Captain Jack Sparrow would be excited to know that this Saturday is National Rum Day. To help you kick off one of the last weekends of the summer why not open a bottle of rum (yo ho) and have a party at your restaurant.

If you are not familiar with rum (or just want to brush up) this is a great informative site. Once you know all the basics about this popular spirit it is time to start coming up with some interesting drinks that will help set your restaurant apart from every other one celebrating this day. This is a great list of mixed drinks featuring rum as is this list.

While your guests are hanging out enjoying their cocktails they might decide they are interested in some appetizers to help those tasty drinks go down. While you probably already have a list of trusty appetizers, an event like this is a great time to try more. Allrecipes.com has a great selection of appetizer recipes that can be viewed by type.

Even if you can’t get everything ready to celebrate National Rum Day by Saturday it is a great item to feature during a future celebration. Your Serv-U representative can help you get all of the glassware you need to feature your tasty rum-based concoctions and all the plates you need to serve your incredible new appetizers. So give your representative a call today and prepare to celebrate Captain Jack’s favorite drink (just don’t celebrate it quite as much as he does, ok?).

The Month of August:

            National Catfish Month

            National Water Quality Month

            Romance Awareness Month

August 2: Celebration of Love Day

August 3-9: National Smile Week

August 3: Friendship Day

August 4: Coast Guard Day

August 5: National Mustard Day

August 13: International Left Hander’s Day, Middle Children’s Day

August 15: Assumption Day, Relaxation Day; Julia Child’s Birthday

August 18: Bad Poetry Day

August 19: National Aviation Day

August 25: Kiss & Make Up Day

August 26: Women’s Equality Day

For a list of even more holidays, go here.

Now that we’re all back from a nice long weekend, one question comes to mind: what did you eat on the 4^th?

Honestly, I had turkey and lemonade (and maybe a mojito or two), but I’d be willing to bet that a great many Americans feasted on hot dogs this past weekend.  And this came to mind as I was browsing one of my favorite websites, Serious Eats.  In honor of our national holiday, Serious Eats created a really well researched blog post about the venerable hot dog and its many variations across the country.

Besides the mouthwatering pics in the blog, I was also struck by the number of truly heartfelt responses this particular post received (45 when I read it).  The hot dog tradition is alive and well across the USA—and its price tag is attractive to many feeling the pinch of gas prices.

So if you’d like to add hot dogs to your summer lineup (and what better time than now, during National Hot Dog Month), Serv-U can get you all the equipment you need.  Take a moment to browse our hot dog cookers  as you think of the next great topping arrangement!

 (photo by thebusybrain of Flickr Commons)

Yes, it's that time again--time for a quick rundown of all the interesting (and/or strange) holidays in and nicknames for the month of July.  Enjoy!

 (image by "quacktaculous" of Flickr Commons)

The Month of July:

            Anti-Boredom Month

            National Baked Bean Month

            National Hot Dog Month

            National Ice Cream Month

            National “July Belongs to Blueberries Month”

            National Picnic Month

            National Recreation and Parks Month

July 1: Canada Day, Air Conditioning Appreciation Begins

(--Though I've gotta be honest here; with energy prices where they are, I have yet to appreciate any air conditioning this season!)

July 4: Independence Day

July 14: Bastille Day

July 20: National Ice Cream Day, Moon Day

July 27: Parent’s Day

As if the fact that it is Friday isn’t reason enough to be happy, the odd-holiday gods have given us another reason to be happy: it’s National Doughnut Day. The delicious fried dough treat is thought to have been enjoyed during prehistoric times, while the first known recipe dates back to the mid-19^th century according to this site. And while there is debate over how the breakfast treat got its name and its shape, everyone agrees they are a tasty way to start the day.

Homer Simpson, the popular cartoon father, realizes that doughnuts are a special food. They are economical (you can buy a dozen cheap), they travel well (if you don’t mind the crumbs), and come in many tasty variation (glazed, cake, filled, etc.). With so many options there is sure to be one to please every customer. And customers love their doughnuts; a recent message board post on the best doughnuts had over 100 pages of postings. Also, search the word doughnut and you are sure to come across tons of articles listing the best places to find the fried wonders (like this article from MSN) . The blogging world has even jumped on the doughnut bandwagon with tons of blogs marking the holiday (like this one and this one).

Doughnuts are a great addition to your bakery and breakfast menus. They are a popular treat that sells well, looks great on display, and makes your store smell great. Serv-U has all the supplies you need to make, display, and sell doughnuts in your store, just call your representative today. And don’t forget to enjoy National Doughnut Day. As Homer would say, mmmm doughnuts.

For this, the last Friday of May, I’d like to take a moment to remind everyone of the holidays—even the lesser-known ones—coming up in June.  I hope June brings you and yours lots of reasons to celebrate!

The Whole Month of June:

            National Dairy Month

            National Frozen Yogurt Month

            National Iced Tea Month

            National Papaya Month

            National Rose Month

            Turkey Lovers Month

            Zoo and Aquarium Month

June 1-7: Teacher Thank You Week

June 1: Marilyn Monroe’s Birthday, National Frozen Yogurt Day

June 8-14: National Little League Baseball Week

June 12: Hug Holiday

June 14: Flag Day, Family History Day

June 15: Father’s Day

June 17: Call and Say Thank You Day

June 18: National Juggling Day

June 20: Emancipation Day, First Day of Summer

June 24: St. Baptiste Day

June 28: Paul Bunyan Day

This weekend was Memorial Day Weekend, also known as the start of the summer grilling season, which, in my opinion, is a great season. Nothing beats a great burger and an ice cold drink on a bright, sunny day. Not to mention the fact that May is National Hamburger Month.

In the spirit of the beginning of this season burgers have started to make a bit of a come back. Not that they have ever really gone away, but sometimes burgers get overshadowed during colder months by comfort foods and heartier fare. To show the popularity of burgers in all price-realms of the food world: there’s a new burger offering in the quick service world which costs less than $5.00, while an upscale restaurant in New York City just launched a burger that costs $175 (and they’re not the only one). Burgers got another boost recently when bon appétit launched its new Web site which includes the tasty item as one of the Top 100 Dishes that are hot right now and features a tasty looking recipe in the site’s new recipe blog (here and here).

Burgers are a great menu addition because they are incredibly popular, versatile, and work for lunch, dinner, or any time in between. People love them because they are a tasty, familiar item that is always a trusty item to order, no matter where they are. Burgers are also great because they really can encompass so many price points depending on what they are made of, what is on them, and how big they are. It is hard to disappoint when there is a tasty burger on the menu.