HP Sales Northeast

Equipment Maitenance

How to Choose the Right AyrKing BBS for Your Business

By

The AyrKing Breader Blender Sifter (BBS) is a nifty piece of equipment, if we do say so ourselves. Not only can incorporating a BBS into your kitchen extend the life of your ingredients and cut waste, it can also reduce hand-sifting time by 80%. If your staff spends 20 hours a week sifting, that’s 16 hours back!

Choosing a BBS for your operation is a no-brainer, but with so many different options, configurations and add-ons, how can you select the perfect combination for your very specific needs?

We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all piece of equipment. When thinking about how to best tailor a BBS to fit your operation’s individual needs, there are several important factors to evaluate first.

Think through your kitchen’s details

We offer so many different BBS models and bundles because we realize no two kitchens are exactly the same. Although you might have other kitchen factors you’ll want to keep in mind, the big three to consider are

  • operation type
  • available space
  • workflow.

Consideration #1: Operation type

The AyrKing BBS DrumRoll Automated Breader

From bustling high-volume takeout restaurants to sit down dining in a limited-size venue, the type and quantity of food you serve at your foodservice operation is the first consideration. How much will you use your BBS and for how many different selections?

  • If you specialize in hand-battered fried food, you’ll need to produce large amounts of consistent product. Consider purchasing a BBS unit and a DrumRoll Automated Breader to allow the volume turnover your operation requires.

Consideration #2: Available space

Commercial kitchen plans are rarely standardized, and many face space limitations of varying degrees for both width or depth. Think about which might be more of a limiting factor when selecting the proper model.

Most standard BBS models start at 29 inches in width, but we also offer some options for those who need a smaller footprint.

  • If your kitchen has less than 14 inches of width available, for example, the BBS Thin will be a good fit for workflow in a narrow space.
  • If you have more than 35 inches of width in your workspace but are limited in depth, the smaller footprint of the BBS Mini would be an ideal model to consider.

Consideration #3: Workflow

When contemplating workflow and how it might impact your BBS model decision, think about whether your breading area is directional from left-to-right or right-to-left, as well as what sort of variability you encounter in your menu selections and staff needs.

  • The BBS Ice model, for example, has flexibility for both flow options — right-to-left or left-to-right — to adjust for any application. It combines a standard BBS model with a cold prep table for keeping proteins within arm’s reach.
  • The BBS Flex can help fit any workflow, especially if yours is ever-changing or needs to be reconfigured from time to time. In just seconds, the BBS Flex can be adjusted to fit a range of employee heights or workflow direction.

Think through your production details

In addition to the unique physical factors of your commercial kitchen layout, it’s equally important to understand your production details to choose the ideal BBS model for your operation. We’ll need to weigh several factors, including what types of proteins you serve and how they are breaded, as well as production volumes and types of breading utilized.

Consideration #4: Ways in which proteins are breaded

Chefs realize there are many different ways to prepare a protein for frying. Some choose to pre-marinate a protein, while others use a wet batter followed by dry breading. Whether a protein is bone-in or boneless will also have an impact on the coating process workflow.

Consideration #5: Volume of production

The amount of breaded product produced and sold daily will influence the ideal BBS model for your operation. But where is the line between a moderate and high volume?

  • If you’re processing 50-100 pounds of product per day, whether protein or otherwise, we recommend you check out the BBS Mini.

Consideration #6: Types of breading

The type of breading that is used in your recipes can play a significant role in selecting the best BBS model for your operation.

Dry breading varies in the flour-to-spice ratio, and your menu may offer more than one flavor profile as well. Wet breading, or a combination of water batter and dry breading, will also influence the best model for you.

  • If you’re using more than one flavor profile, you might want to consider the BBSU8132 for your needs. This model offers you an 81-inch-wide work area with two sifters for the best efficiency with multiple breading flavors.
  • Wet breading that is milk- or egg-based will require an Ice Bath with your BBS to ensure your wet ingredients stay at the proper holding temperatures. You can explore the BBS Ice model or even add an Ice Bath onto another BBS model, depending on your needs.
  • If you use water and dry breading, models like the BBSUL2934BPC have the perfect configuration with a sifter and back panel.

While it’s true there is a lot to consider when deciding on the ideal BBS model for your foodservice operation, thoroughly reviewing each of these six considerations will ensure you are maximizing your efficiency while reducing costly waste, in both staff time and ingredients.

Even better, we have a tool that will help you get a head start on the research process! Check out our BBS product selection guide to help you narrow down the models that are right for you!

