the electric cooking SUMMER 2006 advantage A Recipe for Successful Kitchen Planning! s By Jim Wixson, CFSP, Georgia Power Cooking Products Manager ometime in your foodservice career, you may be involved in the planning process of designing or remodeling a commercial kitchen. Questions you might begin to ask yourself are: What steps should I take, what issues are important to understand, and how do I know I'll get maximum value out of my new kitchen? Georgia Power 241 Ralph McGill Boulevard NE Bin 10205 Atlanta, Georgia 30308-3374 Presorted First Class Mail U.S. Postage PAID Atlanta, GA Permit No. 71 Planning a successful kitchen is hardly a "do it yourself" project. It is recommended that you seek the expertise and guidance of a foodservice professional. They'll help you sort through the thousands of details and decision points needed to begin the design process. In addition to the Architect that will be working with you, there are several excellent professionals you can go to that will assist you in the kitchen decision-making process. They are Food Facilities Consultants, and Foodservice Dealer Sales Engineers. Food Facilities Consultants work on a fee basis. They can take your idea and nurture it into a fully developed plan complete with dealer/contractor specifications for pricing. They can assist with menu development, review bids for accuracy, award winning bidders, and insure that the specified equipment is supplied for final installation. The benefit to the customer is these professionals have years of experience to draw upon. Experience that can save you money. As a general rule, the larger the facility, the greater the value of consultants. Foodservice Dealer Sales Engineers work for a restaurant equipment dealer and get paid when you purchase the equipment from their firm. They will charge a retainer to compensate for their time, should you actually purchase your equipment from another dealer. Sales Engineers are keenly aware of new technologies and because there is gener- Cont. on Page 2 Southern Cooking Goes Electric! t he Country Kitchen, one of Callaway Gardens® most popular restaurants, reopened March 1, 2006 after an 8-week remodeling. The remodeling included replacing most gas cooking equipment with electric fryers, electric ovens, an electric tilt skillet and electric griddles. According to Cliff Strickland, Director of Maintenance and Operations, the benefits are numerous. The restaurant is able to serve more people because the new electric equipment gets more production and quicker cook times. Pictured (l - r) are Don Martin (GPC Key Account Manager) & Cliff Strickland (Callaway Gardens) Food quality and consistency has improved with the evenness of temperature with the new electric equipment. "Our Chefs love cooking pancakes and eggs on the new electric griddles since there are no surface cold Cont. on Page 2 C o n t e n t s 0601819 A Recipe for Successful Kitchen Planning. . . . . . . . . . . . 1 What’s Hot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Tips, Quips & Myths. . . . . . . . . 4 On the Road Again . . . . . . . . . . 3 Kitchen Chat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Southern Cooking goes Electric. 1 Valued Partner Profiles. . . . . . . 3 For a participating Electric Cooking Dealer, please call us at 1.888.655.5888 or email us at [email protected] What’s Hot Take a Test Drive! b efore you buy electric cooking equipment for your commercial kitchen, wouldn't you like the opportunity to test drive your new piece of equipment before you purchase? Well now you can! Georgia Power's Foodservices' offers a few new options to experience electric cooking in action. The Electric Cooking Advantage demonstration DVD showcases the latest in electric cooking technologies. Whether you're interested in comi or convection ovens, steamers, fryers, griddles or braising pans, we can show you the benefits of electric cooking and how going electric can save you installation, energy and maintenance costs. If you want to get your own hands behind the electric cooking controls you can visit one of our convenient commercial demonstration kitchen locations. Our Metro Atlanta and Savannah kitchens have all the latest electric equipment for your test drive. Another useful tool is our Foodservice Web site located at georgiapower.com/foodservice. The Web site contains a wealth of helpful information including; electric cooking equipment videos, information sheets, links to professional electric cooking associations and past issues of our The Electric Cooking Advantage newsletter. With the added expertise from our Foodservice Team members and the use of our on-site test kitchen, you can be confident you'll make the right choice for your commercial kitchen. To order the electric cooking demo DVD, schedule an equipment test/demo or to have The Electric Cooking Advantage newsletter emailed directly to you, please contact us at 1.888.655.5888 or email us at [email protected]. When sending an email newsletter request, please type "Newsletter" in the subject line. A Recipe for Successful Kitchen Planning! Cont. from Page 1 ally a more conversational relationship, they are likely to recommend trying new ideas. Other professionals that can assist you in the planning process are manufacturer’s representatives, foodservice dealer sales personnel, and others who have been through the process before. These individuals will help guide you to a reliable consultant or sales engineer, or they can get you in touch with someone from a church, school, or restaurant that has already been through the process. There are literally thousands of decisions to be made on even the smallest project. Following each of the project steps can save you time and money. • Scope of Project: Before you start with any drawings, the first step is to develop the scope of your project. This is where both you and the professional can define the type of facility, size, budget, and general ideas about the look and feel of the serving system or dining room. This project scope will establish