5 Cool Trends From the NAFEM Show

ORLANDO, Fla. -- CSP Daily News hit the show floor this past week at the National Association of Foodservice Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM) Show as more than 500 exhibitors displayed the hottest and newest food equipment and supplies.

With manufacturers increasingly developing smaller-footprint solutions, convenience stores were the talk of the show.

Here are five trends we spotted, and the products that reflect them ...

Next-level technology is enhancing the self-serve experience and providing operational solutions to convenience stores at the same time. The EGRO BYO with Echo System self-serve coffee machine is a tech-enabled beverage tool designed specifically for c-stores. It’s connected to an app program and interfaced with a tablet that sits behind the cashiers' counter. When a customer orders a coffee, cappuccino or other specialty drink, the data is sent to the tablet in real time, ensuring that the customer pays for exactly what he or she ordered, and helping operators cut their losses due to "pilfering" of product. The company is also working with a developer to add a photo feature, which would also send a picture of the customer to the tablet, along with their order.

Technomic's MenuMonitor data shows that the c-store breakfast daypart has increased offerings by 5% year over year, and the c-store egg-sandwich category has grown by nearly 10%. To meet the needs of c-stores offering breakfast all day as well as in the morning, the Dual Zone station from Antunes features two independent cooking zones, which gives operators the flexibility of staggering cooking times. The cooker allows c-stores to prepare eggs fast and fresh on demand, rather than making eggs in big batches and risking freshness and food integrity.

Rational demoed its smallest combi-oven model, the new SelfCooking Center XS, at the show. Designed for c-stores and other small operations where space comes at a premium, the “intelligent” SelfCooking Center XS combines steam and convection heat for baking, grilling, steaming, roasting and poaching.

According to the most recent Technomic MenuMonitor data, the sandwich category is up 4% at c-stores year over year -- for specialty sandwiches, growth is even higher, at more than 9%. For operations looking to get into the hot-sandwich category, NEMCO's user-friendly PaniniPro is a countertop solution. The high-speed machine features nonstick grilling plates on the top and bottom of the press, while microwaves are built into its sides to ensure quick cooking times and temperature consistency for sandwich fillings.

Nitro and cold-brew coffee are the talks of the beverage category, but how can manufacturers make implementation easier for retailers? Featured in NAFEM's What's Hot What's Cool product gallery, the new JoeTap nitro coffee dispenser offers an onboard nitrogen generator, eliminating the need for external nitrogen tanks for retail operations. Instead, cold-brew coffee concentrate is delivered in a bag-in-box package and mixed with filtered, chilled water at the point of dispense. The JoeTap features a plug-and-play setup and small countertop design.