AyrKing is a Trusted Partner with Some of the Biggest Chains Around

Originally posted on www.ayrking.com

What’s Next For Virtual Restaurants?

By

Three ways to keep yours thriving in a post-pandemic world.

For restaurant operators, 2022 will be a pivotal year filled with promise, challenges, and change. It’s promising because as coronavirus cases continue to decline, medical experts believe the pandemic phase of COVID-19 is nearing an end, and that means a full return to in-person dining cannot be far behind.

That’s certainly welcome news for restaurant operators who faced unprecedented challenges during the past two years.  But, what does that translate into for virtual restaurants, which boomed during the pandemic? How large of a role will they play in the industry’s future? As more customers return to in-person dining, will consumer interest in ordering from ghost kitchens and virtual restaurants wane? And, what will it take to remain relevant amidst all the changes ahead?

We spoke with two leading restaurant industry experts about what they believe is critical to navigating the transition back to “normal” and how to come out on the other side profitable and with even more potential than before COVID.

It’s a Digital World. Embrace It!  

As is often the case…necessity is the mother of invention. That was certainly the case for restaurant operators who had to pivot in a significant way during the pandemic just to survive.  Unfortunately, many didn’t survive COVID shutdowns and an estimated 90,000 restaurants in the U.S. remain either temporarily or permanently closed.  Those who did survive relied exclusively on takeout and delivery, which became their lifelines. And, since delivery service isn’t something most restaurants offer, they turned to third-party delivery service providers (DSPs) with their user-friendly apps for help.  In fact, while most industries struggled during the pandemic, the food delivery service and app market saw explosive growth.  In a recent survey focusing on delivery and digital ordering, nearly 60% of consumers said they use a mobile app when ordering takeout. What’s more, customers surveyed said they’d welcome even more technology and would be open to automated voice ordering and even robot or drone-delivered food.

No one knows better about the benefits associated with embracing the new digital-enabled era than Marc Butler, Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning at HOA Brands, which is the franchisor of Hooters, as well as the fast-casual brand, Hoots Wings.

Butler says virtual restaurants are a real trend in the industry right now and one he doesn’t see going away. HOA isn’t new to the virtual restaurant space, having launched its first virtual concept four years ago, after being approached by a DSP eager to add more virtual brands to its platform.

“Uber Eats came to us with a unique proposition involving virtual brands and the Dallas market. At the time, they were seeing a high degree of searches for burgers via their platform, but said there weren’t enough burger concepts to meet demand.  Dallas is an important market to us, so we decided the time was right to develop a virtual concept focusing on burgers.”

avatar

Marc Butler

Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning at HOA Brands

Butler said while burgers are something that’s always been on their menu, a lot of people didn’t know they sold burgers. “So, we developed our first virtual restaurant concept: Hootie’s Burger Bar. We started testing it, initially in the Dallas market and ultimately, because of promising sales, we expanded it through our entire system. And, today, burgers account for about 10 percent of our total sales.”

Post Pandemic Rx for Virtual Restaurants

Virtual restaurants, like Hootie’s Burger Bar, as well as thousands of others, exist exclusively online and are delivery only. Orders are placed via DSP apps, the restaurant’s own app or the restaurant’s website.  For existing brick and mortar restaurants, rolling out a virtual brand is an ideal way to capture incremental sales without the overhead costs associated with opening a new restaurant.

“Restaurant operators often ask me whether virtual brands are right for everyone, and my answer is they can be,” says Gregg Brickman, Corporate Executive Chef with Henny Penny. Before joining the leading global supplier of commercial foodservice equipment, Brickman was Sr. Director of Culinary Innovation at HOA Brands.  He also worked with the renowned chef Wolfgang Puck.

Apart from staying abreast of trends and technological advances, Brickman and Butler say there are three primary things operators should focus on to ensure their virtual restaurants remain relevant:

Focus on What You Do Best.

Yes, it’s important to know the market and identify any existing opportunities, but Brickman says because it’s delivery, you lose control after the order leaves the restaurant. “Reserve the ultra-innovative, elaborate recipes for in-restaurant dining. With virtual restaurants, what you want to focus on is simplicity because with home delivery, what I’ve found customers want the most is great tasting comfort food.”

Be Consistent!

