Spotlights the challenges and opportunities that impact the application of foodservice equipment and supplies in the real world including green and energy efficiency concerns, foodservice equipment concerns, the impact of technology on foodservice, and the state of the foodservice economy.
You’ve decided to renovate your operation. It might be for a number of reasons. You want to modernize. The Board of Health has raised some concerns. You want to add seats. You want to add high-tech equipment. You want to open the kitchen so diners can see the action.
An efficient, well-designed storage area prevents back-of-the-house chaos.
High-tech equipment heightens the need for training.
Learning to live with the uncertainties of Mother Nature represents one substantial and inescapable trial for operators when they join the farm-to-table movement. Finding creative ways to manage any increased food costs associated with these fresh, locally sourced products represents the other key challenge. Food costs can spike not only from higher prices but also from unsatisfactory yield and unnecessary waste.
Roughly four or five years ago, BIM (building information modeling) took the foodservice industry by storm. This product was supposed to revolutionize the way the foodservice industry designed operations. And for good reason. BIM's benefits are many — chief among them is the ability to provide operators with a three-dimensional preview of their kitchens before they are built, clash detection that helps coordinate utilities and structural elements, and the ability for entire project teams to work together in real time.
While equipment may be the backbone of any commercial kitchen, if it’s not ergonomically and thoughtfully placed, it won’t perform to its full potential. The same might be said of staff. Wasted movements and wasted steps cost operators time and money. But effectively designed workstations optimize equipment and labor to create a best-of-both-worlds situation that keeps kitchen workflow moving smoothly.
With consumers placing a high priority on convenience, delivery remains one of the fastest growing trends in the foodservice industry.