Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/310728
Re s ta u ra n t D a i l y N e ws 7 7 S a t u rd a y, M a y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 Management System. All communica- tion on the system is silent, so the noise at the host stand is greatly reduced. The staff on the floor observe the situation with the tables and report it on the clos- est TableCheck panel. This update is immediately and silently sent to the host stand, where it can be used to quickly move the next guests to the clean table often before the seats even have time to cool off. Using the staff on the floor to send current table information to the host stand frees up time for the host to be able to stay at the host stand and greet the guests coming in. Instead of running away to find an open table, she can chat and keep the guests from walking out of TableCheck ( Cont'd. from p. 1) the restaurant until the information about an open table "magically" appears in front of her on the TableCheck panel. Any inaccuracies in the information given to the hosts on the panels, guests moving from table to table, the wrong table status or whatever, is immediately fixed by the next person who walks past the panel and updates it to the current status on the floor. Each person who walks past a panel should look around to make sure it is accurate to what the floor looks like at the time. Doing this can increase the people per hour by 10, 20 and even 30 percent! Stop by TableCheck Technologies booth #5260 to chat about how you can make your restaurant more efficient. territorial agriculture departments of the U.S. We work to keep our members informed about regulatory and legislative issues on the national level, and to improve state-federal working relation- ships affecting agricultural issues. We have cooperative agreements with USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service [FAS] and National Agricultural Statistics Service [NASS]. We also work closely with the Food and Drug Administration [FDA] and the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA]. RDN: How does all that fit in here at the Restaurant Show? SH: Our presence here is part of our cooperative relationship with FAS/USDA. Our goal is to help U.S. businesses in the food sector to identify and develop international customers. This effort also includes our member state organizations. The Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota departments of agriculture have a major presence inside the American Food Fair. All of them con- sider the NRA Show to be important part of a global marketing effort for their companies. RDN: What's the big deal about trade and exporting? SH: First, trade in the agricultural sector, and in particular in consumer ready prod- ucts distributed through retail and food- service channels is booming. We feel NASDA ( Cont'd. from p. 1) strongly that more U.S. companies of all sizes could take advantage of the prevail- ing trends. RDN: What are the best markets for U.S. food products? SH: It really depends on the product and how it matches the local demand. We're especially excited about China, which recently became the number one market for U.S. food and agricultural products. China's strong food culture, rapidly growing middle class consumer base, knowledge of American products and confidence in U.S. labels create great opportunities for American food compa- nies. RDN: If I'm a U.S. consumer food prod- ucts company, what should I do to explore the potential of international markets? SH: Your first step should be to con- tact one of the four state regional trade groups. Go to www.agexportlinks .org/sponsors.htm and find the link for the organization corresponding to your geographic area. Take a look at what they have to offer and give them a call. Any of the four is a great starting point! After that you need to continue to do your homework and create a long term plan. For more information, visit www.nasda.org or stop by the American Food Fair Pavilion, NE cor- ner of North Hall. that will help you in nearly every part of your restaurant. Additionally, each item has something unique to offer in the areas of cost-effectiveness, improved safety or a better method. Resembling a bear trap, the Strainer Boss™ stabilizing cradle is a unique chef 's tool designed to securely hold straining devices, such as china caps and chinoises, so they won't shift during use. Currently, the task of straining requires a chef to hold a strainer with one hand and pour hot liquid with the other. Want to stir the liquid with a whip or spoon? You'll need a third hand, and that's when the Strainer Boss comes to the rescue. It eliminates the need to hold the strain- er, allowing more control and the abil- ity to use your free hand to stir or mash. Additionally, the Strainer Boss helps reduce stress on strainer handles, which ultimately causes them to break. Theft of flush valves is on the rise, as thieves and vandals target them for resale or scrap. The Harder Lock flush valve lock helps prevent this crime. Its unique hinged collar closes securely around a toilet or urinal's