Brickman says you’re never going to get something that’s quite as good as what you’re served in a restaurant. But he says a dish that’s as close to being restaurant quality delivered to your house is the next best thing. Achieving that isn’t easy, but Brickman says having the right equipment is integral to ensuring consistency. “The biggest things with chefs are consistency and control. And, with home delivery, you’re losing part of that equation.” Brickman says with Henny Penny’s fryers and combi ovens, restaurant operators get the features they need to deliver the consistency their customers want.

Henny Penny Fryers

Brickman says there’s a reason the biggest names in foodservice fry with Henny Penny. “Our fryers aren’t just metal boxes that heat oil up to 350 degrees, they come equipped with automatic top off, and when you introduce fresh oil, they maintain exact, consistent temperatures. You also have automatic filtration, which filters out impurities, ensuring that the first guest gets the same great tasting food as the last guest.”

Henny Penny Combi Ovens

The FlexFusion Platinum Series Combi Oven is another product Brickman says will help virtual restaurant operators ensure consistency.  “Our combi ovens come equipped with more than 250 recipes programmed right into the units. So, whether you’re baking, steaming, roasting, grilling or sous vide a dish, it’s going to help operators produce the same consistent product time and time again.

Keep it Simple!

With HOA Brands, which now has three virtual restaurants and is posed to open more in the future, Butler says understanding what you want to accomplish is essential. “I’d recommend starting by looking at your existing menu and asking yourself ‘what do I want to build awareness of?’ In our case, it was burgers.” Above all else, Butler says keep it simple and avoid “crazy” builds with 10 or more ingredients, which will only complicate things from an operational standpoint and overwhelm the customer.

Is It Worth It?

In the restaurant industry, where profit margins have historically been extremely tight, today’s operators now have to deal with increasing costs brought about by inflation, not to mention grappling with staffing and supply chain shortages.  So, in the final analysis, is investing in a virtual brand worth it?  Both Brickman and Butler agree that no matter if you’re a mom and pop single unit restaurant or a global brand with hundreds of stores worldwide, virtual restaurants can bolster profits.

“At HOA Brands, it’s definitely been worth it.  For all three of our virtual concepts, we have data that suggests a high percentage of these orders are incremental.  Almost three quarters of the orders are placed by customers who have never ordered from our core Hooters brand before.”

Marc Butler, HOA Brands

To put the profit potential in perspective, Butler says their three virtual restaurants are generating about the same volume associated with several established brick and mortar Hooters restaurants.

“In the virtual restaurant space, the profit potential might not be in the tens of millions of dollars, but with the incremental sale, a lot of smaller numbers can add up to something big.”

The Great Resignation: Keeping Your Kitchen Staff

By

3 Tips from Restaurant Industry Experts

After two grueling years, COVID-19 restrictions on indoor dining are lifting and customers are celebrating by returning to their favorite eateries.  That’s great news for restaurant operators, right? Well, yes, but operators are now facing an altogether different challenge. While their customers are coming back, their employees are not, or at least not at pre-pandemic levels and certainly not at what operators say they need to run their restaurants. What’s happened?

It’s a byproduct of a nationwide movement that’s been dubbed the ‘Great Resignation’.  The mass exodus spiked in November 2021, when a record breaking 4.5 million Americans quit their jobs. And, in February 2022, another 4.4 million Americans quit their jobs.  Industries taking the great hit include Accommodation and Food Services, which saw almost 7 percent of America’s food and beverage workforce walk off the job, leaving nearly a million job vacancies and restaurant operators scrambling to recruit new hires.

Navigating the “Big Quit”

Many restaurant workers, who lost their jobs during COVID-19, have chosen to leave the industry all together.  No one knows that better than Chef Gregg Brickman, who’s now Corporate Executive Chef at Henny Penny, a global manufacturer of premium commercial food service equipment.

One study found that 30 percent of former restaurant employees have found office jobs, while another 17 percent are working in education.

“This is something the industry’s never seen before, but it’s been building up for a while. COVID was just the tipping point. People who had dedicated their lives to restaurants, me included, found themselves unemployed when the restaurants they were working for closed. So, out of necessity, they had to pivot, and many found other jobs that were more stable and paid better.”

avatar

Chef Gregg Brickman

Corporate Executive Chef at Henny Penny

So, to say there’s a surge in demand for restaurant workers is an understatement. In fact, in a recent State of the Restaurant Industry report, half of restaurant operators surveyed expect recruiting and retaining workers to be their biggest challenge in 2022. In an effort to rebuild their teams, many employers are offering higher wages and improved benefits. Take McDonalds, for example, which responded to the labor shortage by hiking hourly wages for current employees by 10% and raising entry-level wages between $11 and $17 an hour.

