Tips & Features

A fantastic way to make sure you’re catering to healthy eaters and alternative diets – not to mention hot food trends – is to provide vegans and vegetarians their own menu. 

Have a look at these tips to see if changing your freezer to a cooler is do’able and appropriate for your restaurant.

Many operators choose to purchase meats in bulk to save on costs. While this can save money, the reality is that you will need to invest in specialty equipment in order to get the meat from bulk form into succulent tenderloins, ground burgers, or thick filets. Here are a few of our favorites from CKitchen.

Food service establishments are testing the waters with different options to catering to more customers, and one of those options is delivery. While typically reserved for pizza shops and fast-casual niche restaurants, other establishments are starting to consider diving into the delivery pool as well.

Analyzing the differences that gas and electric fryers present can help you decide which one is right for your needs. Here are some key points to look at!

In Ireland, pubs are an essential part of the Irish social scene. They are not just bars; they are social places where people gather to drink, converse, have lunch, make friends, and take a break. Irish pubs tend to offer a warm, cozy, and welcoming atmosphere where you can feel like you are in your home-away-from-home. Because of all of these reasons, it is very common that people wish to turn their bars into traditional Irish pubs.

“Well, If I have a walk-in cooler, do I really need to have a reach-in and work top refrigerators?”
This question comes up often when I discuss the layout and design of a client’s kitchen.  The answer is that it depends.

The kitchen size will make a difference; If the available space is somewhat small and can’t support both reach-ins and a walk-in, then even a small walk-in would yield better cu ft of storage.

For instance, a 6ftX7ft walk-in would be equivalent to having two two-section and one single-section refrigerators.  A walk-in will have one compressor; the reach-ins would require three. However, if space allows for reach-ins and worktop refrigeration, then we don’t want to busy up the kitchen with staffers all heading to the one refrigerated walk-in available, or running up and down to the cellar when they need refrigerated ingredients.

Is your customer service better today than it was yesterday? If not, here are some tips to improving customer satisfaction through quality service.

In order to maintain a hygienic establishment and cut down on wasted food, it's important for restaurant owners to ensure that their walk in coolers and freezers are well organized. When this doesn't happen, cross-contamination can occur, older items can be pushed to the back (where they'll no doubt expire before they're used) and cooks can waste precious service time looking for the items that they need.

About 65% of Americans enjoy football, and the season is just beginning. While this brings in a whole new wave of influences in the restaurant market, the sport itself also has a lot to offer in return. Football leagues keep their fans engaged, and it’s through the use of these marketing tactics that football still remains the highlight of the season. Use some of these ‘fan engagement’ tactics within your restaurant's own walls to reap the benefits of engaged customers as well!

Like brick-and-mortar restaurants, food truck designs, menus, and themes can influence the flow of traffic and interested patrons. One of the best parts about food truck ownership is one’s ability to get creative with a specific cuisine type and style, allowing for more unique flavor profiles. As food trucks become more competitive in their styles and selections, some trucks are coming out on top as customer favorites.

By combining the use of upselling as suggestive-selling in regards to appetizers and desserts, you can increase your ticket averages and even tips! Learning to use appetizer and dessert sales to increase ticket averages and tips can equate to an exponentially more profitable restaurant business.

Initial cost, rates, efficiency, cooking power, and other factors to consider in building a production lineup that meets your needs and standards.

Customer service should play a major role in any restaurant, but when does one draw the line at accepting responsibility and forfeiting it to the party who may actually be responsible? 

It is clear that back-of-house preparation, cooking, and storing equipment is crucial to keep a restaurant up and running smoothly. Similarly, front-of-house serving equipment is equally as important to run a successful restaurant. Commercial serving equipment includes pieces such as serving spoons, serving trays, and serving bowls, each consisting of a variety of sizes, shapes, materials, and purposes.

When it comes to specialty broilers, those with light broiling needs may find themselves faced with confusion. Cheese melters and salamander broilers are both great finishing tools for those who need to melt items at low temperatures over fully-cooked products. So what’s the big difference?

When it comes to investing in the right glass washer for your restaurant, there are two main options to consider: chemical versus hot water sanitizing. Choosing between chemical and hot water sanitizing glass washers is based on your individual restaurant’s needs, so let’s have a look at some of the main differences

.

