Manitowoc, WI, Is a Town of 35,000 People Who Can Go with the Flow

Manitowoc ice machines used to be all we knew about Manitowoc. In fact, we didn’t even know that Manitowoc ice machines were built in a place called Manitowoc. Then we took the time to find out more about this small town in eastern Wisconsin. It’s not just the epicenter of the commercial ice machine world; it’s the pride of the Manitowoc River and the county seat of – you guessed it – Manitowoc County. Located in Brett Farve’s back pocket, just a half-hour from Green Bay, Manitowoc sits at the mouth of the Manitowoc River where it enters Lake Michigan.

Manitowoc History

Manitowoc’s humble origins date back to 1820 and the family of Matthew Stanley, the original settlers. Given its geographical advantages as a gateway to the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, Manitowoc unsurprisingly has been closely tied to seafaring, trading, fishing and shipbuilding. During World War II, Manitowoc iced its share of the Axis military machine by building tankers, subs and landing craft.

Manitowoc Attractions

Today, this powerhouse of commercial icemaker manufacturing is the site of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, one of the largest museums in the U.S. dedicated to ships and seafarers. Originally the Manitowoc Submarine Memorial Association, the museum is the current home of the mothballed WWII submarine Cobia and boasts over 60,000 square feet of displays. The quality and quantity of the Manitowoc museum’s efforts have been rewarded with Smithsonian Museum affiliation.

Other Manitowoc Features

For a small town that doesn’t even have its own TV station, Manitowoc is associated with a good number of fun features and facts:

• the mother house of the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity is in Manitowoc.
• this city of some 35,000 residents also is home to about 23,000 Roman Catholics.
• Manitowoc has sent several favorite sons to the NFL, including Don Davey, Doug Free and Mike Lorenz.
• In the movie The Prince and Me, Julia Stiles plays a farm girl from Manitowoc, the ice machine mecca of the country.

And Manitowoc Ice Machines

Of course, on our little restaurant equipment blog, no mention of Manitowoc, WI, is going to pass without us pontificating a little about best-of-breed Manitowoc ice machines like the Manitowoc SY-0504, an easy-to-clean and typically reliable Manitowoc icemaker that generates 540 pounds of half-dice sized ice cubes every day. Manitowoc ice machines are made by the Manitowoc Foodservice Group, a three-division corporation that features the brands Manitowoc Ice, Kolpak, McCall, Hartford, Servend and Multiplex.

Needless to say, Manitowoc ice machines are pretty darned important to the small town of Manitowoc, WI. Without them – and the good people of Manitowoc who make them – our glasses would be a lot lonelier during long, hot, ice-cube-less summer nights.

Restaurant industry change is necessary

The restaurant industry is a combination of old and new. Preparing delicious food is a practice as old as humanity — even though the restaurant equipment used varies from a cave campfire to a stainless steel Vulcan range with 32,000 BTU burners. At the same time, diners are a discriminating bunch, and successful entrepreneurs know that today’s trendy restaurant can quickly become passe and bankrupt.

The restaurant industry must adapt to stay viable

Although the restaurant industry is cyclical, responding to the seasons of the economy, it also must evolve to prosper. And it’s apparent that the restaurant industry has often struggled with the retention of key employees. Many smart, talented individuals work in the restaurant industry — and then quickly leave it for other industry that is considered more “career-friendly.” The restaurant industry struggles from the stigma of this popular perception, and it’s not without cause. Although they can be immensely rewarding, creatively, financially, and emotionally, restaurant industry jobs can be hard and the pace is fast. This situation costs the restaurant industry dearly in high turnover rates, training costs, lower productivity, and of course, the loss of talent.

The National Restaurant Association, as part of their Cornerstone Initiative, has taken positive steps to address this situation. Their Retirement Benefit Program allows Association member restaurants can offer retirement benefits to owners and employees. The program is administered by the American Buying Retirement Services, Inc.

Restaurant industry businesses should investigate retirement benefits

If you’re interested in retaining your best restaurant employees — and who isn’t? — you should take a look at setting up retirement benefits. In this era of do-it-yourself retirement plans, you might be surprised at how little it might cost. For some no-nonsense restaurant retirement plan advice, refer to these restaurant industry tips at the NRA website.

The employees at your restaurant or kitchen won’t be expecting a full-blown pension. If you can construct a sensible 401(k), SIMPLE-IRA, or SIMPLE 401(k), though, many of them will be more apt to visualize a long-term career with your restaurant — and that’s a future you should be encouraging.

Frymaster Fryers Make Delicious Fried Foods Easy

Frymaster fryers are a kitchen appliance that most chefs and restaurant managers don’t want to live without. Voted best in class by Food Service Equipment Supplies Magazine, Frymaster fryers have a number of features that allow easy setup and use. If your menu includes one or more fried foods, you should note a few advantages of Frymaster fryers:

• Set-up for a Frymaster fryer involves only two simple steps.
• Frymaster fryers have stainless steel frypots and heating elements that lift up for easier cleaning.
• Frymaster fryer filtration systems extend the life of your oil.
• Frymaster fryers feature quick temperature recovery for good quality and uniformity.