In addition to more competitive wages and benefits, what else can restaurant operators do to recruit and, more importantly, retain staff?

The Little Things Matter – It’s Not Just About the Money

You’ve heard it said that while money matters, being appreciated and recognized do too, and maybe just as much. To attract workers, employers are offering incentives like higher wages, sign-on bonuses, flexible scheduling, and one New York City-based fast-casual restaurant, DIG, is offering its hourly employees something that’s virtually unheard of in the restaurant biz: a four-day workweek. It’s just another example of how the new “normal” for operators will be finding a way to balance the needs of workers with the needs of the restaurant.

Operators are also finding out that workers respond favorably to the little things …perks that make them feel valued and appreciated.

Show Employees You Care

HOA Brands—which is the franchisor of Hooters, the fast-casual brand, Hoots Wings, as well as three virtual brands—admits it’s facing the same challenges as the rest of the industry, but it’s fighting back with strategies aimed at prioritizing workers and making them feel valued. One incentive the company offers is a generous referral program.  Hourly and manager-level team members who recruit new workers receive a referral bonus.  “The key for us has been investing in our people and prioritizing what we can do to help them be successful every day,” said Tim Baum, Vice President of Company Store Operations, HOA Brands. “Take our training, for example. We not only make sure our associates feel confident in what they’re doing; we make sure they have the tools they need to do their job and succeed.”

Say “Bye, Bye” to Difficult, Dirty, & Dangerous

In the restaurant world, there are certainly tasks that could be classified as dirty, difficult and, at times, even dangerous. And, while higher wages and better benefits certainly play a role in hiring and retention, so does making the job as appealing and uncomplicated as possible.

Here are three things operators can do now to better position themselves in the competitive space.

#1: Embrace Easy-to-Operate Equipment

“The difficult, dirty or dangerous jobs are the ones nobody wants to do,” says Josh Frank, Director of Product Strategy at Henny Penny, which has consistently been at the forefront of developing equipment designed to solve some of the industry’s biggest challenges.  “With product development, we’re always focused on innovative equipment solutions that eliminate or greatly reduce the ‘3-D’ tasks.”

Frank says Henny Penny makes sure they’re always part of the solution; not the problem. “We can’t produce equipment that makes the problem worse. Our focus and commitment is to make equipment that’s easy to deal with from an end-user perspective, from an ownership perspective, and from a service perspective.”

Frank also points to Henny Penny’s pressure fryers, including the PFE500 and PFG600 4-head  standard pressure fryers and the Velocity Series 8-head fryers as ideal examples of easy-to-operate equipment.

“So, we have fryers today that will filter automatically after every cook cycle. We have fryers today that can filter at the press of button. We have fryers today that can automatically lift baskets in and out of the oil. And, all of those things reduce the amount of labor it takes to operate that piece of equipment.”

The Easier, The Better!

One of the dirtiest jobs in the industry that no one wants to be tasked with is scrubbing fryer vats.  As a value add for its customers, as well as any restaurant operator looking for a better solution, Henny Penny developed Prime Cleaner, which is a non-caustic degreaser specially formulated to remove tough zero-trans- fat oils, grease, even carbon scorching, all without harsh chemicals or heavy scrubbing.

“It’s kind of like Easy Off, but for a commercial fryer,” says Brickman, who’s scrubbed his fair share of fryer vats. He says that Prime Cleaner is a game changer. “It goes from having to scrub for 45 minutes to an hour, to not having to scrub the fryer at all. If you’ve ever had to do that job, you know how welcome an innovation like this is for kitchen employees.”

Want to see the magic of Prime Cleaner? Click here to read a case study highlighting how Lee’s Famous Recipe keeps their fryers in such immaculate shape. (And seriously, we mean immaculate. They even made a 21-year-old fryer look brand new!)

#2: Prioritize Turnkey Training

Another key to improving the employee experience is to simplify and streamline training. “From a training perspective, whether I’m a franchisee, general manager or store manager, I need to be focused on doing what I can to simplify my employees’ on-the-job experience,” said Pete Krause, Director of Training and Digital Assets, Henny Penny. “We don’t want to frustrate or make life any more complicated for employees than it needs to be, and with many pieces of our equipment, when you make a purchase, we provide startup training on site. So, we’re right there with you and your employees to make sure they understand how to use the equipment.”

