Category: Rep Resource

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Lakeside Helps Make Teen’s Wish Come True

Lakeside Helps Make Teen’s Wish Come True

Selfless service from a teen’s final wish.

Lakeside is proud to have partnered with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Indiana Children’s Wish Fund, and a young man named Chad Keown to bring coffee and healthy snacks to teens at Tri-Central High School in Sharpsville, Indiana.

Chad was diagnosed with multiple heart defects at birth, having his first of three heart surgeries at just a month old. In addition to his heart problems, Chad had learning disabilities, which made school more difficult for him. He persevered, however, and filled his life with activities such as “beating [his] dad at pool, and learning… how to make a great 3-point shot in basketball.”

At 15 years old, in December 2015, he had another setback after a series of health events that left him clinically dead for 35 minutes. He “was as close to death as you can get,” said Matt Landman, one of the doctors who saved his life. Chad had to deal with brain damage after the event and spent the next year re-learning how to walk and talk.

That was when the Indiana Children’s Wish Fund got involved.

Instead of going to Disney World or taking a vacation to Hawaii, as so many children choose to do, Chad’s wish was closer to home. He wanted to help his fellow students with special needs to learn and practice life skills by opening a food cart in his school.

Terry Ceaser-Hudson, who works for the Indiana Children’s Wish Fund, says that “Chad’s was one of the most unselfish wishes we’ve seen” in the organization’s history of granting more than 4,000 wishes to children facing serious illnesses.

The ICWF and Make-A-Wish Foundation contacted a variety of donors to make Chad’s dream a reality, and when they needed an actual cart, they reached out to Lakeside Food Service. Lakeside was more than pleased to donate the cart, and with that, Chad’s Café could open.

The café, which is staffed entirely by Chad’s classmates, serves healthy snacks and coffee to students and teachers alike. The staff practice life skills such as keeping the cart stocked, tracking inventory, and making change.

“He’s been through this huge ordeal,” says Dr. Landman, “and his instinct is to give back. How amazing that a young man who’s had this happen to him would think of others first.”

While Chad passed away unexpectedly in 2018, he leaves behind his legacy of service to others. Chad’s Café is still serving people at Tri-Central High School and at sporting events. He was even able to donate his liver and lungs, a final act of generosity for people in need.

“I don’t want a moment,” he said when asked about his wish. “I want to leave a legacy.”

And he’s done just that.

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What Are People Saying About the SuzyQ Meal Delivery System?

What Are People Saying About the SuzyQ Meal Delivery System?

For directors looking to improve quality of life and staff morale in a senior care or long-term care community, reconsidering foodservice can be a viable option.

For many reasons, the SuzyQ meal delivery system can help on these fronts, but sometimes it helps to understand why and to hear what others are saying.

Let’s review some popular sentiment on the SuzyQ:

Residents love the SuzyQ.

In many cases, long-term residents are slowly being stripped of their ability to choose. On the flip side of that, SuzyQ can actually provide choice by allowing residents to be in charge of their own selections during mealtimes.

“Residents have choices at mealtimes, limited but at least it is a choice. They can specify how much they want, ask for a second helping, eat pudding every day if they want. Patient meal satisfaction has greatly improved and family members rarely express concerns relating to meal service in the dining room.”

Being able to choose individual items makes mealtimes more enjoyable instead of seeming more regimented. SuzyQ also provides the opportunity for resident-staff interactions, giving residents the ability to talk about food options and even make a new friend. Residents can get access to a variety of intriguing textures, flavors, and aromas at each meal. This creates excitement and can make mealtimes what they’re supposed to be — the most enjoyable parts of the day.

“Comments have included; ‘treated special’ and ‘feel like royalty’. Review of the satisfaction survey results from residents and families indicated an increase of the satisfaction level of the quality of meals to 73%. Food complaints regarding meals on the three halls using the system are non-existent. ”

Staff love it, too.

One clear result of the SuzyQ is staff love it, as well, in large part because it increases the opportunity for interactions with residents. Hint: residents aren’t the only ones who enjoy and benefit from this. When this type of service is facilitated, staff get to see residents as real people with unique likes and dislikes rather than an anonymous room number or dietary code.

“The foodservice staff have a relationship with the residents, enjoy the interaction, and experience greater job satisfaction.”

Many staff testimonials mention how much staff members enjoy the interaction with the residents and how it results in greater job satisfaction, but staff also love SuzyQ because it can help reduce waste. Recent patient satisfaction surveys indicate this type of delivery is well-received.

