Beyond the buzzy headlines about robotic burger flippers and digital makelines, some restaurant companies are working to achieve efficiencies through more standard practices. Namely, grill and oven upgrades.
Consider Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers as an example. The 460-unit chain has experienced a swift uptick in volumes throughout the past couple of years as it has grown throughout the country. Freddy’s burgers are pressed, which requires some strength and patience during the cooking process and has made things hard to keep up in some instances.
“Our grills can be deep and to press them took some bicep and triceps work,” CEO Chris Dull said during a recent interview.
The process was cumbersome, in other words, so executives began to think about ways to execute more orders and more quickly. The answer was a proprietary grill.
“The grill we developed clamps and does the press for our employees so now they don’t have to be super strong or have long arms, they just bring the press down,” he said. “That press also creates a more consistent burger.”
Importantly, it also reduces cooking time by about 40 seconds, which has enabled Freddy’s to maintain its average 4-minute drive-thru time even as more cars came through the line. The grill has been in the research and development phase for about three years and will be live in over two-thirds of the system by the end of this year.
“And our operators are happy and excited to make the investment because the ROI is quick,” Dull said.
Trimming seconds out of the cooking process has become a bigger focus for many restaurant companies as the industry at large continues to grapple with deep labor shortages while juggling more channels. As such, Freddy’s isn’t the only chain looking at its centerpiece equipment for more efficiencies. When Kevin Hochman was named CEO of Brinker International in May, one of his first initiatives to explore time-and-money-saving equipment solutions. Clamshell grills are currently in test in Brinker’s Chili’s system and Hochman said they significantly cut cooking time. He also told Business Insider that the expedited cooking process will save the company millions of dollars annually and called the grills “a game changer.”
Chipotle is also testing a new grill to improve the cooking process for chicken and steak options. As Brian Niccol said on the company’s Q4 call earlier this month, the grill is “much faster and has consistent execution.” Not only does this equipment achieve efficiencies, it also lowers the learning curve for employees as restaurants manage turnover.
“(The grill) just gives our teams a tool that allows them to cook the chicken, frankly, just perfect every time and a lot faster. Significantly faster. And the same goes for steak,” he said. “Our team members are giving us feedback that they love using the new grills.”
The grill isn’t the only focus for restaurants seeking efficiencies. Its cooking counterpart – the oven – is also finding its way onto priority lists. Bloomin’ Brands is rolling out “advanced grills and ovens,” for instance, and expects a complete rollout in the third quarter. During the company’s Q4 earnings call last week, CEO David Deno said the equipment has so far led to more productivity and a simplified kitchen. He added that he expects this to lead to better service levels and “build sales and traffic in our restaurants.”
Starbucks is also rolling out several new equipment innovations to make it easier for its employees to manage high volumes. One of those innovations is a new warming oven, which is now deployed in about 90% of the system. During the company’s Q3 earnings call earlier this month, Starbucks North America President Sara Trilling said the company is “just getting started” as it looks to drive throughput.
Meanwhile, Denny’s new oven test has been well received by operators, according to CEO Kelli Valade, because they provide the opportunity to add new menu items.
“We do think it will drive trialability and these are really craveable, exciting items for us,” Valade said during the company’s Q4 call this month. The ovens are part of Denny’s broader Kitchen Modernization Initiative that is currently about 98% complete. A new core menu, yielded from the effort, is expected to rollout next month.
New menu items, higher productivity, more consistency. Because of these anticipated benefits, several executives are bullish on their oven and grill upgrades – two pieces of equipment that have been around as long as the restaurant industry itself. Bloomin’ Brands CFO said the company’s 2022 productivity target has “pretty much doubled,” adding that the biggest increase has come from such equipment upgrades.
“This is not just a 2023 thing,” Meyer said. “There’s going to be a pretty good tail going into 2024 in terms of productivity. We expect sales gains as a result of this over time. As we have our re-cooks diminish and our customer service improves and our table turns improve, that will boost sales and our operating metrics.”
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]
