Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/579196
C o n v e n i e n c e R e t a i l e r S h o w D a i l y Tu e s d a y, O c t o b e r 1 3 , 2 0 1 5 1 0 HOW MIDAX SOLUTIONS BENEFITED BUCKY'S An interview with Keil Brumit, Controller, Buck's Inc. CRSD: Tell our readers about Bucky's, your company in general and the market you serve. KB: Buck's Inc. is a petroleum whole- sale and convenience store operator. Bucky's operates 78 convenience stores, located in four midwest states including Illinois, Nebraska, Missouri and Iowa. Our services include fuel, car wash, food and beverage, and necessities depending on location. CRSD: What do you feel were the most significant technology issues facing your company, and what led you to Midax as a solution? KB: Initially, our most pressing issue was drive-offs while fueling at our locations. Midax was recommended as a possible solution to solve this prob- lem. CRSD: Currently, what Midax solutions do you employ? KB: Bucky's utilizes a Pump Now card and Fleet Program. The Pump Now card allows a customer to pre-enroll with a driver's license, be recognized as a val- ued customer and pay by cash for fuel and in-store purchases, eliminating cost- ly drive-offs. CRSD: Do you feel the technology solu- tions provided have helped to favorably position Bucky's against the competi- tion? KB: Yes, we feel the Midax solutions employed thus far have given our operation a competitive advantage in the industry. CRSD: Looking to the future, and the relationship you have developed, are you looking at other technology applications provided by Midax? KB: Yes, we are currently looking at the Midax Loyalty platform and there is interest in the ACH functionality as well. Visit Midax at booth #4812. For more information, go to www.midax.com, email jim.n@midax.com or call 757.620.4168. A SOLUTION FOR COFFEE/TEA WHITENING FROM COLD STAR Cold Star Inc.'s whitening programs include dispensers that refrigerate and dispense products packed in five-liter disposable bags. The Cold Star whitening program features wholesome ESL and shelf stable products that require no refrigeration until installed in a dispenser. Shelf stable products have a 180-day shelf life from date of production, Extended Shelf Life products 90 days, and both provide a minimum of 14 days once inserted into the refrigerated dis- penser for use. To ensure sanitation, each bag is fitted with a disposable valve that allows the product to be dispensed direct- ly in the customer's cup, never touching any part of the dispenser itself. Product bags are easy to handle, install in seconds and feature Cold Star's unique bag/spout combination, which is discarded when empty – you always start fresh and clean. Cold Star's coffee whitening applications include various options to lighten coffee or tea, such as half-and-half, light cream, whole milk, two-percent milk, skim milk and non-dairy French vanilla. Cold Star's whitening pro- grams and unique dispensers are commonly seen in restau- rants, convenience stores, hos- pitals, colleges and business cafeterias – they are ideal for any bever- age bar. Its dispensers feature conductive cooling in a compact, space saving design, and there is no need to defrost. While most locations support model ND2R that holds two five-liter bags of product, ND3R holds three bags of prod- uct and may be more feasible for high- volume locations. Dispensers may either be purchased outright or may be assigned to customers who are using Cold Star products. Go ahead, eliminate those creamers and messy ice buckets. Your customers will enjoy using Cold Star's attractive, clean and modern dispensers. The dis- pensers are proudly made in the U.S.A. For more information on the Cold Star Liquid Dispenser and/or Whitening System, visit www.coldstarinc.com or call 800.269.4052. WELCOME CAFECTION COFFEE TO YOUR C-STORE Cafection Enterprises knows the impor- tance of a great cup of coffee. It under- stands the allure of finally finding that proper coffee and how that can change buying habits. How does it know? After 20 years in the business of making com- mercial coffee machines, it is an expert in the field. It has seen the happy faces and heard, "Wow, this is amazing!" many, many times. When you look at what's in your store, are you satisfied with your coffee quality? A machine like the Venti-4 is the proper choice for convenience and gro- cery. It makes coffee the right way. Beans are ground for each cup and the magic takes place in a French press, delivering anywhere from six ounces to a 24 ounce cup. In 40 seconds, your client will have that smile, the "wow" – and you know what? He'll be back! He'll be back because of the coffee. But wait, there's more. While he is waiting for that mag- nificent cup of coffee, he will be watching the touchscreen play your marketing video message. Maybe that message is "Don't forget a muffin!" and the machine just printed a coupon for a muffin! Yes! Not only will customers be back in your store because the coffee tastes great, but you will increase the sales of muffins or anything else you would like to promote. Talk to Cafection Enterprises about getting a no obligation demo machine for your store. It can help you build a cof- fee program that is exclu- sive to your needs. It can brand and customize its machines to your needs as well. A Venti-4 from Cafection Enterprises is the right step in making your coffee the talk of the town. Visit Cafection Enterprises at booth #6185. For more information, call 800.561.6162 or go to www.cafection.com. THE INTERNET OF THINGS: WHY IT MATTERS TO FOODSERVICE The Internet of Things (IoT) is the next revolution in information technology, fuelled as component parts of comput- ers (wireless chips, sensors, memory, storage, CPU) continue to get smaller and cheaper, and as Internet connectiv- ity prices drop and coverage grows. It is increasingly possible to build con- nected computers into devices or 'things,' such as compressors, com- mercial refrigeration, freezer and ice making units, fryers, dishwashers, lighting and more, transforming the way companies approach new business solutions. Synapse's SNAP ® , an application and network platform for the Internet of Things, provides a unique approach to these markets, setting Synapse apart from its technology competitors, with proven solutions across multiple verticals including foodservice, intelligent light- ing, solar monitoring, retail and its foun- dational platform, Core IoT. "Synapse provides restaurant owners and operators a sophisticated device management platform enabling insight and visibility that wasn't accessible before," explained Jonathan Heath, Product Manager of Synapse Foodservice. "In addition to cost savings, food loss prevention and improved com- pliance, this capability allows for remote diagnostics, system health monitoring, and the peace of mind to have access to your facility at your fingertips – anytime, from anywhere. "SNAP enables wireless communi- cation of your equipment, and fosters an automatic send and receive data flow that provides analytics which help improve your bottom line and reduce excess oper- ational costs. Our SNAP network forms an interac- tive, intelligent system that can scale in size and seamlessly expand to include new devices and solutions. Not only does this allow us to implement an end-to-end solution, but it can be inte- grated into an existing network or work independently of your existing IT infra- structure." Synapse solutions are: Reliable: Robust networks that enable 24 hour/day monitoring, to include automat- ic alerts based on preset parameters. Sophisticated: SNAP is an intelligent, interactive system. Adaptable: The technology can scale – from commercial warehouses to coffee shop kitchens. Here, size doesn't matter. "Our award-winning technology makes it easy for businesses to tailor solutions to new infrastructure, or easily retrofit an existing system. Once the network is in place, say, when you install Synapse wireless lighting controls, you're set up to easily add on additional components that will allow you to monitor equipment health, envi- ronmental and temperature changes, occupancy levels of the restroom or front of the house, and more. Establishing the foundation of our wireless technology opens up the opportunities for complete control – all accessible via mobile device," says Heath. Synapse has recently won numerous awards recognizing their innovative tech- nology, including an M2M IoT Excellence Award, 2 Connected World Awards, and its Vice President and General Manager, Kathryn Caspar, was recently recognized as one of 2015's Women of M2M. To learn more, visit www.synapse- wireless.com.