Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/825186
Restaurant Daily News 7 3 Saturday, May 20, 2017 A SENSORY FEAST When Savannah, Georgia gave the green light for food trucks to do business in the city about a year ago, Kay Heritage and her sister Sunju Pitts decided to look into opening a mobile wood-fired pizza busi- ness. Kay's husband Kevin began researching the different options, while the sisters visited wood-fired pizza oven manufacturer Marra Forni's test kitchen in Washington, D.C. to determine their options. After visiting a friend's pizza food truck, which was catering a wedding rehearsal dinner event, the sisters knew what they didn't want in a wood-fired oven. "There were 75 people total, and we observed people standing in line for 15 to 20 minutes at this party," says Kay Heritage. "We didn't want to do that." After much research, the family, which also includes Kay and Kevin's' sons Kevin Jr. and Christian and daughter Anna, created Big Bon Pizza. This mobile catering business features tradi- tional and Asian-inspired Neapolitan pizza, and Marra Forni's wood-fired oven is the centerpiece. Marra Forni ovens are built using the same tried and tested process used by Italian masons hundreds of years ago. Its brick-by-brick building process is superior to cement and able to withstand years of use without cracking. This process ensures the most efficient heat absorption, reten- tion and consistent cooking possible, resulting in huge gas bill savings. Because each oven is made to order, operators have the option to customize the look to com- plement and enhance the scenery. "Instead of locating the oven inside, the trailer is opened fully on three sides, so the entire production process is on display," says Heritage. "This creates the heart of an event, but also an expe- rience that encompasses all of the senses." The environment is akin to people gathering in a home kitchen for a meal, yet also provides the illusion of an Italian festival, with globe lights setting the scene. The Marra Forni wood-fired oven not only imparts a the- ater experience guests can see, but the roaring fire also can be both heard, smelled and almost tasted, setting a scene that wows event attendees. "When people see my son Kevin scooping fresh dough out of the tray to be stretched, topped and cooked in the fire, it brings home the old adage that people really eat with their eyes," says Heritage. "We've visited many operation where wood-fired ovens aren't visible, even in open kitchens, yet this is cen- tral to the sensory experi- ence. Setting the theme is critical, whether it's a brick and mortar or mobile opera- tion." She says in the event the operation does become more permanent and finds a home in a build- ing, Marra Forni's wood-fired oven will remain front and center as part of the din- ing experience. "Not only do guests trust an opera- tion more because they can see the entire process, but the oven provides a con- vivial feel," says Heritage. "With every- one gathered around the fire sharing great food and being together, it's like wel- coming them to our family table." For more information, visit www .marraforni.com, email info@ marraforni.com, call 888.239.0575 or stop by booth #2983. PITCO AN INDUSTRY LEADER IN DESIGN, RESEARCH & DELIVERING NEW IDEAS FOR FRYING There are three distinct features to Pitco's Integrated Oil Management System: ROV Fryers with Auto Filtration, the SOS Smart Oil Sensor and the Infinity Touch 7-inch touchscreen controller. Reduced Oil Volume (ROV) fryer models not only are built with the Solstice Supreme burner technology that is unmatched in today's market, these models are designed with a more shallow fry area reducing the "cold zone." This allows the fryer to achieve the same production with 30 percent less oil. ROV fryers also feature an auto filtration function which will drain, fil- ter and refill the tank without the need for any staff member to come into con- tact with the hot oil. Not only that, but ROV Fryers have a built-in sensor to monitor oil levels and can trigger an Auto Top-Off function that ensures the correct amount of oil is in the fryers at all time. The SOS Smart Oil sensor is the most accurate oil sensor technology available today, and is a key component of the Integrated Oil Management System (IOMS). The SOS sensor pro- vides a numerical readout of the com- pounds in oil that increase as the oil breaks down. You will know for certain when oil is past its useful life, or more importantly, when it is not. The SOS Smart Oil Sensor saves on oil costs and ensures food quality. The SOS could not be easier to use. Built into the filtra- tion system, a reading is taken every time the oil is filtered. Controlling