The printing of the June 2000 issue of Total Food Service marks the paper's 10th anniversary. When Leslie and Fred Klashman set out to launch what they originally envisioned would be a publication for strictly the restaurant industry, as opposed to including the feeder and institutional aspects of foodservice, they did so not knowing that the New York market was about to embark on a decade that would experience more trial, tribulation, success and change than any other previous ten-year period the industry has survived. All of the uncertainty of the 90s–the economic recession and never-before-experienced prosperity– and all of the success that the industry has experienced couldn't have been more beneficial to a trade news publication, for it has meant that there has never been a loss for material from which to draw. Even more importantly, the volatility and driving trends of the industry have created the need for a regional trade publication that covers both the retail and wholesale aspects of foodservice. According to Fred Klashman, therein lies the source of the paper's effectiveness as both a news source and a marketing vehicle. "There is a tremendous importance for the regional publication in a market like New York, where people are focused on what is going on in this region far more than they are in any other area. Furthermore, as a regional paper we can help guide those who do business in this area but aren't located here, and therefore may not know the nuances of this marketplace. "We have a unique perspective in that we are the only industry source with a regional focus that covers both the wholesale and retail aspects of the industry–most others commit to one or the other. As a result, we present a forum for every aspect of the industry, from equipment purveyors and food distributors to a heavy focus on restaurateurs and the 'business and institutions' segment." Klashman believed this to be the most sensible approach to take seeing as how the success of individual entities–from both the wholesale and retail perspective– is contingent upon the collective success of the industry. "Our initial vision was to create a paper strictly for the restaurant industry," explained Klashman, who attributes the soft economy of the early 90s to creating the need to dovetail into

the institutional feeder aspect of foodservice. "We were astounded to find that there were 70,000 incarcerated in the metro area and the amount of money that was required to feed these people every day. That's too much business not to cover." A fortuitous and somewhat prophetic outcome considering the explosion of institutional and corporate feeding that would soon after shake the industry. One of the major turning points in the paper's history, according to Klashman, was Larry King agreeing to be featured on the front cover in 1992. "That really put us on the map in terms of being able to attract the heavy-hitting, national celebrity type to our cover. We have moved forward ever since." Mayor Giuliani would follow soon after. But the emergence of the paper's "Q&A" cover section would suffice in doing more than featuring nationally known media icons and political figures, for commensurate with the feature's maturation was the development of the industry phenomenon commonly referred to as "the Celebrity Chef". Prominent chefs and restaurateurs began to gain national renown. The proliferation of consumer publications and television networks reserved for discussion of the culinary arts fed society's interest in becoming familiar with those responsible for fortifying this aspect of our culture. Hence, the "Q&A" feature took off. "Allan Stillman, Sirio Maccioni, Lidia Bastianich, Charlie Palmer and this monthÕs feature, Alfred Portale, are just some of the names that we have had the pleasure to feature, all of whom have revolutionized the industry." In terms of what the next ten years hold for TFS, Klashman says that not unlike its subjects, the paper will have to respond to the current and most prevailing trend of the first decadeÑthe Internet. "The 'Dot-Com' revolution has already affected our perspective of how we can best reach our readers and best meet our advertising clients' needs. Like everyone else in the industry, we have to ride out these first waves of the technological revolution, be ready and willing to adapt, and see which path we'll follow."