Q&A with Colleen May, marketing manager, Continental Refrigerator
How critical is equipment versatility in today’s foodservice and commercial refrigeration landscape?
Colleen May: Equipment versatility is extremely important because the piece of equipment you buy is truly an investment. Most operators buy a piece of equipment out of a standard catalog or selection, so if a change in menu, chef or workflow happens, the operator needs to adapt to the equipment or buy an entirely new piece. Continental has many “in-the-field” options such as installable drawers, additions of overshelves, field reversible doors and more so that your kitchen can adapt to your needs.
Colleen May, marketing manager, Continental Refrigerator
As kitchen footprints continue to shrink and real estate costs rise, what equipment solutions can help operators maximize back-of-house space without sacrificing performance?
CM: Continental has several product lines such as our Shallow Depth Base Models, Front Breathing Undercounters and Slim Line Reach-Ins. All of these models offer smaller footprints, but you are not losing the signature flexibility and quality that Continental offers from their standard counterparts
In what ways does Continental Refrigerator design its equipment to enhance versatility, particularly in terms of storage flexibility and ease of access for kitchen staff?
CM: In addition to our space-saving product lines, we also offer many features and options that can help operators save space. We have recently introduced a dry storage pan rail on any of our overshelves to keep dry ingredients within an arm’s length and maximize all available space. Another key option we offer is our refrigerated compartment above the compressor on any of our side mount units. This is standard as a door but can be ordered or field installed as a drawer to fit an extra (3) 1/3 size pans. To put that into perspective, having this drawer on a 68-inch model would give you the same 1/3 pan capacity as a 93-inch unit!
What tools, technologies or design resources does Continental Refrigerator offer?
CM: We now offer a configurator on our website that allows anyone to modify a unit to fit their needs and workflow. We designed this tool to give dealers, end users or any foodservice professional an extra visual aid to see how the equipment will work for them and their space and not the other way around.
How does Continental Refrigerator collaborate with customers to deliver equipment modifications?
CM: We always strive to have an open dialogue with our customers to truly understand their workflows and what they are trying to achieve. Asking a customer a few simple questions such as “where is your heat source?” could potentially save the customer unnecessary hassles and costs down the line. We have a product offering of over 2,500 line items that can each be modified to meet even the toughest of challenges. Continental always recommends that if you do not see something, just ask! We have dedicated sales and engineering that are here to help you make the most out of your kitchen.
