Restaurant equipment dealers are starting to get a little busier this month, and that could be attributed to the restaurant industry seeing an overall improvement to business compared to the past few months.

Restaurant Equipment Dealers Enjoy Business Increase

According to an article that appeared last week on Forbes.com and on the Associated Press wire, privately-held restaurant chains, single locations and locations that have been open at least one year were down in August in 42 percent of the respondent restaurants.  However, these same restaurants are starting to see an increase in their sales this month, possibly due to the easing up of gas prices. This means that restaurant equipment dealers are seeing a business increase as well.

Restaurant Equipment Dealers See the Light

The article also stated that publicly-held restaurant companies are starting to see nice improvements in their stocks, with some stocks increasing by almost two dollars a share.  This light at the end of the business slump tunnel is great for everyone in the restaurant industry, including restaurant equipment dealers, as each section of the industry depends on the sales in the restaurants.  Though this means people in the restaurant industry are busy, it’s safe to say they’re probably not complaining.

Restaurant Equipment Dealers Have What You Need

With an increase in business in September and with the busy holiday season fast approaching, this might be a great time to check out all of your restaurant equipment and make sure that it is all up to snuff.  ShortOrder has the widest selection of commercial kitchen equipment at great prices.  We carry commercial ranges, ice machines, refrigerators and so much more from companies like Manitowoc, Vulcan, Hobart, Beverage-Air and Frymaster.

If you are finding that some of your equipment is in need of replacing, make sure to contact one of ShortOrder’s restaurant equipment specialists.

Import Safety Summit in Country’s Capital

Import Safety Summit is being held this week in Washington, D.C. and is being co-sponsored by the National Restaurant Association.  U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Michael Leavitt, along with other industry leaders will be there to discuss the strengthening of public-private partnerships and how to enhance the safety of imported products used in the restaurant industry.

The panels will be comprised of representatives from Campbell Soup Company, Red Lobster, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Food Marketing Institute, Kraft Foods and McCormick & Company.

First Ever Import Safety Summit

The first-of-its-kind Import Safety Summit will include keynote speeches and panel discussions on how the private sector and the government can work together to continuously make improvements in the processes that have been put in place that ensure imported product safety.  As a member of the restaurant industry, it is paramount to understand the importance of safe imported food products.

Import Safety Summit and Equipment

At Short Order, we know that serving the highest quality food is important to your business regardless of whether it is imported or not.  That is why we sell only the finest in refrigerators, freezers, warming cabinets and other restaurant equipment.  The lines we carry, such as Manitowac, Beverage-Air, Hobart, Vulcan, and Lakeside; are committed to creating and delivering the best products to safely store and cook your carefully selected food products.  For the environmentally conscience restaurateur, we even carry many products with the prized ENERGY STAR rating.

Import Safety Summit Questions

If you have questions about the newest food importing guidelines, please check in with the National Restaurant Association.  If you have questions regarding restaurant equipment, please refer to one of our many buyers’ guides found on our Website or please feel free to contact our eager and knowledgeable customer service staff.

Food Safety Matters

Food Safety … It isn’t something most people think about on a daily basis, except for the restaurant industry that is.  We think about it everyday because the last thing any of us want is for someone to get sick from the food that we work hard to prepare.  We also don’t want to think about our restaurant being shut down because we didn’t meet food safety standards.

Food Safety Guidelines

With the right equipment and the right knowledge, food safety is a pretty easy thing to handle.

Some great guidelines to remember are:

-  All restaurant employee employees should follow hygiene guidelines; such as washing hands after using the restroom and before preparing food.

-  Cross-contamination of foods should be avoided at all times.  Wash, rinse and sanitize all food contact surfaces, such as work tables, slicers, and other preparation equipment.

-  Foods must be cooked to recommended internal temperatures.

-  Hot foods should be held hot at temperatures of 140 degrees Fahrenheit or greater.  Holding cabinets provide a constant source of proper heat.

-  Cold foods should be kept cold at temperatures of 41 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.  Keep a thermometer in your refrigerator to make sure the temperature is at the proper setting.

-  Abusing standard time and temperature standards for food should be avoided at all costs when handling prepared foods.

-  Leftovers should only be reheated in the oven once; after that they should be tossed out.

Food Safety Means Better Health

As stated earlier in the post, food safety matters to everyone … restaurateur, chef, employees, and patrons can all be harmed by foodborne pathogens.  There are more than 250 known foodborne diseases that cause anywhere from minor illness to death.  By following the simple guidelines listed above and by making sure all of your equipment is functioning properly, you can help prevent disease and illness caused by unhealthy foods.

Taste of Chicago in 28th Year

The Taste of Chicago is an indicator of summer for many Illinois residents. Considered the world’s largest food festival, the Taste of Chicago promises not to disappoint.

The Taste of Chicago, considered the second largest tourist attraction in Illinois, runs for ten days starting this year on Friday, June 27th and running until Sunday, July 6th. The Taste of Chicago, now in its 28th year, sees over 3 million festival attendees in its Grant Park location in downtown Chicago. There are over 70 restaurants and food vendors that participate each year in this free-admission food festival.