Frymaster Fryers Are an Important Part of a Quality Fried-Foods Kitchen

To ensure the finest fried-foods taste experience for your customers, make sure your Frymaster fryers are surrounded by other pieces of quality restaurant equipment, like Beverage Air refrigerators, Hobart mixers, and Vulcan ranges from ShortOrder.com. You’ll want to manage the process of freezing and warming your french fries, chicken, fish, funnel cakes, or other fried foods before and after they reach your Frymaster fryers.

Consider Hatco Dump Stations with Your Frymaster Fryer

Frymaster fryers pair well with Hatco Fry Dump Stations, which provide both above and below electric heating elements, depending on your choice and setup. Like Frymaster fryers, Hatco fry dump stations were voted best in class by Food Service Equipment Magazine. Hatco fry dump stations currently sell for $282 to $425, and just as with the Frymaster fryers and all of our products, come with a 30-day return policy.

Kolpak Freezers Keep Ingredients Fresh for Frymaster Fryers

You’ll also want to consider the quality of your freezers to ensure that the money you’ve invested in your Frymaster fryers has not been wasted. Even a Frymaster fryer cannot make excellent food from ingredients that aren’t fresh. If you’re considering new restaurant equipment, you may want to check out our line of Kolpak walk-in freezers.

Manitowoc ice machines cut your electric bill

Manitowoc ice machines are part of a restaurant equipment revolution. Things are changing as restaurant owners and restaurant equipment manufacturers are realizing that energy-efficient restaurant equipment – like the Manitowoc ice machines in the innovative S-series – aren’t just good for the environment. They’re also good for a food service facility’s bottom line, putting more cash in your pocket. You could say that restaurant equipment is going green in more ways than one.

Manitowoc ice machines: setting the bar

In 2003, Manitowoc took the initiative in energy-efficient restaurant equipment with the S-series of Manitowoc ice machines. These impressive Manitowoc ice machines delivered a 25% average efficiency increase over the competitive models at the time, and continue to run more efficiently than most of the rest of the pack. Manitowoc ice machines bearing the “Energy Mizer” trademark are among the most energy-efficient restaurant equipment appliances you can buy.

Manitowoc ice machine energy rebate

Purchasers interested in energy-efficient restaurant equipment should be aware of the Manitowoc ice machines that earn energy rebates. Buyers in California and Wisconsin can save hundreds of dollars off their purchase of qualifying Manitowoc ice machines by selecting energy-efficient models approved by their states.

For example, Wisconsin buyers can choose the Manitowoc ice machine model SD-1002A/208/1 to garner an energy rebate and also save on their electric bills for many years to come. This Manitowoc ice machine SD-1002A is a Short Order editor’s choice that churns out 1060 pounds of ice every twenty-four hours. For smaller kitchens seeking energy-efficient restaurant equipment, take a look at the all-in-one Manitowoc ice machine model QM-45A. Producing 95 pounds of dice-sized ice in twenty-four hours, the rebate-eligible Manitowoc ice machine QM-45A stands on four adjustable 6″-7.5″ legs, and at three feet tall, fits well into cramped quarters. This Manitowoc ice machine is also a Short Order editor’s choice.

Manitowoc ice machines and the future of energy-efficient restaurant equipment

As the restaurant industry scrambles to meet the needs of restaurant equipment buyers, Manitowoc ice machines continue to evolve. As the Manitowoc EnergyMizer webpage says, “Tier 3 energy efficient models are right around the corner.” Stay tuned – it looks like there’ll be more good news for fans of forward-thinking, practical energy-efficient restaurant equipment coming from Manitowoc ice machines soon.

Hobart mixers are kitchen stalwarts

Hobart mixers, slicers, and dishwashers are probably important and well-loved parts of your kitchen. If you’re like most other restaurant equipment owners and users, you trust Hobart mixers for dependable results and reliable service, as well you should. Hobart dates back to 1897, when the Hobart Electric Manufacturing Company was founded to build quality electric appliances like industrial motors that helped coffee mill owners convert from hand-cranking to electric power. Hobart has been the premiere supplier of restaurant equipment and service for the foodservice and food retail industries for over a century.

Nothing beats Hobart mixers for big jobs

Hobart mixers excel at blending large quantities of wet and dry ingredients for chefs and cooks. Take the award-winning Hobart mixer model HL600-1STD. With its gear-driven transmission and heavy-duty 2.7 horsepower motor, this Hobart mixer can process an incredible sixty quarts in its swing-out bowl. The Hobart mixer HL600 is no slouch in ease-of-use features, either – it comes with a power bowl lift for heavy loads, a 50-minute timer, and a safety feature that prevents the Hobart mixer from running when the bowl guard is out of position.

