey academia, industry and government in building advanced computing and data analytics capabilities and expertise. Today, the NJBDA is a consortium of 18 higher education institutions and Edge, as well as industry and government members, that builds and leverages collaborations to increase competitiveness, generate a highly skilled workforce, drive innovation and catalyze data-driven economic growth for New Jersey.

The event was sponsored by the United States Economic Development Administration.