Taste of Chicago Brings World Class Fare

All types of cuisine can be found at this much anticipated food festival. Kitchens all over Chicago prepare ethnic and exotic foods, family favorites and Chicago specialties to feed all the hungry festival goers. Then the restaurants line up along the park with their portable ovens and refrigerators in hopes that their food creations are chosen as the Taste of Chicago favorite.

Taste of Chicago More Than Food

Food isn’t the only thing that you will find at this Mid-West food festival. You will also find a 5K Race for the Taste with proceeds going to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, as well as top-notch entertainment.
The free entertainment at the 2008 Taste of Chicago food festival includes the likes of Chaka Kahn, Stevie Wonder, Plain White T’s, Gomez, Old 97’s, Bonnie Raitt and many others.

Taste of Chicago Participants

Now if you are a Chicago restaurant that wants to participate in the Taste of Chicago, you are a little late for this year. The applications were due back in February. However, contact the Illinois Restaurant Association to make sure that you are on the list to receive an application for the 2009 Taste of Chicago.

And if you do get in, make sure to give us a call and we will get you all the restaurant equipment you need to prepare your festival cuisine.

The 2008 NRA Show is Coming!! The 2008 NRA Show is Coming!!

That’s right! It’s true! It isn’t a typo! The 2008 NRA Restaurant, Hotel-Motel show is being held in Chicago on May 17th through May 20th; and the 89th year is sure not to disappoint. There are going to be so many exciting things to see and do there. There will be several special events and booths, such as “Ask the Design Experts,” Celebrity Book Signings, Chef Day, the “International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event,” and our personal favorite, the “2008 Kitchen Innovation Awards” Booth.

2008 NRA Show Brings Top Vendors

Strolling down the aisles of the 2008 NRA show, you will be sure to see all the newest equipment from all the top restaurant equipment manufacturers. The manufacturers will be pulling out all the stops to make their equipment stand out in hopes of winning a 2008 Kitchen Innovation Award; or at the very least, in hopes that you will stop by and see what they have that you just got to have in your kitchen.

Some of our favorite vendors will be there, so make sure you stop by their booths and check out their new gadgets and gizmos. Frymaster and Hobart have “Hot New Products” that are debuting at the show. Beverage-Air, Manitowoc, The Montague Company and Vulcan will all be there showing off their wares as well.

Come Join the Fun at the 2008 NRA Show

Now its time to start packing your bags, booking your flights and joining all of us at ShortOrder.com in Chicago for the most fun-filled four days this spring. However, if business is booming and you can’t seem to find the time to leave the restaurant to come join us … Never fear! We promise to keep you updated on all the cool things as they happen.

*photo by the National Restaurant Association

Green Restaurants Are Here to Stay

Green restaurants are sprouting up all over the place, as they should be. Restaurant patrons have a growing daily concern for the health of their environment and the health of their families. They are making their homes, apartments, offices, cars and lives more green; why wouldn’t they want their favorite dining spot to do the same thing. Fortunately for commercial kitchens everywhere, restaurant equipment manufacturers are helping out.

Green Restaurant Equipment

The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy have united to form the Energy Star movement. Currently, five categories of commercial restaurant equipment have established Energy Star guidelines. They are fryers, hot food holding cabinets, refrigerators/freezers, dishwashers, and steam cookers. These certified units can save over 40% in energy costs compared to non-Energy Star models.

Some examples of Energy Star rated equipment are the Vulcan VPX3 Counter Boilerless/Connectionless Electric Steamer, the Hobart LXi Undercounter High Temp Dishwasher, and the Frymaster H55 High-Efficieny Gas Fryer.

We care about the environment at ShortOrder.com; so if you have questions about Energy Star rated equipment that we carry, just give us a shout and we will be happy to help.

Green Restaurant Tips

You don’t need to buy all new equipment at one time to become a greener restaurant. There are several other things that you can do to start you down the green path.

• You can use low-flow pre-rinse spray nozzles at the dish machines.
• Use compact fluorescent lamps instead of light bulbs in break rooms, storage rooms, offices, walk-in refrigerators, etc.
• Use take-out containers that can be recycled (#1 and #2 plastics and aluminum) instead of Styrofoam.
• Use organic foods in the kitchen.
• Make sure to use recycled paper products whenever possible (i.e. napkins, office paper, menus)
• Install occupancy sensors in the restrooms, storage rooms and any other low-traffic rooms. Lights will turn off automatically when the rooms are unoccupied.

Here’s to greener restaurants and a greener future!

Restaurant Equipment Events: What To Do in 2008

Yes, it’s already the end of February, but there are still tons of exciting restaurant equipment events in 2008. Everyone in the restaurant equipment industry will attend to represent themselves at expos, conferences, and food festivals around the world, to form a veritable “booth camp” of restaurant equipment industry experts.

The next big restaurant equipment event is coming up pretty soon. The Bear Stearns 14th Annual Retail, Restaurants & Consumer Conference will kick off on Tuesday, March 4th at 3:00 pm EST at the Bear Stearns headquarters in New York City. Presenters include Mike George, president and CEO of QVC, Inc., Safeway, Inc., and Wyndam Worldwide, to name a few.

