Manitowoc Beverage - Cold beverages heat up c-stores sales

Rising demand for custom ice beverages continues to grow. Four out of five top growth beverage trends include ice¹ and 86% of consumers surveyed had purchased a beverage away from home in the last month². This makes choosing the right beverage dispensing systems and ice machines invaluable to any convenience store operation.

Manitowoc Ice Machines and Servend Beverage Dispensers have a multitude of choices so that you can customize the right ice and beverage dispensing combination for your operation. Select from ice type, number of dispensing valves and even flavor shot options to provide your customers with the option to customize.

Servend's FLAV'R PIC ice/beverage dispenser The FLAV'R PIC gives your customer over a million combinations to customize their drink to their taste...16 beverage selections and up to 8 flavor enhancements. Featuring icepic™ technology, the industry's first built-in ice crusher providing two types of ice (cubed or crushed) from a single ice maker/ice dispenser combination. One ice/beverage dispenser reduces your equipment expense, installation costs, and maintenance. Give your customers the choice they want.

Manitowoc Indigo™ Series Ice Machines Designed for operators who know that ice is critical to their business, the Indigo™ Series ice machine's preventative diagnostics continually monitor itself for reliable ice production. Improvements in cleanability and programmability make your ice machine easy to own and less expensive to operate. Find the right Indigo Series Ice Machine for your operation.

Kysor Panel Systems Grab & Go beverages yielded growth of 11% for convenience stores in 20123 with the largest growth being seen in teas, coconut water, energy drinks and juices. Kysor Panel is the best built, best engineered brand of merchandising coolers, display coolers and refrigerated displays for c-stores. They offer the highest quality materials with improved insulating characteristics. As a result, our systems are built straight, solid and feature uniform finishes. Learn more about Kysor Panel Systems.

Our ice, beverage and chilling experts understand how important a beverage program is to a convenience store. Stop by and talk with us at the NACS Show 2013 booth #6451 about how we can help you grow.

1 Nation’s Restaurant News Consumer demand for beverages rises September 26, 2012
2 Technomic C-STORES DRINK UP THE POSSIBILITIES FOR NEW BEVERAGES October, 2012
3 CSP Daily News | August 26, 2013

 Thanks for reading our blog!  Call us today at 800-252-5892 to learn about the services we can provide for your Illinois locations!

Illinois Branches:

Eichenauer Services

2465 N 22nd St Decatur, IL 62526 US

Phone: 800-252-5892 Website: http://www.esiquality.com/

Eichenauer Services

106 E McClure Peoria, IL 61603 US

Phone: 800-252-5892 Website: http://www.esiquality.com/

Eichenauer Services

405 S Neil St Champaign, IL 61820 US

Phone: 800-252-5892 Website: http://www.esiquality.com/
 

Illinois Satellites:
Springfield, IL | Bloomington, IL | Effingham, IL | LaSalle/Peru, IL | Mount Vernon, IL | Joliet, IL |
Quad Cities, IL (Moline, East Moline, Rock Island) | Marion, IL |
Metro East, IL (Belleville, Collinsville, Edwardsville, O'Fallon, Fairview Heights)

 

Eichenauer Service | Central Illinois | Restaurant Equipment | Kitchen Equipment | Repair Service parts

When your kitchen's commercial restaurant equipment needs maintenance or repair in Central Illinois area (Decatur, Champaign, Springfield, Peoria, Pekin, Bloomington, Effingham) Eichenauer Services can help.

For over 65 years they have been offering affordable, courteous and professional commercial kitchen equipment repair for their commercial customers throughout the state of Illinois.

Regardless of how small or big the repair is, you can count on Eichenauer Services to get the repair done properly, professionally and promptly, as it is understood a restaurant should not have a long down time, which can cause them to lose many customers.  Eichenauer services has multiple CFESA (Commercial Food Equipment Association) and equipment manufacturer trained technicians in the Central Illinois area.  As well as offering repair of restaurant equipment Eichenauer Services also suggest planned maintenance.  Planned maintenance on heavily used commercial kitchen equipment will save you money and help you prevent downtime.  Our Central Illinois area branches provides repair service on a wide variety of equipment for numerous equipment manufactures including:

• Cooking Equipment
  • Deep Fryers
  • Bakery Equipment
  • Pizza Ovens
  • Grills
  • Steamers
• Refrigeration Equipment
  • Ice Machines
  • Coolers
  • Freezers
  • Prep Tables
  • HVAC
• Beverage Equipment
• Sanitation Equipment
  • Ware-washing
• Holding Equipment
  • Cold
  • Hot

..........and many many more!!

