Seven Trends Impacting School Foodservice Equipment Purchases

School enrollments are fluctuating. School administrators are building new schools, closing old schools and renovating other schools to meet the needs of student populations. Changes in foodservice programs resulting from current trends have taken on many forms.

There are seven trends impacting Child Nutrition Programs (CNPs) at school that affect foodservice equipment purchasing decisions.

1. Customer Expectations
Customers have changed and will continue to change as they are influenced by the information age.

Students have higher expectations resulting from their dining-out experiences. Their expectations demand a wider variety of foods, better quality, increased foodservice choices, and an enhanced dining atmosphere. Menu demands include healthier foods, more ethnic menu items and retail appeal.

Customer expectations drive changes in menu offerings, menu merchandising, program marketing, production techniques, form of purchased food, and serving systems.

The competition with commercial enterprise has motivated CNP directors to respond to the trends in displaying and serving foods. Speed of service, however, will always remain a key factor regardless of the type of service.

Innovations in serving systems impact equipment purchase decisions. Serving systems such as:

• Food court concepts (students select from various specialty stations, such as burger and fry bar, salad bar, pizza bar)
• Retail, commercial and/or self-branding foods (popular branding of fast food items or self-branding, which usually includes school name or mascot)
• Kiosks (small, free-standing structures with one or more open sides used for point-of-service and point-of-sale)
• Packaged “componentized” meals (pre-packaged, reimbursable meals)
• Food boutiques (a retail activity zone where specialized foods and meal components are served)
• Marche concepts (based on European marketplaces, the emphasis is on visual display, exhibition preparation, and random points of service)

The long-term trend in school foodservice programs is a blend of self service and operator service with greater showcasing of food, including visible line-of-site preparation areas allowing for some part of the food preparation to be seen and appreciated by the student customer.

The challenge is to make equipment purchasing decisions with flexibility to meet future needs of your customers. This will allow operations to handle incoming fads and long-term trends while maintaining operation viability.

2. Alternate Food Production Systems
When the national jobless rate is low, the foodservice industry usually experiences a shortage in qualified labor in many geographic areas. As this occurs, strong consideration is given to centralized management and centralized production facilities. Centralized food production may be as small or as large as the demands require. In addition, the systems may accommodate a single food item or a group of items. These systems may also handle the production of all food items. Programs considering centralized food production systems must consider the following factors in the decision-making and value-analysis process:

• Make vs. buy
• Labor availability and cost (including benefits)
• Menu flexibility requirements
• Cost control demands
• Space demands
• Quality control and “fresh prepared” expectations.

Once a decision is made to use a centralized food production facility, the next step is to select a food transportation system. Factors to consider in analyzing a transport system for hot and cold foods include:

• Satellite rethermalization capabilities
• Geographic boundaries and transportation times
• Temperature retention and food safety considerations
• Labor availability
• Cost

In the coming years, you can expect variations of all types of systems to be implemented. There are no pure methods, and the needs of individual schools vary.

3. New Technology
There are several new technologies impacting current and future pieces of foodservice equipment.

Combination over-steamer: Available in gas or electric, these “work horses” provide speed, higher yields, food quality, less handling, ability to cook more than one food at a time with no flavor transfer, and ease of cleaning.

Induction cooking means instant heat with no open flames or hot spots (heats the food, not the kitchen), and it is easy to clean. Induction uses a magnetic field to “heat” the pan or pot while the unit itself stays cool. Look for induction cook tops, woks, griddles and fryers.

Holding cabinets may seem to be the lowest-tech equipment in the kitchen, but they have technologies in humidity control. By properly holding and controlling food, the texture of the food is maintained. Not all cabinets are the same, and you should test before you buy.

Boiler-less and variable-temperature steaming provides speed and preserves color, texture and nutrients. Some steamers create saturated steam without a boiler. This cuts water, energy and maintenance costs dramatically.

Hot air tumble fryer will produce very successful fries using a normal blanched fry with only 5% fat. An added benefit is that these fries can be reheated to fresh quality.

Cooking with light has the speed of a microwave, yet cooks and browns naturally. This type of oven can be used to prepare special meals and meals at odd hours.

