Click "View Results" to see what your peers thought!
After reading last weeks post regarding 2015's Foodservice Trends, which trend would you consider to be the most important? Click "View Results" to see what your peers thought!
0 Comments
2015 has been a year of change and growth within the foodservice industry. Fueled by the millennial's rise to majority, trends are emerging and tastes are changing. As a foodservice operator it is important to understand and adapt your equipment, inventory, and technology to these changes to ensure your operation stays relevant.
Written by: Tilghman Grandstaff Edited by: Emily Shuler It's no secret that foodservice operations burn through a tremendous amount of energy in day to day operations. According to EnergyStar.gov, restaurants use 5-7 times more energy per square foot than other commercial buildings. With energy needs increasing along with energy prices, it is essential to take steps toward reducing energy consumption. The following tips can drastically reduce your energy consumption and increase your bottom line by thousands every year: 1. Perform a Detailed Equipment Inspection The first step to decreasing energy consumption is to perform a detailed inspection on your equipment to check for obvious signs of energy waste. When performing this inspection pay close attention to equipment with doors, water hookups and knobs. These pieces experience the greatest wear and tear in a short amount of time. Leaky door gaskets and doors that don't shut properly can lead to leakage of heat and refrigeration that could cost you thousands per year. According to EnergyStar.com, fixing leaks in sinks, mop stations, and dish machines can save you $1000 annually. Worn down knobs fail to indicate the correct temperature and can result in inflated energy usage. In addition, all of these issues (normally) are an easy, cheap fix. 2. Upgrade to Energy Efficient Equipment As new technology and regulations emerge, foodservice equipment manufacturers continue to focus on Energy Star qualified equipment. When purchasing equipment, it is important to focus on a products lifetime cost. An Energy Star qualified piece of equipment may cost $500 dollars more up front, but could save you thousands in utility costs in the long run. In addition, Energy Star qualified product's produce faster cook times and higher production rates increasing your output and customer satisfaction. Foodservice operators should also replace light fixtures with Energy Star qualified light bulbs which reduce energy consumption, heat production, and have an average life span that's 10-50 times longer than an average light bulb.
Total savings of $4,000+ annually *Information obtained from EnergyStar.gov 3. Implement a Equipment Startup & Shutdown Plan One of the largest, and most avoidable causes of energy usage in the kitchen is equipment idle time. Idle time occurs when a piece of equipment is turned on, but not being used. For foodservice operations, it is imperative to develop a start-up and shut-down schedule to ensure that you are only drawing energy from equipment when you need it. The first step in implementing a start-up and shut-down plan is to understand your equipment, and your business. For instance, if you know you'll need your grill from 3:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., and you know it takes 30 minutes to heat up, your plan for that piece of equipment should include start-up at 2:30 p.m. and shutdown at 9:00 p.m.. Foodservice operators should conduct a detailed study of peak operation times and prep times before setting a start-up and shut-down plan. The second step of implementation is conveying the plan to your staff. Foodservice operators need to ensure that the plan is followed explicitly by their staff. Be sure that the plan for each piece of equipment is attached directly to the equipment in a laminated paper form. Your plan can only be effective if your staff commits to it. Annual Energy Savings From Decreasing Idle Time by One Hour Per Day*:
*Information obtained from EnergyStar.gov **Savings from turning holding cabinet off when kitchen is closed. Not based on 1 hour decrease. 4. Quarterly Planned Maintenance Planned Maintenance (PM) on foodservice and refrigeration equipment can decrease energy consumption on each piece of equipment anywhere from 10%-30%. Clark Service Group suggests quarterly planned maintenance services for most foodservice operations to ensure that your equipment is running at peak efficiency. PM consists of services that reset equipment efficiency to near factory standards through the cleaning and sanitizing of equipment, inspection of key parts, filter replacement, part lubrication, and calibration of key sensors. Before and After Planned Maintenance Pictures: For more information on energy savings and planned maintenance programs visit www.ClarkServiceGroup.com
Written by Tilghman Grandstaff
Foodservice equipment repair and maintenance companies have been depended on for decades by the restaurant industry to keep the equipment that fuels a foodservice operation up and running. When a piece of equipment breaks down, it is vital to have a service company that can be trusted to respond quickly, and provide a lasting solution to your issue.