“’I enjoy the new food service method of receiving food’ and ‘I prefer the new food cart; I feel good about the reduction in waste’ are two of the many favorable comments we’ve received. It has been a positive experience for the foodservice staff too; ‘It has  given us an opportunity to interact with the residents at a more personable level. We have observed a significant reduction in food waste with our new SuzyQ cart. We are giving the residents only what they want for the meal, so we are seeing a lot less waste. We are pleased with the new meal delivery service and look forward to providing our residents with many more SuzyQ opportunities.’”

They save money and provide important ROI.

As we just mentioned, staff love SuzyQ because the meal delivery systems result in reduced food waste. It’s depressing to send out carefully prepared food only to see a substantial portion of it return uneaten. Not only is this demoralizing for the kitchen staff, but the tremendous amount of food waste is also a drain on the dietary budget.

In their testimonies, quite a few kitchen managers described how much less food waste there is with the SuzyQ. Because residents can specify the amount of each food item they select, more of them actually finish their meals. Getting seniors to eat more is always a bonus!

“The food waste has drastically decreased at my site, as well, which means the residents are eating. There has been a noticeable increase in the amount residents are consuming because now they get to eat what they want to! At each meal we begin with a beverage cart, we set up everyone with placemats, cutlery, water and any additional drinks they would like.”

Is SuzyQ the right solution for your facility?

With significantly hotter food, 30-50% less food waste, fast and efficient staff teamwork, and an improved resident-focused dining experience, SuzyQ meal delivery systems are proving to be an operation-transforming piece of equipment, as you read above. But what about your facility?

To discover the potential ROI of a SuzyQ for your specific facility, we’ve put together a calculator to help you understand the full savings potential of these meal delivery systems.

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Reimagining “All-You-Can-Eat” in a Post-Covid World

Reimagining “All-You-Can-Eat” in a Post-Covid World

The world is starting to open back up, and so, too, are our beloved restaurants and foodservice establishments.

We're all grateful for this, especially knowing that while it may take some time, things should pretty much return to normal -- eventually -- in a post-COVID world. There is one type of operation, though, that still might look a little different.

Buffets.

Many consumers have stated they wouldn't feel comfortable going back to such open settings that allow anyone and everyone to grab what they want whenever they want. The once-beloved tradition is simply not feasible in current times and may not make a true comeback for years to come. So, how are restaurants and hotels recreating the buffet experience?

PIVOTAL MOVES

While all-you-can-eat is often associated with buffets, it doesn't have to be. Some restaurants have been using this model forever, most notably Korean BBQ service. K-BBQ has gained popularity with the rising trend of Korean cuisine, and this model offers all-you-can-eat servings that are personal to the individual table. Consumers will order from a specialized menu, paying a flat rate and the dishes will be delivered to their table rather than going to a buffet.

This has been shown to be successful in K-BBQ settings and many restaurants are using the method to transition their services. By offering an “endless supply” of selected dishes, customers are able to still get the all-you-can-eat experience without the fear of cross-contamination.

This style of service also requires moving foods from the kitchen to the tableside while preserving safety, freshness, temperature, and quality. With the right food delivery system, operators can not only serve amazing foods but also reduce the potential for food waste by rationing serving sizes.

MOVING THE SOCIALLY DISTANCED LINE ALONG

No restaurant is escaping the transition of re-opening unscathed, and that's part of why many businesses are relying on disposable items so heavily for to-go orders and delivery services. Unfortunately, that's not exactly cost-efficient and adds an extra layer of labor to the daily list of tasks. One solution that vendors are finding success with for maintaining a somewhat buffet-style service is by mimicking cafeteria lines.

Consumers are encouraged to socially distance in lines, but they can experience an almost traditional buffet by moving through an assembly line. While in line, they can choose from pre-assembled plates from the menu or encounter staff-served options that don't require any consumer engagement with serving utensils.

Serving lines and foodservice solutions are a critical component of this type of service. Units that are easy to configure, provide visibility, ease-of-use, and are easy to clean can help make operations more efficient and profitable.

ORDER UP

In addition to utilizing Korean BBQ settings and Cafeteria line styles, buffet models can benefit from ordering directly from the table. This would include a tablet or mobile device that allows customers to quickly review the menu and place their orders. The virtual order is then sent directly to the kitchen to begin preparation and helps create a hybrid of ordering on the go while still enjoying the dine-in experience.

This solution may also assist in offsetting some labor costs, reducing the number of front-of-the-house staff needed on shift. Staff that are serving would focus more on seating customers and delivering orders rather than constantly taking orders and checking on tables.

STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST FOODSERVICE TRENDS

There's no single direct solution to getting back to normal, and the truth is that the current day foodservice is creating a new normal. With modern-day technology, adjusting to local mandates and re-imagining the industry's day-to-day setup is constantly changing.

Our goal at Lakeside is to keep you informed as well as provide you with serving stations, portable serving carts, serving lines, countertops that bring you innovative solutions for a post-COVID experience. The all-you-can-eat buffet tradition might look a little different from now on, but you can still create that sense of enjoyable engagement for consumers dining with you.

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Webinar: Back to Campus: College Foodservice Trends of 2021

Webinar: Back to Campus: College Foodservice Trends of 2021

Your world has been dominated by shifts and progressions, forcing the evolution of your campus operations. So how can you keep up?

After months of surveys, conversations, trainings, and research, we’ve identified three college and university foodservice trends to help you rise above.

You’ll learn:

The top three college and university foodservice trends of 2021
The impact of these trends on your campus
How to implement these strategies for yourself

To experience all the 2021 trends, view our interactive trends report below

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Webinar: Back to School: Top K12 Foodservice Trends of 2021

Webinar: Top 10 Foodservice Trends of 2021

Your world has been dominated by shifts and progressions, forcing the evolution of your school’s foodservice operations. So how can you keep up?

After months of surveys, conversations, trainings, and research, we’ve identified three K12 foodservice trends to help you rise above.

You’ll learn:

The top K12 foodservice trends of 2021
The impact of these trends on your school
How to implement these strategies for yourself

To experience all the 2021 trends, view our interactive trends report below

PDF of Presentation

Download PDF of presentation here

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3 Benefits of a Student-Run Coffee Program

3 Benefits of a Student-Run Coffee Program

Over the past decade, one of the biggest growth segments for coffee has been younger demographics, and this trend is expected to continue its upward climb.

As a result of coffee’s growing appeal and popularity amongst student-aged populations, many high schools across the country are considering or have already begun student-run coffee programs.

There are three important benefits to beginning this type of school nutrition service, so let’s walk through each of them now.

1. Would You Like Some Milk with Your Coffee?

Promoting milk-rich coffee drinks like lattes, café mochas, and cappuccinos can result in improved milk consumption among teens who might otherwise avoid drinking the white stuff. This can help schools meet federal and local guidelines on milk consumption.

Coffee drinks offered at school have to follow the same strict USDA nutrition standards that apply to school lunches, meaning drinks should be made with fat-free or 1% milk that averages around 150 calories. They also can’t exceed 12 ounces, so no ‘venti’ drinks at the school coffee bar. At the same time, coffee can replace other, sugary drinks as a caffeine substitute. Drinking coffee is a lot better for students than carbonated energy drinks or even soda, for example.

The bottom line is more milk/less sugar is the desired result in our high school foodservice operations.

2. Keeping It All on Campus

Keeping high school students on campus where they can be properly supervised is often a challenge. Offering their favorite caffeinated beverages in-house is one way to meet that challenge, especially for schools that have open campuses where students are permitted to leave. As many schools remove soda and vending machines from school grounds, replacing them with a coffee bar can be a great alternative, giving students an off-campus type of experience inside the school.

As we mentioned, coffee drinks are substantially lower in sugar than soda and include a healthy dose of milk. This helps them meet the USDA’s Smart Snacks in Schools parameters. The coffee bar can also provide an increased profit potential within the school. This much-needed infusion of money can help offset the loss from the removal of the soda vending machines.

A study comparing two high schools’ experience with installing coffee bars was presented at the 2019 Annual National Conference of the School Nutrition Association. According to that study, the projected ROI from adding a coffee bar was just over a year and a half. Since the demand for coffee drinks is only increasing among students, your ROI could come even sooner and will continue into the future.

3. Learning About the Business of Coffee

By setting up and running a coffee stand, students can actually benefit from hands-on learning during their business classes. If they’re working in conjunction with the school nutrition department, even better! All parties benefit when a coffee cart draws more students into the school cafeteria.

While working at the coffee cart or helping to set up the program, students learn the basics of running a successful business. Those basics include marketing, quality control, budgeting, scheduling, and other essential skills. If a class requires hands-on work hours, students can develop and improve in areas like customer service and management without leaving campus.

Is Your School Ready for a Coffee Program?
As we’ve shown above, an investment in a student-run coffee program benefits both the students and the school. If your school district is interested in implementing such a program, connect with a Lakeside expert for more information and guidance.

