Working at a restaurant supply store is like being a kid in a candy store
for a wanna-be baker like me!! I could walk up and down the aisles all day
making lists of all the things I could use and would love to have in my
kitchen. The one thing I want the most is a Cleveland OES-3.10 combi oven.
For those of you who don’t know that is, it’s an oven that does almost
everything. It bakes, fries (without oil), steams, grills and roasts and it
fits right on the counter-top. Really, what more could you want?!? If I had
that oven at my house, I would bake all the time just to use the oven.

So whoever gets lucky enough to pick me for our yearly Secret Santa drawing you
already know what I want, lol!

I once was traveling in the Sahara, when I was suddenly ripped from my convoy wagon by a passing gazelle and thus separated from my party. I walked through the desert, attempting to emulate Bear Grylls as best as possible, but no matter how long I talked with an English accent, no one provided me with a dead animal. I carried on this way with no food or water for somewhere around 3 days. On the third morning, I stumbled across a rare desert oasis. The trees provided me shade and there was a watering hole that tempted me to drink. However, my natural skepticism told me that something could be wrong with water that exists in a space that none could. To quell my anxiety I walked around the crystal pool until I found something that confirmed my worst fears. It was a sign with a message as cryptic and haunting as the welcome mat of any pharoh’s tomb: “This Watering Hole is Presented by Dasani”. I refused to die with a coppery aftertaste in my mouth.
As the sun set, I rested up against a desert palm. With the last slivers of light I saw something on the dune ahead: a glinting reflection like the mirror signal of a downed helicopter pilot. I sprang to my feet and proceeded to spring upon the light, digging so feverishly to uncover the shining beacon of hope that a cloud of sand rose up around me. When my excavation was complete, I held in my hands a lamp. Not the kind of lamp that you turn on at your bedside before snuggling in with a copy of Macho Man Randy Savage’s autobiography, nor the kind of lamp that you replace every 3 months in your Panasonic HD television. This was the kind of lamp that looks like a glorified gravy boat. I don’t want to say that I was disappointed, but lets just say I felt like a mother who found out that her son was going to make it to the major leagues and then calls home to say “I’m going to be a New York Met”.
The desert air was starting to cool and I didn’t have my teddy bear, so I decided to cuddle up with the lamp. Amidst my awkward petting, the lamp began to shake and a genie appeared. He told me that he would grant me one wish. I found this strange since most genies give the standard three wishes, but I had been stuck in the desert for 3 days and 3 nights with no food or water, so there was only one logical wish I could make. I prepared my lips to utter the words that I wanted to say, with a joyful anticipation that was similar to Ralphie’s meeting with Santa Clause asking for his Red Rider BB gun. “I wish I had a custom Wolf Commander Range Series set up with a combination FS-SCB-48-M 48 inch charbroiler with VSC48 refrigerator base and KFS-2J-27-FT24 36 inch range with 24 inch frytop and 2 open burners with convection oven base. Top that all off with a FWTF42 fyer and FIRB36 infrared salamander range-mount broiler over the 36 inch range.” The Genie said “Your wish is my command” and the set up appeared. It was beautiful, just like a dream. But this dream was slowly turning into a nightmare.
Somehow in my hunger-induced moment of weakness I had made a grave mistake. My wish had come true, but it wasn’t the wish that I should have made. I rubbed the lamp over and over, but the genie never came back. I fell to my knees, ripped open my shirt and let out a primal scream: “I have no gas or electrical hook-ups!” I collapsed into a shuddering pile of disappointment. After a few minutes of sobbing like a child who’s “blankey” was repossessed as part of an IRS auction, I came to terms with my fate.
While I could not use my new range, I could imagine it’s uses to keep my mind from slipping off the slope of sanity. I imagined the breakfast the 24 inch fry top section would make me. The omelets with the grilled onions and peppers, chopped ham and bacon crumbled into the center with pepperjack and cheddar cheese. On the side, I would cook hash browns to a golden perfection: crisp on the outside, but buttery goodness on the inside.
After a swim in the pool and some casual poolside activity such as model shipbuilding, I would return to my range for lunch. Thin cutlets of prime sirloin would be placed upon the fry top. On the charbroiler, bleu cheese burgers would be being cooked to medium perfection. I would drop a batch of seasoned curly fries into the fryer and fire up the overhead broiler, toasting buns and a hoagie roll to perfection. Back to my sirloin. Taking my spatula, I cut the meat like a surgeon, creating the perfect meat for a Philly cheesesteak sandwich. On goes a layer of fresh cut provolone from the bottom drawer of my refrigerated base. Grilled peppers and onions join the meat and cheese in perfect harmony and on the hoagie roll from the angelic salamander above. I bring up the basket of fries just in time and bun my burgers. A slice of sharp cheddar and muenster for each and a fine amount of Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce add the final touch to a near perfect burger.
After a little nap and a quick trip to the store, it is time to prepare for dinner. I pounded some veal cutlets flat and breaded them. A pot of water was put to boil for the angel hair pasta. In the oven, freshly made breadsticks were rising and glistening with a shining coat of olive oil, garlic and grated Parmesan cheese. On the front burner a garlic butter sauce was being formed with a few cups of white wine. The veal cutlets were cooking nicely on the fry top and everything was coming together nicely. From the refrigerated base, I pull out some fresh herbs, tomatoes and onion, to make the topping for my bruschetta. All of a sudden, a moment of genius strikes me. I cut my bread in slices and brought forth from my refrigerated base, some thin sliced prosciutto, which was thrown straight to the charbroiler. Once crisp, I broke it into tiny pieces upon the bruschetta and topped it with some crumbled Gorgonzola cheese. Up to the salamander for a little crisping and melting and it was on the table just as the veal cutlets made their way into the saucepan. The pasta was now ready and was placed into a bowl, where like conception, the sauce and the pasta mixed to create a little miracle.
I awoke the next morning to find that I was not, in fact, in the desert, but in my own house. I could not believe my eyes, my Wolf Commander Range was right there in front of me. Could this all have been a dream? No. Upon further investigation, I found that my amateur installation or my new range had resulted in a slow gas leak that was causing me to hallucinate. I guess the main thing you should take away from this story is that Commercial equipment, belongs in restaurants. In some cases, residential installation can even void your warranty. Also, trust a professional to install your appliances. They are hardworking individuals who are specifically trained in methods that ensure safety and efficiency. Thank you.

