Foodservice Timeline
The Evolution of Dining
4th Century Rome:
Apicius is thought
to be the first
known chef
906 A.D.: The Sung
Dynasty China
starts the restau-
rant culture
Late 14th Century England:
Inns offer meals with lodging
17th Century: Public
houses (pubs) are
opened as a place for
men to do business
1765: Boulanger in Paris,
France sells soups
1794: New York
coffeehouses
become popular
1789: The French Revolution brings
food to the masses as out-of-work
chefs to the kings start serving
anyone that can afford it
1827: Delmonico's sets the standard
for upscale dining for nearly a century
1960s: Salad
bars start to pop
up in the U.S.
1970s: "Food with a
conscience" becomes a
theme; many health-
and vegetarian-themed
restaurants open
1980s: Nouvelle cuisine and
Asian fusion sweep the world
1970s: California
cuisine takes off
1985: Markon Cooperative, Inc. is
founded by 12 broadline foodservice
distributors to procure the highest
quality fruits, vegetables, and juices
1986: First brand for the
foodservice industryMarkon
First Cropis introduced
1990s: Markon initiates a
comprehensive food safety
program exceeding FDA
standards
1990s: Vertical food (stacked
ingredients) becomes a trendy
plating technique
1996: Ready-Set-
Serve, the industry's
first pre-cut, table-
ready line of fresh
fruits and vegetables is
debuted by Markon
1998: 5-Star Food SafetyŽ
Program is defined and
implemented
1994: Markon creates
the first staple-free,
recyclable packaging in
the industry