Foodservice Equipment and Supplies

Carpigiani adds a Chief Commercial Officer
Anna Pata was appointed to the newly created role of chief commercial officer for Carpigiani North America, a Welbilt company that makes gelato equipment.

In her new role, Pata will develop and lead Carpigiani’s sales and marketing activities.

Pata has more than 20 years of experience in the dessert ingredient and supplies industry, per a company release. She most recently served as the director of sales at Barry Callebaut. Pata began her career at PreGel America, where she led the sales and marketing teams during the company’s growth and expansion in the North American market.

Source fesmag.com

Startup to Develop Purdue’s Novel Microwave Technologies
The innovations improve upon the traditional process of freeze-drying.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — LyoWave Inc., a high-tech startup, is commercializing innovative microwave heating technologies developed at Purdue University that improve upon traditional lyophilization — or the process of freeze-drying perishable products — by increasing speed, cost-effectiveness and product throughput.

CEO and co-founder Drew Strongrich said LyoWave’s microwave energy innovations open new possibilities for a variety of products.

“Our technology overcomes the historic issues associated with microwave systems such as nonuniform heating, poor tunability, low flexibility and risk of product damage due to the generation of free radicals,” he said.

LyoWave licensed the intellectual property through the Purdue Innovates Office of Technology Commercialization.

Pharmaceutical applications and more
Alina Alexeenko, LyoWave president and co-founder, said lyophilization extends the shelf life of pharmaceuticals, including vaccines, and stabilizes them throughout the supply chain.

“It requires conditions like those in outer space — it is a cold vacuum,” Alexeenko said. “The traditional process is very expensive and time consuming.

“The team at LyoWave wants to push lyophilization further so lifesaving medicines and vaccines can easily reach every corner of the world. We have found a way to apply microwaves to get past some of the key challenges the environment presents.”

Strongrich said LyoWave’s technology enables other innovations.

“There are several alternative and emerging freeze-drying technologies under investigation by the pharmaceutical sector. This comes in response to the growing demand for lyophilized products,” he said. “The LyoWave technology is highly compatible with many of them and serves as a significant force multiplier.”

The National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals, or NIIMBL, awarded a team of Purdue researchers almost $1 million to advance lyophilization technologies. LyoWave officials will present at the 2024 NIIMBL National Meeting, which takes place June 25-27.

Although initially focused on pharmaceutical and diagnostic freeze-drying, Strongrich said the technology has multiple applications.

“Microwave heating is a very common industrial process that’s applied over a wide range of industries including food, textiles and chemical production,” he said. “We’re prepared to serve those industries equally as well as the pharmaceutical and diagnostic industries.”

Millrock Technology collaboration
LyoWave has entered into a collaboration agreement with Millrock Technology, an industry leader in innovative freeze dryers for biotech, pharmaceutical and industrial applications from laboratory to production.

Millrock will offer LyoWave’s system for its already installed and new freeze dryers, starting with their popular REVO model. The LyoWave system implements microwave heating for current freeze dryers, which allows users to increase their throughput with minimal changes to existing installations.

“Our innovations will be used to boost Millrock’s freeze-drying systems’ capacity to manufacture diagnostic reagents and bulk lyophilized materials and accelerate process development for new lyophilized drug products,” Alexeenko said.

Millrock CEO and President Martial Pabon said LyoWave’s technology has the potential to deliver high value for the industry by both improving product consistency and reducing drying times.

“LyoWave’s new solid-state microwave technology provides significant improvements in product quality while shortening processing times, which adds significant value to our customers,” Pabon said. “At Millrock, we are always looking at new technologies that advance freeze-drying science. We are totally excited by this collaboration.”

LyoWave’s technology
Dimitrios Peroulis, LyoWave’s co-founder and board member, underlined the significance of advanced electromagnetic technology in this application space.

“Many standard microwave systems operate at 2.45 GHz and use legacy power sources and radiation systems,” he said. “LyoWave provides frequency- and space-adjustable power output at above 8 GHz, which is more effective at heating ice.”

Peroulis said regular microwave designs often use a turntable to counteract hot spots.

“Our technology has flipped this idea and found a way to rapidly rotate the electromagnetic field in random directions, while the product being processed remains stationary, resulting in uniformity throughout the product chamber,” he said. “The microwaves are not only faster but also allow users to take advantage of the unused space inside a freeze dryer.”

Key results of the Purdue research have been published in the March 2024 issue of IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, the January 2023 issue of Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the July 2022 issue of PNAS Nexus.

LyoWave’s Purdue connections
LyoWave was founded by researchers at Purdue University’s College of Engineering. Alexeenko and Peroulis have been jointly leading the team of Purdue researchers who developed the patented and patent-pending innovations since 2016.

Alexeenko is the senior associate dean for undergraduate education and academic programs at Purdue University in Indianapolis and a professor in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the Davidson School of Chemical Engineering. She also co-founded LyoHUB in 2014 with a focus on advancing the science of lyophilization.

Peroulis is the senior vice president for Purdue University Online and the Reilly Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He served as the Michael and Katherine Birck Head of the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering from 2019-23.

Other members of the Purdue research team in the NIIMBL award include Eric Munson, the Dane O. Kildsig Chair in Industrial and Physical Pharmacy and department head; Vivek Narsimhan, the Michael Ott Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering in the Davidson School of Chemical Engineering; and Qi “Tony” Zhou, associate professor of industrial and physical pharmacy and a University Faculty Scholar.

Source foodmanufacturing.com

Tech24 Announces Additions to Board of Directors
Each new member contributes a differentiated skillset, says the repair and maintenance provider.

Tech-24 specializes in cooking, refrigeration, beverage and specialty foodservice equipment, and performs HVAC, electrical and plumbing services.

Repair and maintenance provider Tech24 recently shared that three have joined its board of directors, including Edward Don & Co. CEO and President Steven Don.

Don is joined by Jennifer Mintman, a senior advisor at Vestar Capital Partners, and Bill Viveen, CEO of HCI Equity Partners’ latest technical service rollup focused on the residential lawn care treatment market. Viveen joined the board this year, while Don and Mintman were appointed at the time of Vestar’s investment in 2023, notes this month’s press release.

Don contributes experience with foodservice customers and in the commercial kitchen equipment space, says Tech24, whereas Mintman boasts decades of experience in route-based facility services. Viveen, meanwhile, has a track record of creating value in service providers through M&A, effective integration and organic growth initiatives, says the release.

“Steve, Jennifer and Bill all possess specific, differentiated skillsets gained from decades in their respective fields that will be advantageous to the Tech24 leadership team as it looks to accelerate organic and acquisitive growth while continuing to provide excellent service to its customers,” says Nikhil Bhat, co-head of investments at Vestar, and Doug McCormick, managing partner and CIO of HCI. “All three are executives we’ve worked with over the years, and we are confident that they will add immediate value to the board.”

Tech24, based in Greenville, S.C., services over 50 markets in 26 states.

Source fermag.com

Tabletop and FOH

Restaurant Cleaning Tips

Did you know that a clean restaurant can actually make or break your sales? According to QSR Magazine, guests will spend twice as much with clean restaurants. More than ever in this post-lockdown world, guests are making dining decisions depending on whether you’re maintaining a clean restaurant, which may in turn impact your sales numbers. So how exactly can you ensure you’re operating a business that meets the standards of not only the regulations and compliance measures set by the health department, but also by guests stepping foot into your restaurant? The answer, well obvious yet crucial, is: restaurant cleaning.

In this guide to restaurant cleaning, we’ll dust off some great cleaning tips, such as:

The importance of restaurant cleaning
Benefits of cleaning your restaurant
How to do a deep clean of your restaurant
How to maintain the clean

The Importance of Restaurant Cleaning
Proper cleaning can truly make or break your restaurant. According to a Technomic survey, “77% said that a food service establishment’s cleaning policies will impact their visit, and 61% said they want to see more cleaning and sanitation activities in a post COVID-19 world.” The fact is guests care about restaurant cleanliness more than ever, which can impact your bottom line and customer satisfaction.

Ultimately, showing your guests that you’re making proactive efforts to create a clean dining environment and apply best hygiene practices can encourage diners to dine with you, which can boost your sales.

Benefits of Cleaning Restaurant Spaces
Now let’s look at the benefits of carrying out extensive restaurant cleaning on a regular basis, including complying with health and safety regulations, preventative maintenance, uplifting guest satisfaction, and creating safer working conditions for your staff.

Compliance with Health and Safety Regulations
One of the biggest benefits of maintaining a clean commercial kitchen is that you can ensure your restaurant complies with the health and safety regulations set out by the city and state or province you operate your business out of. According to the National Restaurant Association, health inspectors will typically examine your restaurant for proper food storage, time and temperature of food, cross-contamination of food, cleaning and sanitization, as well as using the right sanitizers – all of which can be impacted by your cleaning routine (or lack thereof).

Additional food service codes and regulations to pay attention to can also be found in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s website. By keeping these measures and food safety as your top priority, you’ll not only keep your guests safe, but you’ll also avoid any fines or fallout that may result from non-compliance.

Preventive Maintenance
Cleaning and maintaining your commercial kitchen is essential. The reason for this is to avoid any costly repairs caused by a lack of regular cleaning. For example, a dirty stove filled with debris, grease, and excess food can pose a fire risk, which can be a costly consequence of not cleaning your appliances regularly.

Take the time to perform regular cleaning of your kitchen equipment, specifically your stoves, refrigerators, fryers, and other appliances that can have leftover food or grease stains. Don’t disregard maintenance, as it can cost your restaurant a significant amount of money and your staff their time.

Uplift Guest Satisfaction
The pandemic has certainly affected the way diners view cleanliness when dining at restaurants. In fact, according to our 2024 Diner Trends Report, 68% of American diners said they would be deterred from visiting a restaurant if it was given a health inspection warning.

On top of this, diners not only expect restaurants to be health and safety compliant, but now they also expect to actually see actual staff cleaning it. According to a Technomic Survey, “89% of diners said having employees visibly cleaning/sanitizing always makes them feel safer.”

In short, putting a conscious and visible effort into maintaining a clean restaurant can improve guest satisfaction by showing that your restaurant cares about guests’ well-being and you are actively working to create a welcoming and clean environment for them to dine at.

Safer Working Conditions For Your Staff
A clean restaurant can be beneficial to contribute to a positive and safer environment for guests, but it can also help do the same for employees. When employees come to work in a clean kitchen space, they are also more inclined to feel their health and safety is being prioritized and won’t be compromised while on the job. This is important because restaurant workers are more vulnerable to cuts, burns, slips, and other injuries than the average worker. Keeping your commercial kitchen clean at all times can contribute to safer working conditions for your staff and ultimately reduce the risk of injury.

How to Do a Deep Clean at Your Restaurant
Restaurant owners and managers are likely well aware of the ServSafe guidelines that state you must wash, rinse, and sanitize all surfaces food comes in contact with, every time you use them. This kind of regular cleaning plays a huge role in getting rid of food and other visible germs left behind on surfaces, utensils, kitchen appliances, the floors, and other areas.

However, a deep clean goes beyond the regular precautions you usually take to keep your restaurant staff and guests safe, and also helps your business to avoid health code violations like cross-contamination.

Now, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and make your restaurant truly sparkle. Here are two options to conduct a deep cleaning of your restaurant.

1. Take the DIY Approach
Times have been tough in the restaurant industry recently, so it’s understandable if you don’t have the extra cash to hire a company to perform a deep clean. And if you want the job done right, you may opt to do it yourself. The good news is that with the right restaurant cleaning supplies, you can take matters into your own rubber-gloved hands, instead of looking to restaurant cleaning services to do the job for you.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) website has a list of more than 600 cleaning products that you can use to conduct a restaurant deep cleaning, which is still critical even in a post-lockdown world. The ingredients are listed beside each product name, as well as a note about how long the solution needs to sit on a surface to disinfect it. Here are a few examples:

Clorox Disinfecting Wipes – 30 seconds
Oxivir™ Wipes – one minute
Ironman Wipes – two minutes
Arm & Hammer Essentials™ Disinfecting Wipes – five minutes
Scrubbing Bubbles® Disinfectant Bathroom Grime Fighter – five minutes
For restaurateurs north of the border, the Government of Canada’s website has its own approved list of restaurant cleaning supplies. The list contains more than 800 hard-surface disinfectants you can use to keep your restaurant clean at all times. It’s similar to the EPA’s list, except it doesn’t mention how long each product needs to sit on a surface to be effective. A good rule of thumb is at least one minute.

Products include:
Lemon Gard
Germal
Spray Nine
Germxtra
Multi San

If you’re looking for more restaurant deep cleaning resources, the National Restaurant Association’s website has a section of hygiene resources and downloads with information on proper hand washing and what you should do if one of your staff or guests shows flu-like symptoms. The Restaurants Canada website also includes health and food safety information about hand washing, cleaning, and disinfecting your venue.

