THE FUTURE OF FOODSERVICE: INNOVATION SPECIAL
WHAT IS
INNOVATION?
At its most basic innovation means change, says Brett Daniel FCSI, project manager at Camacho Associates in Atlanta, Georgia. “It means changing our processes and becoming more efficient. It means evolution.” Bettina von Massenbach FCSI, CEO
Oyster Hospitality Management, agrees. “It’s about changing perspective. Consumer attitudes have changed in terms of quality, speed, interaction and sustainability.” The change, says Laura Lentz FCSI, design principal of Culinary Advisors in Maryland, is mostly driven by a need to fix or correct something; particularly appropriate at the moment. “Everyone in foodservice is looking to innovate,” she says. “To me innovation is when you are seeking a solution to something that isn’t working.” Put succinctly by Min An FCSI, Ricca Design Studios in California: “Find a need and necessity, define them, and respond.” As William Taunton FCSI, CEO of
Gastrotec in Chile, explains innovation is about finding new solutions for our needs. “We went from hand drafting, to CAD drawing and from CAD to Revit,” he explains. “In the kitchen, we went from radiant ovens, to convection ovens and now combi ovens. Nowadays innovations come in the way we mix and match technology to resolve requirements and we, as foodservice consultants, need to be aware of the new technologies to find the best solutions.” As Karen Malody FCSI, founder of US
consultancy Culinary Options, emphasizes, innovation doesn’t always involve invention but it does create an added value. “It can range from subtle to audacious. Not all innovation is grandiose; it can be as simple as an improved POS keypad,” she says.
50
ABUNDANT INNOVATION
For Acker So FCSI, principal of A+C Consultants, China, innovation means something new, something creative. “It is something that will turn our traditional behavior or thinking to another direction,” he says. “Most importantly it will give people a hope that it will improve our lifestyle in future.” Proof, if any was needed, that innovation is rampant in this industry is the variety of examples offered by consultants when asked for their favorite examples of innovative developments in foodservice over time. For many people the prime example of
innovation is the invention of the combi oven. “I think some of the most innovative pieces of equipment have multiple functions and are able to replace multiple pieces of equipment in one footprint. Combi
ovens are a great example,” says Brett Daniel of Camacho Associates. “You have a convection oven, a steamer, a proofer and a smoker all in the same footprint so instead of seven to eight feet of cooking space and an exhaust hood, you only need three to four feet of space. “Apart from the equipment side of
things, sanitary practices and processes for accountability have evolved over the years as well as more emphasis on energy efficiency and reductions in utility consumption to lessen the impact on the environment.” Meanwhile, Vinoo Mehera FCSI, owner and CEO of promaFox in Switzerland, points to three examples that have all made their mark on the industry in more recent times: online ordering and self-ordering terminals; remote monitoring; and plant- based food products.
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