This is absolutely amazing. While I can see this having more successful application in a research lab where mixtures need to be moved from one surface to another in the pursuit of science, it is cool to think of equipping your busboy with one of these in the pursuit of clean tables. I know that a wet rag is more user friendly- and probably more effective- but the wow factor of scooping up a ketchup spill without disturbing its shape is enough for me to consider the more high-tech option.

A side note: if your restaurant is serving processed meat that looks like a pink folded towel (in the production line portion of the video) you may have bigger problems than ketchup spills that need to be cleaned in a fancy, technological way.

Or at least they have been for a little while now….

Restaurant Equipment World, a proud sponsor of the 2011 Orlando Magazine Best Dining Awards and the BEST restaurants in Orlando, wants to congratulate all winners on their achievements.

Once a year, the very best restaurants that call The City Beautiful home come together and compete for coveted titles in many different categories. While only the top restaurants in each category will win, many Orlando establishments and their delicious fare will receive honorable mention.

This year’s winners represent the very best that Orlando has to offer in terms of food and culture. Many visitors to our area rarely get a glimpse of what life in Orlando is like beyond the borders of The Mouse, leaving much of our local flavor unnoticed and untouched. Those of us who are lucky enough to call Central Florida home have access to fine restaurants and unbelievable food that embody our way of life year-round.

If you’re one of the fortunate few who can be called a “local,” pick up a copy of Orlando Magazine and rediscover our great city, one dish at a time.

Here’s a short release from REW’s Vice President Patty Nuzzo:

On Sunday, May 15th, Orlando Magazine’s 2011 dining awards were
held at the historic ballroom at Dubsdread Country Club in Orlando. REW was a proud sponsor of this event for the 2nd year in a row. Our President Brad Pierce and Vice President Patty Nuzzo and their spouses attended the event to show their support of all of the winners and runners up.  Winners were chosen by readers of Orlando Magazine who voted on their top dining choices in 60 categories. Many REW customers were among the winners. In addition, Orlando Magazine honored several 2011 Hall of Fame winners during the event.

For a complete list of this year’s winners, check out Orlando Magazine’s webpage.

REW is a proud sponsor of the 2011 Orlando Magazine Dining Awards

For more information on this year’s sponsors, visit their pages listed below:

Make sure to follow us on Twitter for updates on industry insights and local restaurant news.

By Brad Pierce, President Restaurant Equipment World

via The Schechter Report

Despite the advent of Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms, e-mail marketing still delivers a very solid ROI and isn’t going to fall by the wayside anytime soon. While social media provides phenomenal marketing opportunities, the volume of content makes it easy for your message to get lost in the clutter. This is where e-mail marketing shines – it’s delivered directly to customers’ desktops or mobile devices and claims their attention long enough for equipment suppliers to entice them to absorb your message.

The first step to ensuring a good response to your e-mail marketing is to make sure operators actually get your message and it’s not filtered as spam. This is where a solid e-mail marketing company comes into play. Don’t skimp in this area; choose a provider who has trusted relationships with ISPs ensuring their e-mail communications are white-listed.

So, you’ve gotten your message past the spam filter, but now what? You literally only have a fraction of a second to engage or lose your recipients. This is where good copyrighting of your subject line comes into play. You need to entice your customer to click on your e-mail to view it, rather than having them click the delete button. A message’s subject needs to be interesting, concise and, most of all, relevant to recipients’ needs. The biggest mistake marketers make in this area is delivering a great subject line that generates interest, only to have the content of their messages differ greatly from what customers thought it would be about. Quite simply, don’t do it. It’s not worthwhile to burn away trust with your customers, many of whom will likely unsubscribe.

Now that you’ve gained your customers attention, your focus can shift to the actual content of your message. Just like with the subject line, you need to once again engage your customers quickly. They’re likely going to only give your message a quick glace before deciding whether to read the full content or go on to the next message. This should be done by presenting an easy-to-read headline that grabs customers’ attention. In the case of restaurant promotions, pictures with big bold text announcing your promotion are the best way to get people to read further. In the case of e-newsletters, the best examples I’ve seen have a concise listing of the topics covered in each issue so that readers can quickly decide if a particular newsletter is of interest to them.