2. Hire a Cleaning Company
If you prefer not getting your hands dirty, and would rather bring an extra set of hands into your restaurant to tackle a deep clean, you’re in luck. There are countless professional restaurant cleaning services you can hire to get the job done.

However, you shouldn’t simply call a cleaner and wash your hands off the task. It’s important to do your homework before you choose from one of the endless number of restaurant cleaning services out there. Here are some tips to find the right people for the job.

Turn to Referrals and Reviews
Ask family, friends, or your social media network for recommendations. You’ll gain more insight from them than from the marketing messages on a cleaning company’s website. Find out how well the cleaner(s) followed directions, what their attention to detail was like, and whether they got the job done in the estimated time.

Look for Experienced, Licensed, and Insured Professionals
Hiring a licensed and insured commercial cleaning company means they’re legally authorized to do the work you need done, and that you won’t be on the hook if something goes wrong in the process that causes damage to your restaurant. Does the commercial cleaning company have experience with deep cleaning a restaurant? Relevant work experience is important, because you don’t want your kitchen to be their first job, since it’s not the cheapest service to get done.

Ask for a Quote with All the Details
Find out whether the products used by the company are approved for use, and can allow you to meet all the set health and safety compliance regulations set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. You should also ask for an estimate of how long they think it’ll take to complete the deep clean, and how much it will cost. You don’t want any surprises, especially if you’re already dishing out money to get a very important job done.

Do a Meet and Greet
Ask someone from the company to stop by your restaurant to help you get a better sense of their approach. This will give them a chance to see the space in person, which can result in a more accurate quote for you. It can also be used as an opportunity to discuss any potential issues or concerns prior to your restaurant’s deep clean.

How to Maintain the Clean
We’ve all wished a freshly scrubbed countertop would stay that way forever. Unfortunately, nothing remains spotless permanently – especially in a commercial kitchen. However, with a regular routine and some effort, you can continue to make the most of your restaurant’s deep clean.

1. Staff Training
Staff training is essential, so all members of your team are trained to maintain the cleanliness of your restaurant. Having a restaurant training manual that outlines all your health and safety procedures can ensure all new and current team members are well-informed. For example, it can contain information regarding when to stay home if staff are unwell, best practices for restaurant cleaning and hygiene, and an overview of government safety standards.

The National Restaurant Association runs the ServSafe Food Handler program, specifically for food handling training. This is a program recognized in most states, but some locations require extra credentials. This program is available online or in-person to teach important food handling measures.

Remember, training your staff should be an ongoing effort, and by providing them with the resources necessary to keep up with their health and safety knowledge, you can make a world of difference in the cleanliness of your establishment.

2. Schedules and Checklists
While proper training is essential to keeping your restaurant clean, implementing structure and organization in your staff’s routine can help put their knowledge and training into practice. Make restaurant cleaning a regular part of your operations by creating a daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning schedule for each section of your restaurant.

Here are tasks that you should include in your restaurant cleaning checklist.

Daily:

Disinfecting and cleaning restaurant tables and chairs between seatings
Disinfecting and cleaning restaurant menus, condiments, and credit card readers after every use (remember, don’t leave anything on tables!)
Wiping down the bar multiple times a day
Wiping high-touch areas like door handles several times a day, as often as possible
Checking restrooms every few hours to ensure they’re clean; if they’re not, clean them immediately, and if they are, scrub them thoroughly once a day at minimum
Cleaning garnish trays and soda stations at closing time
Vacuuming or sweeping/mopping the floor and taking out the trash at closing time

Weekly:

Refilling restaurant sanitizer stations near high-traffic areas
Flushing keg lines and cleaning coffee machines
Wiping down walls and furniture legs
Dusting picture frames, window sills, and baseboards

While it’s important to keep your restaurant clean and organized with your restaurant cleaning checklist. Your kitchen cleaning checklist should be even more comprehensive.

Daily:

Cleaning and sanitizing all food prep areas multiple times a day
Cleaning the stovetop and changing the foil lining
Cleaning the fryer
Washing all tableware
Restocking the hand washing station with soap and paper towel
Cleaning the sinks
Putting kitchen towels and aprons in the laundry, or using a restaurant laundry service
Restocking kitchen towels with fresh ones
Sweeping fridges and storage rooms
Sweeping/mopping the floor and taking out the trash at closing time
Disinfecting the food disposal area and trash cans
Wiping down kitchen equipment like toasters and microwaves
Wiping down walls

Weekly:

Cleaning and sanitizing fridges and freezers, including throwing away old ingredients
Cleaning ovens and changing fryer oil
Cleaning floor drains by flushing them out
Washing walls

Monthly:

Cleaning grease traps
Dusting fridge coils
Cleaning and sanitizing the ice machine and freezer

With the help of a restaurant cleaning checklist and a kitchen cleaning checklist, you and your staff will be better prepared to tackle routine cleaning tasks and maintain the cleanliness of your establishment. Additionally, a restaurant opening and closing checklist can also play a key role to ensure your staff participate in making a conscious effort to maintain a clean restaurant dining space and kitchen.

Now you’re well equipped to keep your restaurant sparkling clean, meet customer’s cleanliness expectations, always comply with health and safety regulations, and more. Happy cleaning!

Source Dana Krook touchbistro.com

How to Fold Napkins

Tabletop presentation is critical for creating a formal table setting. From the charger plates to the decor, no detail is too small. One key but often forgotten element of design is napkins. Napkins are as functional as they can be alluring, and how you fold your napkins plays a critical role in your overall presentation. We’ve provided a guide to how your staff can fold napkins in creative and traditional ways to create an Instagram-worthy tablescape.

Napkin Folding Ideas
We’ve provided 10 creative napkin folding ideas for you to integrate into your restaurant or emerging catering company. Whether you’re training staff on traditional napkin folding styles or creating an elaborate presentation, these ideas will help you create an upscale dining environment.

1. Triangle Napkin Fold
Triangle napkin fold
The triangle napkin fold is a timeless classic in restaurants and other hospitality businesses. You can fold them in advance, squeeze them flat, and then store them standing on their long edges side-by-side. You will need to use a napkin with moderately stiff fabric, otherwise the triangle pyramid won’t stand up on its own.
Fold the napkin into a triangle. The point of the triangle should be facing you.
Create a square by folding each corner under the napkin.
Turn the napkin over.
Fold the top corner of the square down to meet the bottom
Create a pyramid by lifting the center.

2. Christmas Tree Napkin Fold
Tree napkin fold
The Christmas tree napkin fold is perfect for caterers and restaurants promoting holiday dining options. You will need a green square cloth napkin to execute this fold.
Fold the napkin in half twice. It should now be a quarter of its original size.
Set the napkin in a diamond shape, its open corners should face you. Beginning with the top fold, fold each corner up in a descending row.
Flip the top flap upward, then tuck the next flap under. This creates the appearance of Christmas tree branches.
Once you reach the fourth row, tuck the remaining layer under the napkin.

3. Rose Napkin Fold
Rose napkin fold
The rose napkin fold creates an elegant aesthetic in restaurants and is perfect for wedding catering. You will need a square napkin that is either light pink, pink, or red to create the rose fold.
Lay the napkin flat.
Create a triangle by folding it in half diagonally.
Starting at the bottom, roll it up to the top until you reach the halfway point.
Turn the napkin over. The rolls should now be underneath, and the long side should be nearest you. It will resemble a triangle that has two tails.
Roll up the tail edges until they reach each other.
Tuck the open end of the tail into the pocketed space you’ve created at the bottom. The napkin fold will look like a candle.
You will have created flaps, pull these flaps down and open the pillar.
The rose shape is revealed when you turn the napkin over.

4. Heart Napkin Fold
Heart napkin fold
Whether you’re promoting a Valentine’s Day event or want to create a cutesy aesthetic in your cafe year-round, the heart napkin fold is sure to impress. You will need a red square napkin to create the heart fold.
Vertically fold the napkin in half.
Repeat the first step.
Fold the right side of the napkin vertically and then do the same on the left.
Create the top of the heart by tucking the center flaps under.
To finalize the heart shape, tuck the corner flaps underneath.

5. Bow Tie Napkin Fold
Bow napkin fold
A bow tie design adds both elegance and a touch of playfulness to any table. You will need a dinner napkin in your color choice to create this fold.
Spread the dinner napkin flat.
Fold the opposite sides of the napkin, causing them to meet at the center.
Fold horizontally at the center. This will create a ribbon shape.
Fold the short ends of the napkin. They must meet at the center.
Tie the middle with the ribbon of your choice. If the napkin will be used purely decoratively, glue the ribbon at the back.

6. Fan Napkin Fold
Fan napkin fold
The fan napkin fold is an excellent choice for fine dining establishments. You will need well-pressed napkins made from stiffer material to create the fan fold.
Place your napkin face-side down on a flat surface.
Fold the napkin in half vertically. Once the seams are aligned, smooth them out.
Next, create accordion folds. You will start at the bottom of the napkin and create a series of long, narrow folds by folding the napkin under by two inches and then up by two inches. Repeat this process until you are four to five inches from the top. Smooth after each fold.
Gently flip the napkin over so the folds are underneath. The folds will run horizontally across the bottom. Remove any wrinkles from the napkin by smoothing them out.
Grab the right side of the napkin and fold it in half lengthwise to the left side. To do this, you must grip the accordion folds to prevent them from coming undone.
Turn the napkin one-quarter clockwise. The folds should now run vertically down the left side of the napkin.
Create a triangle shape by folding the top right corner of the napkin down towards the accordion section and tucking the new corner into the center of the folds. Even out the triangle by aligning the bottom seams.
Stand the napkin upright so the bottom seams form the triangle’s base. The triangle’s tip should be directly behind the fan and facing away from you.
With the fan in this closed, vertical position, gently open up the accordion folds. This will create the desired fan shape.
Use the triangle to make the fan stand upright.

7. Angled Pocket Napkin Fold
Pocket napkin fold
The angled pocket napkin fold can hold cutlery, a printed menu, or a place card, making it both an attractive and functional style. You will need a square dinner napkin and flatware to perform this fold. Optionally, you can include a printed menu or place card for a catered event.
Start by folding the square dinner napkin in half.
Fold the halved napkin into quarters.
Take the open corner’s top layer and make it meet with the opposite corner.
Turn the napkin over and then fold it into thirds. Once complete, turn it back over.
Add your cutlery to the pocket along with your menu or place card if applicable.

8. Envelope Napkin Fold
Envelope napkin fold
The envelope napkin fold is far less time-consuming than many others listed while still providing an elegant presentation. It also acts as the perfect package for a party favor or printed menu. To create this fold, you will need a square napkin and whatever items you want to add to the envelope.
Create a triangle by folding a square napkin from corner to corner.
Tuck in both pointed ends. Repeat.
Create the envelope by tucking the top flap in.

9. Knot Napkin Fold
Knot napkin fold
Another simple yet elegant option, the knot napkin fold is easy to create. Choose the square dinner napkin of your choice to get started.
Flatten the napkin.
Gather the top left and bottom right corners of the napkin.
Tuck the corners into the center of the bundle.
Tie the napkin into a knot. How tight or loose you make the knot depends on your desired aesthetic.

10. Drape Napkin Fold
Drape napkin fold
Perfect for formal occasions, the drape napkin fold works best for showcasing a highly decorated or monogrammed napkin. Follow these simple steps to create the drape napkin fold.
Flatten your napkin so its design is on the underside of the bottom right corner.
Fold the left half of the napkin over the right half.
Fold the napkin in half from the bottom to the top.
Rotate the napkin so the design appears at the bottom. It should now form a diamond shape.
Flip the napkin over, then fold the top corner one-third of the way down.
Form a diamond by folding the right and left corners at an angle.
Turn the napkin over before arranging it on the table.

Source webstaurantstore.com

Ways to Honor Veterans and Their Families at Your Restaurant for Memorial Day
As Memorial Day approaches, it’s the perfect time to show your appreciation and gratitude to the brave men and women who have served in the armed forces. Many businesses and individuals are looking for meaningful ways to honor veterans and their families, and as a restaurant owner, you have a unique opportunity to make a positive impact. By offering special promotions, events, and discounts, you can create a warm and welcoming atmosphere for those who have sacrificed so much for our country.

Offer Veterans Meals and Discounts
One of the most meaningful ways to honor veterans and their families at your restaurant is to offer special discounts or complimentary meals on Memorial Day. This small gesture can go a long way in showing your appreciation for their service and sacrifice. By providing a token of gratitude, you are not only giving back to those who have given so much, but you are also fostering a sense of community and unity within your restaurant.

