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November/December 2016 15 T here's a lot of intent that speaks to the execution of Burkett Restaurant Equipment & Supplies' new retail- friendly showroom design—the big-box feel, 22-foot ceilings, easy-to-spot endcaps and the futuristic palette that ties it all together. All of it is an extension of what President Jameel Burkett calls the "Burkett experience," which is code for making it easy for the customer. What is he most proud of when he thinks about the process of building from the ground up? Unsolicited comments from customers about the depth of the inventory on the showroom fl oor, or how much easier it is to fi nd product throughout the store—that's what tells Burkett they've accomplished their goal. "I can't tell you how many people have walked in and said, 'Wow, when did you start carrying all this inventory?'" he says. "My response is, 'We always have,' and they say, 'Why didn't I know that before?' "That tells me that the merchandising in the showroom at our old location worked well for the customer that knew exactly what he wanted and where it was. It really didn't drive autonomy in the shopping experience, and now we've created an environment where customers can walk in and see every- thing in one space." That's in large part due to the additional square footage the dealership picked up when it moved from its longtime location in Toledo, Ohio, to a newly-renovated facility in Perrysburg. At 11,000 square feet, the new showroom is twice the size of the old, and is divided into four quadrants: The new equipment and supplies are located on opposite ends of the fl oor. The used equipment is in the back and the clearance items are located on the endcaps. "Our clearance inventory used to just stockpile at the old place, and now it's fl ying off the shelves so fast that sometimes it's hard to restock it," says Burkett. "More than anything, that's confi rmed that customers are willing to buy more when prod- ucts are properly merchandised." On average, about 25 to 30 customers visit the showroom every day, and since the move, cash-and-carry sales are up about 10 percent—something Burkett attributes to calculated tweaks like upgrading the shelving from pallet racking to more retail-oriented slatwall panels. "With pallet racking, you don't see the inventory as well as you do when it's hung on a peg hook," he says. "It comes in different colors but we decided to stay with the gray shelving we had in our old place. It's darker but stainless refl ects very well off of grays." The Next Chapter The greatest contrast between the old and the new is the lay- out. At 175,000 square feet, The Toledo location is the more continued on page 16 Burkett Restaurant Equipment & Supplies' Modern Twist