The NRA Show was a fantastic showcase of brands and products that embraced the latest technology and convenience. Let’s explore a few standouts and their benefits to operators and customers alike.
Middleby's Innovation Alley Was Overflowing With Solutions
Your customers expect convenience, and Carter-Hoffmann delivers with Smart Cabinet Solutions, also known as Pick-Up Cabinets (PUCS). These cabinets offer customers a seamless and user-friendly experience to pick up food orders. The process is simple: prepare the order, assign a locker, and the customer scans a QR code to unlock the cabinet and retrieve their food.
The PUC Smart Cabinets are designed to connect with customers in more places and ways than ever. With options for floor or countertop models, modular design that allows for easy expansion, and POS integration, these heated cabinets adapt to diverse operational needs. Heated pizza lockers are also available.
When it comes to rapid cooking, TurboChef has established itself as the brand leader. Their rapid-cook ovens are developed to deliver unparalleled efficiency, versatility, and energy savings. These ovens drastically reduce cook times — by over 80% — by combining top and/or bottom air impingement with precise, short bursts of microwave energy. Incredible!
TurboChef’s advanced technology solutions cater to various operational requirements. Whether you prioritize speed, energy efficiency, stackable designs, or the ability to cook an entire menu in one oven, TurboChef has you covered. Their ovens have simple and intuitive touch controls, ensuring ease of use even in high-pressure kitchen environments. The built-in self-diagnostics feature also allows for seamless monitoring of oven components and performance, minimizing downtime and optimizing operational efficiency.
Temperatures are rising, and so is the need for ice! Unlike conventional ice machines that require stacking on top of a dispenser, Follett's RIDE (remote ice delivery) technology allows ice to be automatically transported through a tube up to 75 feet away. This innovation ensures a reliable, hands-free supply of their customer-preferred chewable ice, regardless of the ice machine’s location.
Besides its convenience, RIDE technology also eliminates heat and noise in the fountain area, creating a more pleasant environment for customers in Quick Service Restaurants, hospitality, and more. Finally, unlike other ice machines, the top of the hopper can be easily removed for thorough cleaning without needing to remove the entire ice machine, resulting in $1,000 savings annually!
As always, there were many innovative products from One Source brands to see at the NRA Show. Products and solutions that enhance convenience and efficiency while improving the customer experience are game changers for foodservice operators.
Our President & CEO, Neil Inverso, pulled double duty by representing One Source Reps and MAFSI. It’s always great to spend time with our manufacturers, customers, and friends, and we’re looking forward to seeing more of our industry stakeholders at MAFSI 2024 in January!