NRA Show Blog

Cutting-edge equipment sought for 2012 Kitchen Innovations Awards

 
KIAward recipient Coca-Cola Freestyle showcased at NRA Show 2011.

By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

The National Restaurant Association is calling on foodservice equipment manufacturers to apply for its 2012 Kitchen Innovations Awards. The deadline to apply is December 21, 2011.

Award recipients will be showcased in the Kitchen Innovations Pavilion’s new central location on the exhibitor floor at the 2012 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show (May 5-8 at Chicago’s McCormick Place).

Previous Kitchen Innovations Award recipients have gained recognition as industry-leading manufacturers of foodservice equipment that significantly helps restaurant operator profitability and efficiency.

2011 Kitchen Innovations Award goes to cutting-edge foodservice equipment innovators

 
By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

The National Restaurant Association today announced the recipients of the annual 2011 Kitchen Innovations™ (KI) Award. An independent panel of judges comprised of internationally recognized food facilities consultants, multi-unit executives and design experts selected KI Award recipients for their groundbreaking innovations in the foodservice marketplace.

KI products will be showcased in the interactive Kitchen Innovations Pavilion area at NRA Show 2011 (at Chicago’s McCormick Place, May 21-24).

“Each of the judges has the hands-on experience and real-life expertise to recognize the tools that are truly going to have a substantial impact on the efficiency and success of a restaurant’s kitchen and ultimately the success of the restaurant itself,” says C.W. Craig Reed, Convention Chair for NRA Show 2011 and Director of Food and Beverage, Broadmoor Hotel.

Video: Kitchen Innovations Award judge talks about cutting-edge equipment

 
By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

Watch our latest Kitchen Innovations (KI) Award video with KI judge William Eaton to find out more about this prestigious award and its impact on foodservice operators and equipment manufacturers.

 
Innovative and productive commercial kitchen equipment and supplies are at the heart of every restaurant kitchen and top of mind for every chef and operator. The KI judges continually scour the globe for the most breakthrough innovations to showcase every year in the KI Pavilion at the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show (May 21-24, 2011 at Chicago’s McCormick Place).

The KI Pavilion at the NRA Show is the go-to source to see and interact with the latest kitchen equipment designed to lower energy costs, reduce footprint size, increase productivity and be user-friendly to kitchen staff.

Award Recipient Loads Up Savings for Operators

By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

Hobart’s Energy Star-qualified AM Select Ventless warewasher rounds out this week’s 2010 Kitchen Innovations Award™ blog series.

We reached out to Hobart’s Carrie Hoff to find out all we could about this “award-receiving” gem. And boy did she step up to the plate and deliver – knocking one out of the park. 

“The NRA Kitchen Innovations Award for Hobart’s new AM Select Ventless warewasher showcases our ongoing commitment to innovation to help our customers increase productivity and control costs,” said Carrie Hoff, product line manager for Hobart warewash.

Get a load of this…from the moment an operator turns on this warewasher to the time it’s turned off for the night, the AM Select Ventless is working to reduce costs. How you ask? Well, thanks to Carrie, we’re now experts and only too happy to share in the knowledge exchange.

Making Quick Work of Cleaning

By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

The National Restaurant Association’s annual 2010 Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show 2010 Kitchen Innovation Award recipient The Scrub N Go™ Cordless Floor Scrubber Vac System by Ecolab continues our KI blog series this week.

No matter how hard we try, it’s almost always impossible not to leave some soil deposits behind. Swishing and swirling a dirty mop in dirty water isn’t clean. Add to that the chore of getting someone excited about doing aerobics with a heavy, wet mop for an hour (forget it, not this blogger!).

“Receiving the Kitchen Innovation Award is a great honor. We developed the Scrub N Go to eliminate the mop and bucket and to revolutionize how floors are cleaned. To be recognized by the industry and to have the Scrub N Go featured at the convention [NRA Show] will help us significantly grow our business,” said Michael Rubiera, director of marketing, Ecolab QSR.