But, it doesn’t stop there. Krause knows that turnover can be a challenge for restaurant operators, and that’s why he says Henny Penny has a multi-tiered training approach. In addition to on-site startup training, the company’s fryers and combi ovens come equipped with full-proof prompts built into the controls. “The prompts are going to walk you through step-by-step how to do different tasks.  Say, for example, you’re scrubbing a fryer vat using our Prime Cleaner. You don’t have to remember to add water or remember ‘this is when I need to add my cleaning solution.’ The controls automatically prompt you and then confirm every step is completed before you move on to the next step.”

#3: Trust Tech, BUT Remember: Employees are Still #1

Another consequence of COVID-19 and the subsequent labor shortage is the rapid-fire demand for automated food service equipment. “COVID and mass layoffs really lit a match and accelerated the pace of change everywhere, but especially in the restaurant industry, where we’re seeing significant staffing challenges. It’s like hyper-speed how quickly things are moving and changing,” says Frank.

One significant change that customers may notice, especially in quick-service restaurants (QSRs), is the integration of robotics, which are doing everything from flipping burgers and making tortilla chips, to baking pizzas and serving diners.

Some of Henny Penny’s customers, including some well-known global restaurant chains, are already using the company’s fryers in conjunction with robotic arms. Frank says while robotics is the future, and while Henny Penny certainly welcomes conversations with customers and robotics companies about integration, a lot is still being done on the equipment level that’s helping (and going to continue to help) operators.

“At Henny Penny, we are innovators. It’s in our DNA. Throughout our history, we’ve developed a reputation for solving some of the industry biggest challenges. 65 years ago, when we were founded, it was to help address a throughput problem at a small kitchen in Eaton, Ohio. Ever since then, our company has been solving the challenges that our customers and prospective customers face.”

avatar

Josh Frank

Director of Product Strategy at Henny Penny

The labor challenges that the industry is facing today are something Frank says have been on Henny Penny’s radar for quite some time. He says that’s why the innovative equipment Henny Penny engineers isn’t just designed to last, it’s also designed to reduce the amount of labor it takes to operate that piece of equipment.

Looking ahead, bots or ‘autonomous kitchen assistants’, as they’re called, will likely only continue to become more commonplace in the industry, but most everyone agrees they aren’t replacing workers; they’re helping with specific tasks.

Relating to the overall customer experience in the restaurant industry, Chef Brickman says while robots are here to stay, in the hospitality space, they’ll never replace the human touch, which ranks right up there with great tasting food.

“You’re always going to need workers to ensure quality and consistency, but most importantly, a robot can’t care. They lack the personal touch that diners experience when they walk into their favorite restaurant and are greeted with a warm smile or personal ‘hello’ from a server who remembers them. That’s the personal touch you get with people, and that can’t be replaced.”

– Chef Gregg Brickman

3 Ways Restaurants Are Fighting Inflation

By

How commercial fryers are helping maximize your kitchens performance.

There’s no question about it. Food prices are soaring. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the food index shot up by more than 10 percent in May, making it the largest increase in 40 years.

If there’s a silver lining for restaurant operators, it’s that while menu prices at restaurants and fast-food locations increased 7.4 percent compared to last year, grocery prices rose nearly 12 percent annually, far outpacing the increase at restaurants. It’s a small advantage, but one restaurant operators welcome as they actively explore ways to minimize the impact inflation is having on their business and diners’ wallets.

It’s been said that necessity is the mother of invention. And restaurants from fine dining, fast casual, and quick service establishments are serving up innovation and cost-cutting measures ranging from slimming down menus and adjusting portion sizes to debuting new value deals and modifying product composition, a practice also known as “menu engineering.”

Harness Your Kitchen’s Workhorse: The Deep Fryer

The commercial fryer is one of the most expensive pieces of commercial kitchen equipment, so it’s no surprise the profit margin associated with fried food products is likewise high.  How high? According to a new report on the commercial fryer market in the U.S., fried foods bring in an average profit margin of 75 percent. Globally, the deep fryer market is expected to surpass $612 million by 2026.

In tough economic times, having the right fryer is important too, especially when you consider that some low-oil volume fryers can deliver up to $5,000 in annual oil savings when compared to other fryers.

If properly maintained and operated, your deep fryer can deliver direct savings associated with using less oil, lower energy costs, and greater throughput, as well as indirect savings associated with ongoing staff training, automatic oil filtration, and routine cleaning, all of which play a vital role in food quality.

So, what can you do to maximize the profit associated with your commercial fryer? We spoke with some leading experts in the restaurant industry, as well as food service operators and asked them to identify their ‘Top 3’ tips. Here’s what they had to say.