Pitco's IOMS is the Infinity Touch. The 7-inch touchscreen controller features a user friendly and easy to understand program to complete all communications about the fryer. A single touch activates the filtration process from start to finish. The Infinity Touch will data log fryer usage and oper- ator activity, such as number of cook cycles and filtrations per day. It even stores a history of SOS oil quality read- ings. This is the data you need to manage your oil dollars. All of these features working togeth- er are what make Pitco's Integrated Oil Management System the most effective frying solution on the market. The fryer tank and func- tionality design of the ROV fryer using Pitco's Solstice Supreme burner technology, paired with the state-of-the-art Infinity Touch con- troller and the SOS Smart Oil Sensor, are redefining oil management. Pitco's Integrated Oil Management System saves labor cost and improves staff safe- ty in the kitchen and also allows opera- tors to reduce oil use, extend oil life and improve food quality. Stop by booth #4200 to see the IOMS features in person along with how the innovations also helps save the sec- onds and inches of your kitchens. For more information, stop by booth #4200, visit www.pitco.com or call 603.225.6684. BUILD YOUR BRAND WITH NEXTX'S SMARTSOLUTIONS An interview with Yvonne Heyne, Chief Executive Officer, NextX. RDN: Why NextX? YH: Major food and beverage brands have been leveraging our best-in-class solutions on a global scale for nearly 20 years. As a trusted partner, we help brands "mobilize" and leapfrog in this changing and competitive environment. We achieve this through our revolutionary SMARTSolutions mobile software plat- form. RDN: How can SMARTSolutions help build brands? YH: Imagine one streamlined mobile platform where you can engage, execute, measure and manage your brand's mar- keting, operations, training and field leader strategy. Imagine connecting 1:1 with every guest, employee and leader in your brand to drive healthy sales and long-term prof- itable growth. Imagine the 1:1 guest connections lead to deep engagement, redefining loy- alty and relationships that improve your brand while driving increases in buying behaviors. And, imagine real time recovery with quantifiable sales insights that measure actual purchases not only repur- chase intent. Imagine if you had a wealth of data, all distilled, connected and actionable to improve the behaviors of your teams and front-line execution. The technology is actually getting smarter with every inter- action, making it easier and more effec- tive for your teams every day. Introducing SMARTSolutions, the mobile all-in-one brand management platform designed and streamlined for your smartphone. RDN: Really? All from the phone? YH: Yes! Using the phone, a tool every- one already connects with, minimizes costs and complexity. Some of the largest barriers to innovation and execution involve hard- ware investments, deploy- ment, WiFi connectivity, integration and most importantly, ease of use. We have evolved our interfaces to work perfectly on a phone to increase adoption, save seconds and dramatically lower start-up costs. Managers become freed from back office administration and can invest more time on the floor with the team and guests, team members can train "in-posi- tion," not in the back office, and leaders can see the execution behaviors on their phones to better allocate resources, focus and coaching rather than fire fighting. RDN: Who uses SMARTSolutions? YH: SMARTSolutions evolved from 20 years of industry expertise and enduring partnerships with global companies, including YUM!, Burger King, Panda, Church's and many other recognizable brands. By leveraging our innovative solu- tions and expertise in brand-building, our clients experience incredible increases in team proficiency, operations improve- ment, guest engagement and loyalty as well as demonstrable sales growth. Whether you are a growing franchisee or a major brand looking to expand, SMARTSolutions can be tailored to meet your needs today and well into the future. RDN: How do you recommend brands get started? YH: A partnership with NextX guaran- tees a sound mobile strategy, executed through a modular platform, implement- ed successfully. We are change agents very aware that restaurant technology and solutions deployment requires thoughtfulness with your teams. We recommend beginning with tar- geted solutions that drive exponential gains. As proficiencies and behaviors build, additional SMARTSolutions can be seamlessly introduced. We would love to have folks contact us at inquires@nextxnow.com to let us personalize a recommendation! For more information, visit www .nextxnow.com.