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What to Expect from the Post-Covid Labor Crunch

What to Expect from the Post-Covid Labor Crunch

After laying off a huge number of staff members, the foodservice industry is now struggling to find and hire labor.

In some ways, the shortage in staffing has created a sense of panic in regard to how the foodservice industry and restaurants will move forward. For smaller businesses, it can be difficult to compete with larger chains that are now offering monetary incentives to entice workers. The industry will move forward just like it’s always done, and here are a few important factors.

WHY ARE WE FACING A LABOR SHORTAGE?

At the start of the pandemic, many cities mandated lockdowns that shut businesses down completely or dwindled services to curbside pick up and delivery. This had serious impacts on the workforce, with millions of workers being either laid off or furloughed during the heart of the pandemic.

For those who remained, there was certainly the added concern of COVID exposure, in addition to the higher demands foodservice jobs brought over the last year. With so many worried about getting sick and potentially spreading the virus to loved ones, that mentality has continued to some degree up until the present day. Tack on the presence of poor working conditions in some situations, government assistance, and numerous other factors, and the result is an industry now facing a labor crisis. Simply put, the causes cannot be simply put. It’s a complex situation with many facets.

In April of this year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 266,000 jobs had been added throughout the economy. While many people have concerns about what to do as businesses re-open, the numbers show that the majority of industries are not experiencing a shortage in labor. It’s mostly targeted towards the leisure, hospitality, and foodservice sectors.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO ENCOURAGE HUNTING WORKERS TO APPLY?

Due to the shortage of staff, many foodservice operations are unable to fully open back up and some have even begun to cut back hours to try and offset the frustration. Many employers are having trouble getting people to show up for actual interviews, and when smaller businesses are unable to offer monetary incentives, updating SOP’s and providing transparency can help.

People are looking for safe conditions that provide them with reassurance in the workplace. This means being fully open about what you’re doing to protect employees. Adding in additional cleaning and updating kitchen or in-house equipment with hand sanitizer stations and more have been key turn solutions to encouraging many workers to ease their way back in.

RELIABLE EQUIPMENT TO HELP EASE THE STRAIN

The labor shortage isn’t only impacting the operational process for restaurants. It’s leaving the few workers on shift exhausted from overtime and lack of help. Fortunately, digital solutions and technology are making waves in easing the pressure from staff and providing a sense of functionality. Mobile ordering and apps that allow consumers to place orders directly from their table are allowing employees to focus more on cleaning and serving rather than constantly seating or checking on guests. This has offered phenomenal assistance in allowing workers to do their jobs without becoming overworked.

Other options include portable serving carts or pick-up cabinets to assist in providing options for hungry consumers, effectively changing the points of service. This equipment ensures that multiple orders can be taken care of at once, and it provides security to the customers that placed the orders. With the help of durable and reliable equipment, many foodservice operations are gaining some structure again.

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Save on Linen Costs with Modular Serving Lines

Save on Linen Costs with Modular Serving Lines

Flexibility is the key to improving your bottom line in buffet and self-serve foodservice, particularly as we emerge from the challenges of COVID-19. Finding ways to save money and make labor more impactful while providing an exceptional guest experience is the ultimate goal, and the equipment operators use when delivering can make all the difference.

In terms of savings, one of the easiest ways to save money while reducing workload is to eliminate the need for linens. Why are most buffet stations draped in linen? Well, generally it’s to hide the ugly tables underneath. When you’re draping them with fabric, even the ugliest, most beat-up and battered tables become serviceable.

Unfortunately, hiding those ugly tables comes at a significant cost. Not only do operators have the upfront expense for the linens, but keeping them clean comes at a cost from both a labor and a resource perspective. Spilled sauces and dropped food require professional cleaning in order to keep those linens looking pristine. 

According to the Textile Rental Services Association of America, continuously rising energy costs have had a devastating effect on their highly energy-dependent businesses. Despite improvements in laundry equipment, they’ve been forced to pass those ever-increasing energy costs on to their customers. Linen service costs can easily add up to two percent of sales — and that’s a pretty significant dent in your bottom line.

The Added Benefit of Serving Station Modularity

A modular foodservice system that lets you add or remove components as needed can help keep things fresh and exciting for your customers. How about adding a flexible serving station that can go from custom omelets at brunch to decadent sundaes at night? Multiple uses from the same piece of equipment help you increase profits while indulging your customers’ desire for a constantly fresh experience. 

Establishing a great, customer-friendly serving line is a complex process. You have to balance mobility, simplicity and speed of set-up, and ease of use (for both customers and staff). Add in the need for an attractive, inviting, and spotless appearance, and things get even more complicated.

