• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • 1.800.253.2991
A.J. Antunes & Co.

Antunes

Because your success is our success.

  • Cooking Products
    • Toasters
    • Food Steamers
    • Countertop Grills
    • Condiments Dispensers
    • Kitchen Timing Products
    • Hot Food Merchandising & Display Cases
    • Water Bath Cooking
    • Restaurant Automation Equipment
  • Water Products
    • Commercial Water Products
    • Residential Water Products
  • About
    • About Antunes
    • Awards
    • Customers
    • Social Responsibility
  • Contact Us
    • Technical Service
    • Customer Service
    • Equipment Registration
    • Authorized Service Agencies
    • Representatives
    • Our Distributors
  • Careers
  • Resources
    • Blog
    • Residential FAQs
    • Videos
    • Technical Service Training

A Chef’s Perspective on Operational Issues and Trends

You are here: Home / Chef's Corner / A Chef’s Perspective on Operational Issues and Trends
February 2, 2019

Chefs bring a lot to the table: culinary expertise, operational know-how and a passion for giving their customers a great experience. They are a key audience for manufacturers to consider when developing products and launching them in the marketplace, as their perspective can bring about important insights throughout the process.

Our Corporate Executive Chef Joe Arvin brings that perspective to the Antunes internal teams, as well as rep groups, customers and prospects. Here, he shares what’s top of mind for today’s chefs and how current issues impact back-of-house operations.

Labor and the need for skilled employees

What keeps chefs up at night? Really what it boils down to is labor and skills. Even though we can get labor, we can’t get always get the skill level we need. We’ve traditionally had at least minimal skill levels ― someone’s learned how to cook, fry or work on the line. Nowadays, this level of skill is rarer, and instead, we’re seeing much younger, unskilled help. Raising minimum wage both helps us and hurts us; it may make the jobs more appealing but cuts down on already tight profit margins.

Chefs are working on ways to counteract some of the labor challenges ― offering a bonus or free meals, offering additional benefits like vacation time ― trying to incentivize people to work in the back of the house. We have to draw them in because they aren’t coming to us.

You no longer need a culinary degree to start in the kitchen. More and more we see the start of apprenticeships, which is one of the main ways we’re keeping employees. We’re training them, which is a trade-off for a lower wage. You can become a certified executive chef through an apprenticeship program. This is a trend we’re going to see going forward, like other trades. It’s our time to change the game.

Fortunately for chefs, Antunes offers equipment that cuts down on labor requirements through ease of use and reduced cleaning – adding easier equipment training and valuable time back into the balance.

Shrinking kitchens

We’ve dealt with shrinking kitchens for many years, and they’re getting smaller. Square footage is going up in price, so we have to find workarounds. To maintain the same level of output with less space, chefs need to redesign or reconfigure their kitchens. We have to think out of the box or we will not survive. At Antunes, we’re creating kiosks or stations that allow the customer to “plug-and-play” or drop in equipment in as small a footprint as possible.

Adoption of automation

Automation is coming — there’s no stopping it. Although it may initially look like jobs are being eliminated, it will actually shift to servicing the customer and creating a better customer experience in the restaurant and create jobs for those building and servicing the machines.

Looking for what’s next

The number one benefit of going to foodservice equipment trade shows like The NAFEM Show is seeing equipment innovation ― learning about new equipment before it hits the streets. Manufacturers want to show you their equipment and discuss what’s up and coming. Also, chefs want to learn about the ROI of the equipment and how soon they will recoup the costs. This savings could be due to better yield, greater efficiency, less waste or increased consistency ― which is a key consideration particularly for QSR chains.

See Chef Arvin in action at the 2019 NAFEM Show, where he will demonstrate how menus can come to life using Antunes equipment. Visit Booth #2429 and prepare to imagine something different with Antunes!

Category: Chef's Corner, CommercialTag: chefs-perspective-operational-issues-chefs-corner, dispensing, timing
Previous Post:Fantastic Flavors with the Antunes Flatbread Toaster
Next Post:Innovative Cooking with Antunes Flatbread Toaster & Jet Steamer

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sidebar

Subscribe

A.J. Antunes & Co.

Corporate Headquarters

180 Kehoe Blvd.
Carol Stream, IL 60188 USA

Local: +1 630.784.1000
Toll-Free: +1 800.253.2991
Fax: +1.630 784.1650

Products

  • Commercial Toasters
  • Commercial Food Steamers
  • Commercial Countertop Grills
  • Commercial Water Products
  • Commercial Condiments Dispensers
  • Hot Food Merchandising & Display Cases
  • Water Bath Cooking
  • Kitchen Timing Products
  • Kitchen Innovation

Information

  • Home Page
  • About
  • Commercial Cooking Products
  • Contact Us
  • Authorized Service Agencies
  • Careers
  • News
  • Technical Service Training
  • Terms

Subscribe for Updates

Join our mailing list and stay up to date on the latest foodservice innovations from Antunes

Copyright © 1955–2023 A.J. Antunes & Co. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Design by Flying Orange | Sitemap

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
Save & Accept