Equipment technology has transformed the back of house, making production more efficient, faster and intuitive, without compromising on the outcome or food quality. Here, Stuart Schwadron, director of product management iVario for RATIONAL USA, discusses how the company’s equipment technology has transformed today’s foodservice segment.

Sea Pines Resort, Hilton Head Island, SC, includes 12 food and beverage outlets with a staff of 500 serving approximately 4,000 customers daily. With diverse menus and the need for consistency, Sea Pines turns to RATIONAL for a vast majority of their cooking and prepping needs.

With combi ovens, in particular, frequent cleaning is needed to protect this big investment and avoid scale issues. Learn what the iCareSystem AutoDose is, how it works and the benefits to RATIONAL combi users.

The NAFEM Show 2025 attendees visiting RATIONAL USA’s booth witnessed the company’s latest innovation, iHexagon, which combines its combi-steamer technology with microwave capabilities.

Convenience stores have upped the ante when it comes to foodservice with menus becoming a point of differentiation. The challenge then becomes finding equipment that is multifunctional that can fit in these stores’ small footprints but still produce high-quality, consistent food with minimal labor and training.

No longer relying on the roller grill, convenience stores are continuing to transform their foodservice programs to give restaurants a run for their money.

The University of Richmond serves between 4,000 and 5,000 meals daily, so their challenge was how to execute high-volume production while maintaining the high standards of quality, creativity and flavor that their students demand. Enter the RATIONAL iVario Pro and iCombi Pro.

A Q&A with RATIONAL’s Catering Experts

Organic Krush defines itself as a “Lifestyle Eatery.” At 10 locations on the East Coast, it serves a variety of health-conscious foods such as cold-pressed juices, smoothies, wraps and salads. Before RATIONAL, the chain had been using a variety of single-function equipment; now with RATIONAL equipment, the operation is running much more efficiently and saving time, labor and money.

School foodservice today faces a challenge in keeping students on campus and satisfied. The smartest school foodservice operations understand that they compete with a wide range of off-campus choices and with students' ever-changing tastes. Here’s how two schools are successfully meeting that challenge with some help from RATIONAL.

You don’t need a lot of space to produce delicious food. If you’re currently offering minimal foodservice or selling prepackaged foods, you’re missing out on a profit opportunity. RATIONAL can show you how to set up a full-service, hot-and-cold kitchen in a space that’s about the size of a closet. It’s a great way to increase your food quality and variety, which leads to increased sales.

For many quick-serve restaurants, finding one way to do things — and sticking to it — has been the key to success. That makes them hesitant to consider changing those tried-and-true methods. But for one QSR Mexican chain, working with technology from RATIONAL and thinking “outside the box” has led to better product consistency, flavor and increased yields.

Ask any operator what their biggest problem is right now and the answer probably contains the word “labor.” Whether it’s the difficulty of finding employees, the lack of available workers with the right skill set or retention issues, labor is one of the biggest problems — if not the biggest problem — facing foodservice today.

As caterers return to business in the post-pandemic “new normal,” they will face challenges unlike any they faced in the past. While there may be supply chain challenges due to the unpredictability of restrictions and reopenings, the smartest caterers will be flexible and not only survive but thrive, says Lee Baker, Vice President, Sales - iVario^® RATIONAL North America. Here, he explains how.

As caterers return to business in the post-pandemic “new normal,” they will face challenges unlike any they faced in the past. While there may be supply chain challenges due to the unpredictability of restrictions and reopenings, the smartest caterers will be flexible and not only survive but thrive.

Current industry struggles have changed how everyone views the future from operators to suppliers to manufacturers. The crystal ball isn’t entirely clear but here, suppliers and manufacturers offer insights into what may come in the equipment and supplies industry.

A Q&A with RATIONAL National Corporate Chef Billy Buck

A Q&A with Markus Glueck, RATIONAL Executive Vice President, North America

A Q&A with Markus Glueck, executive vice president, RATIONAL North America