For more modest restaurant equipment needs, the Hobart mixer model HL200-1STD delivers the same blending quality as the Hobart mixer HL600 – but in a bench mixer form factor at a fraction of the price. The Hobart mixer HL200 boasts a 1/2 horsepower motor and the same three-speed control, swing-out stainless steel bowl and bowl guard safety interlock as the Hobart mixer HL600. An aluminum beater and stainless steel wire whip are also supplied with the Editor’s Choice Hobart mixer HL200.

Hobart mixers may last longer than you think

In 2006, Hobart sought out the oldest Hobart mixer still in service. Given the sturdiness of Hobart mixers, everyone expected to discover a veteran Hobart mixer, but few expected to encounter a 93-year-old Hobart mixer (1913) still mixing up a storm every day at Winans Chocolates & Coffees of Piqua, Ohio.

Hobart mixers come from a community leader

It’s also comforting to know that quality Hobart mixers are built by a quality corporate citizen. Hobart supports the United Way and the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. With their innovative Hobart Center for Foodservice Sustainability, Hobart is also a leader in the restaurant industry going green. Although Hobart mixers are not a central part of the Hobart sustainability effort at this time, Hobart dish machines and warewashers are leading the way, with a full line of these products having earned the EPA’s ENERGY STAR rating.

Hobart mixers are only a piece of the Hobart picture

Hobart mixers and restaurant equipment continue to be market leaders. Hobart recently won its sixth consecutive overall Best in Class award in Foodservice Equipment & Supplies‘ survey. Hobart slicers, Hobart mixers and Hobart dish machines are part of a well-rounded product line that never fails to impress, year after year.

Vulcan ranges make cooking easy

Vulcan ranges are perennial favorites among the restaurant equipment products at ShortOrder.com. Vulcan produces a wide variety of ranges, ovens, steam tables, fryers and griddles, but it’s Vulcan ranges and Vulcan ovens that people think of first, and that’s where Vulcan made its solid reputation for durable, reliable, well-designed restaurant equipment.

Medium-duty and heavy-duty Vulcan ranges are the bulk of Vulcan’s offerings in the range category. The distinction between these Vulcan ranges is capacity – the heavy-duty Vulcan ranges feature more BTUs, more customizability, bigger work surfaces, and integration with other Vulcan products.

The Endurance Vulcan range is a new concept in ranges

A Vulcan range that’s been getting favorable reviews from executive chefs and other restaurant equipment experts lately is the Endurance medium-duty range. The Endurance range is a sophisticated, easy-to-use Vulcan range (gas-burning) with a variety of impressive features that you’d expect to see on a heavy-duty Vulcan range.

For example, the Endurance Vulcan range, like the Vulcan G36L-1-NAT, delivers a remarkable 32,000 BTUs to the stovetop without hotspots – ordinary burners only reach 26,000 BTUs. The Endurance range’s patented high turn down ratio burner system guarantees you focused, controlled heat where and when you need it. The oven, which can reach temperatures of 550 degrees Fahrenheit, comes in both convection and standard oven variations, and the range is remarkably easy to clean. In fact, Vulcan patented the integrated rapid clean system that they designed into the Endurance Vulcan range.

Other high-end features of this handsome Vulcan range include a heavy-duty oven door hinge, a cool-touch oven door handle, lift-off stove burner heads, sturdy easy-lift-off cooking grates, a 6″ wide front top ledge and a front-mounted gas shutoff valve for burner pilots.

A wide range of Vulcan ranges

Other Vulcan ranges include the expansive 60-inch Vulcan range model VG60-59-NAT, a ShortOrder.com Editor’s Choice, and the economical 36-inch Vulcan range model VG36-66-NAT, another five-star Vulcan range with easy-clean burners.

Manitowoc ice machines are as reliable as the seasons

Manitowoc ice machine weather has arrived. But it never left. As fall embraces us, bringing with it the chilly prospect of winter, we at Shortorder.com are still happy to have Manitowoc ice machines in our diverse selection of restaurant equipment. You see, the weather may be turning cooler, but diners and bar patrons still need ice in their drinks to give them the proper zing. Manitowoc ice machines are all-season restaurant equipment.

Manitowoc ice machines also are recognized for their all-season reliability. In fact, in November 2006, America’s #1 selling ice machine was again chosen as “Overall Best in Class” in the ice machines category by the readers of the restaurant equipment publication Foodservice Equipment & Supplies. This wasn’t the first time, either. Manitowoc ice machines have won this award for six years running. The award, chosen based on the votes of restaurant equipment buyers, dealers, and distributors, recognizes the excellence in quality, service, and support that are synonymous with the phrase “Manitowoc ice machine.”

