Something old, something new—this year’s National Restaurant Association Show offers both. It promises, as always, to be a comprehensive showcase of leading-edge foodservice equipment, technology and trends. And this year the show is 100 years old, so planners are sprinkling the event with special occasions—such as a party Monday night—as part of the centennial celebration.
In the “something new” category, the NRA has partnered with Winsight Media, with Winsight taking over operational ownership and execution of the show. The NRA team believes this new partnership will enable them to help members better navigate the constantly changing world of foodservice. Having Winsight handle the show frees up the association to focus on advancing the industry.
Last year’s show floor covered nearly 700,000 sq. ft., which was a record for the event, and this year, planners say they’ve added more than 5,000 sq. ft. The number of exhibitors has grown, as well, now approaching 2,500 companies, of which approximately 25% are equipment vendors. In addition, there are vendors that represent maintenance supplies, facility design and technology that ranges from POS to energy efficiency.
Another big change this year: FER has moved its Industry Excellence Awards Celebration to the NRA Show from The NAFEM Show. The event will be held at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place immediately following the close of the NRA Show on Sunday, and will honor the 2019 recipients of the Young Lion Awards (recognizing rising stars of foodservice E&S), Management Excellence and Industry Service Awards. Contact Christine Palmer at cpalmer@fermag.com to register for the event.
An Inside Look At Innovations
Returning in 2019 is the Kitchen Innovations Showroom, located at the center of the South Hall of McCormick Place. Here, you can scout award-earning developments in foodservice equipment, meet people from the organizations that created the innovations and hear from other dealers, consultants and operators about the future of the equipment industry. (See a list of KI Award recipients on pg. 65, and look for more detail on all of the products in the May issue of Foodservice Equipment Reports.) These award recipients offer solutions to challenges that include safety, waste management, automation, efficiency and many of the other issues operators face, from back-of-house to front-of-house.
Also back at the show are the Innovation Hub, Startup Alley and TECH Pavilion, all located in the North Hall. The Innovation Hub, redesigned for 2019, focuses on the latest industry developments, showcasing technological best practices and insights about important foodservice trends. The Innovation Theater (inside the Innovation Hub area) offers educational programs from industry experts. Connect with tech-savvy visionaries bringing creative ideas to foodservice in Startup Alley. And stroll the aisles of the TECH Pavilion to learn about advancements in mobile apps, mobile payment, POS, digital signage and more that can help improve your transaction speeds, communication, general efficiency and costs.
You’ll Want To Take Notes
In addition to booths and exhibits, there will be more than 100 different programs, demos and events taking place over the four days of the show. The show opens at 9:30 a.m., and at 10 a.m., education programs begin. Along with the education sessions in the Innovation pavilions, there are on-floor TECH Talks and a Learning Center with a full schedule.
Operators that serve alcoholic beverages will want to check out the presentations on the BAR Stage in McCormick Place’s Lakeside Center. Beyond mixology demonstrations, attendees can hear about technical innovations and delivery systems that can make bar service more efficient and cost effective.
On Sunday, at 2 p.m., the show continues its Signature Series, held in the Grand Ballroom. Hosted by NRA President and CEO Dawn Sweeney, this event brings together some of the brightest minds in the business to discuss where the world of foodservice is headed. Then, on Monday at 11 a.m., a SuperSession program will examine the future of restaurants.
Planning Your Visit
Visit the NRA Show website—nationalrestaurantshow.com—for help planning your time at the show. There you’ll find detailed information on exhibitors, interactive floor plans, presentation schedules and other up-to-date information. And be sure to visit fermag.com to subscribe to e-newsletters from Foodservice Equipment Reports to stay up-to-date on news, recommendations and takeaways before, during and after the show.
National Restaurant Association Show
May 18-21, 2019
McCormick Place, Chicago
Exhibit Hall Hours:
Sat., Sun. and Mon.: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Tues.: 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Register at nationalrestaurantshow.com/registration
After-Hours Events:
- NRA Show International Reception
Sat., May 18, 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m.
North Building, McCormick Place - IFMA 65th Gold & Silver Plate Awards Celebration
Sat., May 18, 5:30 p.m.
Marriott Marquis Chicago at McCormick Place - Foodservice Equipment Reports
Industry Excellence Awards
Sun., May 19, 5:15 p.m.-7:15 p.m.,
following the show close for the day
Hyatt Regency McCormick Place - Foodservice Consultants Society Int’l. Upper
Midwest Chapter Networking Reception
Sun., May 19, 5 p.m.-7 p.m.
I|O Rooftop Lounge at the Godfrey Hotel - NRA Show 100th Anniversary Celebration
Mon., May 20, 8:30 p.m.
