Consistent Steamer Performance Leads To A Consistent Customer Experience

SITUATION:	A fast casual restaurant chain that specializes in hot sub sandwiches was looking to improve product consistency. In order to steam the meat for their signature sandwiches, employees had previously used equipment that required them to manually pump water the entire time to generate steam. Results would vary between employees — leading to an inconsistent product and potentially dissatisfied customers.
EXECUTION:	Antunes was invited to test with the chain, and ended up testing multiple steamers and working with two different R&D managers before getting initial approval of one of the manufacturer’s Deluxe Food Warmers (DFW). With the DFW’s featured dry steam, there are no water molecules in the vapor that can leave foods soaked and dripping. Instead, the food maintains its original texture, color, flavor and nutrients — resulting in a fresh and appetizing final product.
RESULT:	The DFW gave the chain consistent results at the push of a button with the same amount of steam each time. Additionally, instead of having to attend to product while it was steamed, employees were able to walk away to complete other tasks. By freeing up employees, the DFW helped reduce ticket times, cut customer wait times and speed up service. Following an initial rollout to new stores, chain management decided to pull all of the old steamers out of the system and have every store switch to the DFW — with eight units for a typical store, 10 for high-volume stores and 12 for those stores with a drive-thru. Antunes’ DFW steamer has helped the chain maintain the same product quality and consistency, even while it has continued to grow. “Beginning with the order for our DFW unit in new stores, our partnership with the chain has grown and developed over the years,” said Tony Vassos, Director of Product Management & Marketing for Antunes. “They now have more than five times the stores they did when our relationship started, and as their needs have changed, we’ve worked together on four series of modifications to the unit. We value the trust they’ve placed in us and are committed to their long-term success.”
ABOUT:	Antunes is a leading custom solutions provider of countertop cooking equipment and water filtration systems for the global market. Headquartered in Carol Stream, Illinois, Antunes is driven by a commitment to offer innovative products, premium quality and personal service rooted in lasting partnerships—to ultimately deliver on its unifying promise: to drive success for every customer.