For example, take the Manitowoc ice machine model SD-0452A. A Short Order editors choice, this stainless-steel-clad Manitowoc ice machine earns points for low operating costs, ease of maintenance, and superb reliability. The Manitowoc ice machine model SD-0452A just sits in your restaurant, bar, or kitchen, punching out 450 pounds of cube-style ice every day, rain or shine, and looking good doing it.

If you’re thinking of an ice machine for your establishment, take a peek at our ice machine buyer’s guide, a straightforward document that will help you narrow down your choices and make an ice machine buying decision that fits your needs. And don’t forget – every Manitowoc ice machine you buy at Shortorder.com comes with free onsite setup.

Beverage-Air refrigerators are one of our favorite kinds of restaurant equipment here at Shortorder.com, and that’s saying a lot since we see a lot of quality restaurant equipment.

Strong, sturdy, and unobtrusive despite their size, Beverage-Air refrigerators are the reliable backbone of a smoothly-functioning kitchen or cafe. Whatever gets put in a Beverage-Air refrigerator gets cold fast and stays that way. No uneven cooling and no puddling of condensation. No mess, no fuss, and no worries.

Did we mention how sleek these Beverage-Air refrigerators can be? Clad in stainless steel, Beverage-Air refrigerators impart a dignified and professional look to any environment. We stock 23 different Beverage-Air refrigerators, including:

• the Beverage-Air refrigerator UCR48A, a two-section undercounter refrigerator and Editors Choice winner;
• the Beverage-Air refrigerator WTR27A, a one-section worktop refrigerator with three self-closing doors, 2 1/2″ thick stainless steel worktop, and 4″ high removable backsplash;
• and the Beverage-Air refrigerator ER48-1AS, a robust two-section reach-in refrigerator featuring a top-mounted compressor, digital temperature monitoring, and air-flow management.

If you’re in the market for a Beverage-Air refrigerator – or any other kind of reach-in refrigerator – you may find our Reach-In Refrigerators and Freezers Buyers Guide useful. It’s designed specifically to help you narrow down your purchasing choices quickly, saving you time and money. You don’t want to pay for refrigerator features that you don’t need, and you want to buy a fridge that’s sized for your needs so you don’t run up your electric bill.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about selecting the right Beverage-Air refrigerator for your situation. We think you’ll be just as happy as Shortorder.com customer Tom Mitchell, who wrote us to say, “I would absolutely buy Beverage-Air again.”

Lakeside carts may not be the first product type that pops into your mind when you think of the perfect kitchen, but for us right now, our attention is fully fixed on exactly that: Lakeside carts.

At ShortOrder.com, we get excited by quality restaurant equipment – everything from Manitowoc ice makers to Hobart glass washers. But the sad fact is that the more complicated kitchen appliances get all the glory. We’d be the first to admit we tend to focus on the pricier refrigerators and ranges – the cooking tools that perform the tasks you think of first when you think of food preparation.

But we think we all owe Lakeside carts an apology, because a solid, well-built, rustproof, and multi-use stainless steel cart is a thing of beauty and an essential for the professional kitchen.

You don’t want your staff making unnecessary trips across the facility, reducing efficiency and increasing the risk of an accident. Without a good Lakeside cart, how does your staff transport ingredients, dishes, and cooking implements from freezer to char broiler, or from kitchen to outdoor buffet? If your chef is stuck catering an important meal in an inhospitable location, what’s more indispensable than a Lakeside cart for prep, organization, transportation, and presentation? In a pinch, he or she can rely on a Lakeside cart as a station for worry-free chopping, heating, cooling, serving, and display. That’s a lot of work for a piece of restaurant equipment that you don’t even have to plug in.

Lakeside carts like the Lakeside Utility Cart 422 can bear the weight of several people – the 422 can carry 500 pounds – and look good doing it. The toughest of our Lakeside cart selections, the beefy Lakeside Utility Cart 944, can haul an astonishing 1000 pounds, and still not look out of place in a conference or dining room thanks to the careful manufacturing and natural style of brushed stainless steel. Lakeside carts are built to strict standards and feature all-welded stainless steel construction, swivel or fixed casters in a range of sizes, easy-to-clean design, assembly-free manufacturing, and the quality synonymous with the Lakeside cart product. Lakeside carts have been a mainstay in the foodservice and restaurant equipment industry for over 50 years.

We feel like it’s easy to overlook the contributions and usefulness of these gorgeous and durable Lakeside carts, but we’re trying to put an end to that. We’re proud to have Lakeside carts as a part of our utility cart selection, and we think you’d be proud to have a few Lakeside carts in your kitchen.

Announcing ShortOrder 2.0! ShortOrder.com, the online price leader for commercial restaurant equipment, announces version 2 of our great website. So, come on in, take a look around, and browse through all the great brands we carry, such as: