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R e s t a u r a n t D a i l y N e w s 1 7 Tu e s d a y, A u g u s t 2 0 , 2 0 1 3 GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR FOOD TRUCK By John Andrews-Anagnostaras, President and CEO of Emergency Mobile Kitchens, LLC. Creating a successful foodservice truck or trailer is similar to creating a restau- rant kitchen, with some important differ- ences. You start a kitchen in a building with a menu and a prediction of the meals served; you then proceed to select the most appropriate equipment for the operation from the staggering collection available. The arrangement of the equip- ment must follow the process of produc- ing and assembling the meals and bever- ages. Most restaurant owners turn over the design and selection to their kitchen designer. This is where important differ- ences between a restaurant and a food truck begin. In a food truck, you have not only different space constraints, but also a very difficult balancing act between production, preparation, dry- goods and refrigerated storage spaces, ventilation requirements, sanitation and safety considerations. Every cubic inch of space on a food truck counts. The space under the hood needs to be loaded with the most versatile and efficient cook line possible. The equipment itself needs to be narrow in depth and avail ergonomic circulation space for the workers. The size of the swinging oven doors and refrigerated base cabinets can interfere with the prep- line equipment on the other side of the aisle. Two or more employees must be able to prepare food, pour drinks, serve them and collect money while pivoting in place. Everything they need must be at their fingertips. The ventilation requirements in a confined space can be challenging because the cook-line and refrigerators and freezers emit heat as they operate. In a normal kitchen, this equipment is placed in a room with plenty of airflow. In a truck, the refrigerators are permanently placed on a curb. This means that a remote refrigeration system should be considered to extend the life of this equipment. Make- up air, heating and air conditioning is not thermostatically controlled in a food truck, unlike a building. These systems can fight each other in an attempt to keep the space ventilated and comfortable, and a great deal of balancing must take place. Maintaining a confined space does not allow you to roll the equipment away from the wall to clean. Everything has to be installed with flush, cleanable surfaces with no gaps. The materials in a food truck are stainless steel or FRP to increase cleanability. The cabinets, tables and shelves need to conform to NSF stan- dards for easy sanitation. The food truck design and construc- tion is not for the hobbyist. Such projects must be approached professionally, with technical expertise to handle the unique challenges of a food truck. When you are ready to take your business out on the road, contact Emergency Mobile Kitchens at 1-866-442-0787 or info- emk@emkusa.com. We have architects, kitchen consultants, project managers, estimators and an experienced team of fabricators that work to NSF standards and know their equipment. The food trucks and trailers produced are expertly engineered, cost effective, cleanable and comfortable. You will be pleased with your investment. For more information, stop by booth 552, visit www.emkusa.com, call 602-442- 0787or email jwarren@emkusa.com or info-emk@emkusa.com. ENVIROTUB BOOSTS ITS BRAND WITH NEW PUMP AND FILTRATION OPTION By Rodney Medina With the many daily details involved in running a restaurant, it's easy to over- look areas where dollars are literally being sucked out the back door. Restaurant owners offering deep fried fare are learning quickly about the value of used fryer oil. Until recently there have been few options for fryer oil disposal. One option is the dirty outback dumpster. These out- side dumpsters can be dangerous for kitchen staff because the hot fryer oil has to be carried through the restaurant and lifted up at least four feet to get it into the dumpster. Hot oil splashes or a slip can cause burns and costly workers compen- sation claims. These outside containers are also prime targets for grease thieves. Grease theft from outside storage containers can cost a restaurant thousands of dollars each year in potential rebates. Factor in the cost of cleaning the spill that a thief may leave behind or the fines imposed by local code enforcement and the financial loss could result in the tens of thousands of dollars. Southern California based Envirotub Inc. was the first company to introduce an indoor grease storage tub for restau- rants which alleviated all of the safety and theft concerns associated with out- side grease storage. The Envirotub offered a safer work- ing environment for kitchen staff by being a mobile unit that could be rolled right to the fryer, allowing easy and safe dumping. And now, Envirotub Inc. is offering a pump and filtration option to their popular Envirotub. The new feature allows kitchen staff the ability to choose between filtering fryer oil for reuse or directing it to the Envirotub's onboard storage tank. As with the original product, kitchen staff can roll the Envirotub directly to the fryer. Using a five-foot wand and onboard electric pump, hot oil is easily pumped out of the fryer, at which point the oil can either be filtered and returned to the fryer for re-use or transferred to the storage tank. The innovative and patented pump and filtration option being offered in the new Envirotub adds a new level of safety for kitchen staff to transfer, filter, or dis- pose of hot fryer oil never before seen in the foodservice industry. At only 18 inches wide by 32 inches high by 28 inches long, The Envirotub with the optional pump holds 53 gallons of used fryer oil at a tempera- ture of 300 degrees. The four non-marking polyurethane wheels allow for easy maneu- verability and the tub can be stored easily under two- and three-com- partment sinks. The Envirotub has proven to be a valuable tool for restaurants, malls, hospitals, sports stadiums, colleges, food courts and grease pumping com- panies, all of whom share in the rev- enue gained by responsible and safe grease recycling programs. For more information, visit booth 923 or go to www.envirotub.com. For further information, email info@envirotub.com or call 866-777-4322. STOP FLY PROBLEMS WITH MAXFORCE FLY BAITS FROM BAYER Nothing can ruin a dining experience faster than an unwelcome fly buzzing around your customer's food. While flies are undoubtedly a nuisance, certain species have the ability to transmit dis- ease-causing organisms, making the pests even more undesirable for you and your customers. House flies, also known as filth flies, tend to be the most common in restau- rants. This species is particularly problem- atic because it thrives both indoors and outdoors. It also has the ability to transmit illnesses due to its tendency to feed on decaying organic matter and garbage. For this reason, it's important to implement an integrated pest management program using both pesticide treatments and non- pesticide control options to ensure that your restaurant remains fly-free. One way to conquer fly problems before they start is to ask your pest man- agement professional (PMP) about Maxforce ® products from Environmental Science, a division of Bayer CropScience, the number one choice by PMPs. Both Maxforce Granular Fly Bait and Maxforce Fly Spot Bait are highly effective and can rid your establishment of house flies quickly; the pests start to die in 60 seconds or less when they come into contact with the baits. Maxforce Granular Fly Bait is a ready-to-use formulation for outdoor application by pest management profes- sionals that controls flies before they enter inside an establishment. This prod- uct also works well when applied around outside dining areas, dumpsters, trash compactors and other areas that attract flies. Maxforce Fly Spot Bait is a con- centrated powder that's mixed with water and sprayed on surfaces both indoors and outdoors. Flies are attracted to treated areas that control flies for up to six weeks indoors and 14 days outside. Non-pesticide control is also an important part of fly management for restaurateurs, beginning with sanitation. Ensure garbage is disposed of regularly, trash containers have tight-fitting lids and trash cans are cleaned on a regular basis. Keep doors and windows closed and confirm that screens are in good con- dition and fit tightly. Also be sure to seal cracks, crevices and entry points around your restaurant's perimeter. Above all, restaurant owners should contract with a PMP who has access to the latest tools and technologies for fly control. While non-pesticide procedures help to manage flies, a PMP is best equipped to take care of infestations as well as to help you manage problems before they start. Be sure to ask your PMP about Maxforce fly baits. Bayer, the Bayer Cross and Maxforce are registered trademarks of BAYER. For more information, visit www.backed- bybayer.com.