Purchasing energy-efficient equipment is a significant investment. Equipment maintenance along with operator training to avoid misuse and mistakes are two key steps operators must take to protect upfront costs and maximize return on investment.
Schools across the country suffer from antiquated infrastructure, and Knox County's 16 high schools were no exception. The Tennessee schools' 40-year-old serving lines needed major revamping. The challenge was not only how to accomplish this on a limited budget, but also how to do it in a way that would increase efficiencies and program participation.
When the Culinary Institute of America expanded its San Antonio, Texas, campus in 2010 to establish an associate degree program there, part of the vision was to include a venue that would serve as both an instructional lab and a full-service, commercial-style restaurant. The result is Nao, a 4,400-square-foot restaurant that gives students in their last 12 weeks of the program "real world" experience in both the front and back of the house.
Sustainability has become a standard part of the foodservice industry's lexicon. Individual members of the community have long embraced the concept. But actually putting it into practice? Well, that's been a different story. Until now.
The show-stopping main kitchen at Restaurant R'evolution is something of an expo kitchen — all diners are invited to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the gleaming 2,500-square-foot space. But it's R'evoution's second, smaller kitchen that co-chefs John Folse and Rick Tramanto had designed to deliver a uniquely interactive dining experience.
The 2,400 students at Dekaney High School in Houston, Texas, have high expectations when it comes to lunchtime. Fortunately, the district has made a point of expanding the options it makes available to students.
Despite a tight budget, this new design will become a model other schools in the district follow as they look to enhance the quality of food and service they offer students and faculty.
Imagine being able to build a completely green restaurant from scratch with a decent budget and endless creative freedom. That's the dream executive chef Justin Johnson was presented with when the 90-bed Watertown Regional Medical Center in Watertown, Wis., decided to completely overhaul its 40-year-old cafeteria and kitchen.
Driven in part by the food truck boom, central and shared kitchens continue to grow in popularity. Here the owner of a Chicago area shared kitchen shares with us the key foodservice equipment and design implications for this type of foodservice operation.
A rundown on everything you need to know about walk-in refrigerators and freezers.
An overview of the maintence of pizza ovens.
Recruiting next-generation foodservice professionals begins with knowing what attributes a company values in their workforce and treating their current employees well.
Employees and visitors at this new headquarters building can partake in a refreshed culinary experience that complements the company's on-site wellness program.
The terms "C Corp" and "S Corp" tend to be pretty common in today's business discussions. Conversations about the B Corp, though, tend to be less common. B Corp certification is for businesses looking to demonstrate the bottom-line results of their environmental, social and financial sustainability efforts. Basically, achieving B Corp certification enables businesses to prove that they walk the talk when it comes to sustainability.
Tighter budgets and more expansive government mandates are forcing high school foodservice operators to sharpen their pencils as they search for creative solutions to meet students' desire to eat food that mimics offerings in the commercial restaurant industry.
Popularity among Baby Boomers and seniors and a willingness to expand into other dayparts have kept the steakhouse segment in a prime position compared to other restaurant industry segments.