Tao
Congratulations to the 2019 Kitchen Innovations Awards recipients:
Antunes: Jet Steamer JS-1000
A blank-sheet rethink of countertop steaming: the Jet Steamer injects high-velocity steam into controlled bursts in a closed pitcher for complete penetration throughout the food within the pitcher, allowing for significantly faster cook times. The steam also mixes ingredients, saving operators’ time when preparing items such as soups, eggs, and chili.
Apex Supply Chain Technologies: AXCESS 2000.H Pick-Up Station
Co-developed with Little Caesars, the AXCESS 2000.H Pick-Up Station is the industry’s first heated, self-serve order pick-up station. As orders are placed inside the device, an app notifies customers. Customers skip the line, input their pick-up code, opening the customers’ secured compartment containing their order. Customers grab their order and leave the store in seconds.
Baxter Manufacturing: BV400G VersaOven
Presenting a new level of versatility, the VersaOven is a self-cleaning, programmable gas rack oven that offers convection and non-boiler steam to serve as a steamer, rotisserie, convection oven, and combi oven for fast cooking. A rotating rack provides even roasting or baking. A patent-pending grease separation system aids in the cleaning.
Bear Robotics: Penny
Meet Penny, a foodservice robot with artificial intelligence that drives autonomously. Designed to maneuver in tight, crowded quarters, Penny shuttles food from kitchen to tables and brings dishes back for cleaning. Tray shape, suspension, everything is optimized for foodservice needs. Penny 2 will feature an upgraded design a tablet, communicate with customers and take orders.
Bluewater USA: Bluewater PRO 400 Water Purification System
A tankless design streamlines the Pro 400 reverse-osmosis system, which filters a broad array of contaminants for one or more appliances, from dishwashers and ice makers to steamers and coffee makers. The system produces up to 1825 gallons daily. An optional storage tank accommodates very high demand use, without affecting the efficiency and performance of the purifier.
Chicago Bar Shop: SinkTech
Finally, someone automates the three-compartment sink. SinkTech uses sensors to determine water levels, temperature, and cleanliness. It automatically drains and fills sinks and saves time, energy, water, and money. It’s compact, installs without plumbing, and doesn’t interfere with washing or scrubbers. And it’s connected to the cloud for data on usage and compliance.
Chowbotics: Sally the Robot
Imagine providing fresh made-to-order foods 24/7 virtually anywhere, without on-duty labor. Sally the Robot serves customizable salads, yogurt bowls, grain bowls, and snacks using sophisticated robotics and algorithms to dispense accurate portions of hundreds of different ingredients. Sally delivers precise portions in a 3’ x 3’ footprint with a 120V socket.
CM Systems: ComplianceMate
ComplianceMate takes digital checklists and wireless temperature sensors to the next level with its first-in-foodservice LoRa (long range) communication protocol. Patented software and lower-cost LoRa transmits farther, using less battery power, than Bluetooth in difficult transmission environs like stainless steel deep freezers. Cloud-based data lets you identify trends across multiple locations.
Cornelius Marmon/Berkshire Hathway: NitroProMini
Answering the challenge of bringing down the size of systems for nitrogenated coffee and other beverages, the NitroPro Mini goes tankless—no nitrogen storage needed—instead generating its own nitro onboard, and has reduced the size of air compressors, valves, and flow controls. The result: simpler operation, simplified supply chain, and more compact footprint.
Ecolab: Advanced Health Department Intelligence (HDI)
Ecolab’s newly reinvented HDI program capitalizes on next-generation technologies and a raft of new analytics for a whole new, greatly magnified view of health department activities across the country. It’s expanded the database to over 1.5M locations from 65,000+. Real-time alerts on numerous categories, data retrieval, and customer-facing dashboards all are cutting edge.
Grindmaster: PrecisionBrew Air-Heated Shuttle Brewers
Grindmaster’s new Shuttle Brewers step up with a new level of sophistication. An advanced touchscreen offers detailed settings for time, temperature, pulsing, and more to match roasters’ specs. A magnetically driven agitator prevents suspended solids from settling, and shuttles are heated by recirculating hot air rather than electric coils that cause hot spots and scorching.
Henny Penny: FlexFry
The first of its kind, FlexFry offers a combination of open frying and pressure frying in the same battery footprint. The new combo includes Henny Penny’s F-5 electric low oil volume platform and 2, 3 or 4 vats of pressure frying. Touchscreen interface, three-minute express filtration and auto top-off on the F-5 and for pressure frying an easy open/close lid and pressure assist technology.
