The front-of-the-house seems to garner all the attention when it comes to tech in the foodservice industry. AI drive-thru windows, face recognition payment systems and the gamification of delivery are all aimed at fine-tuning the guest experience. Of course, the customer interface is a critical part of revitalizing the way restaurants and retailers do business. But, it’s only half the story.
To keep up with the flashy, headline-grabbing foodservice tech, operators need to be able to deliver on flavor, and they need to be able to do it fast.
As Michelle Korsmo, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association explains, 'Restaurant operators have tremendous entrepreneurial spirit, and they are constantly innovating — sometimes through new dishes or flavors, and sometimes through new business practices.'
Some of the most exciting recent developments in restaurant tech are being done in the kitchen (yup, we see you back-of-the-house). Being able to quickly introduce new and exciting menu items can give restaurants, grocers and convenience stores a competitive advantage.
Let’s take a look at the high-tech foodservice equipment that is helping the back-of-the-house keep up with the ever-increasing efficiency of the guest experience.
High-tech equipment for rapid cooking
Customers expect their food to be prepared as quickly and smoothly as it is to order and pay for it. This presents a challenge to operators: They must balance the expectation for speed, without being rushed to execute. There’s a huge difference between food being rapidly prepared and food that is hurried. This high-tech equipment bridges that gap:
Conveyor ovens
Conveyor ovens have such a positive track record with pizzas and sandwiches that operators overlook their potential to support other menu items. Case in point: Ovention’s Matchbox, Conveyor and Shuttle ovens have 1,000 unique cook settings to make cooking a variety of menu items from steaks to desserts to corn on the cob a snap. These ovens utilize Precision Impingement® technology, a patented triple-layer nozzle design that increases the velocity — and precision — of the hot air that is applied to the food. This results in decreased cook times and consistent results.
High-speed convection ovens
Busy chains looking to significantly reduce cook times while maintaining flavor and texture are trusting their menus to American Range’s line of Majestic Convection ovens. The powerful convection is generated by a half-horsepower fan. This fan rapidly disperses hot air around the food and accelerates baking and roasting times by up to 25%. A porcelainized oven cavity keeps the interior hot, while the stainless steel doors swing open 135 degrees for easy, one-handed access.
Induction cooktops
Once a dish is developed and ready to be placed on the menu, operators must be able to replicate it many times over. That’s where the precision control of Hatco’s Rapide Cuisine® Drop-In Commercial Induction Ranges plays such a vital role. Avoid the unpredictability of gas or electric cooktops. The technology behind induction cooktops leads to quicker cook times and more evenly heated food. This kind of accurate cooking saves on training employees and cuts down on waste. Controls are easy and innate, ready to quickly dial up the latest menu creation.
Induction warmers
Keeping menu items warm doesn’t have to be a balancing act. Warmers that run too hot can dry food out. Not enough heat and food could be in the danger zone. Hatco’s commercial Induction Warmers find that happy medium by maintaining food at optimal serving temperatures without overheating. Up to 94% of the energy produced through induction is directed where it is most needed, at the food. This means that operators are saving energy while saving food — a win-win.
Blast chillers
Batch cooking, flash freezing, baking, candy making, temperature shocking and storing food are all optimized by the rapid circulation of cold air in blast chillers. A blast chiller cuts down on cooling time so teams can prioritize other tasks. By ensuring food safety and quality, new menu items can be prepped, turned over or saved for later.
Enhancing flavor with technology
There are no shortcuts to food tasting good. Customers can spot insincere cooking a mile away. To put out delectable cuisine, kitchens have looked across genres and even across industries for a technological advantage. For example, smoking food has been honed, compartmentalized and brought inside — no longer reserved for outdoor barbeque pits. Meanwhile, the tech and precision behind sous-vide cooking comes by way of converted medical equipment. Operators will leave no stone unturned when looking for the best taste. This innovative equipment can give operators the leg up they need:
Salamanders
A chain’s ability to offer a trailblazing menu item is a huge competitive advantage. Being the first to market with specialized food allows operators to capture market share right out of the gate. But often, bringing innovative menu items to market first requires multiple pieces of large, expensive equipment types. Hatco’s Electric Salamander takes the pressure off through its versatility. Leveraging quick-heating infrared elements, the Salamander is up for multiple jobs, whether it’s cooking, grilling, reheating, holding, finishing, melting cheese or adding that extra special final touch of flavor and texture to a new dish.
Smokers and flavor infusers
There’s a primal draw to food cooked with fire. The hint of a flame or smoke can be irresistible to people’s palates. Commercial smokers and flavor infusers are taking the appeal of outdoor cooking — usually provided by BBQ pits, open spits and grills — and bringing these tantalizing smells, tastes or textures indoors. Operators can add distinct, hard-to-replicate flavors to dishes, making them stand out on the menu.
Sous-vide equipment
If only operators had a way to hold cooked food indefinitely. If food remained in that optimal temperature sweet-spot, think of how perfect the food’s taste would be. There wouldn’t be any food waste, and quality would be maintained at all times. Sous-vide cooking envelops an airtight (usually vacuumed) container in water that’s circulated at a precise temperature. This technique brings food up to temperature and keeps it there. Since the food can’t escape from its container, flavors intensify and temperatures are pinpoint accurate. No more overcooked and lifeless menu items.
Snack Systems
The multi-purpose Hatco/Suntec Snack System was designed to expand menus and sales. With a single or dual electric baker, operators can easily switch the replaceable plates to create everything from waffles to paninis. This versatile convenience not only adapts quickly to menu changes, it allows operations to switch between breakfast, lunch and dinner meal periods in an instant. Operators will have no trouble keeping up with the demand for revenue-driving menu items — even ones that haven’t been created yet.
When speed and flavor go hand in hand.
High-tech restaurant equipment is at the heart of high-performing restaurants, grocers and c-stores. These operations have come to understand that while the technology that supports customer experience is important, if the back-of-the-house can’t keep up, it’s all for not. As such, the establishments that come out on top are constantly looking for ways to cook faster and enhance flavor.
Older equipment limits operators’ abilities to innovate while reducing the productivity and efficiency of workers. This business-as-usual approach often leads to a cuisine cul-de-sac — operators going round and round with little or no innovation.
Ready to take your kitchen to the next level?
Explore Hatco’s range of high-tech restaurant equipment by contacting a rep today, schedule an oven demo with Ovention or learn more about American Range here.