A Champion That Takes Flight

By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

This week’s nod in the 2010 KI Award blog series goes to Champion® Industries and their Heat Recovery with TempSure technology and new E2 Series Flight with Quad Rinse. These award-winning innovations along with the other award recipients will be displayed at the National Restaurant Association’s annual Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, May 22-25, in the interactive Kitchen Innovations Pavilion (booth #4412 to be exact, yeah, we’re on it!) at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

“We work diligently on our patented technologies to help our customers save money and energy, and we’re happy to be recognized by such a prestigious organization,” says Erik S. Nommsen, president, Champion Industries. “These awards prove that others in the industry appreciate and support Champion innovations and we could not be more proud.”

A Kitchen Innovation That's Got the Touch

By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

Alto-Shaam's CombiTouch™ heats up our special blog series on the 2010 Kitchen Innovations Award recipients. All of this year’s KI products will be showcased in an interactive demonstration area on the show floor at the 2010 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show at Chicago’s McCormick Place, May 22-25.

The latest advance from Alto-Shaam is the CombiTouch™ touch screen control. It offers a wide range of new and intuitive functions, making it easier to use:

A New Cleaning, Sanitizing Tool to Keep an Ion

 
By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

Activeion Cleaning Solutions' ionator EXP™  kicks off our blog series on this year's standout Kitchen Innovations Award recipients set to debut at NRA Show 2010. The National Restaurant Association recently announced the recipients selected by KI's elite team of industry experts. This widely respected panel of judges is constantly on the search for the most cutting-edge equipment available today.

“We are honored to be recognized by the restaurant industry through the prestigious Kitchen Innovations Award program. We know the award—and the related promotion and publicity around it— will play a critical role in our plans to introduce this exciting technology to the industry as well as significantly help us grow our business,” said Todd Schaeffer, vice-president, general manager, Activeion Cleaning Solutions.

The ionator EXP™ is a hand-held power cleaner than converts good old-fashioned tap water into ionized water – a powerful dirt-removing, bacteria-killing “secret agent.” The best part is that it does it all without the use of toxic chemicals. See for yourself how it works.

Award Recipients Represent Latest Kitchen Innovations

By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

This year's 16 Kitchen Innovations Award recipients help operators improve efficiency and productivity, conserve energy and water, and save space.

The National Restaurant Association's NRA Show 2010 will showcase these cutting-edge solutions selected by the independent panel of judges in May at Chicago's McCormick Place.

“These products will make restaurants run faster, smoother and more efficiently, which will result in better customer service and higher quality food,” said Ira Cohn, president of Aramark’s business and industry group. “Selecting the right equipment for a restaurant kitchen is crucial to creating and serving safe, nutritious and delicious meals.” Cohn is the NRA Show 2010 convention chairman.

The 2010 Kitchen Innovations Award recipients are:

Activeion Cleaning Solutions, LLC - The ionator EXP™- A hand-held, on-demand power cleaner that converts tap water into ionized water—a powerful dirt-removing, bacteria-killing agent. When used as directed the ionator EXP kills 99.999% of harmful bacteria without the use of toxic chemicals.

Alto-Shaam, Inc.- The Alto-Shaam CombiTouch™- An intuitive pictorial and video graphic touch screen control. CombiTouch commands all the basic and advanced cooking functions for 250 standard and customized recipes and training, without operators having to read text.

They Want You!

 
By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief
 
The masters of innovation – the Kitchen Innovations™ Awards judges – are back on the case to seek out the most advanced and revolutionary commercial kitchen equipment on the planet. This celebrated independent, expert panel of industry superstars (dare we say superheroes?!) won’t rest until they find everything available to help operators reduce operating costs, save space and staff time, or enhance environmental sustainability. 

“Our panel of expert judges includes some of the most progressive companies in the hospitality business that recognize true innovation, and we look forward to their selections for the 2010 KI Awards,” said David Gilbert, chief operating officer, National Restaurant Association.

Award recipients will have the prestigious honor of exhibiting in the popular Kitchen Innovations (KI) Pavilion on the exhibit floor at the 2010 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, held May 22-25, 2010 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

Dealers, distributors and chain, multi-unit and independent operators, corporate decision-makers and news media from around the world flock to the KI Pavilion throughout the four-day NRA Show.

The National Restaurant Association is now accepting applications for the 2010 Kitchen Innovations Awards through January 8, 2010. To apply, call Eric Rude at (312) 853-2525 or go on-line.