Viva Las Vegas! – Adande Global Sales Director shares his thoughts on the Convenience sector
Adande is pleased once more to take part in the NACS Convenience Show, this year based here in Las Vegas.
Since we were last at NACS, Adande has continued to grow with many hospitality and convenience brands across the US, seeking us out. Our experience has been that Adande resonates at every organisational level. As a result, we’ve continued to receive great feedback, – convenience companies are really enjoying the advantages of Adande. The purchasing and procurement teams are happy because we have good stocks of our products, can deliver quickly and with ease. They also like the fact our prices have been kept low, especially at a time when many other manufacturers are having to make large increases in price and adding budgetary strain. Adande is similarly becoming a favourite with the exec chefs of the food-to-go convenience stores, who know that the customer experience when it comes to food quality is so important. Afterall, a store’s reputation can grow quickly when the food served is fresh and tastes delicious. Adande has a big role to play in that, by holding the food in a stable microclimate without fluctuations in temperature or humidity, the food, stays fresher for longer and keeps both taste and texture. In the stores themselves, forecourt food operators tell us that the Adande drawers are super easy to use, saving both time and space, and they appreciate they can use the worktop as a prep station, position the unit under a grill, or oven, as well as set the temperature they want, giving them both a fridge and a freezer, in a two-stack drawer. Adande really is convenience itself.
But, don’t just take our word for it – one of several USA partners with whom Adande has enjoyed success is food and fuel retailer, GetGo Café+Market. Part of the Giant Eagle Group, GetGo Café+Market currently operates 265 stores, 140 of which have kitchen facilities and a full menu offer. Café+Market has an eclectic menu, classic food-to-go, with an emphasis on quality and freshness using only the best ingredients. All orders are freshly prepared and the menu is customizable to meet guests’ preferences.
GetGo’s Product Development Chef, Tom Seaman, explains why he has specified Adande fridges in multiple GetGo Café+Market sites.
“The large capacity of the Adande, relative to footprint, means that less refrigeration equipment is required in the kitchen. By using Adande fridges, we save four linear feet of space in each kitchen. The ability to position the unit close to the workstations means that there is quick and easy access for food preparation, cooking and service, eliminating the need for operators to fetch product from remote refrigerators. This increases kitchen efficiency and speeds up service, especially during busy trading periods.”
He goes on. “The independent control of the temperature of each drawer, through a range of -8°F to 59°F, is a key feature of Adande refrigeration, providing the capacity for chilled and frozen storage in the same unit. We use six, 1/3 GN pans in each drawer of the unit to store the most used ingredients, such as burgers, fries and frozen product, which gives us ample cold storage capacity at the point of preparation, even for the busiest services. The drawers are laid out to a predetermined planogram, which makes ingredients visible and easily accessible, simplifying order picking for the kitchen staff. Typically, in our busier outlets we use both drawers of the Adande unit in frozen mode, but in stores with less throughput we use one drawer as a freezer and the other as a chiller. The flexibility of the dual temperature capability means that we can change this to meet seasonal variations in menu, as required.”
Tom is just one of many who are really enjoying the benefits Adande gives, so, why not come and learn about Adande for yourself.
Come and meet me and the team, at NACS, and see how we might be able to help you. We will be exhibiting at booth 5203
First published in Convenience Store Industry News
Come and see us at the NACS show on stand 5203