Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1037828
Summer 2018 25 Hatco's president, David Rolston, can point to just about any product in his company's catalog and link its origin back to a specific customer request. "That's been a big key to our success," says the former GE engineer. "We solve a problem and then expand on the options and features." One of those solutions is a variation of the widely-used chute that helps transport burgers and other food items from the back of the house to the front of the house. "Those were requested by Burger King years ago," says Rolston. "They had a unique shape and length, and we built them exactly as requested. Later, we realized we could sell them to other operators, so we made a stan- dard set of specs and put it in our catalog. It was a popular item." More recently, a customer's request led to Hatco adding an optional digital controller to its line of drawer warmers. There's always been a mechanical thermostat built into the unit, but a touch panel and screen now give operators more control. They can set varying temperatures and times for each drawer as well as monitor food quality. "It's really basic stuff but it's not the kind of technology that's always been incorporated into our industry because it drives the price up," says Rolston. Now, for many foodservice operators, lean- ing on technology is a must—particularly when it comes to managing the challenges that come with the day-to-day. For most operators, labor recruit- ment continues to be one of the most pressing. Two years ago, the annual employee turnover rate in the restaurant and hospitality sector was 73 percent, which costs the average full-service restaurant operator about $146,600 annually after expenses like training, paperwork and perfor- mance are factored in, according to the Center for Hospitality Research at Cornell University. Meanwhile, intense competition is causing a spike in wages, which is driving up the cost of labor. The labor pool continues to shrink because DAVID ROLSTON Hatco Corp. "One of the biggest problems we see in the industry is that food either gets overcooked or undercooked, so anything that helps reduce that food waste is valuable." By Stacy Ward, Editor in Chief stacy@feda.com