Combination convection-microwave oven bakes a whole chicken in 18 minutes. It has the speed of a microwave and the browning of a convection oven.

4. Food Safety Initiatives
Food safety initiatives will impact equipment purchase decisions. Expect an increase in computer temperature tracking. This computer technology will provide a vital data link to monitor temperatures from the delivery of food products through receiving, production and service. These data are an integral part of due diligence that is required to certify safe food.

5. Manufacturing of Foodservice Equipment
Manufacturers face a substantial challenge. They want to produce quality equipment with value-added features while maintaining profitability. In turn, they are expected to offer the equipment at an affordable price, even though the cost of manufacturing is very expensive. Few manufacturers use robotics. Manufacturers address this challenge by implementing cost reductions and developing enhancements. In many cases, cost reductions become an enhancement.

Manufacturers strive to provide equipment that will withstand constant use by a variety of employees. Also, they strive to provide the most reliable component parts not only for the benefit of their customers but also to reduce warranty costs.

Manufacturers continue to meet the growing demands on environmental concerns, and they are also responding to the needs of a diverse workforce and are offering universal or multi-lingual labels.

Other trends in technology will emphasize interactive information—integrating point of sale (POS), production and food safety monitoring functions.

Manufacturers are introducing new types of production and service system equipment that will meet customer expectations for food quality, incorporate flexibility for changing needs and require fewer employees to operate.

Manufacturers are not bound by “the way we have always done things.” As a matter of fact, you may find a manufacturer that is willing to custom-design a piece of equipment to meet your innovation. Equipment design engineers are continuously developing and testing new foodservice systems to meet the needs of the ever-changing foodservice environment.

The manufacturer’s representative is a key player in identifying solutions to your equipment purchasing needs. Other sources of information include online resources, foodservice equipment shows, and professional journals. Foodservice equipment testing facilities also give you an opportunity to “test drive” the equipment before making a final purchasing decision.

6. Equipment Distribution
Once foodservice equipment has been identified for specification, a source of distribution must be found. The channels of equipment distribution are changing. Traditionally, all foodservice equipment was purchased through a foodservice equipment dealer. Now, other channels are available. For example, foodservice equipment can be purchased through a food distributor or directly from the manufacturer. The channel of distribution chosen will depend on the specific needs of the purchaser, the accessibility of each option, and the experience of the buyer.

7. Changes in the Leadership Role of the CNP Professional
The CNP director plays a crucial role in guiding the foodservice equipment purchasing process. It is up to the CNP director to lead in the decision-making process. Keep in mind:

• The CNP director and his/her employees have the greatest insight into what types of equipment have and have not worked in the past.
• The CNP director brings to the planning team a level of expertise that no one else from the outside brings.
• The CNP director must convince the other interested parties that his/her guiding principles reflect what is truly best for the program.

These trends should demonstrate the challenges that each director has to operate the foodservice system as a business within the educational arena. The task is to visualize the impact of each trend on your CNP in the next five years.

Source: National Food Service Management Institute’s A Guide for Purchasing Foodservice Equipment

Product Roundup

Hubert
For more than 50 years, foodservice providers have trusted Hubert as an industry leader in visual merchandising and foodservice supplies. As the seventh-largest foodservice equipment and supplies dealer in the U.S., Hubert offers more than 24,000 unique products to help differentiate your school. Their Source Book contains products from more than 900 vendors and is published twice a year to bring you thousands of the newest products as quickly as possible. Their goal is to keep the vast majority of more than 24,000 SKUs in stock and ready to ship when you call: 98% of orders ship within 24 hours; and their order accuracy rate is 99.8%. They stand behind their assortment with a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee on all products, anytime, without hassles.
www.hubert.com

