VOA慢速英语2014 AS IT IS 2014-08-20 Diners Increase Business with Healthy Food

 

AS IT IS 2014-08-20 Diners Increase Business with Healthy Food

  Restaurants called “diners” can be found throughout the United States. They make simple, low-cost food. But traditional diner food is often unhealthy.

One group of diners is cooking healthier food for their customers and, surprisingly, they love it.

There are many people waiting for their meal at the Silver Diner in Waldorf, Maryland. Among them are Ashley Holt and Norman Bailey, who eat there often.

“I like the food. It’s fresh, it’s good. I would come here more often especially because it’s a lot healthier."

“Great atmosphere, quick service and great food!”

Ype Von Hengst and Bob Giaimo established Silver Diner 25 years ago.

The two men visited diners throughout the country to learn how their restaurant could be different. Ype Von Hengst explains.

“We wanted to create an atmosphere where the new families wanted to go with their kids and (have) not just a great atmosphere but also better food and cleaner food.”

So they decided¹ to offer healthier versions of traditional diner food, like pancakes, hamburgers and meatloaf. They used less processed materials, like unbleached flour. They use meat from animals that were not treated with antibiotics² or hormones³.  

Business slowed during the recession⁴. So Chef Ype von Hengst added more healthy food choices to try to bring people to his diners.

“And we started preparing healthier, local food, fresh food, vegan, vegetarian⁵, giving people the lifestyle and the options that they want nowadays.”

The men have partnered with more than 15 local farms to supply them with food. And they discovered the farm-fresh food was good for business.

“I also feel really that it’s my moral obligation⁶ that I need to provide a better product for people and when I did, surprisingly, and somehow not surprisingly, we noticed that, you know, the volume start(ed) coming back and over the last three years we have gone up by 30% in customer count, which is phenomenal.”

On a warm, sunny day, Chef Ype von Hengst picks zucchini and yellow squash⁷ with farmer Chris Parker. His family farm has been selling vegetables to Silver Diner restaurants for years.

“If we could get all the restaurants in Washington, DC to commit to local produce, it would be a great thing for our business.”

Chef Ype von Hengst says selling farm-fresh food is important to his business.

“This is not a fad⁸. This is here to stay. People are going to want healthier food. They’re going to want better food. If you don’t jump on this, you’re going to be out of business.”

There are 15 Silver Diners -- almost all in the Washington, DC area. A total of 10,000 people eat at the restaurants every week.

“This is my passion. If you don’t, if you don't have a passion for what you are doing, you really need to get out of it.”

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 antibiotics   

n.（用作复数）抗生素；（用作单数）抗生物质的研究；抗生素，抗菌素( antibiotic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the discovery of antibiotics in the 20th century 20世纪抗生素的发现
• The doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics. 医生给我开了抗生素。

3 hormones   

n. 荷尔蒙，激素 名词hormone的复数形式

参考例句：

• This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body. 这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。
• The adrenals produce a large per cent of a man's sex hormones. 肾上腺分泌人体的大部分性激素。

4 recession   

n.（工商业的）衷退（期），萧条（期）

参考例句：

• Manufacturing fell sharply under the impact of the recession.受到经济萧条的影响，制造业急剧衰退。
• A rise in interest rates plunged Britain deeper into recession.利率的提高导致英国经济更加萧条。

5 vegetarian   

n.素食者；adj.素食的

参考例句：

• She got used gradually to the vegetarian diet.她逐渐习惯吃素食。
• I didn't realize you were a vegetarian.我不知道你是个素食者。

6 obligation   

n.（法律、道德上的）义务，责任

参考例句：

• Every player is under an obligation to keep the rules.每个选手都必须遵守这些规则。
• It is the obligation of citizens to perform military service.服兵役是每个公民的义务。

7 squash   

n.壁球，摺皱不堪，拥挤嘈杂的人群，浓缩果汁，美国南瓜；vt.压扁，压制；vi.变扁，压榨

参考例句：

• He is drinking lemon squash.他正在喝柠檬露。
• She sprained her ankle playing squash.她在打软式墙网球时扭伤了脚踝。

8 fad   

n.时尚；一时流行的狂热；一时的爱好

参考例句：

• His interest in photography is only a passing fad.他对摄影的兴趣只是一时的爱好罢了。
• A hot business opportunity is based on a long-term trend not a short-lived fad.一个热门的商机指的是长期的趋势而非一时的流行。