project parameters and will allow for modifications and improvements as the learning improves. • Menu Development: The customer needs to convey to the designer a detailed list of all the food they plan to serve. This is a critical step so the kitchen designer can best determine the quantity and correct application of preparation and cooking equipment. Before creating a layout, the design professional needs to make a simple schedule of the various pieces of equipment they will need to include in the plan. • Preliminary Layout: Now it's time for the designer to begin blocking out a kitchen layout giving special attention to spatial design effecting process and flow. A deliberative plan provides that all of the neces- sary elements (areas) will work seamlessly together without causing interruptions in flow. The food product should move smoothly from refrigerated or dry storage to pre-prep area, cooking line, serving line, dining room, and then cleanup. This takes the skill of a trained professional who understands the impacts of health, fire, life-safety, National Sanitation Foundation, HVAC and other codes. • Preliminary Budget: At this stage of the project, the designer will give the customer an approximate cost of all of the scheduled equipment on the job. Excluding plumbing, electrical and mechanical work, this is a rough estimate for equipment only which most closely matches the customer’s quality requirements. • Equipment Detail and Specification: After the customer approves the flow, process, and general acceptance of a working budget, it is now time to detail the actual cooking line. Productivity is the key to the success of any foodservice operation making it one of the most critical elements of the project. The designer's job is to balance the capital budget constraints with the functionality of the customer needs. In the business this is called "value engineering". This involves possibly using economy equipment items, future purchase items, or standard manufacturer items in lieu of custom fabrication. It is important for the customer to understand the capabilities and performance of the equipment that will be employed in the kitchen. The evaluative process of the equipment items recommended will require you to have a great deal of faith in the design professional, but it is recommend that for each piece of equipment selected, the following On The Road Again t he Georgia Power Foodservices Team was on the road again promoting its The Electric Cooking Advantage message to foodservice professionals statewide. In February the team attended the American Culinary Federation's (ACF) Southeastern Regional Conference held in Savannah. The conference, chaired by ACF Savannah Chapter President Chef Stephen Minton, attracted more than 400 chefs from around the country. Attendees had the opportunity to participate in culinary skills competitions, educational seminars, a vendor trade show and numerous networking functions. The Southern Company All Electric competition kitchens featured Rational Self Cooking Centers and Vollrath Induction units for the 70 chefs participating in four different categories. Also, AccuTemp Products featured their electric steam griddle and connectionless steamer. Rational’s Executive Chef LouisPhilippe Audette conducted a well-attended banqueting seminar demonstrating how their combi ovens impact the bottom line for any chef’s foodservice operation. Georgia Power, Alabama Power and Savannah Electric hosted a closing night low country boil and barbecue at historic Fort Jackson. The event included great food, networking and a spectacular fireworks display. Congratulations to the conference committee, Chefs; Stephen Minton, Hillary Gallagher, Elizabeth Baase, Marvis Hinson, Ron Andrews, Cynthia Creighton-Jones, and Michael Ty for an outstanding conference. In April our Foodservices team attended The Georgia School system decision makers from across the state attended the conference to learn more about what’s new in the commercial cooking market. From new cooking technology to trays and silverware; you name it, it was there. For the second consecutive year, Georgia Power's Foodservices Team was on hand to promote the benefits of electric cooking. Also, the team proudly displayed “Yes, It’s Electric!” signs on approximately 20 individual pieces of electric cooking equipment from 11 dealers and manufacturers. This year, nearly 80% of the equipment displayed at the show was electric. For many of our vendor partners, the conference produced numerous leads and sales. One vendor, Ramsey Denson from Big A Distributors, told us he sold a 44 KW fryer at the show. Georgia Power's Foodservices Team mission is to promote the electric cooking advantage Cont. on Page 5 Southern Cooking goes Electric! Cont. from Page 1 spots." Cliff said. Asked if there were any challenges with the new equipment, Cliff said they had to get used to food cooking much quicker in the electric fryers due to the faster recovery times. The staff is enjoying a cooler kitchen due to less wasted heat from the electric equipment. Connault, CEC, and Food & Beverage Director Tony Labatos, were able to test drive some of the new electric cooking equipment and quickly realized the benefits. The trip to the demo kitchen helped them decide on what fuel source to use as well as what specific equipment to select. One of the resources Cliff used to plan Callaway Gardens® remodel was a trip to Georgia Power's demonstration kitchen. At the demo kitchen, Executive Chef Thierry Callaway Gardens® is a 13,000-acre golf and recreation resort located near Pine Mountain, Georgia. Cont. on Page 3 2 School Nutrition Association (GSNA) Trade Show held at the Georgia International Conference Center located in East Point, Georgia. 