Wordware
Wordware Inc. brings 20 years of experience to schools, offering an easy-to-use, reliable complete meal accounting software system: the Lunch Cashier System. Designed to streamline school cafeteria sales and recordkeeping, it has been proven to save time by putting powerful management tools right where they are needed most. Offering a complete solution including integrating the LCS with school information system software, it provides families daily online access to their current family balances and provides electronic payments. Touch-screen POS cashier stations, barcode scanning and keypads all bring computer technology to the cafeteria. Students can pre-pay into family accounts. Free, reduced and full-priced meals are easily processed. Data is complied into centralized reports.
www.wordwareincom

eLunchroom
eLunchroom is a cafeteria point-of-sale and management solution that saves time and money. eLunchroom efficiently accounts for whole families as well as individuals. It has built-in authentication for reduced price lunch programs for administrator convenience. eLunchroom may be set up on a per-site basis or as a district-wide solution. With eLunchroom’s unique design, you can control and maintain all of your lunchrooms as one database without losing speed, efficiency and site-based autonomy at each school. It maintains accurate account information and meal history. It features password protection to maintain security and confidentiality. Prices and items can be customized for user flexibility.
www.elunchroom.net

BioFit Engineered Products
BioFit Engineered Products’ 10-seat oval tables achieve flexibility in school lunchroom space. The tables with attached seats are easy for one person to fold, move and store.  They seat more students than most cafeteria tables. The oval shape creates a food court setting and puts students closer to each other, improving communication while reducing noise. The tables feature 10 tough ABS plastic seats, double-strength seat braces and a steel frame welded for uniform strength.  The oval surface is 61 inches by 72 inches and accommodates 10 standard cafeteria trays. A system of four tension bars provides easy folding at the table center.  A recessed vertical hinge protects against pinched fingers.  Six nonmarring casters ensure easy moving and straight-line tracking.
www.biofit.com

SLA Management
SLA Management is a private school lunch management company. They are dedicated to serving children a high-quality, balanced, nutritional school lunch every day. All of their school lunches meet or exceed National School Lunch Program requirements for daily values of protein, vegetable, fruit, dairy and grain. Their managed school lunch program relieves schools of cumbersome administrative responsibilities associated with managing a school lunch program. They supply certified staff and food, prepare and serve the meals, and clean up. Does your school have a lunch program? Is it an administrative burden? Does the current lunch program provide a balanced, quality, nutritional meal every day? Does the school lunch program generate positive revenue for your school? If not, it should, and it can. Their managed lunch program is viable on a nationwide basis.
www.slamgmt.com

SpectraTile from Parkland Plastics
Parkland Plastics has introduced a 100% waterproof panel in 2’x 2’ and 2’x 4’ sizes that has been revolutionizing how facility managers think about lay-in ceiling tiles. SpectraTile is guaranteed to not water-stain and is mold and mildew resistant. Free up time of your maintenance staff and start saving operation budgets. SpectraTile provides virtually maintenance-free, long-term satisfaction in high moisture areas including rooms with frequent wash downs. Four decorative patterns enhance any interior. Mention this ad for a 5% discount off your first order!
www.WaterProofPanels.com

Rediker Software's School Cafeteria Software
Rediker Software's school cafeteria software lets schools easily process cafeteria sales, streamline record-keeping, reporting and correspondence and reduce time spent processing sales, retrieving accounting data and completing reports.  As a member of the School Office Suit, the cafeteria program interfaces with the respected Administrator's Plus student information system. Student demographic information automatically appears in the cafeteria software directly from Administrator's Plus, thus eliminating duplicate data entry by food services staff. Use ID cards produced in Administrator's Plus to let students purchase meals. Their point-of-sale cafeteria program has a proven track record of successfully serving schools nationwide for more than a decade. Studies show that schools using their software experience a significant increase in cafeteria participation allowing the system to pay for itself in as little as 18 months. 
www.rediker.com

LunchBox from Data Futures
LunchBox is an exciting foodservice software solution for K-12 school systems. Each module of the LunchBox software suite offers the best in technology. Their package includes a fast and user-friendly Point-of-Sale and a Free and Reduced component that includes all of the new 2005 requirements and simplifies the application process.  Inventory Management/Procurement controls your inventory as well as the bidding process; POS Back Office eliminates unnecessary paper work; Internet Deposit helps parents get money to the POS terminal within seconds; and Menus/Nutritional Analysis provides required nutrient breakdown of serving period food items. SiteManager is the hub of the software system. This module provides the ability to collect, analyze and communicate information between the school and the district office. LunchBox provides the user-friendliness schools require with the advanced technology they demand.
www.datafutures.com