For years I have sold Vita-Mix blenders and dreamed of all the wonderful things I could make if I had a Vita-Mix (vit-748) of my very own.  I sold one to a person who owned a yacht that shuttled people back and forth from Sarasota FL to the Bahamas.  For hours after that, I imagined myself on the deck of that yacht with the breeze blowing through my hair while sipping a tall piña colada.  Another time,  I sold one to a bride-to-be for her bachelorette party.  Then, my thoughts were of leading the conga line after downing one-too-many margaritas at the party.  Once I sold one to a little Mexican restaurant around the corner that has the BEST salsa.  Little did I know, they make that world class salsa in the same Vita-Mix blender that I have coveted for years!  Who knew?

Now, fast forward to last month when we were gathered for a staff meeting to discuss an upcoming event: We had previously submitted our ideas and were getting together to brainstorm that day and decide which ones we were going to implement.  I thought it was going to be the same kind of meeting we always have…. You know…Sit around and throw ideas back and forth and the last person standing is the winner.  But upon entering the conference room, I knew this was going to be a meeting like no other because there was a Vita-Mix blender in the center of the table!  Once we were all seated,  the boss gave this speech about how one person had gone above and beyond his expectations on this project and he was so happy with this person he wanted to reward them with a token of appreciation…. The Vita-Mix blender!!!  I started eyeing my co-workers around the table and thinking…. If Melissa gets it, I can probably borrow it….if Erin gets it, I could probably buy it from her pretty cheap….if Manny gets it, he’s giving it to his Mom for Christmas and I am out of luck. ..  Well, imagine my surprise when he announced MY name!!  I was so surprised and overwhelmed I was speechless.  Not only did my suggestions get implemented, but I also got the blender I had been drooling over for years!  I was thrilled!

