Get More Done with the Team You Have

Help Wanted. One of the many signs of our times. If you’re surrounded by constant reminders of how much needs to be done and how few people you have to do it, this one’s for you.

Whenever we run across great ideas to streamline foodservice operations, we’re eager to share. Several of the following time-savers were featured in a recent FE&S article entitled 6 Design Ideas to Fight the Labor Shortage by Ignacio Goris. We’ve added specific product recommendations to help you implement any of these valuable tactics that apply to your business.

Time-Consumer: Water Refills

Every time your staff stop to refill a table’s water glasses, they spend several minutes that could be put to more valuable use elsewhere.

Time-Saver: Self-Service Water for the Table

When your host is seating guests, deliver a single, large bottle of cold water and a glass or tumbler for each guest to fill and refill as needed.

Camliter Beverage Decanters by Cambro offer the upscale look of glass without the risk or worry of breakage. Available in smaller, individual sizes and larger 1 and 1.5 liter sizes that are perfect for parties of two to four, each decanter comes with a snap-tight flat lid to guard against spills and contamination. An optional pour spout lid for the two largest sizes makes it easy and tidy for guests to pour their own water.

Time-Consumer: Warewashing by Hand

Warewashing consumes a large amount of time, water, and power. To keep labor and utility costs as low as possible, the warewashing process should fit the volume of the operation.

Time-Saver: A Single Rack, High Temp Dish Machine

A single rack dishwasher is a natural step up if you wash by hand. With everything from compact undercounter dishwasher machines to waste management systems, Champion offers a wide range of commercial dishwashing machines to suit your operation.

Dual NSF-listed as a dishwasher and pot washer, the Champion DH6000 High Temperature Hood-type Dishwashing Machine has an easy-to-clean and user-friendly touchscreen and starts automatically when the hood is closed. Its built-in booster is configured to ensure 180°F rinse, which is important from both a safety and ware drying point of view. A ventless model of this powerful dishwasher is also available to provide even greater flexibility and lower cost of installation.

Time-Consumer: Manual Prep

Large-volume hand cutting, slicing, and dicing is time-consuming, tiring, and requires knife skills.

Time-Saver: Use a Food Processor

Sammic CA-31 / CA-3V Vegetable Preparation Machine models perform each cutting operation in a single movement, achieving maximum production in a short time without user fatigue. 

Intuitive to use, the control panel provides needed information at a glance. The head and cover can be easily removed without tools for easy cleaning and exchanging slicing discs and dicing grids.

Time-Consumer: Cook to Order

This may sound appealing to the customer, but high-volume operations, especially when short staffed, know it’s easier said than done. Creative staff may find ways to keep up that compromise food safety.

Time-Saver: Batch Cook and Hold 

Batch holding of grilled or juicy and crispy baked or fried food products helps even a small crew pre-prep food and speed service during busiest times to increase revenue. The Merco Visual Holding Cabinet maintains food quality and safety with heated airflow that cascades over food to maintain an optimal holding environment for a wide range of foods.

Crew-friendly intuitive controls make this cabinet easy to operate. Colorful displays can easily be viewed from across the kitchen, allowing users to quickly visualize food status. The capacitive touch screens can even be used while wearing food-safe kitchen gloves. Multiple size configurations with single or dual-sided access accommodate a wide range of menu items and fit into all kitchen spaces and prep lines.

Time-Consumer: Tools and Supplies Stored in Multiple Locations

Tools and supply items that aren’t centrally or conveniently located can be hard to find or cost staff extra steps and interactions to retrieve them.

Time-Saver: A Conveniently Located Tool or Supply Center

Keep frequently used items organized and close at hand with Mobile Flex Stations by Cambro. These portable stations maximize use of vertical space and create instant, flexible storage wherever you need it.

Easy to assemble, clean, and adjust to operational changes, Flex Stations can be accessorized with Cambro food pans, food boxes, GoBags^®, and GoBoxes^® to maximize capacity while keeping frequently used items such as prep tools and utensils, delivery bags, to-go packaging, and condiments at close reach. 

Made of durable Premium Series Camshelving^®, Flex Stations have a lifetime warranty against rust and corrosion. Shelf plates are embedded with antimicrobial Camguard and can be quickly sanitized in a commercial dishwasher.

These are just a few of the many ways to help your team save time so they can spend it where it matters most. For help working through your operation’s unique challenges, contact us.