News

Food waste has become a significant problem in the U.S.An enormous amount of food is being thrown away every day, and it doesn’t just affect the bottom line: food that is not eaten ends up in landfills, where it rots and produces greenhouse gasses. The food service industry has long focused on preventing wasteful product losses—losses that cost them billions of dollars each year. In particular, gr … read more

Finding, hiring, and retaining employees who are willing to work flexible hours day or night as well as weekends is an ongoing struggle.As operators face added pressures to ensure staff productivity, work quality, and efficient scheduling, it is more important than ever to properly manage existing staff to save time in replacing and training new employees. Personnel issues can lead operators to fo … read more

Since the onset of COVID-19, ensuring the safety of both customers and employees has become the top priority for retail foodservice operators.While new protocols for protecting staff and customers, maintaining products that meet customers’ changing buying habits and keeping pace with new technology all compete for attention, one issue remains a priority just as it did pre-pandemic: temperature mon … read more

Technological proficiency and detail orientation are two skills that do not come naturally to everyone. Fortunately, advancements in food service tech are helping ease the pain of both.Not attending to details can prove to be consequential in a challenging, high-energy kitchen environment where multiple tasks are required of everyone. It takes great skill as a foodservice operator to manage a kitc … read more

While ever-changing customer demands, new protocols for protecting staff and customers, and keeping pace with new technology all compete for operators’ attention during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, keeping food safe and avoiding costly health code violations remains a key concern.In the past, monitoring temperatures was tedious and sometimes ineffective as staff members manually checked and reco … read more

Did COVID-19 really transform the restaurant industry—or did it just hasten an evolution that was already inevitable?Many of the changes and trends operators are facing were already taking place within the industry before the pandemic, only they are now being adopted more quickly. Establishments have restructured their businesses to include app-based ordering, delivery and pickup options as conven … read more

Since the emergence of COVID-19, priorities in food prep areas have shifted. Even greater emphasis has been placed on food safety, labor costs and food waste—three items that were already at the top of most operators’ lists.  With many stay-at-home orders and advisories remaining in place across the country, consumers look for ways to bring more grab & go, prepared, and other co … read more

Third-party food delivery may have single-handedly saved the restaurant industry. Now, governments are beginning to ensure its safety. Had third-party delivery not blossomed when it did, the COVID-19 pandemic could have had catastrophic effects on restaurants across the United States and around the world. As it is, the industry took a serious hit stemming from a cautious public coupled … read more

While most federal and state laws require ready-to-eat foods to be prepared and served without bare hand contact, most have stopped short of mandating the use of gloves (although federal, state and municipal laws may vary). As a result, there are several ways foodservice providers have addressed this issue, including the use of tongs, forks and spoons, deli or waxed paper or even napkins. Some kit … read more

Observing grocery staff wearing gloves has become commonplace, particularly when working with ready-to-eat foods in the deli or produce departments, or when performing customer-facing tasks such as checkout or deli counters.Most operators in the food service industry know that disposable gloves go quickly. Best practices call for staff members to change gloves frequently as the gloves can quickl … read more