Host a Memorial Day Fundraiser
In addition to offering special discounts, consider hosting a special event or fundraiser in honor of veterans and their families. This could include a charity dinner, where a portion of the proceeds goes to support veterans’ organizations, or a special menu featuring dishes inspired by military traditions. By creating a unique and meaningful experience, you can bring people together to celebrate and honor the sacrifices made by our veterans.

Decorate with Patriotic Themes
Another meaningful way to honor veterans and their families at your restaurant is to create a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere. Consider decorating your restaurant with patriotic themes, playing music that honors our military, and creating a sense of warmth and hospitality for those who have served. By doing so, you are not only honoring veterans and their families, but you are also creating a positive and uplifting dining experience for all of your customers.

Partner with Local Veterans Organizations
Consider reaching out to local veterans’ organizations and military support groups to see how you can best support their efforts. By partnering with these organizations, you can gain valuable insight into the needs and preferences of veterans and their families and tailor your offerings to best accommodate them.

Source Melanie Green packnwood.com

Food and Beverage

Michelin-Starred Chef to Take Cuisine to the Upper Atmosphere
Spaceship Neptune passengers will enjoy an immersive dining experience in the stratosphere.

COPENHAGEN (AP) — Ever since humans have journeyed to space, their meals there have proved to be, well, nothing to write home about.

But that could change after a Michelin-starred chef teamed up with the Florida-based startup Space Perspective to take fine-dining to our upper atmosphere in late 2025.

Six guests are set to ascend aboard Spaceship Neptune to the stratosphere, where they will enjoy an immersive dining experience served up by Danish Michelin-starred chef Rasmus Munk.

Munk, 33, will travel with the guests and serve the meal himself, from a small kitchen. He says his menu will be inspired by the impact of space innovation.

“We want to tell stories through the food,” Munk says. “We … want to talk and highlight some of the research that’s been done through the last 60 years.”

“I think that will make an even stronger impact when you’re up there and looking down,” added Munk, who will fly with the six ticket buyers.

Spaceship Neptune is more of a balloon than a rocket. The company says its pressurized capsule, attached to a balloon, will lift to an altitude of around 100,000 feet (30,480 meters) above sea level where guests will dine while watching the sun rise over the curvature of the Earth.

Organizers are promising an out-of-this-world experience for those with an appetite for adventure. But such an astronomic menu comes with a fittingly astronomic price tag — $495,000 per ticket.

Organizers say the trip will last six hours and that they are they are still in discussion with potential participants.

It’s one of the latest offerings by private firms that include Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and SpaceX.

The flight won’t technically reach “space” — Spaceship Neptune will ascend to around 19 miles (30 kilometers), well below the Karman line, the boundary separating Earth’s atmosphere and outer space, which is some 62 miles (100 kilometers) from Earth.

Munk’s menu is expected to be a far cry from meals eaten by past and present astronauts.

The first man in space, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, squeezed beef and liver paste into his mouth from an aluminum tube.

To save on weight, astronauts aboard the International Space Station usually dine on dishes packaged in rehydratable containers, including soups and casseroles.

There have been some exceptions. In 2006, French master chef Alain Ducasse created special gourmet food that could be used for celebratory meals aboard the ISS. The tinned dishes included typical Mediterranean ingredients, such as olives, tomatoes, quails and swordfish.

Though Munk is mysterious about his menu, he says he’s planning to incorporate glow-in-dark stars made from aerogel and jellyfish protein.

“We are also working on an edible piece of space junk from a satellite,” he said.

“And then, we want to talk about some of the things going on on the planet … from deforestation to temperatures rising and the garbage in our seas,” he added.

Munk’s Alchemist restaurant in Copenhagen, the Danish capital, has held two Michelin stars since 2020, and last year was ranked fifth best restaurant in the world.

Guests dine on a menu of 50 edible “impressions,” and the experience is accompanied by performers and installations, all set in the restaurant’s own architecture — a former theater set

National Restaurant Association Show expands educational sessions
The prospect of learning from the experts continues to capture my interest

With the National Restaurant Association Show starting May 18, I’m getting myself ready for the trip from Dallas to Chicago to meet with operators, to ask them what they are looking for among the expansive exhibits, and, of course, to attend some of the educational sessions.

The show’s education sessions run for the duration of the show — Saturday, May 18, through Tuesday, May 21 —in what show organizers tout as an expanded track for all aspects of the restaurant business.

The schedule of educational sessions is provided at the National Restaurant Association Show website. https://www.nationalrestaurantshow.com/education

Topics, addressed by operators and experts, range from conquering high turnover rates among employees to technology’s pivotal role in the U.S. restaurant industry.

I’m especially interested in the session on “The Disappearing Dayparts” and changing consumer behaviors, which will no doubt touch on indulgence and snacking. I’m a snacker.

I will be hanging around the Nation’s Restaurant News booth (No. 6001 in the North Hall, for those keeping track of the geography). I look forward to meeting you.

Contact Ron Ruggless at Ronald.Ruggless@Informa.com

Source nrn.com

Raydiant Announces Live Podcast Series for National Restaurant Association Show
Raydiant, the leading in-location experience operating system, announced its participation in The National Restaurant Association Show 2024, which will deliver an epic experience for attendees. In addition to showcasing its innovative restaurant solutions, Raydiant has an exciting lineup of activities and special guests at its booth.

Raydiant has assembled an all-star cast of successful restaurant leaders from renowned brands such as Big Chicken, Square, Crazy Pita, and BurgerFi. These industry experts will be available at the Raydiant booth, acting as consultants and sharing their valuable insights with attendees. This unique opportunity allows restaurant owners and executives to engage with and learn from some of the most prominent figures in the business.

Furthermore, Raydiant will be hosting a live podcast series directly from its booth, featuring an impressive roster of guests, including:

● Michael Chachula, Chief Information Officer – CIO | CTO at FAT Brands

● Erin Newkirk, Chief Brand & Marketing Officer at Caribou Coffee

● Amy Chaffin, Vice President Foodservice and On Premise Channel Strategy and Planning at The Coca-Cola Company

● Jason Mceachern, CIO of Big Chicken

● Chris Treloar, CEO of PLNT Burger

● Trey Dyer, CEO of Mesero Restaurant Group

Bobby Marhamat, CEO of Raydiant, will host the live podcast sessions, providing attendees with a rare chance to gain valuable insights and learn from the best in the business.

“We are incredibly excited to bring this epic experience to The National Restaurant Association Show,” said Ryan Helmstetler, VP of Marketing of Raydiant. “By bringing together industry leaders and experts, we aim to create a platform for knowledge sharing and networking that will empower restaurant owners and executives to take their businesses to the next level.”

Visit the Raydiant booth at The National Restaurant Association Show 2023 to participate in this extraordinary experience, engage with industry leaders, and discover how Raydiant’s solutions can revolutionize your restaurant operations. Learn more at https://inbound.raydiant.com/nra-2024

Source qsrmagazine.com

HVAC and Plumbing

Trane Project Wins Energy Innovation Award
Manufacturer played crucial role in helping State of New Mexico achieve emissions reduction and resiliency goals.

Davidson, NC, April 23, 2024 – Trane Technologies has received “Top Project of the Year Award for Energy Innovation” in the 2024 Environment+Energy Leader (E+E Leader) Award program for its decarbonization-focused program with the State of New Mexico.

Trane played a crucial role in helping the State of New Mexico achieve their emissions reduction and resiliency goals through a comprehensive program supporting the modernization of state-owned buildings and implementing renewable infrastructure. Using its expertise in both facilities and energy, Trane implemented innovative solutions to help enhance comfort, reduce energy consumption and support the state’s climate action plans.

The program involved upgrading HVAC systems to ultra-efficient models and implementing smart building controls. Additionally, Trane incorporated renewable distributed energy resources– including rooftop solar installations — to generate clean, renewable energy. These measures not only improved the comfort of staff and visitors but also contributed to the state’s economic and environmental goals.

Trane has enjoyed a 30+-year collaboration with the state, making them a natural and trusted choice for this project. Utilizing Trane’s services, the state was able to address deferred maintenance costs, reduce emissions and create more sustainable and resilient building infrastructure.

“When the project was announced May of 2022, it was New Mexico’s largest renewable energy project at the time,” said Andy Merrill, vice president, Energy Services at Trane Technologies. “We are proud to have played an important part in helping the State reach its 2050 net-zero carbon emissions goal. We are equally delighted that our innovative collaboration has earned a place on the E+E Leader list.”

Get more details about the winning project on trane.com: The State of New Mexico’s “State Buildings Green Energy Project”

Project Highlights
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico

Industry: Local Government

Products Used: Chillers, Energy Storage, Controls, Packaged Rooftop Solutions,

Services Used: Energy Efficiency Contracting, Renewable Distributed Energy Resources, Energy Savings Performance Contracting, Energy Management & Controls, HVAC Services,

Topic: Decarbonization, Efficiency, Energy Services, Financial Solutions, Products and Solutions , Solar,

$1.1 MillionAnnual Energy Costs Saved
7,400 Metric TonsGreenhouse Gas Emissions Offset Annually
5.1M GallonsWater Conserved Annually
6 Megawatt-hoursRenewable Energy Generated Annually

Source hpac.com

Tackling operational challenges and supplier development
Keys to optimizing efficiency and improve margins in 2024.

Staying competitive as a distributor is no easy feat in today’s industry environment. Distributors face challenges from all sides:

Shrinking profit margins due to intense competition
Supply chain uncertainty and delays, particularly in the aftermath of the global pandemic
The sharp rise of ecommerce activity
The impact of natural disasters and war
When the challenges coming at you are difficult to predict and control, it’s critical to look inward: How can you optimize and improve to be more efficient, improve margins and stay strong on the playing field?

Two practical and effective areas to address are operational challenges and supplier development and management.

Operational challenges
Given today’s industry conditions, operational challenges tend to fall into three categories: Inventory optimization, ecommerce and digitization of distribution business, and growing customer expectations and competition.

1. Inventory optimization
Inventory is your largest asset and a perfect target for optimization. There are two effective ways to optimize inventory: inventory stratification and network optimization.

Inventory stratification addresses inventory challenges at the individual process level. It involves segmenting inventory into categories according to multiple criteria, so you can make strategic decisions about what to stock and how much. For a comprehensive and effective approach, you can use the inventory stratification method developed by Texas A&M University’s Global Supply Chain Laboratory.

From there, you can use data to forecast demand, determine the best re-order points and create an optimal replenishment strategy.

Network optimization addresses inventory challenges at the system level with the aim of improving overall operations. You look beyond inventory to the overall cost of operations, considering conditions such as transportation cost, customer demand, supplier locations, cost of warehousing, etc. With this, you can determine the most appropriate inventory type and quantity for each location.

Additionally, distributors can use key performance indicators (KPIs) in areas such as operations, customer service and finance to benchmark their performance and operations against other companies.

When you optimize inventory in this way, you can work toward carrying your most profitable items, stocking inventory that brings the most value to your customers and minimizing the cost of overall operations.

2. eCommerce and digitization
eCommerce and the digitization of the sales process have greatly accelerated since the start of the pandemic in 2020. Distributors are asking themselves how to address this, how much technology to adopt, and how they can sell products digitally and provide the same level of customer experience.

When it comes to this challenge, distributors shouldn’t seek to overcome – they should seek to embrace. They should adapt using technology to enable great customer experiences digitally, as with ecommerce, video conferencing, virtual reality (VR) tools and augmented reality (AR) tools.

The value of getting on board is that you don’t get left behind – and lose your customers to competition that does go digital. You will also gain capabilities that allow you to be more efficient and profitable overall.

It’s more important than ever to achieve channel alignment and partner with strong brands and reliable suppliers. Supplier selection, development and management should be handled strategically.

3. Growing customer expectations and competition
Customers are leaning into digital experiences, driving the need for distributors to adapt and meet them in the middle. On the other hand, competition in the ecommerce space is constantly seeking ways to edge into distributors’ territory. For instance, ecommerce players are building their own brick-and-mortar facilities. This is raising the stakes for performance in both arenas, and distributors must find ways to differentiate and compete. Distributors should offer online selling options while offering the same customer experience in other services, such as fast and reliable shipping options, credit and inventory management services, and customized technical solutions to customer needs. If distributors don’t work to meet customers where they are, their competitors will.

Facing these three operational challenges with a strategy to optimize will help you to become more profitable and provide excellent customer service. You’ll have a more appropriate inventory, provide the experiences customers prefer and have a grasp on your KPIs to better manage operations across the board.

Supplier development and management
Today, your supply chain plays a major role in your performance and competitiveness. It’s more important than ever to achieve channel alignment and partner with strong brands and reliable suppliers. Supplier selection, development and management should be handled strategically.