 1. Maximize Your Fryer’s Throughput

Your commercial deep fryer may be your most versatile piece of restaurant equipment. Depending on your menu, you may currently use it to fry baskets of crispy French fries and crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the inside chicken. Considering the profit margin associated with fried foods, you may want to explore your options and do more with your fryer.

Consider Catering

Shelley Swartztrauber is the owner of Rob’s Restaurant & Catering in Brookville, Ohio. In business since 1976, Shelley’s customers are loyal and faithfully frequent the restaurant seven days a week, ordering up any number of homemade daily specials or lining up for the restaurant’s always popular buffet.

During the pandemic, like other restaurants, Swartztrauber had to close for a few months. When she was able to reopen, though not for in-person dining, she made a purchase decision that helped keep the restaurant afloat and expand her catering business.

The 4-head pressure fryer it a purchase decision Swartztrauber said was one of her best, and one she’s never regretted.

“We bought a 4-head pressure fryer, manufactured by Henny Penny, which we used to fry up buckets of chicken for our customers who would order online or over the phone and pick up their orders curbside. It truly sustained us during the pandemic and kept our customers happy. And, when we were able to open our doors and restart our catering business, it’s truly been our kitchen’s superstar, frying between 900 and 1,000 pounds of chicken a week.”

avatar

Shelley Swartztrauber

Owner; Rob’s Restaurant and Catering

Or, An Online-only Restaurant

Introducing a virtual brand, operating out of your existing restaurant’s kitchen, is another way to expand and capitalize on your fryer’s throughput.

HOA Brands, which is the franchisor of Hooters, as well as the fast-casual brand Hoots Wings, knows all about the profit potential associated with opening virtual restaurants. It has three, including Hootie’s Chicken Tenders, Hootie’s Burger Bar, and Hootie’s Bait and Tackle.

“Everybody has the ability to do a virtual concept […] just think through what you have on your menu and how you can make yourself stand out without creating a lot of complexity for your store. That’s the first step.”

avatar

Marc Butler

Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning, HOA Brands

Last, but not Least…Leasing

If the prospect of opening a virtual restaurant or catering business just isn’t for you, allowing your restaurant’s kitchen to be leased out by a reputable home-based food business or food truck operator during off hours is another way to generate a supplemental revenue stream for your restaurant

2. Prioritize Your Fryer’s Profit-producing Potential

While fried chicken isn’t going away anytime soon, you could increase your restaurant’s operating profit by adding more affordable vegetable entrees, appetizers, and side dishes to your menu. And, they don’t have to be boring, just ask Chef Gregg Brickman, our own Corporate Executive Chef.

“More and more restaurants are serving up vegetable dishes like buffalo cauliflower, bang-bang cauliflower, spicy edamame, fried pickles, fried loaded tots, crispy eggplant fries, honey sriracha brussel sprouts, sweet potato fritters and more to their diners who are eating them up, quite literally.”

avatar

Chef Gregg Brickman

Henny Penny’s Corporate Executive Chef

What’s more, Brickman says some of the best chefs in the world at the most renowned restaurants are featuring more vegetable-based and plant-based dishes as their “showstoppers.” One of those is celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck.

In a recent interview with Yahoo! Finance, Puck conceded that while inflation has forced him to raise some menu prices, especially for his famous steaks, he’s now offering diners more affordable vegetable-centric entrees that taste great.

“Yes, if you want a really good piece of meat, it’s very expensive, but we can give you a good meal without having that meat,”

avatar

Wolfgang Puck

Celebrity Chef and Restaurateur

3. Optimize Your Fryer’s Performance

Finally, if you want your fryer to take care of you and your business, you’ve got to take care of it. And that starts with proper maintenance.

If your deep fryer is your commercial kitchen’s workhorse, a breakdown could translate into thousands of dollars in lost revenue. In addition to quarterly and annual preventative maintenance, routine cleaning is a must and it starts with keeping your fryer’s vats as clean as possible and that’s easier with the right products, equipment and training.  Henny Penny has easy-to-understand operations manuals and videos for each of its fryers.

“For example, with the Evolution Elite Fryer, when you need to clean the fryer’s vats, the display on the unit is going to step you through the process with simple prompts. You don’t have to worry because the control prompts will remind you of the order and step you through the process until the scrub vat process is complete. It’s just that easy,”

avatar

Peter Krause

Director of Training and Digital Assets at Henny Penny

In between cleanings, to help keep your frying oil cleaner longer, consider adding an oil-life extender product like Henny Penny’s Prime Filter Powder, which is designed to make your filtered oil that much cleaner, translating in to fewer change outs, longer oil life, and more money in your wallet.

