Tucson, Ariz. — Quiznos is returning to Tucson, Ariz., with a new restaurant opening near the University of Arizona campus as part of a blockbuster deal calling for 30 new locations to open in Arizona over the next 5 to 7 years. This is the first new full-menu Quiznos in Arizona since 2010, and it comes with exciting new features like a drive-thru — only the second Quiznos in the U.S. to have one. The Tucson location had a soft opening on Sept. 26, with a grand opening planned for …
— By Sharon Cho and Justin Shreiner — Selecting optimal water heating systems to meet the needs of full-service restaurants. Full-service restaurants are harsh environments for commercial water heaters. They operate for long hours, often from early morning to midnight, with continuous 140° hot water necessary for food prep, cooking and cleaning. This constant demand places a significant strain on water heating equipment and requires units that can withstand heavy use and provide consistent performance. For this reason, selecting the proper water heater is necessary to keep restaurants operational, remain …
— By Christopher Collins, AIA, NCARB — The good, the bad & the ventless …exhaust hoods. The look of dismay on the chef’s face told me everything I needed to know: the vent hood was not cutting it and big money was going to be burned trying to remedy his woes. The issue was the ventless hood that was used for the cooking appliances. And not really the exhaust type that was being employed, but more of the expectations around that piece of equipment. That’s when I realized what ventless …
— By Katie Lee — Carvel celebrates 90 years of soft serve ice cream with a new shoppe design and growth in new markets. Success doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t happen by accident. However, the beloved ice cream brand Carvel may beg to differ. It was way back in 1934, in Hartsdale, New York, when founder Tom Carvel had a flat tire in his ice cream truck. Pulling over, he tried to salvage the product he had left and sold the slightly melted ice cream to people passing by. …
— By Lindsey Walker — Why asset tracking software is good for your restaurant business. Operating a foodservice or restaurant business involves managing various appliances, each essential for daily tasks like cooking and refrigeration. Integrating these appliances into a system that gathers data for decision-making can be time-consuming. The Internet of Things (IoT) offers a solution by utilizing appliance data to optimize property management and enhance business performance with real-time insights. From ensuring customer satisfaction to maintaining quality standards, running a restaurant or café requires careful attention to detail to …
— By Jay Fiske — IoT & S3: How connected equipment improves restaurant safety, service and sustainability. Every restaurant facility manager is acutely aware of how critical their back-of-house equipment (cooking, refrigeration, HVAC, etc.) is as the lifeline of their operations. When these machines go down, or an issue arises, the result is often costly health or safety concerns that can force facility closures, negatively impact customer satisfaction, and harm brand perception. In addition, back-of-house equipment also drives the bulk of the very heavy energy use in restaurants — driving …
Boston — Powerhouse Dynamics, a leading Internet of Things (IoT) partner to enterprise-level restaurant, QSR, convenience store and retail brands, has installed its AI-powered DemandSmart Solution in client locations across the country. The solution automatically executes demand response at scale, empowering clients to generate new revenues by lowering their energy use when the grid is experiencing peak demand. “We are excited to bring this expanded capability to our customers. Not only will they save significant energy costs using our DemandSmart module, but they will also be able to take advantage …
Miami — Burger King plans to invest $300 million to modernize 1,100 U.S. restaurants by 2028, according to parent company Restaurant Brands International Inc. Each restaurant will be renovated in a new layout, called Sizzle, that emphasizes flexibility as well as the digital, pickup and drive-thru experiences. In addition to the planned renovations, the investment will also cover cash incentives for top-performing operators. “We are committed to giving our guests the very best experience in all our restaurants and that includes a modern, exciting restaurant image and digital experience that …
Cincinnati — LSI Industries Inc., a leading U.S. based manufacturer of commercial lighting and display solutions, has completed its acquisition of privately held EMI Industries for an all-cash purchase price of $50 million. EMI is one of the largest privately held retail fixture and food equipment companies in the North America. Florida-based EMI is an award-winning metal and millwork manufacturer of standard and customized fixtures, displays and food equipment for the convenience store, grocery and restaurant industries. For more than 40 years, EMI has worked closely with customers to develop …
Physical maintenance in the retail industry is as unavoidable as taxes and sometimes as expensive. To keep net operating income (NOI) and uptime as high as possible, building owners, operations groups and retail tenants need optimum strategies to ensure work happens when needed. For many, having a self-performing third-party maintenance partner — one with the in-house resources to do the necessary work — is an efficient and economical move. There are two business rationales for continuous maintenance, which can include services like carpentry; plumbing; heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC); …
