The Right Equipment Drives Menu Efficiency
Technology, Industry Trends, Serving Solutions, Culinary
2024.07.01
The multifaceted nature of the foodservice industry and the myriad factors that impact success are ever-changing – from managing labor and training to menu development, food quality, and waste reduction. Plus, customer satisfaction and keeping a steady flow of offsite orders and onsite traffic are crucial in running a prosperous operation.
Whether you serve pizza and wings, burgers, beverages, ice cream, or a mix of everything, our mission at Server remains the same – to bring unmatched value to your restaurant, alleviate challenges, and supercharge productivity. With our comprehensive equipment lineup, we cater to your unique needs, ensuring that no matter the complexity of your menu, we've got you covered with solutions tailored to deliver exceptional efficiency both front- and -back-of-house.
“We spend time with our customers in their stores and test kitchens to understand their pain points so we can develop equipment to solve them and drive efficiencies,” explains Brenda Ehrlich, Director of Sales and Marketing for Server Products.
ADDRESSING OPERATIONAL PAIN POINTS
American diners place immense value on the cornerstones of hospitality, quality food, and service when they select where to dine, as evidenced by Touch Bistro’s 2024 U.S. Diner Trends Report. Many factors are in play to ensure processes are streamlined and your patrons receive the most heightened experiences. Here is where having reliable, efficient equipment is essential and can help address a variety of operational complexities:
Labor Efficiency:
Labor costs are rising, with over 78% of respondents in a recent Restaurant 365 survey indicating an increase in the last quarter alone.1 Optimizing menus and back-of-house processes can be a cost-saving solution to combat this trend. Additionally, consider closely examining repetitive, manual processes such as sauce and condiment applications that may have an automated solution available. Embracing versatile food solutions, like “multi-use syrups (for use in coffee, desserts, sides, and other menu items),”2 reduces training complexity, enabling staff to handle diverse menu items efficiently.
Speed of Service:
In today's fast-paced world, consumers expect quick service. Long wait times can deter patrons. The average time they’ll wait for a table is just 22 minutes.3 When it comes to takeout and delivery, diners report that they’ll wait a maximum of just 30 minutes on average before canceling their order altogether.4 Leveraging advanced technology and equipment in the kitchen such as automated serving solutions capable of dispensing multiple sauces or condiments at once, can significantly enhance speed and efficiency. By reducing prep time while empowering staff to produce high-quality dishes quickly, you will be able to meet customer expectations and maintain a competitive edge in the market.
Food Costs/Waste Management:
The escalating costs of food and rising levels of waste pose significant challenges to restaurant profitability. As unveiled in Restaurant 365 research, 78% of respondents said food costs also increased.5 In response to rising costs, 52% of respondents plan to prioritize more frequent inventory and waste tracking, while an additional 35% intend to implement changes with their suppliers/vendors.6 Integrating smart equipment with high yield and portion control technology will allow you to reduce wasted product and better manage portions and product inventory. For example, dispensing the exact portion size of sauce each time can lead to substantial savings down the road.
Food Quality Assurance:
Maintaining food quality is paramount to customer satisfaction and loyalty. With 67% of consumers prioritizing food quality when choosing where to dine,7 and 80% citing “quality of food” as the reason to try a new restaurant,8 restaurants are challenged with upholding food integrity to meet the demands of new and existing customers. Investing in equipment that ensures food safety and quality standards will help safeguard your reputation and foster positive reviews and repeat business.
Equipment To Optimize Your menu
No matter what you’re serving on your menu, we have equipment solution groupings that work together, and separately, to help deliver against your operational pain points and bring our Core Four™ values of speed of service, efficiency, consistency, and simplicity to your restaurant.
Explore these menu categories to find the right equipment to help you succeed:
- Burger Menu: The burger consumer is a huge market with 99% of consumers eating burgers 'Almost Always', 'Usually' or 'Occasionally'.9 To keep up with demand, we recommend high-performing equipment that accelerates service, minimizes labor, and ensures consistency in your burger and sandwich recipes. Download our Burger menu product guide.
- Pizza/Wings Menu: Both menu staples, 87% of consumers are eating more or the same amount of pizza as the prior year10 while the chicken wing category is expected to reach USD $2.26B by 203111 due to its convenient, snacking nature and growing demand of innovative flavors and premium options. Reduce waste, costs, and labor while maintaining food integrity and satisfying your patrons' cravings for customization and variety with turnkey equipment solutions tailored to your needs. Download our Pizza/Wing menu product guide.
- Beverage Menu: Your patrons seek more – more variety, more customization, more flavors and formats. According to Technomic, around two-fifths of LSR consumers report being more likely to visit LSRs that offer a range of beverages and about a third are likely to visit new LSRs offering unique LTOs.12 Customize your beverage menu by utilizing equipment that simplifies processes, maximizes space, and reduces waste. Download our Beverage menu product guide.
- Ice Cream Menu: 41% of consumers say their last snack was indulgent and 21% said they’re consuming ice cream more often.13 Implementing a new ice cream program or boosting your existing one doesn’t have to be complicated. We offer convenient ice cream stations with equipment designed to organize toppings, improve efficiency, and expand your selection while keeping toppings fresh and ready. Download our Beverage menu product guide.
Our comprehensive lineup of Essentials Products is tailored to address your specific needs and streamline processes, ensuring that your restaurant operates smoothly and delivers exceptional service from front-of-house to back. Concurrently, our industry-leading Server IxD Series™ delivers a whole new level of style and operational excellence, alleviating many day-to-day challenges. Connect with us to learn more. With our reliable and efficient solutions, you can focus on delighting your customers while we take care of the rest.
1, 5, 6 The 2024 State of the Industry Survey, What We’ve Learned So Far, Restaurant 365, 2024,
3, 4, 7,8 Touch Bistro | 2024 U.S. Diner Trends Report
2 Succeed In 2024: Top Trends for Hospitality-Driven Businesses, Entegra
9 Burger Breakdown, Total U.S., Entrée Guide No. 10, Litehouse
10 PIZZA Keynote Preview, Datassential
11 www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-chicken-wings-market
12 Technomic 2024 The Future of Limited-Service Restaurants Consumer Trend Report
13 Foodbytes, DATASSENTIAL TRENDSPOTTING // VOL. 118