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September/October 2016 39 Changing the Way You Cook since 1990 800.988.8103 360.650.1111 woodstone-corp.com STONE HEARTH & SPECIALTY Commercial Cooking Equipment Discover why OVER 14,000 OVENS, rotisseries, charbroilers, tandoors, and planchas have been SOLD IN 80+ COUNTRIES worldwide. Made in the USA. WWW.SERVICEIDEAS.COM | 800.328.4493 WE. SERVICE. IDEAS. CONNECT WITH US ON Trusted Airpots from Service Ideas •70 t Anniversar• Signa-Air ® Airpot Series • Lever Lid Design • Snap-On Flavor Indicators • Glass & Stainless Vacuum Insulation • NEW! All Metal Chrome Look power induction range. Induction ranges with outputs over 2,000 watts clearly have the potential to create enough heat in a pan to start a serious grease fi re. Food sautéed in an oiled or buttered pan at 450 degrees doesn't care if it's sitting on gas, electric, or an induction burner. A grease fi re is a grease fi re. The only difference is that if the grease splatters on an induction cooktop, it doesn't mix with the gas under the pan to create a worse fi re. So even if a chef/operator thinks the heat fi lling a room is acceptable, what about fi re protection? One of the hot new product trends at HOST Milan and The NRA Show was an integrated mobile ventless cooking station with built-in fi re suppression. Vollrath led the industry with an induction range model a few years back, but newer units from Garland/Rieber, Halton, and other manufacturers can accom- modate multiple electric countertop appliances including griddles and fryers that fi t a niche up to eight feet long. These are great solutions that can be sold to a wide variety of cus- tomers from schools and colleges, business and healthcare caf- eterias, hotel dining rooms, to banqueting and event centers. Like many products, ventless exhaust equipment can be misused and oversold, so customers who choose to invest in dedicated exhaust systems may achieve better long-term solu- tions. This assumes that a dedicated exhaust is at a cost that can be amortized by the business. Since only the most sophis- ticated (and expensive) ventless systems can mitigate odor, it's important to evaluate any impact that food odor will have on customers' patrons, staff, and neighbors before choosing one system over another. and the potential for market penetration? All unknowns, advantages to some manufacturers, disadvantages to oth- ers. When it comes down to it, every dealer is hoping to accom- plish the same thing: Make the customer happy and make a little money along the way. That cannot be accomplished without all of the players in the supply chain working toward a common goal. We have all been challenged to deal with new logistical issues that didn't exist before. The demands of today's customer require higher quality products with higher throughput—at the best possible price. They require a faster delivery time and different delivery windows. Millwork and metal fabrication is more intricate than ever before, and designs are changing with each new concept. In the end, this industry is an exciting one to be in today and I believe well into the future. Sure the makeup of the players will continue to change but those willing and able to adapt will survive. Each new day brings a new challenge, a never before thought of food concept and a chance for the large, medium and small dealers to demonstrate their value in the market. Industry Insights continued Foster Frable continued