International Restaurant Equipment Events

Looking to travel and represent? Then take off to one of the many European food and restaurant industry expos in 2008. Try the Health Ingredients (Hi) Europe event in Paris, set for November 4-6, at which over a hundred restaurateurs will be searching for the best restaurant equipment to match their supplies.

Can’t wait ’til November? Check out the Food Ingredients Central and Eastern Europe (FiCEE) event in Warsaw, Poland, at the Warsaw International Expocentre, April 22-24.

Got a sweet tooth? Make it to the Salon Passion Chocolat & de la Gourmandise in Montreal, Canada, November 7-9. Presenters and exhibitors will certainly be in the market for a good ice cream display and storage solution.

We’ll be out there. Will you?

Restaurant industry change is necessary

The restaurant industry is a combination of old and new. Preparing delicious food is a practice as old as humanity — even though the restaurant equipment used varies from a cave campfire to a stainless steel Vulcan range with 32,000 BTU burners. At the same time, diners are a discriminating bunch, and successful entrepreneurs know that today’s trendy restaurant can quickly become passe and bankrupt.

The restaurant industry must adapt to stay viable

Although the restaurant industry is cyclical, responding to the seasons of the economy, it also must evolve to prosper. And it’s apparent that the restaurant industry has often struggled with the retention of key employees. Many smart, talented individuals work in the restaurant industry — and then quickly leave it for other industry that is considered more “career-friendly.” The restaurant industry struggles from the stigma of this popular perception, and it’s not without cause. Although they can be immensely rewarding, creatively, financially, and emotionally, restaurant industry jobs can be hard and the pace is fast. This situation costs the restaurant industry dearly in high turnover rates, training costs, lower productivity, and of course, the loss of talent.

The National Restaurant Association, as part of their Cornerstone Initiative, has taken positive steps to address this situation. Their Retirement Benefit Program allows Association member restaurants can offer retirement benefits to owners and employees. The program is administered by the American Buying Retirement Services, Inc.

Restaurant industry businesses should investigate retirement benefits

If you’re interested in retaining your best restaurant employees — and who isn’t? — you should take a look at setting up retirement benefits. In this era of do-it-yourself retirement plans, you might be surprised at how little it might cost. For some no-nonsense restaurant retirement plan advice, refer to these restaurant industry tips at the NRA website.

The employees at your restaurant or kitchen won’t be expecting a full-blown pension. If you can construct a sensible 401(k), SIMPLE-IRA, or SIMPLE 401(k), though, many of them will be more apt to visualize a long-term career with your restaurant — and that’s a future you should be encouraging.

Announcing ShortOrder 2.0! ShortOrder.com, the online price leader for commercial restaurant equipment, announces version 2 of our great website. So, come on in, take a look around, and browse through all the great brands we carry, such as:

Restaurant equipment is going green. The restaurant industry is increasingly turning heads for efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. Being the retail industry’s largest consumer of electricity, this is a welcoming sign. Whether that means switching to Energy Star appliances, increasing recycling, or using non-toxic cleaning products, industry experts are noting a growing trend. Leading the charge is the Green Restaurant Association (GRA), which is a non-profit group that is dedicated to helping the restaurant industry become more environmentally conscious. The GRA provides restauranteurs with information on how each individual restaurant can reduce its energy consumption. The organization also has a highly touted green certification, which it grants to restaurants that meet its strict requirements.

One example for how this can be achieved is the B.R. Guest Restaurant Group, which recently received a green certification from the Green Restaurant Association. B.R. Guest operates a number of restaurants in New York, Chicago, and Las Vegas. In order to achieve a GRA green certification, restaurants must take four steps a year to reduce their ecological impact. This can mean small steps, such as instituting comprehensive recycling programs or eliminating styrofoam for more biodegradable containers. It can also mean taking large actions, such as switching old, inefficient equipment for modern, Energy Star rated appliances. While the upfront costs may be significant, many of the steps that restaurants can take pay for themselves after only a year or two. For the B.R. group, this meant eliminating styrofoam and one-use products, installing low-flow aerators, and implementing a recycling program. Additionally, the B.R. Guest group is also researching energy efficient lighting for its restaurants. With the American society becoming increasingly aware of the concepts of environmental sustainability, global warming, and carbon footprints, the restaurant industry is doing itself and the environment a favor by doing its part. With more than 300 restaurants now achieving the GRA’s green certificate, the restaurant industry is increasingly becoming green. As GRA founder Michael Oshman says, “It takes some getting used to (going green), but eventually it becomes a way of life.” For the original story, click here.

One of the best ways for your restaurant to reduce energy consumption is by updating all of your equipment to new, energy-efficient appliances. Keep your restaurant on the cutting edge of “green technology” by browsing our selection of restaurant equipment. Short Order has a large selection of energy efficient appliances, whether you need ice makers, convection ovens, dishwashers, or refrigerators. With America’s increasing desire to be environmentally conscientious, turning your restaurant “green” not only will reduce your costs and carbon footprint, it may also draw a new clientele.