5 On the Road Again Cont. from Page 3 Atlanta Fixture & Sales option allowed our team to be in a dozen different spots at the same time, rather than just covering one booth. The Foodservices Team wants to thank everyone who participated at this year's conference, including Jim Wixson, Lynn Moses and all our valued vendor partners. With another successful conference now behind us, our goal will be to work toward a 100% Total Electric trade show in the future! Ramsey Denson, Sales Manager, Big A Distributors A Recipe for Cont. from Page 2 questions would be asked: • How much product per hour will it cook? • What is the life cycle cost? • What is the purchase price? • How much does it cost to operate? • What is the impact in the quality of the food? • What is the impact on labor? • Does the equipment item cause work environment problems? • Is it easy to operate? • Can the equipment item serve more than one purpose? • Final Layout and Engineering: This is the last step prior to sending the project out to bid. All of the negotiated changes from the preliminary layout are incorporated into a final drawing set. Then all plumbing, gas, and electrical rough-ins are developed. Ventilation issues are incorporated into the drawings, along with special details that will help convey the finished plan. • Awarding the Project: At this point, the project should be ready to send out for bid. If you have hired a consultant, they will help you determine which dealer should be awarded the project based on their bid price and historical project performance. If you worked and you feel comfortable with a sales engineer, and the prices come back within a small percentage difference, you might then order the equipment directly from them. The benefit of having the designer handle the sale is that they know all of the special details about your kitchen. If you engage professionals in your planning process you will be guided painlessly through the obstacle course of decision making. Each missed opportunity or incorrect decision can stall or set a project back by many months. Consultants and Sales Engineers are money in the bank! They will steer you clear of profit pitfalls and build in efficiency. I hope that this article has been helpful in giving you a recipe to successful kitchen planning. 23 S ince 1927 Atlanta Fixture & Sales Company, Inc. has been an industry leader in the national distribution of foodservice equipment and supplies. Valued Partner Profile option wherever possible. Getting our vendor partners fully engaged in selling the electric Customers can shop at their convenience by visiting Atlanta Fixture's showroom and warehouse (spanning more than 172,000 square feet) or browsing through their website at www.atlantafixture.com. The company's vast inventory of more than 9,000 different in-stock items offers the ability to outfit an entire restaurant from its existing warehouse inventory. In addition, a fleet of 13 delivery trucks allow Atlanta Fixture to deliver much needed equipment in a fast and responsive manner. Atlanta Fixture's team of experienced design project managers can design and specify equipment solutions for any commercial foodservice application imaginable. Atlanta Fixture is pleased about its partnership with Georgia Power, enabling them to offer and supply money-saving, electric foodservice equipment to their clients. Top 5 Foodservice Equipment Dealers that sell energy-efficient electric cooking equipment: Atlanta Fixture & Sales Big A Distributors Manning brothers Norvell Fixture & Equipment Strategic Equipment & Supply As an Owner/Operator of Fish Dish, I'm pleased with the fact that my kitchen is very comfortable. We're using three fryers, a griddle, an oven and a full size warmer — all of which are on for many hours. I have no doubt that electric cooking equipment is definitely cooler than any other energy source in addition to it being more productive as well. I am very pleased! A school system that's making the grade with the electric cooking advantage and some exciting new electric cooking technology advancements to consider. Kitchen Chat In Our Next Issue In Our Next Issue What our Customers are Saying Debbie Ryan, Owner of Fish Dish, McDonough, Georgia The benefits of electric cooking are numerous. Our restaurant is now able to serve more people because the new electric equipment gets more production and quicker cook times. Our food quality & consistency has improved with the evenness of temperature with the new electric equipment. Cliff Strickland, Director of Maintenance and Operations, Callaway Gardens®, Pine Mountain, Georgia. The electric fryers have got a real quick recovery time and they seem to be able to hold their temperature better and last longer than the gas fryers. That surprised me. I guess it's because the elements are right there where you need them to be instead of trying to heat the source from the outside. Mike King, Multiple Backyard Burgers Franchise Owner , Macon, Georgia Tips, Quips & Myths Myth Busters Choosing the right cooking equipment can increase your operating efficiency, reduce your energy usage and minimize your overall operating costs. Know the facts before choosing the equipment for your kitchen. Myth: If my power goes out, I can still use my gas cooking equipment. Myth Buster: Without electricity: • Exhaust fans do not run, so fumes cannot be exhausted (a potential for carbon monoxide buildup) • The equipment's electric thermostats and controls will not work. • The kitchen is dark, unsafe and a building code violation. • Dining room lights are out (a violation of occupancy codes.) • Fire suppression systems may not work (a National Fire Protection violation.) Myth: My electric panel is full and I do not have enough electricity. Myth Buster: A full panel does not mean that there is not enough service for all your equipment. There is a new National Electric Code that may help you add additional electric equipment. Your local utility representative can provide helpful information about this. Call 1.888.655.5888. - Fire suppression systems may not work (a National Fire Protection violation.) 4 Myth: It takes too long to preheat electric. Myth Buster: Excluding the range burner, electric is ready to cook 10 to 40 percent faster than gas equipment.
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