Rick Cartwright, Vice President and GM Retail Systems/ITW Food Equipment Group

John Lawn

Equipment can be an investment opportunity. “There is a huge amount of water waste in most kitchens. New equipment — from spray down hoods to dishwashers — often achieve 50 percent or more reductions in water usage. At many locations, replacements achieve paybacks in under a year.

“Onsite kitchens don't typically run 24 hours a day, and the paybacks aren't as quick, but in many cases energy and water audits show their paybacks often come in under three years. People don't look at this as an investment opportunity, but they should. The ROIs can be very attractive.”

Think of kitchens as a process environment. “In a new facility, I would look hard at how air flow moves through the kitchen. Think of it as a process environment, as though it were a manufacturing plant, which it is in many ways. The same principles apply: management of lighting, of the movement of components and ingredients. A new kitchen gives you the chance to consider the relationship between the people, the production processes, the facility and the equipment.”