Operations
Smart spending
The August 2009 NRA expectations Index reported that “45 percent of restaurant operators plan to make a capital expenditure for equipment, expansion or remodeling in the next six months.” Whether that prediction comes true remains to be seen. But this year’s crop of new products puts the emphasis on helping operators maximize every dollar.
Operations
Cooling it
When it comes to the big energy users in your kitchen, refrigerators are way up there. The average walk-in operates at full capacity 16 to 18 hours a day.
Customers raised on Starbucks expect to be able to order specialty coffees any place they patronize. The challenge for the restaurant operator is how to offer a range of coffee drinks without burdening a stretched-thin staff. Fortunately, there are a number of automatic or semi-automatic coffee machines that can virtually duplicate the coffeehouse experience.
With their typical bland colors and limited materials palette, one would assume that not much thought is given to selecting the workman-like coverings for walls and ceilings in restaurant kitchens— and it’s easy to see why it might appear that way: If no one is going to see it, does it really matter what goes on them?
There’s one simple rule when buying knives for your kitchen: The right knife for the right job. It may sound logical enough, but grabbing any old knife that’s nearby to do a job can lead to lost productivity and a shorter lifespan for the knife. So here’s a shortlist of the very basic, must-have knives for every kitchen, along with some thoughts from the folks who use knives most—chefs.