Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1037828
Summer 2018 75 When deciding whether to develop a new buffet station or sous vide cooker, Vollrath always starts by thinking about the diner. They're the ones who set the trends and determine what kinds of equip- ment the industry needs to fulfill their expecta- tions. "To me, it always starts at the beginning of the value chain, which is the people coming into a foodservice operation—the actual customer," says Paul Bartelt, president and CEO of Vollrath, a manufacturer of serving systems and compo- nents, countertop equipment, and smallwares. He believes two major consumer shifts are pushing the foodservice industry today, the demand for convenient access to high-quality food, and the desire for customized meals that can be taken on the go. "They're not going to cook on their own, but they want fresh, they want customized, they want environmentally friendly," Bartelt says. Those requirements are already difficult enough for specialized eateries to fulfill without the added expectation to deliver ready-made options. Consumers today want their corner hangout to offer the same flexible service as the fresh to-go counters at their grocery store, and they want high-quality, natural options at the 24-hour conve- nience store down the street. From an equipment and supplies perspective, those expectations are driving Vollrath to figure out how to leverage technology in the kitchen that will allow operators to be flexible and fast at an acceptable cost. Manufacturers can't control vari- ables like food prices, but efficient equipment can reduce operating expenses. Bartelt says it starts with the design of the product and extends to how Vollrath enhances its control system or applies new technologies such as induction cooking. Induction ranges are a good example of how equipment can make a positive impact on operat- ing costs, Bartelt notes, because the low energy consumption of the range is only part of the ben- efit. Induction ranges generate less ambient heat than traditional gas ranges, so the kitchen stays cooler and the HVAC system does not need to work as hard to keep the back-of-the-house envi- ronment palatable, further reducing overall energy usage. PAUL BARTELT Vollrath "The overall theme of flexibility and footprint covers the products we're developing, whether they be induction products or non-induction products and even smallwares." By Tim O'Connor, Associate Editor tim@feda.com