Flexibility, Functionality, and Cost Savings?

Yes, you can have them all when you choose the right tables for your serving line. Why not switch from ugly tables covered by expensive linens to attractive tables that allow you to ditch that pricey linen service? If they’re highly mobile, can be configured to meet your needs, and can nest for storage, even better.

That’s just what you’ll get when you switch to Lakeside’s modular serving table system. This highly flexible and attractive system allows you to configure your serving line in a multitude of different ways. Even the most awkward hospitality area is no longer a problem with these tables. They’re 32″ deep and available in multiple widths that allow you to configure them to suit any space.

Available options include induction stovetops, sunken chilled bins, and even right-angle corner connectors to make for smooth transitions.

The 3″ swivel casters and interlocking design make set up a breeze, saving you labor costs. Clean-up is just as quick and easy with the powder-coated steel frames and stainless steel, laminate, or resin solid surface tops. Best of all? Their attractive, front-of-house design eliminates the need for those expensive linens!

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Webinar: Hospitality Trends

Webinar: Top 10 Foodservice Trends of 2021

Your world has been dominated by shifts and progressions, forcing the evolution of your operations. So how can you keep up?

After months of surveys, conversations, trainings, and research, we’ve identified three hospitality foodservice trends to help you rise above.

You’ll learn:

  • The top three hospitality foodservice trends in 2021
  • How businesses are adapting to linenless
  • How to implement these strategies for yourself

To experience all the 2021 trends, view our interactive trends report below

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The Ghost Kitchen Trend of 2021

Living in the digital age definitely comes with a lot of perks, especially when it comes to foodservice and what’s known as the “ghost kitchen”. In the last five years, apps like GrubHub, UberEats, and DoorDash have taken over the food industry. Offering convenience by taking away the long lines and busy hustle of sitting in a restaurant waiting to order, these apps have provided a simple way to grab breakfast, lunch, or dinner without having to leave the comfort of your office or home. What more could you want?

Well, from an industry perspective, staying on par with the latest trends without having to take a loss to be a part of it is the goal. As consumers further move towards online orders and delivery services, keeping up without going into debt can be difficult for start-ups and older businesses. Fortunately, the ghost kitchen is offering a perfectly balanced solution to help you keep up with consumer’s technology-savvy desires.

WHAT IS THE GHOST KITCHEN PHENOMENON?

Simply put, a ghost kitchen is a facility set up for delivery-only meals. It provides space to prepare and produce these meals so that online orders are successful without any snags or troubles along the way. Through ghost kitchen services, foodservice operators are able to expand their areas of service, focus more on seamlessly contactless methods of serving, and cut back on the costs of real estate.

PERKS, CONS, AND MORE

Ghost kitchens are dominating the food industry by honing in on a specific style of food or a particular cuisine. This allows kitchens to focus on multiple brands of an item, making it easy to reach customers looking for a specific dish while also taking advantage of the real estate market. Perks you can be on the lookout for are:

  • Cross utilizing products between brands
  • Quick launch phase
  • Cheaper than opening a brand-new location for each brand
  • Less equipment needed
  • Expand customer reach by taking advantage of a broader delivery area away from your permanent location

With any new business model, there are disadvantages. As ghost kitchens grow and work out all their kinks, here are the cons you might experience:

  • High competition due to an increased virtual food court
  • No walk-in traffic
  • Limits on your delivery service based on where that kitchen is located

As trends change and services such as ghost kitchens continue to rise in popularity, staying on top of the foodservice industry will also change. Ghost kitchens’ rise in success comes from their ability to expand business in small increments. They allow you to reach consumers you may not reach otherwise and help you break into the delivery service movement that’s taking over.

Following the odd year we had in 2020, consumers will continue taking advantage of online ordering and curbside pick up or delivery services. In 2021, we can expect that the ghost kitchen trend will grow drastically. It only takes somebody 66 days, on average, to form a habit. If we look at that from a delivery perspective, then the habit of utilizing quick service apps is already habitual.

For more information on how you can implement the ghost kitchen into your foodservice operation, contact us at Lakeside today. Our experts focus on manufacturing top of the line foodservice equipment as well as continuously monitor the latest industry trends. We’ll be following the ghost kitchen trend through 2021, and we look forward to helping you make the necessary changes to do the same and to further assist in increasing the success of your overall foodservice operation.

Keep up with even more trends by watching our recorded webinar “Top 10 Foodservice Trends of 2021”.