The bottom line is that e-mail marketing can be very effective and can have a very solid ROI. Just remember, the key is always clear communication, engagement, honesty and being attentive to the fact you’ve only got a fraction of a second to grab your customers’ attention during each step of the process.

By Brad Pierce, President Restaurant Equipment World

via The Schechter Report

There’s a line from the movie Field of Dreams that goes, “If you build it, they will come.” While this may be true for a ballpark, it couldn’t be further from the truth when it comes to a foodservice equipment supplier’s web site.

By Brad Pierce, President Restaurant Equipment World

via The Schechter Report

Having a blog for your restaurant or foodservice is perhaps one of the easiest online marketing techniques, yet many operators miss this important step in their quest to drive customers and traffic to their sites. The most common reason cited by operators I’ve spoken with is that they just don’t feel like they’re tech-savvy enough to handle the task of getting a blog set up. Have no fear, it’s actually quick and easy to get started, which I’ll explain below. Another common reason I hear from operators is that they are already using FaceBook to post updates, so they see no need for their own blog.

While FaceBook is great and a useful online marketing platform, it’s important to remember that with FaceBook content, you’re helping to build their site, not yours. It’s like the difference between renting a house versus buying one. Ultimately, you want to be the one to control your content and hold ownership of your message. This allows you to market your content on whatever platform is the latest and greatest social media site without being locked into just one. The reason for this is you never know when the next social media site will become a hit, much like what happened when FaceBook took over market share from MySpace. Simply stated, the best practice in online blogging is to develop your own content on your own site, then to tell the world about it on sites like Twitter and FaceBook to drive traffic back to your site.

The most common blogging platform is called WordPress (http://www.wordpress.com). This software is 100% open source and will never cost you a dime as it’s built and maintained by hundreds of volunteers. There are literally millions of online sites that use WordPress, so if questions do arise there is a vast pool of resources available to help you quickly. Installation of the WordPress software is fast. So fast, in fact, they call it the “Famous 5-Minute Install.” The stand alone version of WordPress for your own server can be downloaded by visiting http://wordpress.org/download/. If you prefer not to deal with security updates or don’t have your own domain, you can also choose to have WordPress host your blog on its servers. A hosted WordPress installation can be installed by visiting https://en.wordpress.com/signup/, which only takes a few seconds.

Whichever method you choose, you should plan on investing more time to customize your theme (colors, background, images and the like), but even this process is typically quick and straightforward. Additionally, there is a number of optional add-ons which can be installed to handle functions such as automatic spam detection. These don’t need to be added initially but, as your blog comes to life, you may find that daily management of your blog is more easily done by incorporating these types of tools. As a side note, these add-ons are typically open-source and 100% free, as well.

I hope that you’ll spend a few minutes today and invest in your operation by setting up your own blog. In a future entry, I’ll explore the next steps in blogging focusing on content and strategies for building a successful discussion platform. Happy Blogging!

Its hard to top a Cleveland Steamer…

…But the new Mini Combi Oven expands your menu!

The Mini 2 in 1 Combi Oven comes equipped with two separate cooking chambers placed on top of each other allowing foods to be prepared simultaneously using different cooking methods. Both chambers are easily controlled with just a few simple entries on the key pad using Convotherm by Cleveland’s easyToUCH technology. The small footprint, the ease of operation, and the wide range of cooking options deliver maximum performance within a limited amount of floor space.

The easyToUCH control panel provides self-explanatory symbols to help staff navigate through menu options. A visual help mode with operating instructions and a service diagnostic mode quickly offer onsite help should problems occur. Automatically receive software updates via the internet. A USB connection is included for easy up and downloading of programs and recipes. The easyToUCH system does not require any special or additional tooling and supports standard Windows CE platform.

Standard features include the Crisp & Tasty function – food comes out crisp and crunchy, while the inside stays tender and juicy. The Press & Go control displays individual pictures of menu items to choose from making it easy for staff to operate and ensuring the quality you desire can be reproduced time after time. Programmable up to 250 recipes with up to 20 steps each.

From our friends at SEFA

Press Release Courtesy of the National Restaurant Association

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, November 15, 2010

CONTACT:  Derrek J. Hull (312) 853-2522 dhull@restaurant.org or Annika Stensson (202) 973-3677 astensson@restaurant.org
NRA Show on Twitter and Facebook.

