Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates the sound it describes. What better onomatopoeia than the word, “crispy?” Think about it–crisp, savory fried chicken, crispy french fries, crispy fried shrimp. The word “crisp” just makes your mouth water, doesn’t it? You hear the word and you can just imaging your mouth biting down on that morsel of fried goodness. So here’s the deal–whatever you fry, it has to be crispy. People smell fried food and they imagine the moment they hear the “crisp” and taste the juicy or gooey or fluffy interior of that tasty delight. So when it comes to the crisp, you have to deliver. And your restaurant equipment better be ready to perform.

Fortunately, Frymaster Fryers are the kings of crisp. At Short Order, we offer a wide selection of Frymaster Fryers, each with admirable ratings for their excellent performance. For example, the 4-star Frymaster Fryer GF14-SD-LP offers a gas, open-opt design with 40lb of oil capacity, precise controls and a deep cold zone. The features of this fryer are exceptional. And you get all that with free shipping and a low price. And let’s talk about filters. To get that unbelievably delicious, unforgettable fried taste, you need an excellent filter. Check out the Frymaster Fryer Filter PF50R, a portable fryer filter with 50lb capacity, reversible pump and casters. This Frymaster Fryers filter, earning our editor’s choice award for excellence, will make sure your oil is in top cooking condition.

With Frymaster Fryers, you can guarantee that your treats and morsels will come out smelling, tasting and sounding delicious. That’s because Frymaster Fryers make it their business to bring the “crisp” to your business. Proven over time to provide excellent, reliable performance, Frymaster Fryers are the trusted, proven and preferred equipment for restaurant owners across the nation. Frymaster Fryers deliver the crisp. And ultimately, isn’t that all you want? Frymaster Fryers — it’s the final word in crisp.

The National Restaurant Association (NRA) recently released employment projections for summer 2009, and the information is positive: It’s expected that eating and drinking places across the country will add over 381,000 jobs during summer. This is a 4.1 percent increase from the employment level in March of ’09.

Many are interpreting this good news as an indication that the restaurant industry is recovering from the economic downturn. Jobs in the restaurant industry play a large role in America, as there are 13 million employees working at about one million restaurants in America — which makes the restaurant industry one of the biggest employers in the country. In the next decade, it’s expected that there will be 15 million employees in the restaurant industry.

An article in QSR Magazine talked about the NRA’s projections, noting that the industry added jobs in May for the first time in 10 months, though U.S. employment growth remains negative. Because of travel and tourism in the summer months, restaurants typically beef up their staff to be prepared for an increase in traffic. Only the construction industry beats the restaurant industry when it comes to America’s largest creators for seasonal jobs during summer.

So which states will add the most jobs at eating and drinking places for summer 2009? New York tops the list with 32,900 jobs; Calfornia comes in a close second with 30,900 jobs; and Texas is third with 26,400 jobs. On the other end, because summer isn’t their peak season for travel and tourism, the states of Arizona and Florida will see a decline in employment.

Keep Up with Summer Restaurant Traffic

Does your restaurant typically see an increase in traffic during the summer months? Be sure you’ll be able to handle more customers by getting quality, reliable restaurant equipment. From Vulcan ranges to Vita-Mix Blenders, ShortOrder.com has the lowest prices on restaurant equipment.

We all know times are tight right now. Some experts are pointing towards signs of a slow recovery, the keyword there being slow. How do you keep customers coming into your restaurant, and more importantly spending money?

Get the customers in the door!

You might consider lowering the prices on your offerings, or offering free desserts to entice clients. In order to make up for lower tickets, you’ll need to turn more tables. Avoid rushing the customer experience, but the more tables you turn, the more money you’ll make.

In house marketing

It’s usually pretty affordable to get some table tents and run contests to encourage servers to up-sell. Sometimes it’s as easy as a server walking through the restaurant with a fresh loaf of garlic bread or some sizzling onions, both known to stir hunger in customers.

Broaden your appeal

Do you donate to charity? Perhaps you could consider it now. Have charity nights on your slower nights. Encourage customers to bring in canned goods for a local charity and offer $5 off a ticket of $30 with 3 canned goods. Or host a job fair and let local businesses set up tables for short interviews — have a “job fair” special for those attending.

Customer service

Customer service will be of utmost importance for your business now. Gone are the days of snooty servers; guests will want to be treated as such and want to feel welcome and appreciated.

Though the economic recovery is sure to be a slow one, it is not time to cut marketing budgets, no matter how tempting that may be. Encourage locals to choose your business over the others by teaming up with other local businesses for a co-marketing theme coupon (think dinner and a movie, or family night out).

Flexible restaurateurs are sure to succeed in any economy, so think outside of the box and have some fun with it!

Lately, it seems newspapers and online media have had nothing but gloomy stories about the economy. Jobs cut, profits down — these are indeed stressful times for businesses. But an article recently from Forbes.com talks about how restaurants might prove to be more resilient than other consumer-dependent industries.

The article pointed out how in a note to investors, one analyst said that traffic might be down relative to what it was in more “robust times,” but same-store sales are “holding up relatively well.”

