Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/679179
R e s t a u r a n t D a i l y N e w s 3 3 Tu e s d a y, M a y 2 4 , 2 0 1 6 TRADITIONAL PAPER TOWELS GET DRIED UP BY EXCEL DRYER An interview with William Gagnon, Vice President of Marketing. RDN: What is the Excel Hand Dryer Company? WG: Excel Dryer is the creator of the original, patented, high-speed, energy- efficient XLERATOR ® Hand Dryer. For more than 50 years, Excel Dryer has manufactured the finest American-made hand dryers in the industry. We are a fam- ily-run company dedicated to innovation and cutting edge technology backed by handmade quality and personal service. RDN: Why are more restaurateurs gravi- tating toward hand dryers verses tradi- tional paper towels? WG: I think it comes down to two main factors: the staff wants a product that requires less labor and maintenance, and produces less waste so they can dedicate their energy to ensuring customer satis- faction. Customers want a clean wash- room and a restaurant that is environ- mentally conscious. In addition to a more tidy restroom, an XLERATOR Hand Dryer provides a 95 percent cost savings when compared to paper towels. RDN: Speaking of environmentally friendly, how much does Excel Dryer reduce the carbon foot print? WG: Excel Dryer commissioned an LCA study conducted by Quantis, an international life cycle assessment research firm, which was peer reviewed to ISO 14040 standards. The study deter- mined that when compared to traditional electric hand dryers and paper towels (virgin and 100 percent recycled con- tent), XLERATOR reduces the carbon footprint of hand drying by up to 75 percent. The XLER- ATOR dries hands in 10 sec- onds, the fastest in the industry. As a result, the XLERATOR uses 80 percent less energy than conventional hand dryers. RDN: What do restaurateurs have to say about your product? WG: "From labor, maintenance and waste removal fees, to the cost of pur- chasing and replacing paper towels, our restrooms were a significant cost center. You could say we literally had a big prob- lem on our hands. We needed to make a change so that we could continue to grow our small family business," said Tony Giuggio, Owner of the Massachusetts-based restaurant, The Pizza Shoppe. "I've been in business over 25 years and we've used paper towels. Most folks don't grab just one; they are going to grab about 10 or 20. We serve between 500 and 1,000 people daily and that number doubles on the weekends. Our annual cost for paper towels was $5,850.00 compared to the $224.64 we spent on Excel hand dryers. That's a 96 per- cent savings," said Tim Taillefer, General Manager, Max Burger. "We are able to redirect the attention of our team members to focus on the guest experience rather than refilling paper towel dispensers and waste removal. There is also the expectation that a restaurants bathroom is a 'window to the kitchen.' If the restrooms are not well maintained or littered with paper towel waste, it reflects on the entire oper- ation. If guests can see a mess in the rest- room, they worry about what they can't see in the kitchen," said Sarah Morin, Franchise Owner, Buffalo Wild Wings. For more information, visit www.excel dryer.com, call 888.998.7704, email sales@ exceldryer.com or stop by booth #4860. COMARK'S 'PDQ400' POCKET DIGITAL MEETS FOOD CODE REQUIREMENT FOR THIN TIP THERMOMETERS Food safety, risk management, HACCP – terms with many things in common, but one in particular. Are the common bacte- ria found in the food chain such as E. coli and salmonella being properly destroyed in your kitchen, and how do you know for sure? One of the many positives of the greater awareness and attention to food safety and HACCP is that it has spurred innovation in temperature measuring, and at the same time has driven down costs. Comark's thermometers and temper- ature monitors are geared to the need for speed and accuracy of measurements, but always at affordable prices. The PDQ400 pocket digital ther- mometer is just the latest model to bring the operator a convenient, fast respond- ing thermometer that is accurate and reli- able and can be used everywhere in the kitchen. In addition, the PDQ400 is waterproof, field calibratable and with a max hold reading, can be used to test the rinse cycle in commercial dishwashers. The slim design fits easily in a pocket or sleeve. Perhaps the most important feature of the PDQ400 as well as the full line of Comark pocket digitals is the thin 1.5- mm tip. A thin tip with the sensor at the end offers speed and precision only found in thermocouple probes, but at a significantly lower price. The FDA feels a thin tip is so impor- tant that they have written the require- ment into the latest version of the Food Code in paragraph 4- 302.12: "…tempera- ture measurements in thin foods can be accurately determined using a small- diameter probe 1.5-mm (0.059 inch) or less…" As an additional safety measure, all of Comark's pocket digitals as well as its thermocouples contain an anti- microbial called BioCote ® built into the instrument cases to inhibit the growth and reproduction of bacteria on the case itself. BioCote active ingredients are registered with the EPA, but though this inhibits the growth of bacteria on the cases, it does not remove the need to practice the highest standards of per- sonal and professional hygiene and cleanliness. Another increasingly popular solu- tion to innovative and economical tem- perature measuring and monitoring in HACCP programs is the use of RF wireless monitoring systems in the cold chain, from distribution centers to kitchens. A system such as Comark's RF300 Diligence WiFi wire- less loggers offers 24/7 security and peace of mind that night or day, critical temperatures are being monitored and recorded and alarms sounded whenever something goes awry. RF systems are certainly more expensive than simple thermometers or even data loggers, but measured against the costs of throwing away a freezer full of food when you don't know how much the temperature has fluctuated after a power outage, the savings and payback can be substantial. For more information, visit Comark at booth #3348, call 800.555.6658 or go to www.comarkusa.com.