To start, apply a supplier stratification methodology, such as that developed by the Global Supply Chain Laboratory researchers at Texas A&M University. With supplier stratification, you segment suppliers into categories based on specific criteria, such as profitability, supplier performance scorecard rating, loyalty, brand image and support services. This will provide clarity around which are core suppliers, which have potential to become core suppliers with supplier development and which are actually a drain on your resources.

Next, consider how ways to further diversify your suppliers. A lean approach to the supply chain is not sustainable today. It creates more vulnerability and risk. Given the volatility and disruptive nature of the supply chain, supplier diversification is more secure and competitive. It:

Reduces the risk of single-point failure in the supply chain
Allows for the business to scale with growth
Allows distributors to diversify inventory options
Can reduce lead times and shipping costs depending on the location of suppliers
Contribute to improved negotiations around pricing and support services with suppliers
There are multiple strategies for diversifying your supply base, including:

Sourcing from multiple suppliers, which could vary by location, account, etc.
Taking a multi-echelon approach with multi-channel diversification, creating options not only for inventory but also for other supply chain services such as transportation.
Identifying and building relationships with backup suppliers to reduce the impact of disruption caused by failure of primary suppliers.
Before you execute a strategy, it helps to have criteria by which to evaluate and select suppliers. Here, you can evaluate based on cost, cost of doing business, types of services they provide, their tenure in the industry, their level of commitment, etc.

A note about criteria for evaluating optimization opportunities
The appropriate criteria and acceptable costs for evaluating operations and suppliers will vary from one unique business and industry to another. For instance, logistics in building materials are often more complex and expensive than in electronics. Further, certain industries must comply with strict regulations and must take those into consideration. You don’t want to change suppliers or reduce inventory in such a way that ends up compromising operations.

Research from Texas A&M University’s Global Supply Chain Lab has shown that best practice implementation in inventory optimization and supplier management can help realize improvements to EBITDA by as much as 4% and double Return on Net Assets (RONA).

Source supplyht.com

CO₂ Refrigeration the ‘Coolest Competitor’ at 2022 Beijing Olympics
CO2 refrigeration has proven to be an effective solution in multiple use cases. Recently, R-744 found itself on the grandest athletic stage of them all – the 2022 Beijing Olympics – where it earned a proverbial gold medal for its cooling performance, efficiency, and sustainability.

A Worldwide Commitment to Climate Action
The Beijing Organizing Committee, in conjunction with the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework, established two overarching goals entering the event: To set a clear trajectory for sports communities to combat climate change and to use sports as a unifying tool among citizens worldwide for climate action. After exhaustive research, transcritical CO2 systems were selected for their efficiency, performance, and sustainability. The 2022 event marks the first time in history a CO2 refrigeration system was used to create ice at the Winter Olympics.

Four ice rinks at the 2022 Beijing Olympics utilized CO2 systems, including the National Speed Skating Oval, Capital Indoor Stadium, Capital Short Track Speed Skating Training Hall, and Wukesong Ice Hockey Training Hall.

CO2 refrigeration operates with a cooling efficiency that is 1.2 times higher than traditional hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants and can maintain a temperature consistency of 0.5°C or less across all ice surfaces, keeping the surface smooth.

By opting for CO2 refrigeration, the Olympics’ sustainability efforts would have the equivalent carbon effects of 3,900 automobiles off the road or the planting 1.2 million trees.

“The Olympic Games are first and foremost a sporting event, but with their global visibility, they also provide an important platform to showcase sustainable solutions,” said Marie Sallois, IOC director for sustainability, in a press release.

Beijing Olympics.
HIGHLY EFFICIENT: CO2 refrigeration operates with a cooling efficiency that is 1.2 times higher than traditional hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants and can maintain a temperature consistency of 0.5°C or less across all ice surfaces. (Courtesy of Unsplash)

Transcritical CO2 Refrigeration
CIMCO Refrigeration, a refrigeration contractor based in Burlington, Ontario, Canada, served as a consultant for the Olympics. Based on the company’s expertise, it recommended 1,000 TR, based on 5°F suction and 100°F condensing. These transcritical CO2 systems included:

Six skids, each with six compressors, providing approximately 190 TR at minus 18°C SST and 38°C SCT;
Six adiabatic gas coolers, one per skid;
Four CO2 re-circulator vessel packages, each complete with two CO2 pumps;
Vessels connected to common suction and common liquid drains;
A floor design consisting of 10 refrigerated floor zones, including two track zones and two arenas with dedicated pumping systems. The other six zones connected into two pumping systems but with individual zone valves and temperature control; and
A floor network constructed of stainless 20-mm (3/4-inch) pipe and stainless headers sized to the flow rate.

Attention to Detail
When installing or commissioning a CO2 refrigeration ice system, Jason Hill, training, development, and commissioning with CIMCO, creates a checklist.

“It’s always electrical first,” said Hill on the Refrigeration Mentor podcast. “We first ensure the electrical connections are tight – even if the unit is coming directly from the manufacturer, because these systems come from hundreds of miles away. Then, it’s dry testing, making sure everything is stroking the way it should, checking bolts, examining compressor connections, conducting pressure testing, etc. And always have another guy with you to double- and triple-check everything on your checklist, including triple evacuation, putting in the initial filters and drier cores, ensuring strainers are clean, etc., because you can never be too safe.”

When it comes time to lay and maintain the ice, ambient and surface temperatures are crucially important.

“To start making ice, we need the slab temperature to be around 16°-19°F,” Hill said. “When you get to the site, if the ambient conditions are slightly different than whatever was uploaded at the factory, you may have to make a minor tweak. Make sure you know which bottles are vapor and liquid and weigh them so you know exactly how much you’re putting in the system.”

Beijing Olympics.
BE IN CONTROL: Pay close attention during testing to ensure controls are set up properly. (Courtesy of Unsplash)

Setting up and managing the controls of a CO2 system is important as well. It’s important to pay close attention during testing to ensure everything is operating as planned.

“We rely on the manufacturers’ set points, and we’ll always confirm the software matches and has received the latest updates,” said Hill. “Each system has unique controllers — they’re not going to be the same on any two systems. For example, with gas coolers, there are oftentimes two controllers — one for the fans and one for the water — and each has to be set up to make sure everything’s working properly. With the fans, you need to know the performance temperature at 30%, 70%, etc. And for the water, you need to know when the solenoid should open – these are things you must learn through testing.”

CO2 transcritical ice rinks are chock full of unique challenges and hurdles, and Hill said it’s important for techs to be aware of these before ever stepping on the job.

“These are very different projects than synthetic packages or ammonia systems – we’re hitting temperatures I’ve never seen before,” Hill said. “The average supply and return temps are 12°-19°F. A 12° supply will typically have a Delta of 4°, so that’s a 16° return. But some of the CO2 rinks we’ve dealt with are getting down to 6°F, which is going to give you a 11°-12° return.

“Every hour or hour and a half, a flood is occurring on the surface, and you have to ensure the ice sets up properly – not too quick or too slow,” continued Hill. “Getting it just right is a challenge – it’s like an art.”

Even with all of his experience, Hill always expects the unexpected.

“I’ve been in the industry quite a while, and nearly every day, I see something on these packages that makes me go, ‘wow,’” he said. “And I like that kind of stuff because it keeps me from getting bored. You learn something new on every project, which is pretty cool.”

CO2 refrigeration is new to many HVAC contractors, and Hill encourages apprentices and rookies to be as curious as possible when learning on the job.

“If a tech has any questions, they shouldn’t hesitate to ask them,” said Hill. “If they don’t understand what this does, that does, or how things differ on a particular package — they need to know it’s OK to ask questions. Pick the brains of the guys who are there and do some research afterward. Study the manual when you get back to your hotel room. Learn how things work and what they’re designed to do. You’ll be better off because of it.”

Source achrnews.com

IoT and Controls Engineering

Safety, Service and Sustainability: How Connected Equipment Offers Retailers a Competitive Advantage
In a pharmacy in Seattle, when the temperature in its drug storage refrigerator falls below protocols, an automated alert warns the store manager before temperature-critical medicines spoil.

In a clothing store in Phoenix, the AC automatically adjusts to keep customers comfortable and lingering longer, happily trying on sweaters in the store’s new fall collection despite the blistering 100-degree late-summer day.

In Austin, a hardware store is getting paid to help the city reduce its energy consumption during an extremely hot period by participating in its utility’s demand response program. By using an AI-enabled software solution to pre-cool the store before a planned energy reduction, the retailer ensures the event doesn’t impact customer comfort.

These three examples are based on multiple real-life scenarios that illustrate how advances in technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), can empower retail facility managers to improve their oversight of critical equipment, including lighting, HVAC, refrigeration and more. Through IoT, these managers can seamlessly maintain safer, more service-friendly, energy- and cost-efficient environments by accessing data from the cloud and gaining remote, real-time visibility into their equipment across multiple locations. This enables an “S3” strategy that improves the Safety, Service and Sustainability of their multi-site retail operations and impacts their top and bottom lines.

Safety: Ensure the Well-Being of Customers and Staff
IoT automates a retail store’s lighting at various times of the day, always ensuring that the store is bright and inviting so customers are encouraged to browse and linger during business hours and employees can work comfortably and safely. When the store is closed, lights go off to reduce energy bills — regardless of whether staff check every switch before they lock the door.

Connected technologies also distribute consistent safety protocols across a multi-site retail enterprise. Since the pandemic, providing alerts and automated checklists offsets the “cognitive overload” that has become a growing challenge among workers. Automated lists also reduce the stress employees may feel when having to remember many different cleaning and safety procedures. The data from these IoT solutions allows store managers to recognize when defined processes aren’t followed so that issues can be resolved swiftly.

IoT provides important oversight for retail sectors that require refrigeration to keep products cool, such as vaccines or other temperature-critical medicines in a pharmacy. IoT monitors the equipment’s temperatures and flags issues before products are damaged.

Smart technologies also streamline a retailer’s ability to enhance the well-being of customers and staff by improving air quality. For example, stores can integrate ultraviolet (UV) air cleaning technologies into their HVAC systems and use IoT to control both simultaneously. Another example is a connected filtration system, which automatically recognizes when filters need replacing to maintain a healthy environment.

Service: Optimize Equipment Maintenance and Improve Customer Experiences
Multi-site retail operations distributed across a large geographic area rely on IoT to remotely monitor equipment performance and avoid problems before equipment fails. Proactive vs. reactive repairs are not only three times less costly, but they also help extend the life of expensive, mission-critical machines.

Remote automated HVAC controls allow retailers to establish consistent temperature set points that accommodate weather conditions in each store location. Temperatures during business hours are set to keep staff and guests comfortable. Temperature setbacks are scheduled when buildings are unoccupied, reducing energy consumption. One national discount brand has saved more than $2 million in energy costs year over year, mainly by following this approach.

Sustainability: Reduce an Organization’s Carbon Footprint and Energy Costs
Energy is the fourth-largest in-store operating cost for U.S. retailers. When retailers drive spending and usage down, they also improve their sustainability. IoT platforms help make this possible. For example, one national cosmetics retailer with 195 locations established a robust IoT program that reduced energy expenditures by $215,000 each year while lowering its energy consumption by 23%.

Layering AI-enabled technology onto an IoT platform reduces electricity demand charges for a retail store by automatically synchronizing the run times of HVAC equipment. This capability delivers significant energy savings because, unlike energy charges that are based on the total amount of energy consumed over time, demand charges are based on peak power usage during a particular interval and are often 30% of an energy bill.

The data derived from AI-enabled IoT identifies which HVAC units perform in the most energy-effective manner. This allows retailers to prioritize their use to optimize energy consumption reduction and realize savings. When equipment needs to be replaced, that data also helps facility managers make informed decisions on the most energy-efficient upgrades.
Extending the life of HVAC equipment reduces the carbon intensity of producing, shipping and installing new equipment. It also keeps the original equipment out of landfills longer.

IoT solutions allow retailers to support communitywide sustainability and reap the financial benefits of participating in their utility’s demand response programs in ways that don’t impact customers. During peak demand periods, utilities notify participants of a planned reduction in energy usage. AI-enabled IoT platforms can be programmed to establish cooling periods before and after the planned reduction period so that stores remain consistently comfortable for shoppers.

In this era of socially conscious consumers, it’s more important than ever to conserve energy and resources, especially for retailers eager to align their brands with a commitment to sustainability. What’s more, when major retailers prepare for an initial public offering (IPO), their investors often analyze their support of environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance to gauge risks and growth opportunities. Fortunately, the analytics derived from IoT-enabled technologies help retailers report their progress toward ESG goals and reinforce their perception as an environmentally friendly brand.

