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Restaurant Daily News Tuesday, May 23, 2017 3 0 COOKING FASTER AND MORE EFFICIENTLY WITH MARRA FORNI An interview with Rob Bristow, Executive Chef, Marra Forni. RDN: Fast casual restaurants are differ- ent than they were just a few years ago, correct? RB: Correct. I think it's the technology more than anything that is the biggest change – from ordering kiosks to smart- phone apps with loyalty programs to more advanced, faster and foolproof cooking equipment. It's not so much that food trends have changed: pizza, burgers, tacos, sandwiches and healthier foods are still king. RDN: Is there an increased emphasis on speed in fast casual restaurants these days? RB: There's always been an emphasis on speed in fast casual spots, but I think now the emphasis on value and quality is becoming more important as well. There was a boom in the fast casual market a few years ago, with a lot of companies striving for market share, and now the businesses that offer the best value and quality have separated themselves and shown the most growth. RDN: Is labor a problem in the fast casu- al segment? RB: Labor can be one of the most expen- sive aspects of owning a restaurant. Many fast casuals have the benefit of not having a host or hostess, or an expensive chef. Turnover can be a problem, just like any restaurant, but with a good training program and good leadership, everything should fall into place. RDN: How is the Marra Forni Smart Oven helping fast casu- al operators deal with these problems? RB: Many operators aim for a cook time of two minutes or less because speed is one of the most important aspects to a successful fast casual restaurant. Labor can be reduced because of the ease and efficiency of operating the Marra Forni Smart Oven. Literally one rotation of the oven and the pizza is done! There's no need for a high-priced pizza maker. It provides consistency and speed at a high volume. The Smart Oven includes a rotating oven deck and customizable touch screen display, allowing for a fully cus- tomizable product. Business owners are happy to see the waste reduction sav- ings achieved from less burning or holes put in pizzas. RDN: How is the Marra Forni Smart Oven different from other ovens on the market? RB: Versatility. The smart oven includes a rotating oven deck and customizable touch- screen display, allowing a fully customizable product. We are currently the only rotating oven on the market that allows the user to customize the rotation to the exact time and tempera- ture necessary to make great pizza. But it's not only for pizza. It's also great for roast- ing, braising and searing meats, vegetables and seafood. You could even do bread bak- ing and cast iron cooking. Also, Marra Forni is an American manufacturer, so cus- tomer service and technical support are readily available. That is not always the case with an imported oven. For more information, visit www .marraforni.com, email info@marra forni.com, call 888.239.0575 or stop by booth #2983. TALKING TECH WITH MENUVATIVE Imenutech President Eric Arsenault dis- cusses table side technology in 2017. RDN: With the tech explosion going on in the industry, what has been Imenutech's biggest challenge? EA: The explosion is so overwhelming, restaurateurs struggle to understand the differences between tablet menus, kiosks, mobile POS, gaming platforms and other apps offering new ways to engage peo- ple. We still find ourselves explaining what a digital menu is. RDN: Tell our readers exactly what a digital menu is. EA: If a restaurant introduces a compre- hensive digital menu solution, there shouldn't be a need for a paper menu as well. The new solution should do every- thing the paper menu did except do it bet- ter, more efficiently and be more cost effective. Otherwise it is just an extra expense and another thing to worry about. Guests don't order or pay their bill from a menu. Those solutions should be labeled as kiosks or guest facing POS – aimed at replacing service more than replacing menus. If you look at the restaurants that have adopted such systems, you'll find they still use their traditional menus. While Menuvative has a few extra tricks up its sleeve, it is completely focused on replacing the outdated method of present- ing menu information without disrupting the important aspect of service. RDN: How does Menuvative make the menu better, more efficient and cost effective? EA: The menu experience is the most important 5-10 minutes in the dining experi- ence. It's the time of first impressions and when guests decide what they will eat, drink and how much money they will spend. This is the optimal time to influence those decisions and market, educate and sell your concept as well as your food and beverage. Most servers fall on the wrong side of the line that divides order takers versus informed sales people. As a presentation tool, paper has its obvi- ous limitations. When 95 percent of people have a smartphone glued to their hand, it's absurd to try and sell them something from a piece of paper. Tablets are now so inexpensive, digital menus can compete with printed menus on cost alone. Once you add the abili- ties to visually sell menu items, provide more descriptive and informative lan- guage, recommend wine or beer pair- ings, integrate promotions, eliminate clutter and real-time editing so you can respond instantly to out of stocks and price changes, you have a menu that is more effective and profitable. RDN: Where does Menuvative fit best? EA: Restaurants with high menu costs or upsell opportunity. Steakhouses and seafood restaurants were our early focus, but our clients now span the country and range from small town bar and grills to award-winning fine dining. We've learned success is determined more by the operator than the concept. Savvy operators who understand the economics of running a restaurant will gain the most. For more information, go to www.imenutech.com or stop by booth #6170.