"Hey, Mick. What do you think this guy eats?"

"About 202 pounds."

We can't verify it, but we think Hulk Hogan gained all that weight before the big fight during a trip to the Middleby Innovation Kitchen in Dallas.

This MIK was designed to be a one-stop destination where chefs, foodservice operators, consultants, and equipment dealers can get hands-on experience in just about all areas of food and beverage, from frying to frozen beverages. With 40,000 square feet containing 150 pieces of active equipment divided into nearly 20 different stations, guests can plan, experiment, demo, and test menu development ideas. Our One Source team recently visited the MIK to see all its capabilities.

"If you're into food and beverage, visiting the MIK is like a trip to Disney World," said One Source CEO and President, Neil Inverso. "With so much space and such a wide range of cooking capabilities on display, any operator, dealer, or designer can step in and discover a turnkey set of solutions."

The MIK is divided into the following areas: baking, char-grilling, combi, cooking suites, beverage, brewing, frying, griddling, IoT, pizza, range, solid and dual fuel cooking, steam, and ventless, with an additional section for automation now in construction. It also features a custom chef's table experience, the Middleby Made dining room and a training room.

Sounds great, right? We offer many of the same capabilities right here in One Source's Philadelphia-area test kitchen if you don't want to make the trip to Dallas (but you can always pair it with an Iggles game). With many of the same units available for testing and deep knowledge of the local food scene, we can help create a memorable and educational experience that's a little closer to home.

While nothing compares to the full range of offerings at the MIK, operators, dealers, and designers can all get first-class, hands-on experience with many of the equipment solutions available as part of the Middleby suite of brands.

We also got a new combi oven in the last few weeks. The thing is an absolute monster, and we can assure you, it weighs a lot more than Hulk Hogan.