A Smart Strategy that’s Good for the Planet too
For all the reasons outlined, establishing a robust IoT strategy provides retailers with a more cost- and energy-efficient approach to managing their facility operations, which enables more sustainable, environmentally friendly practices. Small wonder that more retail executives are discovering the Safety, Service, and Sustainability benefits of moving toward an “S3” strategy. What’s good for the planet is also good for the health of their brands.

Source Jay Fiske retailtouchpoints.com

30 Internet of Things Examples You Should Know
Check out these IoT examples across various industries.

From smart cities and cars to smart stethoscopes and dog collars, Internet of Things (IoT) examples are becoming more commonplace every day.

Former Google and Alphabet executive chairman Eric Schmidt made this bold IoT prediction during a panel at the World Economic Forum back in 2015: “[T]he Internet will disappear. There will be so many IP addresses, so many devices, sensors, things that you are wearing, things that you are interacting with, that you won’t even sense it. It will be part of your presence all the time.”

We’re not there yet, but we could be soon. With the number of connected devices expected to reach 27 billion by 2025, consumers will undoubtedly encounter IoT devices. To help understand how IoT works and how connected we really are, let’s take a look at real-life Internet of Things examples and the companies behind them.

Top Internet-of-Things (IoT) Examples to Know
Connected cars.
Smart appliances.
Connected security systems.
Smart agriculture equipment.
Connected retail.
Connected healthcare monitors.
Connected manufacturing equipment.
Connected cities.

Connected Cars and IoT
1. Audi’s connect® System
Audi drivers can choose from a slate of Audi connect® plans, which offer various connectivity features for Audi vehicles. With this IoT system, drivers can receive their EV’s charging status, control a vehicle’s interior temperature and review data on their driving behavior — all from their phone. Audi has doubled down on connectivity by forming a partnership with Cisco to keep its connected vehicles secure.

2. IoT Fleet Tracking from Zubie
Zubie offers real-time GPS for rent and business fleet tracking while monitoring vehicle health and driver performance. If a driver is in the habit of braking hard or accelerating rapidly, that information can be used to track maintenance and avoid potential accidents as well as increase fuel efficiency.

3. Tesla’s Connectivity Service
While Tesla is known for making strides in the electric vehicle market, connectivity plays a big part in Tesla’s cars too. All cars come with connectivity features that provide access to features through Wi-Fi only, in addition to basic maps, navigation and music streaming. Users can purchase Tesla’s Premium Connectivity to access all connectivity features through cellular data as well as Wi-Fi.

Tesla also gives drivers the option to connect to their vehicle through the Tesla app, which can access the vehicle’s charging history and climate controls and be used to schedule service and roadside assistance.

Smart Home Appliances and IoT
4. LG Electronics’ ThinQ Appliances
LG Electronics offers home appliances, consumer electronics and B2B solutions, as well as products ranging from digital signage and air conditioning to solar and vehicle components. LG’s ThinQ line of appliances incorporates machine learning and can easily connect to Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa. LG’s ThinQ app can also be used to connect to devices — and devices will notify you when maintenance is needed. Users can choose from smart appliances like refrigerators, washers, dryers and ovens.

5. Samsung Electronics’ Smart Appliances
While Samsung may be a recognizable name for its mobile devices, the electronics company also offers smart home appliances and TVs. Samsung products use seamless integration to allow users to connect phones, tablets and computers easily to one another. Samsung’s connected appliances can also be accessed through a mobile device where users can schedule cleanings with the Jet Cordless Stick Vacuum or get notifications when the fridge door is left open.

6. Energy-Saving Appliances From Electrolux
Electrolux is a home appliance company offering fridges, ovens, washers, dryers and more. Founded in 1919, Electrolux designs its products to be sustainable by using sensor technology that prevents excessive energy use in dryers and fridges. As a result, the company has improved its products’ energy efficiency by 12.6 percent since 2015.

7. Tovala’s Smart Oven
Tovala pairs its smart oven with a meal-kit delivery subscription service to provide users with an effortless, mess-free way to cook food. Tovala’s smart oven works by scanning QR or bar codes and connecting to Wi-Fi, which it then uses to determine the best temperature and time to cook the food to avoid undercooking or burning.

Connected Security and IoT
8. Wyze’s Smart Security Cameras
Wyze makes a wide range of IoT-controlled devices and appliances to help people control the products they interact with more seamlessly. Wyze’s smart security cameras offer both wired and wireless options and can be stacked on top of each other to provide more coverage. The Wyze app can connect to any of the company’s devices so users can view video feeds when they are away from home.

9. Josh.ai’s Integrated IoT System
Josh.ai provides voice-controlled home automation that can connect to a variety of devices. The voice-based Josh OS can connect to smart devices like phones, watches, TVs and tablets. The options for home security range from doorbell cameras and door locks to ceiling and outdoor cameras. The Josh app lets users control their devices remotely.

10. IoT Security Systems from Verkada
Verkada operates a connected, around-the-clock security system that includes a variety of security cameras available in different sizes and configurations, as well as environmental sensors, integrated alarm panels and access control devices like door controllers, camera intercoms and door readers. Each Verkada device is controllable through the company’s Command platform, which delivers actionable insights in real time and automatic updates to all cloud-connected devices.

11. SimpliSafe’s Glass Break Sensors
SimpliSafe makes wireless and cellular home security systems that are disaster-ready, protected against power outages, operate on extra-secure networks and employ deep encryption. The company’s Glass Break Sensors can differentiate between types of shattering — say, a broken bottle versus a broken window pane.

12. Eyelock’s NanoIXT Security System
Eyelock creates iris-based identity authentication technology. Its suite of IoT products serves the automotive, financial, retail, mobile and healthcare sectors. Eyelock’s nanoIXT is a security system that can authenticate 30 people per minute. Designed for controlled access environments, the nanoIXT is equipped with verbal, multi-language support and auto-tilt cameras for scanning facial features and irises.

Smart Agriculture and IoT
13. John Deere’s Precision Farming Equipment
John Deere acquired tech startup Blue River Technology in 2017 to further the company’s goal of applying IoT and machine learning to agriculture. Deere’s equipment monitors important agricultural factors like moisture levels, air and soil temperature and wind speed and relays the collected data to farmers. The company’s tractors and other equipment are outfitted with satellite-connected guidance and tracking systems that collect data allowing for what’s called “precision farming,” which greatly increases the efficiency of fertilizers and pesticides.

14. IoT Herd Tracking from HerdDogg
HerdDogg makes lightweight sensors that are attached to the ears of herd animals to collect herd data and transmit it to the cloud, where it can then be accessed via the company’s app. HerdDogg also offers a drone that taps into the GPS location of herd animals so farmers and ranchers can oversee their herds remotely.

15. AGCO Corporation’s Smart Farming Platform
AGCO has developed a smart farming platform called Fuse, which enables farmers to digitize daily processes. The platform contains a number of mobile tools for managing fleets, making operations more productive and informing decisions, among other uses. For example, the Connect mobile app compiles equipment data, so farmers can spot inefficiencies and implement changes to improve machines’ performance.

Connected Retail and IoT
16. IoT Price Predictions from Engage3
Engage3’s Price Image tool helps retailers set prices and evaluate competitive costs by using machine learning to combine in-store audits, web scraping and point-of-sales data. Its platform provides predictive analytics, historical pricing data and a product database containing millions of UPCs and billions of annual price updates.

17. Enevo’s Waste Management Sensors
Enevo uses IoT-enabled container sensors to manage waste and recycling services for a variety of sectors, including retail. The company’s sensors collect dumpster data that can then be compared with collection schedules so waste haulers can’t bill customers for collections that weren’t made.

18. Spectralink’s Mobile IoT Devices
Spectralink uses IoT-linked technology to help mobile workers improve customer care, operational efficiency, omnichannel sales and sales associate knowledge. The company provides solutions for retailers to equip mobile workers, like delivery drivers, with devices and apps that are connected to its AMIE platform. Spectralink’s AMIE provides a central location to manage deployment, analytics and diagnostics as well as alert users when issues arise.

19. Zippin’s Checkout-free Technology
Zippin employs an ecosystem of sensors, cameras and check-in kiosks to support checkout-free retail stores. Shoppers check in with an app or credit card at a kiosk before entering the store. Then, sensors and cameras track when shoppers select items off of shelves to determine their total charge. Customers can view items and automatic charges on their phones without having to wait in a checkout line, creating a more seamless in-store experience.

MORE ON IOT IN RETAIL
14 IoT in Retail Examples Improving Your Shopping Experience

Connected Healthcare and IoT
20. Endotronix’s IoT Heart Monitor
Endotronix’s Cordella heart failure system connects patients and doctors through proactive monitoring with goals like the early detection of heart failure, better-informed medical interventions and more efficient patient management. Doctors implant a tiny Endotronix sensor to monitor pulmonary arterial pressure instead of doing a much more invasive heart catheterization.

21. Nexleaf Analytics’ IoT Data Collection
Nexleaf provides data analytics tools and lightweight sensor services to those in the global public health and climate change sectors. Through its medical equipment program, Nexleaf has used its sensor data to pinpoint gaps in healthcare systems. In addition, the company runs a vaccine program where it uses sensors to track vaccines in transit, alerting teams if dangerous conditions are detected.

22. Propeller Health’s Inhaler Sensor
By attaching Propeller’s sensor to an inhaler, users can learn more about what triggers asthma attacks while staying connected to friends, family and healthcare providers through an online app. According to the company’s website, using digital data to assess asthma control has been shown to more accurately determine how many inhaler puffs were needed to control an attack, which in turn could influence usage guidelines and improve patient health.

23. Nanit’s Smart Baby Monitor
Nanit develops smart baby monitors to help families provide more personalized care for their babies. The company’s Nanit Pro Camera collects and shares data with a mobile app, analyzing data on a baby’s movements, sleeping, breathing and immediate environment. This way, parents can better understand their babies’ sleep patterns, take steps to help their babies get higher-quality sleep and act quickly upon receiving alerts.

Connected Manufacturing and IoT
24. IoT Production Insights from Tulip
Tulip’s platform is designed to help frontline operations teams build functional and user-friendly apps that integrate with hardware throughout the factory. Its I/O Gateway and Edge MC facilitate easy connection to devices, sensors and machines in any factory, allowing them to provide real-time production insights and visualizations of shop floor data. The platform also enables users to create and customize reports, dashboards and visualizations to best fit their needs with the self-service analytics tool.

25. IoT Safety Management from StrongArm Technologies
StrongArm Technologies makes IoT-connected safety wearables that use a massive industrial data set to provide workers with athlete-level attention and keep them safe while on the job. The company’s wearables collect gigabytes of data per day from each worker, calculating metrics on motion, time at work, machine data and CCTV activity to form a safety score that can uncover weaknesses or blind spots.

26. IoT Production Monitoring From Amper
Amper’s production monitoring system uses machine learning, data science and IoT sensors to enhance the manufacturing process. The sensors register a variety of factors, including energy use and downtime, so factory owners and supervisors can plan schedules, cut costs and pinpoint areas of growth.

27. Axzon’s Temperature and Moisture Sensors
Axzon sensors provide real-time data on temperature and moisture during the automotive manufacturing process, and its predictive maintenance technology monitors the condition of factory equipment to help prevent breakdowns and time-consuming repairs. The sensors keep tabs on equipment temperature, which can prevent overheating, melted motor windings and broken bearings.

Connected Cities and IoT
28. UrbanFootprint’s City Planning Software
UrbanFootprint’s urban planning software is used to design sustainable cities and evaluate energy usage. The city of Madison, Wisconsin enlisted the company to model the impacts and benefits (on things like transit accessibility, public health and emissions) of enhancing its bus rapid transit system as part of a 2040 Comprehensive Plan update.​​

29. Telit’s Smart Lighting System
Telit builds IoT connectivity management platforms that can be scaled up to sustain the needs of smart cities. With these platforms, cities can use mobile devices to monitor public lighting, dim or brighten them based on the time of day and traffic needs and stay on top of any lighting outages. City governments can also adjust lights in different areas to accommodate first responders and deter crime at certain hours, among other use cases.

30. HAAS Alert’s Safety Cloud
HAAS Alert has designed a Safety Cloud for first responders and other emergency personnel to communicate alerts with drivers in real time. Drivers can receive digital alerts about upcoming accident scenes, approaching emergency vehicles and students crossing the street up ahead to board a school bus. Giving drivers a faster heads-up in these scenarios allows them to take extra precautions, preventing additional accidents and traffic confusion.