Finally, as a restaurant operator, while you can’t control the economy, inflation, or whether a recession is on the horizon, you can maximize your fryer’s throughput, prioritize your fryer’s profit-producing potential, and optimize your fryer’s performance. And that’s something that could amount to a lot in the long run.

Originally Posted on HennyPenny.com

3 Ways Our Henny Penny Fryers Maintain Food Quality

By

It’s no surprise that many operators struggle with how to maintain food quality in a restaurant. A lot of it comes down to your fryer oil!

In the restaurant industry, we call a 35 lb. container of bulk cooking oil a “jug-in-box” or “JIB” for short. Not surprisingly, just like everything else restaurants are paying more for these days, JIBs have increased in price too. How much? Depending on what type of cooking oil you purchase, a JIB will now run you as much as four times what you paid in 2019. So, today you’ll pay between $40 and $100 for a JIB of cooking oil and that’s wholesale pricing.

Increasing costs associated with fry oil and inflation in general are important reasons to make sure you’re prioritizing keeping your commercial fryer in tiptop condition.  Doing so will not only ensure you continue to dish up quality menu items that delight your customers, but it will also help manage costs and prioritize profits.

To help, I’ve identified three tips that will keep your commercial deep fryer operating in peak condition.

1. Resist the Temptation to Cut Corners

With cooking oil prices spiking, some operators may be tempted to keep their fry oil longer than they should. They may rationalize, asking themselves, “What’s another day or two, or even a week going to hurt?” Well, that’s a bad idea and for a few reasons.

Not only will your food not taste as good, oftentimes taking on a burnt flavor and smell, reusing old oil can open the door to bacterial buildup and well, that’s not good for your customers’ health or your restaurant’s reputation. But, there’s a solution.

Filter, Filter, Filter

Routine filtering of your vats is the single most important thing you can do to ensure the quality, taste, and consistency of your food. That means the first person that you serve gets the same great tasting meal as the last person you serve.

Some commercial fryers are equipped with built-in oil filtration systems, like Henny Penny’s, which come standard on every open and pressure fryer. Not only does the automatic system reduce the manual effort associated with filtering, but it extends oil life, translating into thousands of dollars in annual savings.

How often you should be filtering is dependent on what you’re frying, how much you’re frying, and how old your oil is. This free Filter Frequency Calculator will help you determine the ideal filtration frequency for your restaurant.

Because time is money in the restaurant business, when you’re filtering your vats, you’re not frying product in them. Luckily, some fryers on the market like the Evolution Elite allow for filtering by individual vats, so you can filter one vat while frying in others.  And, because it’s a low-volume oil fryer, it filters completely in less than 4 minutes, so you’re able to get back to frying even faster.

2. Clean Up Your Act (or, at least your fryer’s)

I don’t need to list all the reasons and benefits associated with routinely cleaning your commercial fryer, but I can tell you what could happen if you don’t. I read a news article recently about a restaurant fire and the investigation determined the fire started in a deep fryer-vent due to lack of cleaning of the commercial cooking equipment.

No operator expects this will happen at their restaurant and it likely won’t if they adhere to a daily cleaning regimen and a deep cleaning schedule every few weeks.

Commercial Fryer Cleaners – Choose Wisely

When it comes to choosing a commercial fryer cleaner, it’s important to remember they’re not all equal. No one knows that better than Bill Sparks, VP of Operations and Franchise Sales for Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken who agreed to ask his franchise owners to test Henny Penny’s Prime Cleaner against their current product.

The side-by-side tests were planned for one month, but within a week, Bill said he started getting feedback from owners, commenting that the difference was like night and day.  Sparks said the following:

“Our owners have 21-year-old fry pots looking like they’re brand new. Plus, they’re saving time on each clean-out, since you don’t need to neutralize with a vinegar solution.”

avatar

Bill Sparks

VP of Operations and Franchise Sales

You can learn more about the franchise’s experience and plans to equip every new store with Henny Penny fryers by clicking here.

3. Work Smarter. Not Harder

Another way your commercial fryer can help maintain food quality is by ensuring recipe consistency.  The digital age we live in comes with advantages and one of those is some commercial fryers are now equipped with advanced controls that allow operators to choose from a selection of preprogrammed recipes or simply program in their own recipes.