Kitchen space is a commodity for many restaurants, so investing in equipment that can do the job of several pieces of machinery can save precious space while cutting costs. From bakeries to pizzerias, restaurants should consider investing in a dough sheeter to boost production and decrease labor costs.

Diet trends are ever-evolving, and one of the latest questions on the minds of those looking to clean up their diet include, “what are macros in food?” Before diving into the details on how you can help your customers understand what macros are and how they can monitor them for their individual health needs, you must have a solid understanding yourself.

If you are new to the world of cast iron, you may be curious about the best way to clean it. Before you can get started with the process, there are a few different materials you will need to clean it properly.

Raspberries, blueberries, lemon, pineapple, and many of your favorite fruits that take your wine to the next level. Check out these amazing recipes and enjoy your drink in a whole new way.

It may be hard, but it’s possible. You just need to know how to start a bakery business. You need to be able to see all the factors that go into play before you even open your doors—factors like budget, your name, and what kind of goods you’re offering. 

Simmering and boiling aren’t actually that much different. In fact, they’re variations of the same cooking method. It’s essential to know the difference between the two because if you choose the wrong technique, it can potentially ruin a meal. 

Food trucks are one of the trendier examples of fast foodservice, bringing competition to the foodservice industry in speed, convenience, and variety. So what’s driving this food truck phenomenon, and is it here to stay?

You've been to culinary school, and while you were there you got attached to the quality restaurant supplies the kitchens there had you use. Maybe you're a professional chef, and when you go home you want to have the same amenities there that you do in your place of work. Should you have commercial grills, commercial ovens and commercial ranges installed in your home?

Many customers coming in to a fast-casual or sit-down restaurant tend to assume that they’re making the healthier choice by foregoing fast food options. We all know appearances can be deceiving, so researchers set out to find out whether or not restaurants truly are healthier than fast food.

Owning a small business is costly, and the government is providing tax deductions for those who qualify, making the financial burden a little less heavy. While planning your finances for your new restaurant, it pays to become familiar with Section 179 in order to assist you with making smart capital investments.

Food Rethermalizing is one of the least known pieces of food equipment for consumers. Even people who consider themselves foodies may not be aware of how prevant food rethermalization in popular chain restaurants in the US.  

As the economy in the United States begins to experience a welcome improvement, many people who were previously unemployed are beginning to find well-paying jobs in a variety of industries.

Finding the right oven for your restaurant can boil down to details, especially for specialty shops. While convection ovens may seem like the all-around good choice (and typically they are), deck ovens are designed to support a business focused on baking pizza-shop items.

Dishwashers are a large investment for any foodservice operation, so many look to cut corners where they can while still obtaining a durable, quality unit. While trying to save some pennies, many turn to cutting back on accessory units in order to keep within their budgets. When it comes to a dishwasher, the first accessory unit that owners look at is the vent hood. So the question begs to be asked, ‘Do I really need to have a vent hood for my dishwasher?’

Ticket times are the bane of many chef’s existence, pressuring cooks and waitstaff alike to get quality meals out in a timely manner. While a strict ticket time may be required by corporate or general management, the fact of the matter is that there are many factors that can influence its enforcement, and many more factors influencing its reality.

Food delivery is the future of the foodservice industry. Customers are constantly expecting new ways to make their dining experience more convenient, and having hot, delicious food fully prepared, packed, and delivered to their doorstep is the ultimate form of convenience that restaurants can offer.

Commercial coolers and freezers are essential to any restaurant kitchen. If you’re new to the game, here are a few tips to choosing the right cooler or freezer compressor. 

Compressors come in three main types: air-cooled, water-cooled, and remote-cooled. Choosing between the three is dependent on your restaurant’s specific needs.

Of course, commercial foodservice establishments are not entirely responsible for the obesity epidemic in the US. But restaurants still play a part in ensuring that their customers are eating delicious, healthy meals. It’s not just good for the national waistline; foodservice businesses are also benefitting from the switch to healthier menus. Research shows customers prefer to visit restaurants that have healthy meal options than those who don’t, resulting in larger foot traffic that leads to better sales and profits.

Some commercial kitchens use color-coded cutting boards, utensils, and containers for different items. You may want to adopt this practice as well to keep staff from accidentally using the same tools for different food items. The sanitation team also plays a huge part in preventing contamination since clean and sanitized surfaces are important to keep different types of food from coming in contact with one another.