IoTs in Food Manufacturing
Learn how the Internet of Things is transforming the entire food supply chain.
#1: Streamlined Logistics & Operational Efficiency
Every food manufacturer strives to streamline logistics processes and maximise operational efficiency if they wish to remain competitive. With the help of IoT technologies, manufacturers are empowered to reduce costs, save time and ultimately become more profitable. The key here lies in the integration of workflows, the connection of systems and the streamlining and automating of processes.

By opting for a technology-driven approach to logistics, companies are able to capture data and continually optimise their operations to function more efficiently. This proactive approach to identifying potential issues and risks along the entire supply chain, helps businesses become more resilient in the long-run.

Production & Processing
IoTs come in handy in this part of the food manufacturing process because of their ability to track and then predict machinery maintenance. This saves time and money because it avoids unexpected downtimes or interruptions. It also ensures that machines are proactively maintained rather than reactively repaired, resulting in higher overall equipment efficiency (OEE).

By monitoring ingredients’ temperatures, flow rates and distributions with the help of smart valves and actuators in the production stage, manufacturers can maximise their regulatory processes and product quality. This technology is especially valuable for manufacturing plants with multiple product lines and thus need to initiate seamless, resource-efficient changeovers. The use of calibrated smart valves, in particular, is used to maintain food quality as raw ingredients or final food products that do not meet set standards can be flagged or even ejected from production lines.

Warehouse & Inventory Management
IoT sensors allow for real-time tracking of products even when they are in storage. By monitoring exposures, such as moisture or sunlight, potential hazards can be identified and analysed before products are sold or shipped. IoT automation in warehouses allows food storage to be easily organised into zones to avoid issues that arise through poor handling or pests. By using moving robots or ultrasonic systems, pests can be identified much more efficiently than if one relies merely on the human eye.

By implementing warehouse inventory tracking devices, food manufacturers and wholesalers can optimise orders and supply chain processes in real-time. This encompasses everything from optimising available storage space to loading times based on available resources. A popular example of this is vision picking’, a process by which technologies such as automated guided vehicles (AGVs) or robots are used to retrieve products from storage areas in warehouses. Furthermore, IoT solutions can help track product stocks and alert warehouse managers about expiration dates, which in turn avoids overstocking and waste as well as saves money. With the help of data retrieved from pressure-sensitive sensors, food manufacturers can also track customers’ behavioural trends and use this information to avoid shortages down the line. This is especially helpful with foods that are subject to seasonality, such as cocoa in the lead-up to Christmas.

Product Packaging & Delivery
When it comes to packaging, downtime must be avoided wherever possible. This can be especially challenging for food manufacturers who source their packaging from third parties and incorporate it internally in their IoT production plans.

It is not uncommon for products or packaging to be damaged during the delivery process. IoT sensors are able to detect anything from degradation to damage, allowing manufacturers to develop measures to avoid these occurrences in the future. Similarly, data points can help assess and optimise production line times, which may directly impact companies’ abilities to fulfil orders and meet tight delivery deadlines.

To ensure seamless deliveries, companies can introduce digitally connected supply chain networks—from suppliers and wholesalers to carriers and operators. Some of the most popular technologies utilised for logistics purposes include radio frequency identification (RFID) and GPS systems, allowing companies to monitor their products along the entire supply chain.

In the next article in this series, we will explore how IoTs are promoting traceability and transparency in the food industry.

#2: Traceability & Transparency
Farm-to-table, farm-to-fork, farm-to-restaurant, farm-to-fridge—it’s no secret that traceability is the talk of the town. Any food producers and manufacturers hoping to keep up with the rapidly evolving and highly competitive global landscape must begin tracking their food through the entire supply chain and proactively communicate information about their ingredients to consumers.

Below, we take a brief look at how IoTs are helping promote traceability and transparency along the food supply chain.

According to Globe Newswire, the global food traceability market is expected to register a CAGR of 9.3% by 2025, which would make it a +22 billion-dollar industry. Some of the largest players propelling this growth forward include IBM Food Trust, Microsoft’s AzureFarmBeats, Trimble for agriculture. Large industry players, such as Walmart and Unilever, have been cracking down on suppliers and requiring that they implement technologies, such as IoTs and blockchain, in order to support their traceability efforts.

Ultimately, from agriculture to food manufacturers, retailers to consumers, IoT and blockchain technologies are rapidly enabling the efficient collection and sharing of data which allows for end-to-end traceability, even in complex, globalised settings. Not only do IoTs allow companies to pick up on malfunctions or alerts, but customers are able to see where their products come from and how far they’ve travelled. Likewise, startups such as Zest Labs are even able to track and display information about foods’ freshness.

Transparency is so important nowadays that it is considered one of the food industry’s top trends of 2021. Ensuring traceability of ingredients and maintaining transparency are critical in building consumer loyalty and trust. IoT technology helps companies and consumers track their products along the entire supply chain, thereby ensuring information is always accessible. This includes extensive information about raw materials (e.g. field observation), supplies (e.g. efficiently monitoring levels), ingredients (e.g. trends and patterns) and final products (e.g. compliancy). These technologies are expected to establish themselves as the norm in the upcoming decade.

#3: Food Safety, Employee Safety & Food Authenticity

Improved Food Safety
With the help of IoTs, food manufacturers can access and make use of real-time food safety data, such as carbon dioxide, heavy metals, humidity and temperature, or shipping times and storage conditions. This is often classified as Active Cold Chain Management. Some smart sensors and cloud-based predictive analytics technologies are so advanced that they can even identify pathogens along the supply chain and help mitigate their spread. How? By identifying chemical and biochemical reactions at the point of harvest, during manufacturing and even transportation. Hyperspectral imaging—a relatively new, broad-spectrum imaging technology—has caught the interest of food manufacturers. This technology can raise alerts instantaneously by measuring the light spectrum of certain chemical compounds and biological components.

These technologies become especially valuable in the food industry when harnessed for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) checklists and processes. IoTs can flag potential violations and alert staff that a food safety inspection may be required to assess whether or not contamination has in fact taken place or safety chains that may compromise a foods’ safety have been interrupted. Therefore, this process is proactive rather than reactive, which can save businesses substantial sums of money down the line. Comprehensive track-and-trace mechanisms make it easy to act both swiftly and efficiently. And the need for recalls is significantly reduced as a result.

Human Resources & Mechanic Operations
Food safety is not just about food but also employee safety and machine safety. By monitoring factors such as staff illness, food manufacturers can continually optimise their safety standards on-site. Even before COVID, the ability to track employees’ body temperature to ensure that only healthy workers come in contact with foods was of great importance in harvesting and processing plants. Similarly, by harnessing predictive software to flag potential mechanical wear or damage before it occurs, downtime is reduced and unnecessary injuries are avoided.

Food Authenticity
IoTs are also proving their value in the organic food industry’s efforts to combat food fraud. By assigning any given product a digital identification mark, businesses are able to separate them from their counterfeit counterparts. Thus, with the help of digital tags on food packaging, actors along the entire supply chain, including wholesalers and consumers, are empowered to check products for their authenticity. Examples of these product authenticity labels include simple QR codes and somewhat more complex micro-chips. Brands who harness these technologies may quickly find that they are highly beneficial in building consumer trust.

#4: Waste Reduction
In food manufacturing, IoTs can be utilised to reduce waste drastically by controlling raw materials and inventory. Statistics reveal that, in the EU alone, 88 million tonnes of food are wasted every year, and the UN’s 12th Sustainable Development Goal commits to the reduction of this by 50% over the next decade. It is estimated that around 11% of food waste occurs in production and 9% during processing, meaning that food manufacturers account for around 20% of food waste overall.

With the help of IoTs, food stocks can be tracked in real-time and orders for new ingredients or supplies can be placed based on actual needs rather than estimates. Furthermore, food manufacturers can also harness IoT technology to automate these to ensure more efficiency.

One example in logistics is the implementation of IoT sensors in pallets when foods are harvested and transported to monitor and calculate shipping times and temperatures. This connects directly with the topics of traceability and food safety. It sometimes happens that foods travel longer times than perhaps initially anticipated or are exposed to less than ideal (but not unsafe) cooling conditions. In these types of events, IoTs can alert receiving warehouses about these occurrences, thus allowing them to adapt environmental components, such as humidity or temperatures, accordingly to add an extra layer of protection to these foods to ensure that they can stay in the supply chain.

The result is the optimisation of both the quality and quantity of foods at any given point along the supply chain. Some even suggest that, in the future, IoTs can be leveraged to predict market demand which would, in turn, avoid overproduction and thus prevent spoilage, i.e. waste.

Waste reduction is not only about mitigating food waste. Moreover, it is also about bringing more sustainable practices to all areas of a food manufacturing business’s operations. This may also include tracking resources required to meet regulatory requirements or reviewing and optimising a business’s energy consumption. Furthermore, by alerting manufacturers to foods’ whose safety may have been compromised somewhere along the supply chain, businesses are able to pull these out of the supply chain swiftly, avoiding further losses or waste down the line.

Last but certainly not least, one of the most critical areas of waste reduction pertains to the reduction of food manufacturers’ carbon emissions, which is crucial in the global and industry-wide fight against climate change. A 2019 study revealed that significant amounts of carbon are emitted into the atmosphere every year for the one-billion tonnes of food that the entire globe produces to be wasted. If we account for the effects that agriculture and food industries have on biodiversity and freshwater consumption, the real ‘cost’ of waste rises further.

Source foodcircle.com

JanSan and Disposables

3M expands facility in Valley, Nebraska
$67 million investment will create about 40 new jobs

ST. PAUL, Minn., May 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — A new 90,000-square-foot expansion at 3M’s facility in Valley, Nebraska, will increase the plant’s manufacturing capacity and add new jobs to the community.

The $67 million investment includes new production lines, equipment and a warehouse, and will help 3M more quickly meet customer demand for the company’s personal safety products. The expansion of the plant is expected to create about 40 new jobs.

“3M has been a part of Valley and the greater Omaha business community for 45 years,” said Matt Huset, plant director at 3M’s Valley plant. “We’re proud of the role we play in Nebraska’s success and pleased that we could work with state officials to make this expansion happen.”

The expansion will create additional manufacturing capacity for 3M’s reusable respirators and PELTOR™ hearing protection products.

“From respiratory and hearing protection to welding safety and medical products, 3M Valley is integral to manufacturing the solutions that help protect people worldwide,” said Chris Goralski, president of 3M Safety and Industrial. “These products help make a difference during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, or for workers on the job across the industries we serve, and in daily life. The investments we’re making in Valley will help give us the capacity we need to meet the growing demand for these solutions today and into the future.”

To help make the expansion happen, 3M partnered with the state of Nebraska through the ImagiNE Nebraska Program, a tax incentive-based program intended to encourage companies to invest in Nebraska by creating jobs and growing the state and its economy.

“Congratulations to 3M on a successful expansion in Valley,” said K.C. Belitz, director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. “In addition to offering great career opportunities, 3M generously contributes to the community. The Department has enjoyed working alongside company leaders to support 3M’s growth in the Good Life. Nebraska boasts a world-class workforce and supportive business climate that make it highly attractive for companies to invest in our state.”

3M has operated its facility in Valley since 1979 and the company is celebrating 45 years in the community this year. Over that time, 3M has supported agencies that help improve the lives of people in the area and has encouraged 3Mers to volunteer and give back to their communities. 3M employees in Valley are active and invested in community initiatives, including serving on advisory boards for the Twin Rivers YMCA and other area non-profits.

To learn more about careers at 3M and its manufacturing facilities, visit 3m.com/careers, and search for jobs in “Valley, NE.”

About 3M
3M (NYSE: MMM) believes science helps create a brighter world for everyone. By unlocking the power of people, ideas and science to reimagine what’s possible, our global team uniquely addresses the opportunities and challenges of our customers, communities, and planet. Learn how we’re working to improve lives and make what’s next at 3M.com/news.

Source news.3m.com

Overlooked Areas for Soap and Sanitizer Dispensers
In addition to cueing people with signage, facilities can drive compliance by supporting hand hygiene routines. Consultants agree that one of the best ways to do this is to increase accessibility to soap and hand sanitizer dispensers.

“Make dispensers available, and put them where people will see them, because if they see them, they will use them,” says Gerba, who recommends placing hand sanitizer stations at restroom exits, food prep areas and classroom entrances.

Gerba estimates that half of his students use the hand sanitizer dispenser before entering his classroom, a rate that he found impressive.

“This generation is more sensitized to the importance of hand hygiene because of the pandemic — and that’s a good thing,” he says.

One area that is generally overlooked, however, is the break room.

“You can find more fecal bacteria in a break room than in a restroom because they aren’t deep cleaned and disinfected like restrooms are,” Gerba says. “I think a soap or hand sanitizer dispenser in these locations would be a good idea because people are spreading both germs along with their gossip.”

