OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. -- As the year 2015 closes out, it's worth revisiting the strong strides in foodservice-equipment innovation that began at the NAFEM Show in Anaheim in February, continued through May’s NRA Show in Chicago and finished strong in October at the NACS Show.
Many advances, including high-speed functionality, small-footprint pieces and automation, directly reflect the needs of convenience-store operators, according to a report in Convenience Store Products magazine.
The industry saw a strong connection to the “Internet of things” phenomenon, from the POS to the ice machine, according to the report. For example, Emerson Climate Technologies is using its Intelligent Store infrastructure to allow kitchen equipment to talk to one another and the operator—wherever he or she is. This includes remote equipment monitoring (“Did I turn the fryer off before closing?”), as well as energy usage and maintenance tracking.
Other services are aimed at better aligning foodservice products with the rest of the store.
Meanwhile, equipment advances enabled tying dispensed beverages to the snacking segment, making up for lost carbonated-soft-drink sales and overall boosting check averages with specialty drinks. The coffee-equipment category was dominated by automation, and a number of manufacturers highlighted their super-automatic machines that grind and brew coffee and espresso drinks to order—often self-serve.
And the biggest pendulum swing may have been the increase in combi ovens geared to c-stores, according to the report. Touting smaller footprints and intuitive controls, Eloma, Alto-Shaam, Rational, Manitowoc and Henny Penny displayed combis that would easily work in a c-store.
Click here to read the complete Convenience Store Products report.
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