Many restaurant chains have even recently reported fairly strong sales trends, like Buffalo Wild Wings. So how do you explain this? The article says consumers have a desire for comfort from “the storm of daily living.”

This means, essentially, that restaurants are providing an escape for consumers who are looking for one. And with restaurants offering up specials and money-saving deals, consumers are enticed to skip cooking at home and go out to dinner. The deals are sometimes just too good for people to pass up, like dollar menus and buy-one-get-one-free deals.

Keep Your Restaurant Cooking with ShortOrder

ShortOrder.com has a ton of restaurant equipment that will keep your restaurant cooking. We have everything you need, from Vulcan ranges to Manitowoc ice machines. What’s even better is they’re offered at the lowest prices thanks to our Low Price Guarantee on restaurant equipment. So if you find an item priced lower than ShortOrder.com, we’ll refund 110% of the difference.

Save Money on Restaurant Costs with Efficient Equipment

With the economic downturn, restaurants may be looking to save money. One of the easiest ways to do that is to make sure you have efficient restaurant equipment. These products can help lower operating costs, making your energy bills lower. Look for Energy Star rated commercial fryers from Frymaster at ShortOrder and other Energy Star rated appliances.

Some restaurants may soon be required to disclose nutrition information on their menu. It’s all a part of a campaign recently launched by The Coalition for Responsible Nutrition Information. They are hoping to pass national legislation that would result in chain restaurants and other restaurants using a uniform standard to present nutrition information to patrons.

Since healthy eating habits and weight loss are quickly becoming a concern for many consumers, restaurants that provide consistent nutrition information will be giving people more control over what they’re eating. Basically, the thought is that the more consumers know about what they’re eating at restaurants, the better able they’ll be to make healthy choices at restaurants.

This proposal is known as the LEAN Act, and if passed, it’d give restaurant patrons a great amount of information that they can use to make better choices when they dine out. Some information that would be included: trans fats, cholesterol, carbohydrates, protein, calories and sodium.

So of course comes the question of where this information will be located in restaurants. It must be given in writing in a convenient way that fits in with the restaurant. For example, sit-down restaurants may put the nutrition information on their menu, while fast-food restaurants may display nutrition information on a poster or electronic kiosk.

Restaurant Equipment and Healthy Eating

Restaurant equipment and healthy eating go hand-in-hand. If you’re a restaurant owner who is selling healthy food options, you’ll need quality restaurant equipment to get the job done. Whether you’re a salad restaurant in need of Hobart food cutters or walk-in refrigerators, or a sandwich and smoothie shop in need of a commercial work table or commercial blender, ShortOrder.com has you covered. Start shopping now to get everything you need for your restaurant.

What’s the Price of Price Fixing?

Price fixing – that is, when a manufacturer sets a minimum retail price for their products – may be secretly taking a bite out of your bottom line.

In our free market economy, supply and demand usually determine where prices are set. If a product is popular, the price rises; if it doesn’t sell well, the price falls. However, every now and then, a manufacturer tells its retailers that they can’t sell a product as cheaply as they’d like to. Price fixing like this makes it hard for those retailers to bring you the best, most competitive deals.

Price Fixing and the Economy

Price fixing has a chilling effect on the restaurant industry and business in general. Both at work and at home, you may find that the products you want or need are out of your budgetary range – even though the manufacturer could sell those products at an affordable price if they wanted. If hundreds or thousands of people aren’t buying the products they desire, that means less money moving through the economy, and more demand for business credit in an economy that’s already strapped.

Thirty-five of the 50 state attorneys general wrote Congress in May 2008, asking that they pass a law to make price fixing illegal. They believe that “resale price maintenance” or price fixing will feed inflation and add $300 billion to annual consumer costs.

What You Can Do About Price Fixing

We at Short Order are committed to bringing you the best possible value for your restaurant equipment needs. We believe we deliver a compelling combination of service, support, and yes, competitive prices. Price fixing affects our business, and it probably affects yours too.

If you want to take a stand against price fixing, sign the petition at StopPriceFixing.org. The site has plenty of stories and information about price fixing and how it affects your wallet.

Restaurant equipment dealers are starting to get a little busier this month, and that could be attributed to the restaurant industry seeing an overall improvement to business compared to the past few months.

Restaurant Equipment Dealers Enjoy Business Increase

According to an article that appeared last week on Forbes.com and on the Associated Press wire, privately-held restaurant chains, single locations and locations that have been open at least one year were down in August in 42 percent of the respondent restaurants.  However, these same restaurants are starting to see an increase in their sales this month, possibly due to the easing up of gas prices. This means that restaurant equipment dealers are seeing a business increase as well.

Restaurant Equipment Dealers See the Light

The article also stated that publicly-held restaurant companies are starting to see nice improvements in their stocks, with some stocks increasing by almost two dollars a share.  This light at the end of the business slump tunnel is great for everyone in the restaurant industry, including restaurant equipment dealers, as each section of the industry depends on the sales in the restaurants.  Though this means people in the restaurant industry are busy, it’s safe to say they’re probably not complaining.