compression nut, creating a barrier to tools. Its inconspicuous design allows the lock to blend with your fixtures and the built-in key feature makes it easy to install and remove. If you're suffering from wobbly tables, the Table Jack™ table leveler FMP ( Cont'd. from p. 1) could be the answer to your woes. Table Jack's rugged construction makes it a long-term solution toward eliminating table instability. Easy to install and even easier to operate, the Table Jack's spring-loaded pedal adjusts and levels wobbly tables with just a press of your foot. The Knüfe L-shaped knife puts a whole new slant on cutting. The L- shaped design allows the user to hold the knife at a more comfortable angle, gripping it more like a saw. This cre- ates superior control and less wrist strain than traditional knives. For the fry line, FMP offers a group of products just sizzling with innovation. The E-Z Grip ® fryer basket sports an ergonomic handle that pro- vides a more comfortable grip and cre- ates less wrist strain. The Basket Border™ divider is an economical way to create a multi-compartment fryer basket. It makes small batch frying easier than ever and helps with portion control. Rounding out the list is the Universal Splash Guard. It's an easy- to-install side-wall for fryers, making them NFPA compliant and safer for your employees. To see these items and more, and to learn more about FMP and its catalog of over 15,000 parts and accessories, stop by booth #3840. To follow up after the show, visit the FMP website at www.fmponline.com or call 800-257-7737. decades. The company created the fusionchef by Julabo product line to bring a new level of precision to sous vide equipment and the related support services for professional kitchens. RDN: What would you say makes your company unique? RJ: Our products are the best on the market. We pride ourselves on offering our customers the most precise, high- quality and durable immersion circula- tors. Recently, we redesigned our units to integrate an additional vapor barrier protection to block off the moisture that may cause damage to the control electronics. This is a common problem with most competitors units when cooking for extended periods of time. Additionally, our easy-to-use data log- ging EasyChef software [compatible with the fusionchef by Julabo Diamond series] takes the worry and work out of ongoing time/temp record- ing. This helps ensure kitchens stay HACCP compliant and adds valuable tracking tools for recipe development. RDN: Describe your company's cur- rent marketing strategy. RJ: Our marketing strategy is simple. We support chefs and commercial kitchens with products and service they can count on. RDN: Are you introducing any new products? RJ: We always strive to improve our products. Among a series of useful accessories we are introducing eight new cookbooks so anyone can try out sous vide. They are available online at www.fusionchefsousvide.com. RDN: What products do you see as being hottest this year? RJ: The detailed plan submission and approval processes for HACCP are fre- quently a major obstacle for chefs or managers interested in utilizing sous vide in their kitchen. We expect to see commercial kitchens show interest in products that will make HACCP an easier process. Our Diamond series circulators and fusionchef EasyChef fusionchef ( Cont'd. from p. 1) software will help chefs take that fur- ther step to ensure compliance with regulations. RDN: What distinguishes your prod- ucts from the competition? RJ: Our sous vide units are built to last with stainless steel. They are consistent, accurate and reliable. Our customers can rest assured knowing Julabo has an established history with liquid temperature control equip- ment. To give an even better peace of mind, our units come with a two- year warranty. Last but not least, our HACCP compliant Diamond units and EasyChef software. All of these factors help us to stand out from our competitors. RDN: To what do you attribute your company's success? RJ: For over 47 years, my family's business has evolved from the patent of the first contact thermometer in 1926 to a global leader in highly dynamic temperature control technolo- gy. With this firm foundation my father, Gerhard Juchheim, dedicated his career to temperature control inno- vation, opening his business 'Julabo' in 1967, in Seelbach, Germany. Since foundation of the company, Julabo has developed and produced temperature control instruments that are used in any situation where precise tempera- tures, or rapid temperature changes, are required. Julabo prides itself on the company commitment to quality, German engineering and rapid, compe- tent support for its customers. RDN: How can our readers find out more about your company? RJ: To find out more about fusionchef by Julabo, please visit us during NRA at booth #6359, online at www.fusionchefsousvide.com or give us a call at 877-436-CHEF (2433). We hope you'll enjoy sous vide cooking with fusionchef by Julabo. For more information, visit www.fusionchefsousvide.com, call 877-436-CHEF (2433), email info@fusionchefsousvide.com or stop by booth #6359.