Trends
BOOSTING PROCESS EFFICIENCY From a labor perspective, operators continue to face challenges even four years after the pandemic began. In the U.S., for example, while the industry is projected to add 200,000 jobs by the end of 2024, 45% of operators will still require additional staff to meet customer demand, according to the National Restaurant Association. Similarly, in the UK, the hospitality sector remains significantly short-staffed, with 112,000 vacancies at the end of 2023. Although this is a decrease from the 147,000 vacancies the previous year, it remains considerably higher than the pre- pandemic level of 89,000. Due to ongoing staffing
challenges, consultants are concentrating on assisting operators in streamlining operations and processes to the greatest extent possible. “If you’re not designing a lean kitchen, where refrigeration and essential equipment are easily accessible to chefs, it will take them longer to prepare food and produce meals,” Guyott stresses. “Operators, especially in the healthcare world, are also looking at more intentional menu planning, which means
less items to prepare, less storage needed, and more efficient use of labor.” Gregoire agrees. When
he joins a project he meets with clients –many of whom have no prior experience in hospitality – on the first day to determine how to maximize labor efficiency. “Right from the planning stage, if you can save even one step in the process, that ends up being multiplied by
Saving even one step in the process ends up being multiplied by thousands Ben Gregoire FCSI
thousands. It all comes down to dollars and cents. Tis is especially crucial in quick service restaurants (QSR), where profit margins are extremely thin, and efficiency really matters.”
MULTI– FUNCTIONAL EQUIPMENT AND DESIGN From an equipment perspective, product developers at companies within Ali Group and Welbilt, as well as across the industry, are primarily focusing on automation and user- friendliness. “Providers have added so many bells and whistles from a control standpoint so employees can touch a button to prepare their items, making up for the skilled labor that operators are struggling to find,” Guyott notes. Tat means touch screens, pre-set recipes and easy connectivity so programs can be uploaded instantly across a network. “Compared to when I used
to work in a kitchen 20 years ago, everything is so much more automated – from combi steamers to multi-tiered ovens where you can cook different products at different temperatures at the same time,” Gregoire says. “Often what I’m trying to tell my clients is that they need to invest in better- quality equipment because the return on investment may seem longer, but the amount you’ll save on labor will help your business, even if that’s just providing a happier, more efficient working environment for staff.” And Norman is looking not just at multi-functional equipment with pre-programmed recipes, but also more flexible, modular designs across entire kitchens. “We’re thinking about how we can design a space that can improve or adapt over time so it’s not just static,” he says. “We’re implementing mobile equipment
and workspaces that can be reconfigured depending on the time or day or the process.” As for robotics, the consensus
is that, while the humanoid versions might often make the news headlines, they are still very
Our priority is
to reply to trends with technology that responds in the smart way Roberto Ragazzoni, Ali Group
much for show at trade shows and exhibitions. As Ragazzoni concludes, “Our industry is still at the early stages. Of course, we are looking very carefully at that evolution and doing trials and experiments. Our priority is to reply to habits and trends with technology that responds in the smart way – reducing carbon footprints and improving efficiency.”
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