Since then, a typical day at my house starts with a fruit smoothie for breakfast, made in my Vita-Mix.  Followed by homemade soup for lunch (made with puree blended in my Vita-Mix).  And topped off by a nice strawberry daiquiri after dinner…..of course, made in my Vita-Mix.  …….life is good!

10. Manitowoc Flaker Ice Machine

There is nothing like a diet coke over flaked ice.  Reminds me of having a sno-cone or something.  We had a customer a while ago who bought a flaker for his office so his employees could experience the joy of flaked ice every day.  What a great boss!

9. Equipex Electric Panini XL w/timer

What sandwich doesn’t taste better when it’s pressed? I would get the one with the timer, because ever since I hit 40, I forget what I’m doing from one minute to the next.

8. Dean 1824 G Gas Fryer

Okay, so I went to this WORLD FAMOUS coffee shop in New Orleans and bought a box of beignet mix (like the best donuts ever).  But, what good is the dough without the gas donut fryer?

7. Gold Medal 3038ED Super Floss Cotton Candy Machine

I would use this to bag and sell cotton candy for school fundraisers.  The kids have more money than we do, and they’ll cough it up to feed their sugar addiction.  Plus, then I wouldn’t have to bug everyone at the office to buy overpriced wrapping paper.

6. One Touch Auto Pepper Mill plus light

I really need this.  My arm is tired from having to shake a pepper shaker, so I love the automatic function.  And, the light is perfect for eating in the dark.

5. Nemco 7030 Cone Baker

I want this cone baker just so I can have my house smell like freshly baked waffle cones.  My house is for sale, and I’m convinced that the waffle cone scent is the key to selling it (the economy has nothing to do with it.)

4.  EVP Event Post Black and Yellow

Okay, so I have four kids, and I think these posts would be a fabulous way to divide our family room into quadrants to eliminate unnecessary fights.

3. Nemco Model N55700 Easy Flowering Onion

I’m not going to lie- money’s tight.  The kids can’t understand why we can’t go to our favorite koala themed burger joint to get an overpriced fried onion snack.  If we owned this handy tool, we could make them at home, thus saving thousands of dollars a year.

2. Kenwood TK 3202USP

We live in Orlando, home of the many theme parks, and this is just what our family needs to stay in touch and scope out the shortest rides in the park. We also intend to use them on airplanes- is that legal?  It is nearly impossible for us to get six seats together on our favorite fun loving airline. And, the top piece of equipment I wish I owned is ….

1. The AT-5307 Scalloped Biscuit Cutter Set

My husband is from South Carolina, a country where biscuits are plentiful.  I, on the other hand, am a bona fide Yankee and have never made a biscuit that didn’t come out of a can.  I think if I bought this biscuit cutter set and made him some real homemade biscuits, he’d be so excited that he’d go out and buy me some jewelry for Christmas.

Probably diamonds…

“ABC: Always Be Closing.” While this Ben Affleck line from the stock market scandel film “Boiler Room” might be the defacto motto of the sales industry, when it comes to longevity however, the sale itself is less important than ensuring the customer receives what would best suit their business’ needs.
Take for instance, a very popular item here at Restaurant Equipment World, Ice Machines. As a whole, customers tend to be novices when it comes to Ice Machines and either try to order the cheapest unit or end up attempting to order one piece of a combination of units they would need to even have an ice machine that was operable. There are numerous factors for the customer to consider that would simply never occur to them and in a situation where they can simply place the order hassle free online, going that extra step is what will differentiate our company from our competitors.

About a year ago, I received an order for a Manitowoc S500 Ice Machine from a gentleman in California. There was an immediate red flag because the machine was ordered without a bin, so I knew right away that I should probably get in contact with the customer. I gave him a call and found out he was purchasing the machine for his son’s baseball team at a small college. This being the case, a maximum of 25 guys were going to be using this machine 3 hours a day, 3 months out of the year. 560 lbs of daily production seemed an awful lot like overkill. Instead of just selling him the requisite bin for the machine, I suggested that maybe he would want to go with a compact unit, the Manitwoc Q-130, which produces about 130 lbs of ice in a given day and is built in with an 80 lb bin. I also suggested that with the extra money he would have left over with the difference in cost between the two units, he should purchase a filter and replacement cartridges. He agreed, the order was placed, and everything arrived fine.