Henny Penny: Space$aver Team Combi
Unique in the U.S. market, the Space$aver Team combi combines two stacked, independently operated combis in a single frame and shell, with a single power cord and all the serviceable components centralized below. The 22”- wide footprint is topped with an integrated ventless hood using four-stage filtration for grease and vapors requiring no catalytic converter.
Hobart Corp.: FT1000e Low Energy Series
Sometimes refinements are so comprehensive they amount to reinvention. This new flight-type warewasher features redesigned wash, airflow, and heat-retention elements, enabling use of lower electrical-draw components such as pumps, motors, heaters, etc. Result: 12%-20+% energy reduction depending on configuration, and smaller circuit breakers, all while maintaining wash quality.
Hoshizaki: MODwater
Small is good. Hoshizaki has found a way to dispense four kinds of water—chilled, hot, alkaline, and sparkling—in the smallest footprint ever. Patented technology chills and carbonates water on demand without a carbonator tank. No tank, no pressurizing pump needed. It all saves space and maintenance.
Jamix: Kitchen Management System
Choosing KMS software can be challenging, but Jamix sets itself apart on several points. Whereas many offer recipe and menu management and costing, Jamix also ties in inventory management and procurement. Plus, it’s true cloud-based, and can be accessed with any browser, any operating system, any mobile device. Perhaps best of all, it’s extremely intuitive.
Lancer: TwinPour Beverage Dispenser
Lots of unique features in this new dispenser. In a 44” counterspace, TwinPour offers two dispense points and 266 flavors, allowing two customers to be served simultaneously. Each side accepts any style of ice and offers two choices. TwinPour dispenses all ice types and can be configured to dispense two types at the same time. Additional chilled water lines serve as cooling system for ancillary pieces of equipment.
Manitowoc Ice/Welbilt Corp.: Indigo NXT
Ice production and efficiency. The Indigo NXT line achieves both, with refinements that enable a combination of efficient rotary compressors and environmentally friendly R410a refrigerant, neither seen before in U.S. icemaking. In fact, Indigo NXT produces roughly 50 lbs. more ice daily and is an average of 11% more efficient than models using R404a.
Merco/Welbilt: Visual Holding Cabinet with Tray Tracking Technology
Everyone knows how timers work. You set them, and they count down. Merco’s new Tray Tracking Technology takes it up a notch. Insert a tray and the timer starts automatically and counts down—and if you need to move the tray, the timer electronically stays with it, tracks to the new location, and continues counting.
Rational USA: UltraVent Plus
With the recirculating ventless hood market heating up, Rational has come up with the UltraVent Plus, the first one that is retrofittable, incorporates four filters and requires no catalytic converter for grilling and roasting, and comes in a configuration that can be retrofitted even to Rational Combi-Duo stacked electric countertop combis.
Tortilla Masters Equipment: TM-105 Ventura Flex PL Tabletop Corn Tortilla Machine
Filling a huge hole in the U.S. market, Tortilla Masters introduces Ventura Flex, the first electric tabletop corn tortilla machine. At just 2’ x 2’, with a small high-torque motor, Ventura Flex produces up to 840 corn tortillas per hour. Molds and settings produce different sizes and thicknesses.
Unox: Data Driven Cooking
Everyone has cooking software. Data Driven Cooking is different. DDC monitors oven usage, analyzing and recording cooking times, menu items, energy and water use, etc. And artificial intelligence uses that data to recommend operational patterns, new recipes, and more. Further, sensors in the oven calculate volume and mass and adjust cook times for different size batches.
Vollrath Co.: Modular Induction Dry Well Drop-In
Induction dry well drop-ins are known for eliminating the water-related chores and expenses of traditional steam wells and slashing energy use by more than half. Vollrath’s new system features two independent induction zones per well, and unlike any before it, uses capsules in each zone with fold-in, fold-out legs to accommodate both 2.5”- and 4”- deep full-size or half-size pans.
VT Burner Technology (in conjunction with Venancio USA): VT Burner
Infrared cooking offers speed and other advantages, but conventional IR burners generate IR through ceramic shields that are prone to cracking and replacement. Retrofittable VT Burner is cast steel, with a patented layered design that requires no ceramics to generate IR energy. It’s IR-fast, inexpensive, durable, and cuts gas consumption compared to standard burners.
Vulcan/ITW Food Equipment Group: Versatile Chef Station
The new Versatile Chef Station is a compact multi-function cooking station that serves as a griddle, saucepan, braising pan, steamer, pasta cooker, rethermalizer, and fryer all in one—and with its patented multilayered cooking surface, it’s faster, more accurate, more even, and easier to clean than a braising pan.