Call us today at 800-252-5892 to learn about the services we can provide for your Central Illinois locations!

Illinois Branches:

Eichenauer Services

2465 N 22nd St Decatur, IL 62526 US

Phone: 800-252-5892 Website: http://www.esiquality.com/

Eichenauer Services

106 E McClure Peoria, IL 61603 US

Phone: 800-252-5892 Website: http://www.esiquality.com/

Eichenauer Services

405 S Neil St Champaign, IL 61820 US

Phone: 800-252-5892 Website: http://www.esiquality.com/
 

Illinois Satellites:
Springfield, IL | Bloomington, IL | Effingham, IL | LaSalle/Peru, IL | Mount Vernon, IL | Joliet, IL |
Quad Cities, IL (Moline, East Moline, Rock Island) | Marion, IL |
Metro East, IL (Belleville, Collinsville, Edwardsville, O'Fallon, Fairview Heights)

Eichenauer Service | Central Illinois | Restaurant Equipment | Kitchen Equipment | Repair Service parts

When your kitchen's commercial restaurant equipment needs maintenance or repair in Central Illinois area (Decatur, Champaign, Springfield, Peoria, Pekin, Bloomington, Effingham) Eichenauer Services can help.

For over 65 years they have been offering affordable, courteous and professional commercial kitchen equipment repair for their commercial customers throughout the state of Illinois.

Regardless of how small or big the repair is, you can count on Eichenauer Services to get the repair done properly, professionally and promptly, as it is understood a restaurant should not have a long down time, which can cause them to lose many customers.  Eichenauer services has multiple CFESA (Commercial Food Equipment Association) and equipment manufacturer trained technicians in the Central Illinois area.  As well as offering repair of restaurant equipment Eichenauer Services also suggest planned maintenance.  Planned maintenance on heavily used commercial kitchen equipment will save you money and help you prevent downtime.  Our Central Illinois area branches provides repair service on a wide variety of equipment for numerous equipment manufactures including:

• Cooking Equipment
  • Deep Fryers
  • Bakery Equipment
  • Pizza Ovens
  • Grills
  • Steamers
• Refrigeration Equipment
  • Ice Machines
  • Coolers
  • Freezers
  • Prep Tables
  • HVAC
• Beverage Equipment
• Sanitation Equipment
  • Ware-washing
• Holding Equipment
  • Cold
  • Hot

..........and many many more!!

Call us today at 800-252-5892 to learn about the services we can provide for your Central Illinois locations!

Illinois Branches:

Eichenauer Services

2465 N 22nd St Decatur, IL 62526 US

Phone: 800-252-5892 Website: http://www.esiquality.com/

Eichenauer Services

106 E McClure Peoria, IL 61603 US

Phone: 800-252-5892 Website: http://www.esiquality.com/

Eichenauer Services

405 S Neil St Champaign, IL 61820 US

Phone: 800-252-5892 Website: http://www.esiquality.com/
 

Illinois Satellites:
Springfield, IL | Bloomington, IL | Effingham, IL | LaSalle/Peru, IL | Mount Vernon, IL | Joliet, IL |
Quad Cities, IL (Moline, East Moline, Rock Island) | Marion, IL |
Metro East, IL (Belleville, Collinsville, Edwardsville, O'Fallon, Fairview Heights)

Why Water Filtration is Good For Your Restaurant

Water filtration systems provide two key benefits for your commercial kitchen or restaurant:

• Restaurant equipment maintenance and breakdown is reduced by as much as 75%
• Beverages and ice taste and smell better to your customer

Restaurant equipment that use water like ice machines, coffee and espresso makers, steamers, and dishwashers can all benefit from a water filtration system. Mineral deposits (also known as "scale") build up in these machines, causing maintenance problems and breakdowns. Water filters with scale inhibitors are particularly beneficial for ice machines, as ice will appear clearer and break up easier than non-filtered ice, not to mention taste better to the customer.
Water filtration removes:

• Chemicals
• Sediment
• Minerals
• Organic matter

The presence of these elements in your commercial kitchen or restaurant's water affects water taste and odor and increase the likelihood of maintenance problems or equipment breakdown. Water Filtration Options
There are multiple water filtration solutions for your commercial kitchen:

• Separate filters for different restaurant equipment like ice machines, coffee makers, steamers and beverage dispensers
• One central water filter for all the water you use

Ice machine, coffee maker, and steamer filters have a scale inhibitor that reduces mineral buildup in the equipment. Scale inhibitors affect the taste of soda, so if you are looking for a water filter for a soda dispenser, make sure you purchase a special beverage dispenser water filter that does not have a scale inhibiting filter. Beverage dispensing filters come in different sizes depending on the number of dispensers you have.
Different ice machines also require different capacity water filters. Make sure you purchase the correct capacity water filtration system for your ice machine.