A few months later I received a call from an associate of the gentleman who placed the ice machine order. It turns out that the cafeteria was planning an expansion and we had been recommended for the equipment they needed. By making a little bit less on the initial sale but providing the customer with what best suited their needs, we ended up generating a whole new client and a much greater source of revenue. In this industry the dollar is and will always be king, but it is important to remember that the continued success of any enterprise is not based upon a price being 30 cents less than a competitor’s, but in the dividends paid to the customer for the investment of their faith in your brand.

Sometime last year I received a called from Mike Gregowski from Mountain Home, Idaho. He told me about his fine establishment: The Goldrush Tavern. The restaurant was a family business that for the last 60 years had prided itself on their signature item “Uncle Greg’s Yukon Goldrush Fries.” While business was booming and Mike’s staff consisting of his wife and two of his four sons were able to keep up with the demand, their fryer had been on the fritz lately. While they were only about 45 minutes outside of Boise, a fryer repairman was not only costly, but hard to find. Mike was looking to put a new fryer in to bring new life to the old tavern, but he also wanted to increase the output and efficiency of his operation. I told Mike about the Frymaster FPEL422, a four 30lb tank fryer that had the same output as a 50lb tank, but saves on oil each time the tank is refilled. Serving over 150 orders of fries a day, the cost can add up. After some careful decision making, Mike called back and we got the Frymaster on its way. I received and email from Mike about a month later letting me know that business was going well and the Frymaster was everything he wanted and more. He told me that I had an open invitation to a free meal anytime that I happened to be in Mountain Home. He also had big news: The Gold Rush Tavern had officially won for the 15th year in a row the “Taste of Excellence” award for Elmore County. Mike has come back several times over the past few years for any of the Goldrush’s needs and it is great to see that good food and good friends will always go hand in hand.

I thought my husband was just being nice when he offered to warm up this great soup a client of his was trying out. He said there was a little bit of everything in the soup that tasted and looked like a more tomato saucy chili. He let Dorina and I eat a bowl of it before telling us there was gator in it. I’ve tried gator before but I don’t think I would have tried the soup knowing it had gator in it. Well, I guess it didn’t kill me. I’m going to need a list of ingredients before I try anything again.

Testimony of Brad Pierce, President of
Restaurant Equipment World ™ (A Pierce Sales Co., Inc.)
at the hearing by the
Subcommittee on Competitiveness, Innovation,
and Export Promotion of the Commerce Committee
United States Senate
October 6, 2009

On Tuesday, October 6, 2009, Brad Pierce, President of Orlando based Restaurant Equipment World ™ testified before a United States Senate Subcommittee in Washington, D.C. regarding increasing global export trade for small businesses.  Over the past several years, Pierce has grown his export business substantially which now accounts for more than 30% of his company’s annual sales volume and spans more than 100 countries internationally.  While Pierce has accomplished this without the aid of government assistance, he certainly is interested in programs the government has available to help him increase his and other small businesses’ export volumes.  Pierce stated, “There are 24 million small businesses which create approximately 80% of the new jobs in this country.  In this troubled economy I see how much our business has been aided by exports, to not only survive, but to grow as a business.  I would certainly like to see other companies benefit in this same manner.”  The content of his speech and subsequent question and answer session with numerous Senators and other government officials continued to drive home the importance of increased global exports for small businesses.  He concluded his testimony by stating, “I truly believe that as partners with the US government working hand in hand together, we can certainly increase our export trade.  This will save U.S. jobs, provide an increase in revenue, help for us to recover faster from the current economic downturn, and make us stronger as a nation.”  Pierce was testifying on behalf of the National Federation of Independent Businesses at the invitation of United States Senator George LeMieux of Florida.

Restaurant Equipment World ™ (A Pierce Sales Co., Inc.) is an industry leading dealer of commercial restaurant equipment and supplies.  They are a family owned company based in Orlando, Florida and have approximately 45 employees.  Over the past 33 years, the company has sold goods to more than 75,000 customers in all 50 states and more than 100 countries internationally.  The company was the first in their industry to embrace the e-commerce market more than 13 years ago and currently operates a network more than 200 online websites dedicated to foodservice equipment and supplies.  The company’s online catalog available at www.REWonline.com boasts over 26,000 products from more than 200 manufacturers.