As the foodservice industry evolves with new technology and demands, we saw the need to follow suit. Clark Service Group is taking the necessary steps to provide services above and beyond equipment repair to provide more value to our customers operating in an ever changing industry. Here's a look at what we are doing to allow our customers to make better decisions involving their foodservice equipment: Planned Maintenance Services Every service company around the world should be pushing their customers to enter into planned maintenance contracts. Planned maintenance several times a year on your foodservice equipment is equally as important as periodic oil changes and tire rotations on your vehicle. Some foodservice operators mistake a planned maintenance agreement as another cost one of their vendors is trying to push on them, however, this couldn't be further from the truth. In a study by Clark Service Group, we found that companies with a PM program spent 15-30% less on service per year than their counterparts without a PM agreement. Read more about the importance of PM here. State-of-the-Art Dispatching Technology As most foodservice operators know, a downed piece of equipment can drastically impact or completely kill the efficiency of a kitchen. To eliminate your downtime, we have moved to an advanced dispatching system utilizing GPS technology to dispatch the tech closest to your location to you with the click of a button. Eliminating phone calls and automating the dispatch process has streamlined service call placements, and drastically cut back on our customer's equipment downtime. In addition to GPS enabled dispatching, we've made it easier than ever to place a service call via email, mobile device, online, and phone. Equipment Database Tracking Each piece of equipment in your kitchen is an ever-depreciating asset that will (eventually) cease to work at some point down the line. There will come a time where it will be more cost effective to replace a piece of equipment than to continually have it serviced. To track the cost of each individual piece of equipment, Clark Service Group has implemented an Equipment Database Tracking system giving our customers a detailed report on service costs associated with the equipment. This information allows foodservice operators to make educated decisions on when it's time to replace costly equipment. For more information on our Equipment Database Tracking system give us a call at 1-800-678-5517. Customized Part Stocking To eliminate the need for return trips that cost our customers valuable time and money, we have applied a customized part stocking program to ensure our trucks are stocked with the most frequently needed parts of our customers. We understand that one of our customers in Philadelphia possesses different equipment than another customer in Baltimore. Therefore, we obtain a detailed equipment list from each customer and stock the trucks in their geographical area based on that list to, hopefully, eliminate the need for a second trip. Customer Service Oriented Technicians At Clark, we are trying to change the stereotype of a service technician. We emphasize the importance of communication between the tech and our customer, and hire our employees based on their ability to communicate effectively. We work with every customer in order to understand the processes and procedures they have in place so that our techs fit seamlessly into those practices when they are at your location. For more information on our company please visit www.ClarkServiceGroup.com Written by Tilghman Grandstaff
When choosing a foodservice equipment repair and maintenance company, what aspects of their business are you concerned about the most? What makes you make that "Final buying decision"? As you prepare your budget for the next quarter; take a closer look at how much you are spending on new equipment purchases and service calls to companies like Clark Service Group. Chances are you'd like to be spending less on those items to increase your bottom line. The key is to stay proactive; a little effort will dramatically improve your business' spending and service issues in the future. The 5 items listed below are simple, but extremely effective ways to save you money and the headache associated with food service equipment failures. 1. Proactive Planned Maintenance As you may have read in our previous article, planned maintenance on your foodservice equipment is as important as oil changes and tire rotations on your vehicle. A PM program ensures that your equipment is cleaned and sanitized, filters and belts are changed, key sensors are calibrated and more. It is the hands-down best way to ensure your equipment is running properly and at peak efficiency. A study by Clark Service Group on their customer base indicated that companies with a PM program spend 15%-30% less on service issues per year than their counter parts without a program. 2. Train your employees on proper equipment use In addition to the obvious health and safety hazards caused by employees using equipment they were not properly trained to use, there are serious financial implications as well. When an employee is not an "expert" on a piece of equipment they may use it in ways that decrease the efficiency of the equipment. For instance; if an employee is not properly trained on the use of a fryer, he may set it at a lower than desired temperature. This lowered temperature takes a longer time to cook the food, wasting electricity, and affecting the quality of the fried item. Training is key, especially in the commercial kitchen. 