National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show Signs Multi-Year Agreement to Stay at Chicago’s McCormick Place through 2016
A 61-Year Tradition Continues – Bringing More than $600 million in Direct Expenditures to Chicago Over Six Years

(Chicago) The National Restaurant Association was joined today by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and leaders in the city’s convention and hospitality industry in announcing that the annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show and International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event will remain in Chicago’s McCormick Place through 2016. After thorough review of options, the National Restaurant Association signed a new five-year agreement with the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) and the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau (CCTB).

Dawn Sweeney, National Restaurant Association President and CEO, delivered the following statement in part at the news conference announcing the future plans of the Association’s annual Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show:

“The restaurant business has always been, and continues to be, all about warm hospitality, extraordinary service and great taste. Therefore, it is critically important to the National Restaurant Association that we hold our industry’s leading trade show in a location that possesses those characteristics.

“We continue to strongly believe that Chicago, Illinois, is a world-class destination that provides outstanding business facilities, along with sensational culinary, cultural and entertainment assets.

“Our 66,000 attendees and exhibitors from all 50 states and more than 100 countries deserve and expect excellence – and Chicago delivers.

“Along with all that the city of Chicago has to offer, McCormick Place – with the new legislation being implemented – will now provide an exhibitor-friendly, hassle-free and cost-effective facility that makes for an outstanding trade show environment.

“Thank you to Governor Pat Quinn, Chicago’s Mayor Richard M. Daley, Illinois Speaker of the House Michael Madigan and Illinois Senate President John Cullerton and others who worked so hard to make the positive changes at McCormick Place a reality.

“The legislation includes many important provisions that will help us grow our trade show – already the Western Hemisphere’s, and arguably the world’s, largest foodservice and hospitality event.

“McCormick Place has made a commitment to enhance its service and value at the NRA Show. Allowing exhibitors the option to undertake a number of tasks they were previously precluded from engaging in, along with decreased foodservice and electrical costs, are among the concrete positive steps that will make the venue highly attractive, and that will place it on a level playing field with other cities.

“We are in a global marketplace with instant communications and intense competition. With that reality as a backdrop, the National Restaurant Association is pleased with the direction the recent legislation has taken, and we encourage labor leaders to continue working to provide an unsurpassed experience to attract an ever greater number of trade show exhibitors from across the United States and around the world to Chicago.

“The continuation of this amazing tradition will bring more that $600 million – that’s in excess of one half of a billion dollars – to Chicago through 2016.”

Read Sweeney’s full remarks.

The annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show is the largest single gathering of restaurant, foodservice and lodging professionals. The event attracts tens of thousands of attendees and visitors from all 50 states and 100+ countries, and showcases more products, services, innovative ideas and other growth opportunities than any other industry event. For more information, visit the Show Web site at www.restaurant.org/show.

If you’ve got a walk-in freezer or cooler, it can be difficult to know when to replace it. For most restaurant owners, it probably rarely crosses your mind until something goes wrong and you’re looking for a place to store 6,000 pounds worth of meat. If Lady Gaga isn’t around, you may be out of luck.

In any case, it is a good idea to know what to look for before it happens. First and foremost, walk-ins should be replaced after 15 years of service as a general rule. While your old walk-in may have a few more years of life in it at this point, the efficiency of a new model can be well worth the investment, saving electricity and money in the long run. It goes without saying that if you are constantly repairing it, or if the doors are falling off the hinges, it may be time for a replacement as well. If you think you may want to replace your walk-in freezer or cooler, or just want to look around, feel free to visit our website, www.walkinworld.com.

So what to do with that old walk-in freezer or cooler? Well, I’ve got a few ideas for you. You could always fill it with high-speed explosives and watch it go boom. Make sure you take the proper precautions and get local permits to do so. That stuff packs a punch. You may want to take an ironic approach; get a crane, dip it in liquid nitrogen for about half an hour, then drop it from 100 feet up. Make sure you bring a broom.

In all seriousness, know when to replace your walk-in cooler or walk-in freezer. The earth will thank you, and so may your budget.