Convenience and accessibility are equally important when it comes to soap dispensers. Hicks recommends placing them over a sink or counter so that they don’t drip on the floor. And if the restroom is frequented by young children, accessibility is paramount.

“Sinks are made for adults, not children,” Gerba observes. “If you’re dealing with young children, they may not be able to reach the soap or faucet. Making one sink lower than the others may be a good idea so that it’s convenient for a small child to wash their hands.”

Experts also advocate using cartridge systems in place of bulk soap dispensers, which are usually topped off with new soap and seldom cleaned, making them more susceptible to contamination. Gerba has conducted studies on refillable dispensers that confirm the growth of bacteria in soap.

“It turns out some fecal bacteria grow in soap,” he says. “That’s how we isolate them because they’re resistant to being killed by it.”

Handwashing Winners
When it comes to improving hand hygiene, the final stage of habit formation — the reward — is less tangible than the cues and routines that brought about the change. After all, it is difficult to incentivize personal habits that should be second nature. Experts say that for facility cleaning managers, the satisfaction of knowing that they are doing their part in preventing the spread of infection is rewarding enough.

“The reward should be improved health, but in the short term we should feel better about what we are doing, and I think we do,” says Rathey.

Although handwashing habits are by-and-large subpar, consultants hope that ongoing education and reminders about the role of handwashing in preventing the transmission of disease will lead to meaningful change.

“People say that more than half of the illnesses we get are due to your hands, so it’s self-inoculation,” notes Gerba. “The average person touches their face every three or four minutes without realizing it.”

In addition to regular handwashing, Rathey encourages facilities not to overlook the importance of cleaning and sanitizing touchpoints to reduce hand-to-surface and surface-to-hand contamination.

“Creating and maintaining the culture of clean would be the key to a long-term, properly executed and sustainable handwashing program,” he says. “If you create the culture of clean, people are going to be more aware of that issue. Our job as facility experts is to try to create those habits; the cues, the routine and then the reward.”

By educating occupants on the dangers of poor hand hygiene, reinforcing messages with signage and other promotional tactics, and ensuring easy and frequent accessibility to dispensers, facility cleaning managers can hold up their end of the bargain when it comes to establishing a strong defense against infections.

Kassandra Kania is a freelance writer based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is a frequent contributor to Facility Cleaning Decisions.

Source cleanlink.com

Find the Hidden Sustainable Hygiene Management Solutions
More solutions than you realize already exist in your facility’s current practices

Facility managers may be surprised to learn that employees have increased expectations that their office should operate sustainably. The commercial team at Tork found that 46% of surveyed adults are more conscious of how green their workplace is now than before the pandemic. And the pressure is not just coming from employees. New legislative measures like the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive in the European Union and similar legislature proposed in the U.S. show that priorities for workplace sustainability are here to stay.

When tasked with adjusting operations to meet new sustainability standards, facility managers shouldn’t feel like they must completely sweep old practices aside. There is great power in identifying existing operations they can optimize to address heightened expectations and standards, and cleaning practices are a great place to get started. Here are some tips for unlocking the sustainable hygiene management solutions that are hidden in your office’s existing practices.

Assess products already in use
When thinking about how to maximize sustainability in workplaces, consider the suite of products that make up the office’s hygiene management plan. Keeping an office clean and welcoming can take a lot of time, energy, and resources, so it’s key to focus on the details. For example, consider products that are versatile and reusable as they not only cut down on waste and the time facility managers spend procuring supplies, they also save money. Go one step further by choosing soap, sanitizer, and paper towel dispensers with controlled dispensing settings to further reduce waste and runouts.

Likewise, when assessing single-use products it’s important to consider the life cycle of each component—from manufacture to use and disposal. The production process and materials that make the soap, sanitizer, or paper towel dispenser are just as crucial to your office’s sustainability as the single-use products themselves.

Consider products that are made with ethically sourced, natural ingredients and those that are certified by third-party organizations to ensure they are safe for people and the planet. When we focus on each aspect of our office’s hygiene management, we are more in-tune with our business practices and the impact they’re having on our world.

Leverage technology to support efficiency
Another way to sustainably maintain your office’s hygiene is to take advantage of data-driven tools that inform facility managers what needs cleaning and when, to properly utilize every resource and employee. This strategy creates less waste and frees up more time for the tasks that require our full attention.

By harnessing smart technology that monitors real-time foot traffic and dispenser stock as well as visitor trends, Tork found that facility managers can save up to 20% of their cleaning time and stay ahead of complaints, according to documented results measured before and after managers implemented a smart cleaning system.

Involve employees in your sustainability journey
It’s also important to keep employees informed on their office’s environmental footprint and the ways they can help to keep it clean and operating sustainably. After all, they care deeply about their workplace sustainability efforts; a Tork survey conducted in March 2022 found one in eight workers has considered leaving their job due to the lack of sustainable practices in the workplace.

Various tried and true methods of sustainable hygiene management continue to be effective, such as separating waste, an action which the Tork survey found 50% of surveyed employees said they would go out of their way to perform. Keeping your office’s hygiene management practices simple inspires employees to follow suit and contributes to a vibrant, productive workplace.

Shifting priorities and practices to meet new sustainability expectations for your workplace doesn’t have to be an overwhelming process. Maximizing your hygiene management is just one way to operate more sustainably without a complete overhaul.

By paying attention to the details and continuing to support and inspire sustainable actions, facility managers can work toward keeping up with employees’ sustainability expectations and in turn improve worker satisfaction and retention as well as overall business performance.

Source Rachel Olsavicky cmmonline.com

Industry Spotlight

Turning up the heat – The Surprising Force Stalling Climate Progress: California Restaurants

As climate journalists, it’s pretty common for us to see oil companies or other large polluters fight back against climate proposals, sometimes stopping these rules dead in their tracks. One of the biggest climate setbacks in recent memory, however, wasn’t delivered by fossil-fuel giants or heavy industry, but, rather, a restaurant group in California.

I became intrigued by the emergence of the California Restaurant Association as a surprisingly powerful climate foe, so I decided several months ago to dig in and better understand how and why this came to be.

Back in 2019 the city of Berkeley became the first in the country to ban the extension of gas infrastructure into new homes and buildings. It’s a basic first step: The combustion of gas inside of buildings for heating and cooking is a large contributor to climate change. In California, it generates about 33 million metric tons of heat-trapping emissions, which is roughly equivalent to the entire climate footprint of Hong Kong. There’s just no feasible way to get the dramatic carbon reductions needed to avert catastrophic warming without shrinking the combustion of gas inside of buildings.

More than 100 cities, counties and states have followed Berkeley’s lead. But the California Restaurant Association, which represents about 20,000 eating establishments, filed a lawsuit to stop Berkeley’s law. Even though the rule wouldn’t require any changes to existing restaurants, they argued their members prefer to cook with a flame and these local rules are preempted by federal energy laws.

After a four-year legal battle, the restaurants prevailed and Berkeley in March agreed to cancel its ordinance. Now, as our story examines, the gas industry and its supporters are planning to wield the restaurants’ legal victory to beat back many of these other local rules enacted after Berkeley’s.

However, the story I learned goes back much further than five years. In order to understand recent events, you have to look back to the 1980s and 90s, when restaurant associations around the country rallied to the aid of tobacco companies, as they sought to beat back indoor smoking bans. The science was clear and the public-health risks were immense, but groups representing dining establishments fought for years for an embattled industry, before one particular restaurant association finally broke ranks with Big Tobacco.

Read the full story here.

Source Bloomburg.com

Operators Respond as Consumers Reach a Tipping Point

Learn how companies are using virtual brands and digital channels to drive growth. A tech titan tries his hands at running a restaurant. Again. Plus, there’s some cool news from Easy Ice and Polar Leasing. These stories and more This Week in Foodservice.

Have consumers finally reached their breaking point? Perhaps.

The Conference Board reported consumer confidence declined in April for the third consecutive month. Dominating consumer concerns were “elevated price levels, especially food and gas,” said a Conference Board spokesperson, who added that “politics and global conflicts” were distant runners-up. When asked where they might consider cutting back, purchases in areas such as food away from home, clothing/fashion items, entertainment away from home and vacations were the top responses, per The Conference Board.

As a result, restaurant chains may have to offer additional discounts or increase their emphasis on tried and true value meals to help spark customer traffic, Reuters reports. The story notes Domino’s Pizza and multiconcept operator Restaurant Brands International say their sales increased in their most recent quarters due to their loyalty programs and increased promotions.

McDonald’s has reported slowing sales for four straight quarters, which may lead to some changes for the burger giant. For example, the company will test bigger burger patties this year to gauge customers’ appetites for something a little more filling, as Bloomberg notes.

But can too much menu innovation result in a chain losing focus? Over the weekend, former Starbucks CEO says the company needs to focus more on the experience in its stores and the chain’s coffee drinks, as the Associated Press reports. This came after Starbucks reported a 2% decline in revenue for its most recent fiscal quarter and lowered its earnings guidance for the year. Schultz’s remarks come after current CEO Laxman Narashimhan said the chain plans to release several new products to drive traffic, including boba drinks, sugar-free options, and an energy beverage.

Foodservice News This Week

Craveworthy Brands has added an Indian concept to its portfolio by acquiring Sigri Indian BBQ. It’s been a busy year or so for Craveworthy Brands. The company also introduced several new concepts, including Dirty Dough and Soom Soom Mediterranean as well as a virtual brand in Lucky Cat Poke Co. Craveworthy Brands has a total of 12 concepts under its corporate umbrella. Founded in 2015, Sigri has two units, both in New Jersey, and its menu features items cooked on clay stoves known as sigri.

Burgerville has new owners after having been acquired by a group of local investors, per various published reports. The chain has 39 units and expects to open its 40th location later this year in Wilsonville, Ore. By the end of 2025, Burgerville plans to add six to ten units.

Virtual brands are proving to be a growth vehicle for Denny’s. The family dining chain operates a trio of virtual brands – The Meltdown, The Burger Den, and Banda Burrito. Because Denny’s typically sees the bulk of its business during breakfast and lunch, the chain now uses the virtual brands to amp up customer convenience and leverage slower dayparts like dinner and late night, per a Restaurant Dive story. The virtual brands also help boost the company’s connection to younger customers. “Approximately 70% of our Gen Z and millennial guests utilize our off-premises channels compared to the same groups utilizing dine-in at approximately 40%,” said Denny’s CEO Kelli Valade.

Can a tech company run a restaurant? We will soon find out. Texas-based tech company InKind has purchased the assets of Etta, a well-regarded Chicago restaurant that filed for bankruptcy last month. The deal is valued at $4 million, according to various published reports. Etta’s owners filed for bankruptcy earlier this year despite the restaurant’s ongoing popularity in Chicago’s trendy Bucktown neighborhood.

How do customer habits change when ordering from an in-restaurant kiosk? It depends on the circumstances. Conventional wisdom says customers order more when using a kiosk. But that behavior changes when guests sense a line forming behind them, per a Restaurant Business story that cites data from a study conducted by the Temple School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management. Some guests will feel pressure to complete their orders quickly which can lead to them ordering less food and they may default to items they’re familiar with rather than trying something new.

Digital dining is proving to be a delight for Yum! Brands. The multiconcept operator reports digital channels accounted for 55% of systemwide sales during the company’s first fiscal quarter, per a Restaurant Dive story. And this may just be the beginning. Yum! reports having more than 40 AI initiatives in progress to help enhance marketing, operations and more. The chain is said to be deploying its AI-powered Super App, which is a general manager support tool.

Easy Ice has acquired Tri Cities Supply Company, a Texas-based ice machine rental company. This marks Easy Ice’s second acquisition in less than a month. In April, Easy Ice bought New Mexico’s Iceworks, giving the company a greater presence in the Southwestern U.S.

Ernst & Young named Jeffrey Kiesel, Restaurant Technologies CEO, as an Entrepreneur of The Year 2024 Heartland Award finalist. The Heartland program celebrates entrepreneurs from the Dakotas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and Kansas. Now in its 38th year, Entrepreneur of The Year is the preeminent competitive business award for audacious leaders who disrupt markets, revolutionize sectors, and have a transformational impact on lives.

Polar Leasing broke ground on a new facility in Summerville, Fla., to help fuel its expansion in the Southeastern U.S. The company expects the facility to be fully operational by June 1. This will be a distribution center for the business to assist regional customers.

Nearly all of the assets for Foxtrot will be sold at auction on May 10, per a Crain’s Chicago Business report. This will include “inventory, intellectual property, accounts, chattel paper, documents, furniture, fixtures & equipment, general intangibles and goods,” according to a public notice of the foreclosure sale. Last week the upscale convenience store abruptly closed all its locations, along with sibling concept Dom’s. Neither concept has filed for bankruptcy yet and Dom’s is not included in this filing, the story notes.

