QSR August 2022

SmartChain Kitchen Equipment

them. Reporting and data are bigger than they have ever been, serving up consum able insights, accountability, and savings RSSRUWXQLWLHV ی DQG RSHUDWRUV DUH ਭQGLQJ value in this.” Technology that commu nicates between the front and back of the house, integrated systems, and so on can be real time-savers for operators. “If kitchen operators connect frying oil ਭOWHUV WR WKHLU ORFDO :L)L V\VWHP WKH\ FDQ

Of course, the basic functions of a res taurant kitchen will remain the same as long as people keep enjoying away-from KRPH IRRG ौH HVVHQWLDO HTXLSPHQW PD\ not change anytime soon, but it will get PRUH HFRQRPLFDO ۔ौH UHVWDXUDQW NLWFKHQ of the future will still be the same at its core—fryers, ovens, grills, holding cabi QHWV DQG VR RQ ە VD\V -RVK )UDQN GLUHFWRU of product strategy at +HQQ\ 3HQQ\ ۔:KDW

and easily understood—they will need one-touch controls, drag-and-drop inter faces, and even voice-activated commands that mimic what we use in our lives out side the kitchen,” Reed says. Certain items of equipment are becom LQJ WKH NLWFKHQ DOO VWDUV LQ WKHVH VKL़ LQJ FRQGLWLRQV ۔:H KDYH IRXQG WKDW D WHFK nology that has been around for years— the microwave!—is having a renaissance LQ WKH PRGHUQ NLWFKHQ ە VD\V &KHI 0Dि Rigney of 3DQDVRQLF ۔,W ۑ V EHLQJ XVHG LQ new ways, like combining microwave tech ZLWK KHDWLQJ HOHPHQWV WR TXLFNO\ DQG Hਯ ciently cook products that improve their ਮDYRU DQG WH[WXUH :H KDYH DOVR VHHQ D growth in prepared products that are big labor savers, like prepared ribs and grains that are easily cooked and re-thermed in a microwave or high-speed oven.” :LWK D SURਭW PDUJLQ RI DURXQG SHU cent on fried menu items, fryers remain XQPDWFKHG (ਯFLHQW RLO PDQDJHPHQW LV FUXFLDO WR WKHLU PDLQWHQDQFH ۔)URP D cooking oil perspective, which we place among the most important, widely used LQJUHGLHQWV LW ۑ V YLWDO WKDW \RX ۑ UH PD[L PL]LQJ \LHOGV H[WHQGLQJ OLIHF\FOH ZLWK out compromising quality, and earning as much as possible on the back end by recy cling used oil,” Brienza says. “Automation tools that can help with these challenges have to be strategically employed.” Change is inevitable, and the brands that can adapt are the ones that will thrive. “Once upon a time, people would have been shocked at the idea of drive thrus,” says Edward Nunn, business devel opment manager at +DWFR . “Having R2D2 assemble your burger and place it in a locker for you to collect grab-and-go style will, in time, become just as normal.” %UDQGV OLNH :KLWH &DVWOH DQG &KLSRWOH have already introduced robotic arms to help prepare food in some locations. ۔ौH NLWFKHQ RI WKH IXWXUH ZLOO EH RQH where redundancy is eliminated, food LVQ ۑ W ZDVWHG DQG ZRUNHUV DUH SDLG D IDLU DQG GHFHQW ZDJH ZLWK EHQHਭWV ە VD\V &KHI 'XVWLQ 6HOYDJJLR GLUHFWRU RI FXOLQDU\ innovation at :DULQJ &RPPHUFLDO . “All will be achieved with the technology coming down the pipeline and the change in sys WHPV LW DਬRUGV WKH FRPPRQ FKHI ە SC

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will evolve are the equipment features and the way they are used, who is operating them, and how they are interacted with.” :LWK VSDFH DW VXFK D SUHPLXP RSHU ators must negotiate a balancing act between technology and a comfortable working environment for employees. Equipment with intuitive controls will make it easier for technology and humans to work seamlessly together. ۔ौH PRWLRQV RI HPSOR\HHV FRRNLQJ LQ a modern kitchen should be simple, direct, (TXLSPHQW ZLWK LQWXLWLYH FRQWUROV ZLOO PDNH LW HDVLHU IRU WHFKQRORJ\ DQG KXPDQV WR ZRUN VHDPOHVVO\ WRJHWKHU

FRQਭJXUH WKH ਭOWHU DFFRUGLQJ WR WKHLU VSH FLਭF QHHGV ە VD\V 6LQD 0DLHU LQWHUQDWLRQDO key account manager at 9,72 )U\ÀOWHU ,QF . ۔)XUWKHUPRUH WKH\ FDQ WUDFN WKH XVDJH data of the device,which makes compli ance with regulations way easier. In gen HUDO VPDUW IU\LQJ RLO ਭOWHUV KHOS PDLQWDLQ standard procedures.” 1RZ RSHUDWRUV DUH JDLQLQJ PRUH ਮH[L bility to optimize their kitchen setups pre cisely as their unique situations require. ۔ौH NLWFKHQ RI WKH IXWXUH ZRQ ۑ W EH RQH particular kind of kitchen—it will be an HਯFLHQW ULJKW VL]HG NLWFKHQ IRU H[DFWO\ what your business is trying to accom plish,” says Giovanni Brienza, senior vice president of )URQWOLQH ,QWHUQDWLRQDO . ۔:KHWKHU WKDW ۑ V D VLQJOH VWRUH D JOREDO chain, or everything in between, there is equipment and automation available to you to help you reach your objectives PRUH HਯFLHQWO\ DQG SURਭWDEO\ ە

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AUGUST 2022 | SPONSORED SECTION