Kwik Trip’s fried chicken program is supported by an oil management system.
“There are quite a number of types of ‘smart equipment’ currently in the market that facilitate consistent and quick production like programmable countertop combi ovens or programmable high-speed ovens, which take the place of multiple pieces of equipment. Or smart coffee brewers, which enhance the quality of coffee and hold it at optimal temperature,” he said.
Barrett cautions retailers to stay vigilant after implementing new equipment or solutions because even if they make the best possible decision for their program, the human element can be a wild card.
“In-store execution of the plan is probably the biggest [issue],” Barrett said. “Employees often believe they know better than the data being delivered to them, so even well-crafted production plans are not followed.”
Employees also have personal preferences or biases upon which they act. For example, they might not follow recipes or make items they think will sell well because they like them better.
Another item Barrett said he and his team constantly counsel on is product line justification.
“We have a group with whom we work that had five breakfast sandwich carriers and each store was allowed to make what they wanted, which meant that the store-to-store customer experience wasn’t the same. They have simplified the offering and now buy more of less products, and the store-to-store customer experience is the same,” he relayed.
“Our motto is ‘do what you do well or don’t do it’ and if that means simplifying the offering, then so be it,” he continued. “The same can be said of software.”
Choosing the Right Tools
The retail foodservice market is likely to collectively grow its use of automation and advanced kitchen tech, but individual needs will differ. Operators must carefully consider what equipment and solutions will realistically do for them, rather than assume newer is better.
“ARA/smart equipment is a tool to be used in furtherance of a business objective or solving a pain point,” Mandeltort advised. “Are you experiencing a consistency issue? Are you experiencing a quality issue? Can you legitimately lower labor costs? Will you enhance your customer service and customer experience? Will you achieve operational efficiencies? Will you save money? Will you make more money?”
The relative newness of most forms of foodservice automation means that it is imperative for retailers to do their research and due diligence to determine whether equipment and solutions will be genuinely helpful to them, or will not prove as effective as advertised.
“Don’t succumb to the hype. Showroom demonstrations are insufficient. Ask for references. Go see one in action in the field — you might have to travel, but it’s going to be worth it,” said Mandeltort. “Talk to the people that have to actually operate it or interact with it.”
Retailers also shouldn’t assume new equipment or solutions are safe to set and forget, so he recommends starting out running a legacy setup and ARA equipment in parallel so that stores aren’t left adrift if something goes wrong.
“Think of ARA equipment like a self-driving car. Given the current state of technology, do you really want to fall asleep behind the wheel and leave the car on its own? Probably not,” he said.
Finally, convenience retailers looking to optimize how they manage their foodservice operations should include data as a key priority, according to Barrett.