By Brad Pierce, President Restaurant Equipment World

Via The Schechter Report

It never ceases to amaze me how much “bad advice” there is out there when it comes out to suggestions about how to improve a web site’s search engine optimization (SEO). Here are three common site development strategies to avoid:

1. Generate Hidden Text: Here’s what has been widely considered a brilliant idea – Developers work to fill their web pages with lots of ‘hidden’ keywords to improve a site’s ranking. They do this by coloring all text the same hue as the background of their web pages. That way, search engines “see” the text, but visitors to the site never know it’s there. That was a quick way to rocket a restaurant’s or foodservice department’s web site to the top position of search engines… back in 2000. Unfortunately, many people still errantly advocate using this development technique. Major search engines have gotten much smarter and now see tricks like this as spamming and will downgrade a site’s ranking rather than upgrade it.

2. Stuff “Meta Tags” With Keywords: Here’s the reality – meta tags are dead. They’re no longer recognized by search engine ranking algorithms, due to spamming techniques that made meta tags too easy to exploit. As a result, inserting meta-keyword tags will no longer help to improve a site’s ranking. However if foodservice operators do choose to use meta tags, don’t stuff them with keywords. Instead, keep the list of keywords to a minimal size and never, ever repeat keywords or phrases multiple times or you’re likely to be labeled as a spammer.

3. Guarantee To Position Sites As #1 On Google, Yahoo Or Bing: Many restaurants and foodservices have been pitched by companies selling search engine optimization services “guaranteed’ to place their web sites in “the #1 position.” If you ever hear this promise again, run! Sure, there are reliable ways to get a site into a number one position, but the results of those techniques are very short lasting and almost always will get a site banned from the search engine for violating their business practice terms. These bans can run anywhere from six months to forever, depending on how sneaky the tricks were the optimization company used to get a site into that coveted #1 position. Overall, It’s simply not worth it. Operators will be much better served by going with a reputable search engine optimization company that doesn’t “guarantee” pie-in-the-sky results.

Now that I’ve shared several common SEO mistakes to avoid, I’ll leave you with the magic key to improving the ranking of your site: Develop strong content. Yes, it really is that simply. Content is king. Build it and they will come (and your site will rank high up in search engines rankings, too!)

Brad Pierce, President Restaurant Equipment World

via The Schecter Report

I’ve heard the complaint dozens of times, “Social media doesn’t work for my restaurant.” Whenever I hear operators vent about how they’re not achieving the desired results in their social media campaigns, I begin asking a series of questions to determine why they think this online promotional medium is ineffective. Answers typically reveal that operators are either (1) not investing the time to do it correctly or (2) they’re investing the time, but they’re simply posting status updates with specials and other self-serving content.

The first scenario is easy to solve by devoting more time and effort. The second scenario, however, requires more thought by operators about how they’re working with social media. To use an old adage, people don’t like to be sold, but they love to buy. What’s needed is to change the mindset of customers so that they actively want to engage with a foodservice. Then, with luck, they’ll bite.

Let’s look at a real-world interaction in a typical operation: Managers want to sell more desserts to increase check averages. Previously, staff might put a sign on a display table saying “Try Our Pie.” Amongst all the products on the table, the message was often lost. This is similar to how a message gets lost among all the other postings in the social media world people log on to daily. Because the old paper display sign failed, the argument can be made that advertising desserts doesn’t work to drive sales — much like the argument that social media doesn’t work to drive sales.

Here’s how to do it right. Using my example, what if instead of just placing that small sign on the table, staff enhanced it to show a picture, possible a quote or two from customers that the operation serves the best pie they’ve ever had. Do you think that might sell more desserts? Of course you would, but we’re not done yet.

What if customers were talking with one another about how the pie they ate at a facility was the best they’d ever had? That’s the kind of buzz that sends lines of customers coming in the door ready to add pie to their orders. Readers may be thinking that’s just a fictional example, but how do get my customers to talk with friends about what my operation serves? In the real world, you have the benefit of face-to-face interactions to chat directly with customers about how wonderful the pie is and how it comes out steamy hot just like Grandma used to make. In the social media world, however, this “sales pitch” doesn’t translate quite so well.

Instead, operators should quit posting status updates and offers, and begin to engage with customers. Get to know customers, comment on the things they’re doing, the things they care about. In short, don’t try to sell them anything! Build relationships with and get to know customers. Once operators engage with customers, they’ll be the ones who are commenting to others about the great food and desserts they’ve experienced. This is social media working for operators. Bottom line: An effective campaign built upon relationships and engagement, rather than a lackluster one focused on ineffective postings to drive sales.