• Ice machines producing up to 750 lbs. of cubes or 1,200 lbs. of flakes per day
• Ice machines producing up to 1,000 lbs. of cubes or 1,800 lbs. of flakes per day
• Ice machines producing up to 1,450 lbs. of cubes or 2,400 lbs. of flakes per day

A central water filter is easier to maintain and install and takes up less space than several separate water filters. When considering installing a central filter, keep in mind that the taste of soda is affected by scale inhibitor filters, and it's important to purchase a unit that has a special scale inhibitor bypass for soda dispensing. Tundra stocks a [water filter designed to service multiple machines] with a soda bypass.
Espresso machine filters are specially designed for espresso machines and work like a water softener as well as inhibiting scale buildup.
Please remember that most water filters are designed to filter cold water only! For hot water filtration, like the feed to your commercial dishwasher, use a scale inhibitor only rather than the water filters with scale inhibitor commonly used for most restaurant equipment. A scale inhibitor on the hot water line to your dish washing equipment will help reduce spotting and mineral buildup on dishes.

Types of Water Filters
Not all water filters and water filtration systems are the same. Some water filtration systems feature a drop-in replacement cartridge whereas others are screwed into the filter head.
Some water filters need to be activated by cycling water through them for a period of time before use. Other types allow you to simply drop in the cartridge and put it to work right away. Some systems require multiple filter cartridges, especially for higher volume applications whereas others, most notably Cuno, have one cartridge systems for all capacities, saving space and money since you only have to purchase one replacement cartridge at a time.
When To Replace Your Water Filter
It's probably time to replace your water filter cartridge if:

• Water pressure drops significantly. Many water filtration systems have a PSI (pounds per square inch) indicator needle. If that needle is in the red or below 30 PSI, replace your filter
• The water in your restaurant or commercial kitchen tastes or smells funny
• Mineral deposits or "scale" start building up in your restaurant equipment
• More than six months have passed since the last time you replaced the filter

The best way to avoid problems with your water filtration system is to replace filters every six months. If your water filter cartridge is clogging or going bad in less than six months, you may need a pre filter for your water filtration system. A pre filter removes larger organic matter and sediment before it reaches your main filter, improving the main filter's lifespan and effectiveness. Different geographic areas have different water qualities, but in general if your area has especially "hard" water (it contains lots of minerals), has a lot of sediment or debris, or algae or other organic matter problems, installing a pre filter is a good idea.

Water-Cooled Ice Machines

In some places around the world, water cooled ice machines are more than norm than the exception. They can be advertised as more energy efficient that air cooled models and are also known to produce less heat than ice machines cooled by air. This can make water cooled ice machines the preferred choice for people who want to keep their restaurant or commercial kitchen as cool as possible in the summer months. Water cooled ice machines also have some drawbacks. Read on to find out the truth about water cooling in the commercial kitchen.
Water Cooling and the Environment

There are two types of water cooling. One of them, known as single use water cooling, is terrible for the environment. The reason is because it wastes so much water. Instead of recycling the water it uses to cool the unit, it flushes it out and replaces it. For this reason water cooled ice machines cannot gain the Energy Star rating.
In several places in North America single use water cooled ice machines are even being banned. The reason is because many of these areas are hot in the summer and suffer from water shortages. A few places, however, like Seattle and Denver have banned single use water cooled ice machines simply because of their negative impact on the environment.
Closed-Loop Water Cooling
There is another type of water cooled ice machines that use a closed-loop system and recycle the water they use. They are better for the environment by a margin and do have the advantage of running much cooler than an air cooled model, but many manufacturers have been phasing them out. Many cities have begun offering discounts to owners who use air cooling instead which gives them a distinct advantage over any water cooling system.
Innovations in Air Cooling
It’s clear that the commercial ice machine industry is moving towards air cooling. One of the other reasons for this is that remote condensing is not difficult to do.  Instead of having the air cooling system or condenser on the side or on top of your ice machine, vent lines are run into the machine and that box is placed on the outside of the building. By doing this to keep all the advantages of having an air cooled ice machine and remove any of the potential disadvantages. The biggest drawback is the higher initial cost of having a remote condenser installed.
Deciding on an Air Cooled or Water Cooled Ice Machine
If at all possible, I recommend buying an air cooled ice machine. Ice machines cooled with water just don’t have thesustainability I want in my commercial kitchen appliances. Of course, that’s just my opinion. Now that you have the facts about water cooling, this decision is yours to make.