In my job, I spend a lot of time working with restaurant brands, getting their programs just right for their proprietary processes. With Henny Penny fryers, we have the ability to change cooking perimeters.

For example, a restaurant might have a recipe program that starts at 330 degrees and for the second stage, the temperature goes down to 320 degrees, and then, up to 340 degrees. What they’re doing is creating a product that you can only get from them. They’re creating a texture and taste at the end of the cooking cycle that nobody else can copy or repeat.

Want some tips on how to refine your frying program? This free download includes the top five frying mistakes and what you can do about them.

Your Fryer’s Best Friend – A Heated Holding Cabinet

Finally, want to know the “secret” to keeping your food fry-fresh for hours after it leaves the fryer?  Using a heated holding cabinet in conjunction with your fryer can extend food life without sacrificing quality. Think about it.

Whenever you’re using your fryer by itself, you have to wait 10 to 12 minutes before you can place more chicken in there. But if you’re taking that same chicken and cooking it ahead of time for 6 minutes and then putting it in the heated holding cabinet at 185 degrees with 15 percent humidity, you’re able to hold that product for 2 hours!

Then all you have to do is flash it inside the fryer for a minute or minute and a half, and you’ll have a product that’s crispy on the inside yet juicier on the inside because it wasn’t cooked in the fryer for 10-12 minutes.

Originally posted by Chef Gregg from www.HennyPenny.com

How Kitchens Can Handle Peak Order Volume Without Adding Staff

By

Amid pandemic-related difficulties, new technology offers relief to labor- and time-strapped restaurants.

Though the restaurant industry has faced many major changes amid the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the biggest shifts has been in guest traffic patterns. Not only have diners embraced off-premises channels at an unprecedented rate, but changing commutes among the move toward remote work and the rise of flexible work hours have caused peak order times and volumes to fluctuate. Yet while restaurants have attempted to continue offering the same speed of service and consistency and quality of product they are known for in the midst of these challenges, smaller crews and staffing shortages have exacerbated the issue.

“In the past, restaurants were more focused on the in-house dining experience than they were on delivery and quick service” says Gregg Brickman, corporate executive chef at Henny Penny, “but, unfortunately, because of the pandemic, the way consumers and restaurants must operate has changed.”

Before the pandemic, Brickman says, restaurants knew when they could prepare for a rush and plan to staff five cooks to execute the orders. However, now, surviving a peak service time often involves more planning ahead. Rather than cooking to order, he says restaurants can more aggressively set pars and prep orders in advance than they might have prior to COVID-19, and thanks to advanced holding cabinet technology, those meals can still be served as fresh as if they were going straight from fryer to plate.

“Henny Penny holding cabinets allow restaurants to serve consistent, quality items while also easing pressure on the kitchen,” Brickman says. “And, when you don’t have as many staff members in the kitchen due to staffing levels or pandemic restrictions, the cabinets can actually relieve as much pressure as adding another employee or sous chef.”

While he notes older style holding cabinets might have previously dried out or hardened food, Brickman says the secret to holding food successfully, is Henny Penny’s newer technology, which offers precise temperature and moisture controls that extend the life of food without any discernible difference in quality.

Additionally, the Henny Penny team will work with each brand to test the appropriate temperature and humidity levels for their products in the Henny Penny test kitchen or inside the restaurant’s facilities. Then, Brickman and the Henny Penny team precisely program each cabinet’s settings to ensure quick-service brands will serve high-quality meals to customers regardless of the hold time.

“A lot of people we’ve worked with from major brands have been shocked to see the results that can be achieved with our holding cabinets,” Brickman says. “They don’t expect the product to be as consistent and flavorful as it is even after batch cooking and holding, but the quality is so good, they know customers will still think their orders are being served right out of the fryer.”

Best of all, Henny Penny offers a wide range of cooking and holding equipment, so restaurants can find the best equipment for their staffing, layout, and cooking needs, and the company prides itself on helping each brand tailor its approach to these challenging volume situations.

“Not every piece of equipment is built for every customer,” Brickman says. “When we work with a new customer or concept, my culinary team and food scientists help analyze their situation and narrow down the specs so each restaurant can get the most out of each warming cabinet, fryer, or combi oven. Then we not only customize that equipment for the brand or store, but we also follow up over time to make sure it’s still working for them. We want to build long-term relationships so we can help each restaurant achieve the results they are looking for no matter what challenges they face.”

To learn how holding cabinets can help your restaurant, visit the click here.

This article was originally featured in QSR Magazine.