A Q&A with Mary Pat Heftman, President, Restaurant Show Group
This year’s Kitchen Innovations® Award recipients at the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show® cover all areas of restaurant operations, correct?
Mary Pat Heftman: The KI Awards recognize the very best in back-of-house solutions — the industry’s most cutting-edge and forward-thinking equipment. This year’s recipients have solutions that come from many different segments of the industry: foodservice robots, programmable gas rack ovens, water purification systems, warewashing, ventless hoods and so much more. They have left no stone unturned in their drive to bring efficiency, food safety, and cost savings to the back of the house.
How are this year’s KI Award recipients leveraging advanced technology to help restaurant operators?
MPH: Tech industry buzzwords like artificial intelligence, robotics, sophisticated algorithms, and advanced touchscreens are no longer just the domain of Silicon Valley. If it can help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of kitchens, KI Award recipients are bringing these technologies to a restaurant near you.
With a show floor so full of great ideas, why is it especially important for attendees to visit the KI Showroom?
MPH: The KI Showroom is a central location for the industry’s best new equipment. Manufacturers are there to talk about how their products address operator concerns including labor, inventory management, cleanliness, energy and water efficiency, food safety, sanitation, cross-functionality and space-saving measures.
The KI Showroom is also home to the KI Fireside Chats, presented by Foodservice Equipment & Supplies and restaurant development + design. Hosted by the publications’ editors, this year’s edition of KI Fireside Chats will tackle some of the most pressing issues operators face today.
If you’re looking to learn more about ways to improve back-of-house operations, there is no place better than the KI Showroom.