It sounds like another terrible idea for a show on Food Network (and it may already be), but I’ve recently been told that there is a war going on between equipment suppliers and restauranteurs. Seriously?

I was under the impression that the “Mission Accomplished” sign on the deck of the Lincoln meant that major combat operations had ceased. My mistake. There is still down and dirty forum to forum and Twitter to Twitter fighting going on in the province of Social Media. Casualties are mounting on both sides but this is a war that will continue on for many years to come. Our leadership sees this as a war that must be won while a small restaurant insurgency is hell-bent on raising skepticism and question about our motives.

Is this really how the relationship between equipment suppliers and restaurants perceived? Are we really the bad-guy, strolling into a forum or social media network like a conquering army? Yes. Well, at least that’s been standard operating procedure for our industry since its introduction to Twitter, FaceBook, and open forums. From a distance our industry’s foray into social media looks like a Remarque title. But as you look closer, there is a battle raging. Social media sites have become a combat zone where a constant struggle between shameless sales posts and actual opinionated content rages on. It becomes harder and harder to sift through the Spam on sites that were originally designed as a place for people who share a similar interest to share their stories, opinions, or expertise.

Over the past few weeks I’ve been doing a lot of research and even a little soul searching. How do I increase customers and convert tweets into sales? When do we start to see revenue from FaceBook? Which is the best way for REW to gain from Social Media? I was deeply misinformed. The answer to these questions is the simple fact that social media doesn’t work in the way that most businesses think. We can’t just make accounts and expect people to come running to us. We also can’t expect to solely post products or sales and expect listeners to hang on our every word. Johnson and Westmoreland were right, winning hearts and minds is key to the success of any campaign- whether in conflict or social media. Potential customers will never convert to actual customers if we pillage and plunder the Internet or constantly announce ourselves to a quite room. Our behavior online has only served to fuel the fire.

Think of it this way. Have you ever been downtown and heard some guy touting Jesus and how you’re living a life of sin from a bullhorn? Do you ever stop to listen and take him seriously? Do you ever wonder to yourself that maybe he’s right and you should change your lifestyle immediately? Of course not. You say to your friends loudly, “That guy’s #*@%ing crazy” and go on about your business. The same concept applies to the Internet. No one wants to listen if you don’t have something important to say. And in what older people call “the information age” word travels fast- especially if you’re lame. Look at Star Wars Kid. Sitting on Twitter or FaceBook for 8 hours a day announcing daily specials or how customers can save is going to get you nowhere and it will do so in a way that ruins whatever reputation you thought your company had online.

We as suppliers need to give back. We work in the same industry as restaurants- we even help them get started, so we should know a thing or two about the business. Or at least fake it. REW especially, has over 30 years of experience in this field. I recently tried to convey the fact that we’ve seen and done it all, or at least know someone who has on an open forum but was met with stiff skepticism. We face the daunting challenge of changing the way we are perceived in our industry and it’s online community. I’m not suggesting a full defection, but merely a change in strategy. The world sees us as product-toting sales mongers who want nothing more than to swoop in on a discussion and make a quick buck. That’s not who we are- we’re not that guy. We are not a restaurant’s online enemy.

Social media is no place for REW- if we have the mindset of Willy Loman. We are in a position where we can contribute to the greater good. Will we make direct sales? Probably not. Will we establish relationships that have the potential to generate a new customer? If we play our cards right. The tools to build a reputation as a wealth of industry knowledge are in our hands. And we’re going to use them.

Let’s do something that this industry has never seen before. Let’s offer advice and assistance to those who need it without a shameless plug or product link. Let’s be the one used car salesman who says “This car was owned by a little old lady- but she drove the hell out of it.” Let honesty and altruism be our policy. Let Spam remain a mystery meat.

If there is a restaurant war still going on, we’ve been tasked with the most difficult mission. It’s up to us to change the face of our industry and re-vamp the way we view social media marketing. I can hear Norman Cota and he’s saying, “REW lead the way.”