3. Keep your eyes and ears open One of the easiest ways to ensure that your equipment is running properly is to do frequent inspections, especially if you do not have a planned maintenance program. Make it a priority to know your equipment inside and out so that you will be able to tell if something is not operating like it should. If a piece of your equipment seems to be a little "off" call your local service company to come out and check it out before it turns into a bigger issue. 4. Clean and care for your equipment What does your end-of-the-day cleaning routine look like? Is there room for improvement? Too many times our service technicians are called out to fix equipment issues that could have been prevented by simply cleaning the equipment periodically. Below is a convection oven that was experiencing issues with heating temperatures. After our techs cleaned the layer of grease off of the fan the oven began working properly again. In addition to health issues, cleaning also plays a big role in the operation of your equipment. 5. Keep your refrigeration equipment away from high heat areas
This item may seem a bit obvious, but you would be surprised at how many kitchens we've walked into with refrigerators directly beside a griddle. When a refrigeration unit is next to, or close to a high temperature area it runs more, and is dramatically less efficient, ultimately costing you money. Take a look around your kitchen today to see if there are any changes you could make to isolate refrigeration units from areas used for grilling, frying, or baking. 6. Use Equipment Monitoring Technology In this day in age the use of technology not only improves the speed at which we learn of events in the kitchen, but also can help save money by notifying us of problems at the time they occur. Companies like EControlSystems are creating monitoring systems that link to your smartphone to let you know if your equipment is running at the temperature and efficiency it should be. Of course, as with anything else in life, nothing lasts forever. If, and when you see any signs of equipment failure give us a call so we can keep you up and running! Written by: Tilghman Grandstaff After communicating with various food service directors, the biggest excuse I've uncovered for not having a planned maintenance program is that it doesn't quite fit into their yearly budget. Sure, entering into a PM contract can seem to be an unnecessary cost initially, but the long term cost of not periodically maintaining your equipment can be crippling.Planned maintenance is very simply maintenance on a schedule. Companies like Clark Service Group enter into a contract to service your location multiple times a year to clean and sanitize your equipment, change filters and belts, calibrate key sensors, and perform visual inspections to ensure all equipment is running effectively and efficiently.
The easiest way to describe the importance of developing a planned maintenance program with your local service company is to picture your business' food service equipment as parts of an automobile. Any responsible car owner gets periodic oil and filter changes, tire rotations and inspections so why not treat your food service equipment the same? In addition to adding years to your vehicles life, and keeping hundreds in your wallet from maintenance costs, periodic service allows the tech to inspect and diagnose issues with your equipment that may turn into a bigger problem down the road. This analogy plays perfectly into the food service world: A planned maintenance program allows a tech to diagnose issues with your equipment before they become a critical failure in the middle of a dinner rush. It's the difference between getting your breaks replaced in the garage before incidence occurs and slamming on your breaks on the highway going 60 mph and discovering they're shot. In addition to preventing untimely failures, PM services also ensures that your equipment is running at peak performance and maximum efficiency. As Toby Weber, of Foodservice Equipment and Supplies Magazine pointed out about commercial fryers: "If a fryer isn't working properly, it takes a lot longer to cook French Fries, so now you're serving a grease soaked french fry instead of a nice crisp one". In addition, regular PM has been proven to decrease energy consumption from 10%-30% immediately after service. Pay me now or pay me later: In a study by Clark Service Group, it was found that companies with a Planned Maintenance agreement spend 15%-30% less on service and maintenance per year than their counterparts without a PM program. Busy season is quickly approaching: Add year's to your equipment's life, cut down on service calls, diagnose key issues before they become a critical problem, run as efficiently as possible, and most importantly save money: Enter into a planned maintenance contract today. Written By: Tilghman Grandstaff
Written By: Tilghman Grandstaff
|
About Us:Providing the food and beverage industry with installation, service, parts replacement and planned maintenance programs since 1971. Archives
October 2016
|