What is the best kind of ice for your restaurant?

As any restaurant or hotel owner knows, ice is a big part of serving great beverages and keeping patrons happy. This means having the right type of ice to do the job. If you don’t have the right ice machine to suit your needs however, you will find that you waste time, energy and ultimately money. No one wants to crush cubed ice down so that it can be used to cool a bucket of beer and customers won’t appreciate it if the ice is so large that it doesn’t cool the beer in the first place. This is only one example of how using the wrong type of ice can impact your business.
So, which type of ice machine do you need? Perhaps the truth is that you need more than one. Understanding what each type of ice is best will tell you whether you need to change the type of ice machine you have or even add another type of ice to your arsenal.

Cubes are best for Drinks

If cold drinks are the primary reason you use ice, a cubed machine is going to offer the best option. Cubed ice melts the slowest and won’t water down a drink in a hurry. They also take up more room in the glass per piece which means that you need fewer cubes per glass. This makes it easier for a bartender or drink maker to prepare. Rather than working off methods like half full with ice, you can define how many actual cubes you need. This means a higher level of drink consistency.

Flakes keep things Coolest

If you are putting anything on ice from beverages to a salad bar, flakes offer the best base. Unlike cubes, flakes are smaller and easier to work through with cans or bottles. They also offer a better surface area on which to place bowls or platters. Flaked ice machines can also produce more ice because the require cooling time for a flake is less than a cube. If you have a cold food display or want to serve beverages out of a bucket, it makes sense to have a flaking ice machine on site.

Nuggets are a two way Street

The last type of ice machine you can buy is a nugget ice machine. Nuggets offer a best of both worlds scenario, but aren’t the best for either operation. Because nuggets are just smaller cubes they can be used for drinks and cold food tables alike. In fact, they are actually better for carbonated beverages than either flakes or cubes. These versatile ice chunks are great for businesses that offer both adult and child drink choices.
It’s clear that the type of ice machine you choose should be based on what you want to do with it. You may decide that you need a second ice machine to fulfill all the needs of your business. On the other hand, you may realize that you’ve simply been using the wrong type of ice. Whatever the case, using the right type of ice is going to have a positive impact on your business.
  
Other great articles on restaurant equipment such as this one can be found at the following link http://www.pricemykitchen.com

Planned Maintenance

Planned Maintenance also known as preventative maintenance is important to help prevent many different types of equipment failures.  It prolongs the life of your equipment and greatly reduces repair cost while increasing "up" time.  In the long run they don't cost money they save money.

Eichenauer Services performs planned maintenance on just about every piece of commercial kitchen equipment including ice machines, fryers, grills, ovens, coolers, and outside the kitchen on HVAC units.  Call us today or submit the form on our website if you are interested in learning more.  We perform these services throughout the state of Illinois.

The importance of planned maintenance is something that manufactures such as Manitowoc recognize as beneficial.  

Eichenauer Services
800-252-5892
www.esiquality.com

Illinois.......we got your commercial kitchen equipment needs covered!

One of the main advantages of using Eichenauer Services as your "one-stop shop" for your commercial equipment needs besides our industry experience and expertise, wide variety of equipment covered, and 24/7/365 service availability is our large coverage area.  We have strategically placed our branches and satellite sites to help cover the entire state of Illinois including locations such as Decatur, Peoria, Champaign, Centralia, Springfield, Effingham, Bloomington ,and La Salle/Peru.  You can see a full listing of our coverage area at www.esiquality.com.  

Call us today at 800-252-5892 to place a service call on your cooking equipment (fryers, grills, kettles, ovens, microwaves, steamers, etc.), cold-side equipment (ice machines, freezers, coolers, etc.), beverage dispensing equipment, or HVAC units.  We got you covered!

Illinois Branches:

Eichenauer Services

2465 N 22nd St Decatur, IL 62526 US

Phone: 800-252-5892 Website: http://www.esiquality.com/

Eichenauer Services

106 E McClure Peoria, IL 61603 US

Phone: 800-252-5892 Website: http://www.esiquality.com/

Eichenauer Services

405 S Neil St Champaign, IL 61820 US

Phone: 800-252-5892 Website: http://www.esiquality.com/
 

Illinois Satellites:
Springfield, IL | Bloomington, IL | Effingham, IL | LaSalle/Peru, IL | Mount Vernon, IL | Joliet, IL |
Quad Cities, IL (Moline, East Moline, Rock Island) | Marion, IL |  Metro East, IL (Belleville, Collinsville, Edwardsville, O'Fallon, Fairview Heights)