Casual Dining and chains: A blog by Electrolux

Laura Abbott, Business Development for Electrolux Professional in the UK, blogs about the needs of fast casual and casual dining outlets while addressing the balance between a climate of decreasing kitchen footprints, and the need for increased kitchen functionality.

In recent years we’ve seen a food service equipment market driven by replacements, but due to an improved economy we’re now seeing a resurgence of start-up businesses across the country. Start-up businesses and multi-site businesses comprising between one and 10 outlets are still mostly driven by equipment price, whereas we’re seeing larger chains show more interest in the long-term benefits such as sustainability and high capacity units which will enable them to prioritise speed of service.

As a provider of a range of equipment to fast casual and casual dining outlets, we focus our attention on four key areas:

1) Tackling the consistency challenge for chains. We’re helping chefs and operators to achieve consistency across every one of their outlets. The combi oven is essential for the fast casual concept and our air-o-steam Touchline model enables seasonal menus to be programmed across every oven within the chain. Additionally, we’ve considered kitchen operators for which English is not their first language, so the interface on the combi can be changed to a variety of languages, making it even easier to work with.

2) Adapting to meet demand. At times, we can adapt products to meet the needs of operators by tailoring our manufacturing techniques to fit a specification. Through this true customer insight, variations can include a different shaped door for example, or a unit manufactured in a specific colour – particularly important with the growing trend of theatre style cooking. We can provide equipment based on the desired outcome of what a customer wants to achieve, while providing for a whole host of on-site requirements including electric, gas, steam, and LPG situations.

3) A strong equipment mix. We’ve developed entire ranges around the fast casual concept. For example our ecostore range of refrigeration is efficient, with a high capacity, including a 670L option which is what the growing sector demands. Similarly, our green&clean Hood Type dishwasher is the quickest on the market and washes up to 80 racks per hour. Items such as our High Speed Grill remove any difficulty in operation and also ensure the result is consistent every time – we’re seeing it used for more than just paninis through other products such as pizza slices, croissants and tea cakes as menus are branching out and adding more options. This type of equipment also saves space as it removes the need to install numerous grills in a stacked formation.

4) A customer-focused approach. We’ve prioritised aftersales support and in the event that there is a problem with a piece of our equipment, we want it to be as easy as possible for this to be resolved. As a full service equipment manufacturer, we’re in a fairly unique position as we can provide the most of the equipment for a kitchen - from light catering kit, to full cooking suites – which, in turn, enables investors to limit their points of contact which can be a real advantage. Additionally, we have the backing of our global hubs and localised service networks which is a priority for chains aiming for consistency across outlets, no matter what country a new restaurant sits within.

To support these sectors it’s important that we continue to focus on these key areas, while adapting to the market needs. Even within a chain, no two kitchen specifications are ever the same, which is why we work so closely with our network of distributors nationwide to provide full service kitchen solutions, in line with the latest trends.

Visit http://professional.electrolux.co.uk/ to find out more about Electorlux or follow them on Twitter @ElectroluxProUK