Restaurant Equipment Dealers Have What You Need

With an increase in business in September and with the busy holiday season fast approaching, this might be a great time to check out all of your restaurant equipment and make sure that it is all up to snuff.  ShortOrder has the widest selection of commercial kitchen equipment at great prices.  We carry commercial ranges, ice machines, refrigerators and so much more from companies like Manitowoc, Vulcan, Hobart, Beverage-Air and Frymaster.

If you are finding that some of your equipment is in need of replacing, make sure to contact one of ShortOrder’s restaurant equipment specialists.

Import Safety Summit in Country’s Capital

Import Safety Summit is being held this week in Washington, D.C. and is being co-sponsored by the National Restaurant Association.  U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Michael Leavitt, along with other industry leaders will be there to discuss the strengthening of public-private partnerships and how to enhance the safety of imported products used in the restaurant industry.

The panels will be comprised of representatives from Campbell Soup Company, Red Lobster, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Food Marketing Institute, Kraft Foods and McCormick & Company.

First Ever Import Safety Summit

The first-of-its-kind Import Safety Summit will include keynote speeches and panel discussions on how the private sector and the government can work together to continuously make improvements in the processes that have been put in place that ensure imported product safety.  As a member of the restaurant industry, it is paramount to understand the importance of safe imported food products.

Import Safety Summit and Equipment

At Short Order, we know that serving the highest quality food is important to your business regardless of whether it is imported or not.  That is why we sell only the finest in refrigerators, freezers, warming cabinets and other restaurant equipment.  The lines we carry, such as Manitowac, Beverage-Air, Hobart, Vulcan, and Lakeside; are committed to creating and delivering the best products to safely store and cook your carefully selected food products.  For the environmentally conscience restaurateur, we even carry many products with the prized ENERGY STAR rating.

Import Safety Summit Questions

If you have questions about the newest food importing guidelines, please check in with the National Restaurant Association.  If you have questions regarding restaurant equipment, please refer to one of our many buyers’ guides found on our Website or please feel free to contact our eager and knowledgeable customer service staff.

Food Safety Matters

Food Safety … It isn’t something most people think about on a daily basis, except for the restaurant industry that is.  We think about it everyday because the last thing any of us want is for someone to get sick from the food that we work hard to prepare.  We also don’t want to think about our restaurant being shut down because we didn’t meet food safety standards.

Food Safety Guidelines

With the right equipment and the right knowledge, food safety is a pretty easy thing to handle.

Some great guidelines to remember are:

-  All restaurant employee employees should follow hygiene guidelines; such as washing hands after using the restroom and before preparing food.

-  Cross-contamination of foods should be avoided at all times.  Wash, rinse and sanitize all food contact surfaces, such as work tables, slicers, and other preparation equipment.

-  Foods must be cooked to recommended internal temperatures.

-  Hot foods should be held hot at temperatures of 140 degrees Fahrenheit or greater.  Holding cabinets provide a constant source of proper heat.

-  Cold foods should be kept cold at temperatures of 41 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.  Keep a thermometer in your refrigerator to make sure the temperature is at the proper setting.

-  Abusing standard time and temperature standards for food should be avoided at all costs when handling prepared foods.

-  Leftovers should only be reheated in the oven once; after that they should be tossed out.

Food Safety Means Better Health

As stated earlier in the post, food safety matters to everyone … restaurateur, chef, employees, and patrons can all be harmed by foodborne pathogens.  There are more than 250 known foodborne diseases that cause anywhere from minor illness to death.  By following the simple guidelines listed above and by making sure all of your equipment is functioning properly, you can help prevent disease and illness caused by unhealthy foods.

Taste of Chicago in 28th Year

The Taste of Chicago is an indicator of summer for many Illinois residents. Considered the world’s largest food festival, the Taste of Chicago promises not to disappoint.

The Taste of Chicago, considered the second largest tourist attraction in Illinois, runs for ten days starting this year on Friday, June 27th and running until Sunday, July 6th. The Taste of Chicago, now in its 28th year, sees over 3 million festival attendees in its Grant Park location in downtown Chicago. There are over 70 restaurants and food vendors that participate each year in this free-admission food festival.

Taste of Chicago Brings World Class Fare

All types of cuisine can be found at this much anticipated food festival. Kitchens all over Chicago prepare ethnic and exotic foods, family favorites and Chicago specialties to feed all the hungry festival goers. Then the restaurants line up along the park with their portable ovens and refrigerators in hopes that their food creations are chosen as the Taste of Chicago favorite.

Taste of Chicago More Than Food

Food isn’t the only thing that you will find at this Mid-West food festival. You will also find a 5K Race for the Taste with proceeds going to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, as well as top-notch entertainment.
The free entertainment at the 2008 Taste of Chicago food festival includes the likes of Chaka Kahn, Stevie Wonder, Plain White T’s, Gomez, Old 97’s, Bonnie Raitt and many others.

Taste of Chicago Participants

Now if you are a Chicago restaurant that wants to participate in the Taste of Chicago, you are a little late for this year. The applications were due back in February. However, contact the Illinois Restaurant Association to make sure that you are on the list to receive an application for the 2009 Taste of Chicago.

And if you do get in, make sure to give us a call and we will get you all the restaurant equipment you need to prepare your festival cuisine.