Subway completed its previously announced sale to affiliates of Roark. In August of 2023, Roark reached an agreement to purchase the sandwich chain, which had been for sale for a while.
Economic News This Week

The U.S. economy added 175,000 jobs in April, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. This was significantly less than the 240,000 jobs Dow Jones consensus had projected, per CNBC. The unemployment rate change came in at 3.9%, which is 0.1% greater than March.

Private sector employment increased by 192,000 jobs in April and annual pay was up 5.0% year-over-year, according to the April ADP National Employment Report. Economists had projected 183,000 jobs would be added, per a CNBC story. The leisure and hospitality sector led the way in April by adding 56,000 jobs.

The number of job openings totaled 8.5 million on the last business day of March, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This represents a three-year low, per a Yahoo! Finance story.

U.S.-based employers announced 64,789 cuts in April, a 28% decrease from March, per data from global outplacement and business and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. This represents a 3.3% decline from March 2023. So far this year, companies have announced 322,043 job cuts, down 4.6% from the cuts announced through April last year.

Initial jobless claims totaled 208,000 for the week ending April 27, 2024, per the U.S. Department of Labor. This is unchanged from the previous week. Economists polled by Reuters had projected initial jobless claims to total 212,000. The 4-week moving average was 210,000, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week.

Labor productivity increased 0.3% in the first quarter of 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. This is 3.2% less than the rate of increase for the previous quarter and it was less than the 0.8% increase economists had projected, per a Yahoo! Finance story.

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in April, per the Manufacturing ISM Report On Business. The study came in at 49.2%, down 1.1% from the previous month.

Economic activity in the services sector expanded in March as the Services PMI registered 51.4%, per the Services ISM Report On Business. Despite remaining in expansion mode, the April Services PMI came in 1.2 percentage points less than March.

Source fesmag.com

Burgerville takes on new investors with an eye on reigniting regional growth

Former Dutch Bros CEO Joth Ricci is among the investors and joins the company as executive chair. CEO Ed Casey will remain at the helm.

The fast-casual Burgerville chain has been acquired by a group of local investors that have plans to reignite growth.

The Vancouver, Washington-based chain said late Friday that new investors have taken an unspecified ownership stake in the company, though the founding Mears family remain as shareholders. The new investors include former Dutch Bros CEO Joth Ricci, who will become executive chairman.

Terms of the deal, which is expected to close on Monday, were not disclosed.

Ed Casey, an industry veteran who joined the brand about two years ago, will remain CEO of Burgerville, which was founded in 1961 and operates 39 restaurants throughout Oregon and Washington state, with a 40th opening later this year in Wilsonville, Oregon.By the end of 2025, the company expects to add six to 10 new units across the Pacific Northwest.

Unit No. 40 will be the first new restaurant for the chain in eight years.

In an interview with Restaurant Business at the Restaurant Leadership Conference in Phoenix last month, Casey said the chain had made “a few missteps” that hampered growth after the then-patriarch of the family-owned business retired about 10 years ago.

“There were some efficiency problems and some consistency problems that were retarding their unit execution,” Casey said. “But the chain still had tremendous brand loyalty. So the opportunity coming in was just to unclog it and make sure it’s working well, and drive revenues.”

Over the past two years, Burgerville has seen double-digit sales, with 2023 marking a record year in both revenue and profit, he said. Casey sees a lot more room for filling in existing markets across Oregon, Washington and into Idaho.

Casey said he admires the growth model of In-N-Out Burger, which has slowly expanded within the reach of its carefully controlled supply chain.

Like In-N-Out, Burgerville is all company owned. Burgerville also has a commitment to local farmers and vendors built into its DNA, which allows the brand to showcase regional flavors and ingredients in season, like Marionberries and Walla Walla onions. Burger buns, for example, are made from locally grown grains, and the No. 6 burger on the menu is made with beef from a regenerative farm and showcases a low-carbon footprint.

“Burgerville was a pioneer in sustainability and local long before those were industry buzzwords,” said Ricci, in a statement. “I’m excited to be able to play a role in the next leg of the Burgerville journey.”

Ricci, who stepped down from the helm at Dutch Bros at the end of last year as part of a planned succession after guiding the drive-thru coffee chain through its 2021 IPO, described Burgerville in The Oregonian as “a sleeping giant.”

Casey added in the statement that the mission has always been to “serve our local community with love” and prepare for growth across the Pacific Northwest.

“To do that, the Mears family and I wanted to team up with local partners who share our values and vision for Burgerville—and that’s what we found,” he said.

Source restaurantbusinessonline.com

As it is sold, Clean Juice struggles with supply issues

Operators have closed or rebranded nearly half of the chain’s locations over the past year and a half. And then as the chain was sold last week, franchisees were told the company lost its distribution contract.

Operators of the Clean Juice franchise heard last week that the company was being sold to Friendly’s owner Brix Holdings, but they were more concerned with another piece of news: They would soon have trouble getting juice.

The company lost its contract with Sysco, according to franchisees and copies of communications shared with Restaurant Business. The contract covers about 80% of the food and paper supplies operators use for their business, including bottled juices, operators say.

“Our name says juice,” one operator said on the condition of anonymity. “We can’t get juices, what do we do?”

The company has since reached a deal with Sysco on a non-wholesale contract to provide franchisees with supplies for the next few weeks, but it’s uncertain how long they’ll have access to the proprietary branded juice for which the chain is known. And it raises the prices for franchisees already struggling with high costs and low sales.

“Our stores will be serviced by Sysco with no material interruption to their business through our closing with Brix Holdings,” Landon Eckles, Clean Juice’s cofounder, said in a statement to Restaurant Business. “I cannot speak for them regarding their plans for Clean Juice’s supply chain in the future, but as an experienced and sophisticated franchisor of many other brands who need similar services, I trust they will make the right decisions moving forward.”

A representative for Brix would not comment on the end of the contract, referring questions on the topic to Clean Juice.

The end of the Sysco contract exacerbates problems at Clean Juice leading up to the sale. The brand was founded in 2016 and grew rapidly with a business model in which operators cold-pressed juices on site.

It sold a lot of franchises, even through the pandemic, and had deals with former NFL players Tim Tebow and David Tyree.

Yet operators couldn’t generate a profit. Then, in late 2022, the brand switched to pre-bottled juices. The juices were sold at lower prices, at a lower profit, and the move eliminated one of the franchise’s key business models and a reason a lot of franchisees bought into the system.

The move exacerbated operators’ financial losses. Clean Juice operated 135 locations at the end of 2022, according to the company’s franchise disclosure documents (FDD). It was down to 113 locations in October of last year, according to the most recent FDD. The brand’s sale announcement said the chain had 75 locations.

More than 50 operators have taken the company to arbitration to get out of their franchise agreements.

A representative for Brix suggested it doesn’t expect any other operators to leave the system.

“We believe that a majority of the franchisees who wished to exit the system have already done so and we are engaged with the remaining franchise community to better understand and support their business moving forward,” Sherif Mityas, CEO of Brix, said in an emailed statement. “We fundamentally believe in the Clean Juice model and look forward to accelerating their growth in the years ahead.”

Clean Juice’s remaining franchisees were told in early April that the contract with Sysco expired on March 31.

In that email, seen by Restaurant Business, the distributor imposed a 5% increase in the margin it gets on deliveries of supplies to Clean Juice operators. Clean Juice said the increase “caught us by surprise.”

The increase was due in part to the drops in cases delivered to Clean Juice operators. Sysco also had a “significant amount of dead inventory” due to “poor compliance” or because some products were expired.

The deal with Brix was announced last week. Yet, at the same time, operators were told by Sysco that their locations were no longer covered under the Clean Juice deal. Operators could get supplies, but only through a “street account,” and it raised questions about proprietary products that still remain.

For operators already struggling to make money, that cost was tough to swallow.

Clean Juice’s VP of supply chain, Scott Brainard, then told operators that the company was aware of the situation and that the brand was “working on multiple solutions.”

“In the very short term,” he wrote, “we encourage you to order as much cold press juice/shots/milks products, frozen fruit and branded cups and lids as you can store and sell through the next four to six weeks.”

Many franchisees, however, don’t have the storage capacity for that much product.

A subsequent email to franchisees indicated “nothing will change until May 10th at the earliest,” but that pricing will change. Meaning that the non-wholesale contract between Clean Juice and Sysco would cost more.

The email also indicated that the company was “working on a plan to get every store what they need in cold press to last the next few weeks.”

Yet it was uncertain how long Sysco would have the company’s branded juices available. Sysco will continue to sell them until inventory is gone. “We are working on a plan to get you these products,” Brainard said. “It will either still be through Sysco, or we may change broadline partners.”

Source restaurantbusinessonline.com

McDonald’s, looking to boost traffic, considers a $5 value meal

The fast-food giant, which has shifted its focus to value, is working to convince franchisees to go along with a bundled meal featuring a McChicken or a McDouble. The plan is expected to pass.

McDonald’s is considering a $5 value bundle in a bid to bring inflation-weary consumers back into its restaurants.

The fast-food burger chain is working to convince franchisees to OK a $5 meal deal that would last for a limited time. Customers would get their choice of a McChicken or a McDouble, along with a four-piece Chicken McNuggets, fries and a drink. Bloomberg first reported the offer and several sources confirmed it to Restaurant Business.

Operators two weeks ago turned down a $5 offer through OPNAD, or the Operators National Advertising Fund. McDonald’s returned with an offer sweetened with the help of Coca-Cola.

Franchisees we spoke with expect the deal will ultimately get approval in a field vote set for this week. The National Owners Association (NOA), an independent group of 1,000 McDonald’s owners, praised Coca-Cola for stepping in, though it did not explicitly endorse the offer.

“NOA believes the current strategy demonstrates an unwavering commitment by McDonald’s franchisees and our incredible supplier Coca-Cola to address the immediate financial challenges our consumers are facing by offering this phenomenal value to our guests,” the association said in a statement to Restaurant Business.

“There are additional value tests being conducted across the country as we seek even more value options to help our customers during these challenging times,” NOA added. “The franchisees are committed to our guests and are making significant investments to bring these values to them.”

The inclusion of Coca-Cola into the value process is notable. It’s not uncommon for major franchises to seek financial assistance from major suppliers, in the form of rebates or other incentives, to convince franchisees to go along with major ideas. McDonald’s and its beverage supplier have long been close partners.

NOA, however, argues that the third leg of McDonald’s famous “three-legged stool” featuring the franchisor, franchisee and suppliers, should step up financially, too. Historically, the group said, the company helped with such strategies. “The only disappointment is the lack of any financial contribution by McDonald’s to assist with bringing these incredible value offerings to our customers,” the statement said.

Consumers have been reducing the number of visits to restaurants in recent weeks, frustrated by rising prices and overall inflation. McDonald’s executives have made it clear in recent earnings calls that they want to address this issue.

CEO Chris Kempczinski said in early February that the brand was losing lower-income customers to grocery stores that were starting to look inexpensive in comparison to restaurants.

McDonald’s has had deals, but they have largely been local offers or confined to the company’s mobile app. Executives believe a national offer would be more effective in giving customers the value they’re looking for.

Earlier this month, CFO Ian Borden said the company needed a “street fighting” mentality to win a war for a shrinking number of restaurant visits. And executives have argued that franchisee cash flow has improved enough that operators should be able to produce a value offer.

“Clearly, everybody’s fighting for fewer customers,” Borden said. “We’ve got to make sure we’ve got that street fighting mentality to win regardless of the context. Our system is positioned with the strength and capability.”

Franchisees in the McDonald’s system largely determine prices, with help from the accounting firm Deloitte and based on local market conditions. And they’ve been raising prices in recent years because their own costs have taken off. Franchisees worry that more aggressive value will hurt profitability.

Operators are paying more for labor, food, insurance and other expenses. Many franchisees also argue that the company has passed on expenses to the operator base with their own cuts to corporate overhead.

Meanwhile, about 9% of the chain’s restaurants are in California, where fast-food restaurants like McDonald’s are required to pay workers $20 per hour, a 25% increase in wage literally overnight starting on April 1.

The owners association in February argued that store cash flow would be $24,000 per location higher than it was last year had it simply kept pace with inflation.

The group, an independent organization of store owners, argued that the company should examine value-engineered items, such as the McDouble, which was created coming out of the Great Recession to give customers a $1 item that didn’t hurt franchisees. One item the group wants: A return of the Snack Wrap.

Major fast-food brands have been competing increasingly at that $5 price point, using bundled offers to balance the need for lower prices with operator profitability. Taco Bell, Wendy’s and Burger King have all used such bundles to get traffic. And now, apparently, will McDonald’s.

Source restaurantbusinessonline.com

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