Industry Voices

From Layout to Takeout

by Katie Lee March 15, 2023

— By Zayn King-Dollie — Utilizing mobile ordering and building design to capitalize on takeout trends. Last year, The National Restaurant Association estimated that 2022 would have record-breaking sales revenue of $898 billion, a 12.4% increase from 2021 and 3.9% above pre-pandemic sales. The predictions signaled an optimistic future, but instead, many businesses now are facing additional hardships brought on by inflation. Even with higher sales, the industry profit margins are 11.5% lower than in 2019. A third of all restaurant operators expect sales revenue outcomes to …

March 15, 2023

Industry Voices vendors

High Expectations

by Katie Lee March 15, 2023

— By Amanda Anderson — When is the last time you looked up? The day starts early with management opening the doors to prepare for incoming customers, following a routine checklist to ensure a successful day. There are drawers to fill, schedules to make, questions to be answered by associates and patrons. But when is the last time you looked up? Or down for that matter? In the blur of day-to-day operations, little details that can have a huge impact are often overlooked when it comes to …

March 15, 2023

construction and design energy management HVAC/R Industry Voices

Cold Case

by Katie Lee March 8, 2023

— By Kevin Piel and Joe McMenamin — Choosing the best insulated-panel system is paramount in ensuring optimal climate-controlled operation in many different applications. The days when grocery shopping was solely an in-person, on-site event that involved the maneuvering of a shopping cart (wobbly wheel optional) through a maze of aisles featuring shelves stocked with a wide array of goods have come to an end. Technological advances had already begun to make grocery shopping from home much more accessible and appealing in recent years. Then came March 2020. The …

March 8, 2023

Industry Voices restaurants software/technology

Bridging the Digital Divide

by Katie Lee March 8, 2023

— By Jim Metevier — Striking the right balance between dine-in and digital investments. In a world where convenience is king, the quick-service restaurant industry is experiencing an unprecedented push toward digitization, and understandably so. Throughout 2020 and 2021, while in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, brands needed to pivot to survive. Traditional guest-facing techniques fell to the wayside, as consumers called for contactless pickup and delivery — relying mostly on apps and websites to place orders, and demanding as little person-to-person contact as possible. Amazingly, for …

March 8, 2023

Industry Voices retailers supply chain vendors

Retail Resilience

by Katie Lee February 17, 2023

— By Chelsea Brady — 5 opportunities to help retailers build resilient supply chains throughout 2023. From high inflation to rapidly changing labor needs and hiring challenges, retail manufacturers and logistics providers continue to face multiple supply chain challenges with their organizations and there’s no determination of when these challenges will subside. However, there are certain opportunities retail manufacturers and logistics providers can take advantage of now to start to overcome these challenges and rebuild their resilient supply chains throughout 2023 and beyond: Opportunity 1: So Long, Standardization Let’s face …

February 17, 2023

green news Industry Voices restaurants vendors waste management/recycling

Waste Not

by Katie Lee February 9, 2023

— By Tyler Simmons — Restaurants need a new menu item: food waste strategy. Waste is a concept. We decide on a marker of when something usable becomes unusable, whether that is within a certain timeframe or due to a certain visual indicator — like a bruise on an apple or a snack past its ‘best before’ label. One minute food is edible, delicious, desirable — the next it’s unsellable, tainted, trash. Waste is an unfortunate output of system inefficiency, and the economical and environmental impact of when the …

February 9, 2023

green news Industry Voices

It’s Time

by Katie Lee February 9, 2023

— By Patrick Lorimer — Getting the retail market EV-charging ready. Automakers are committed to bringing more affordable electric vehicles (EV) to market. GM alone expects to have 30 EV vehicles in their product line by 2025 and coupled with record high gas prices, EV sales are soaring. The federal government is helping states build out a national EV charging network with a goal of 500,000 chargers by 2030. Even the exponential numbers of EV charging stations won’t be nearly enough to meet market demand. Retailers have a unique …

February 9, 2023

Industry Voices waste management/recycling

Looking Back to Look Ahead

by Katie Lee February 2, 2023

— By Michael Hess — Learning from 2022: How to optimize your retail and restaurant waste management programs in 2023. As 2022 comes to a close, it’s always important to look back and reflect on the year. You might have run into disruptors or issues that you’ll likely want to get ahead of or leave behind. But more importantly, what did you learn? What can you take with you to grow any facet of your restaurant or retail location in 2023? Let’s look ahead at a few …

February 2, 2023

Industry Voices parking lots vendors

Protecting People — & Property

by Katie Lee January 26, 2023

— By Casey Hoffhines — The importance and functionality of parking lot bollards to protect your stores, restaurants and customers. Parking bollards are short, protective posts that are embedded into the ground and serve as a parking lot safety barrier that protects pedestrians and building infrastructures from car accidents. A paving contractor will strategically place parking lot bollards in areas that are likely to sustain damage from vehicles. So, what are bollards and where did it all begin? They made their way through history by making their first appearance …

January 26, 2023

Industry Voices painting vendors

Moving Forward

by Katie Lee January 5, 2023

— By Sean Gillespie — Why it’s important — even during challenging times — to keep multi-site painting programs consistent and on track. There is no question the past few years have presented more challenges than solutions relative to multi-site painting programs. As things have begun moving into a new degree of normalcy, labor and supply chain struggles have been part of the adjustment. Now, as interest rate hikes are implemented to stem the tide of inflation, there are rumblings of “recession.” While not all agree on the specifics, …

January 5, 2023

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