National Restaurant Association Show
The National Restaurant Association Show brought our team to McCormick Place once again this spring. As one of our favorite shows, we were exposed to all the culinary breakthroughs of the past year and got a peek at what is to come in the food service industry. We had a great time at the 99th annual NRA Show and it left us #FiredUp! We can’t wait to come back next year. Please catch up on all our findings below.
Juicing, Blending + Sprouting
Tribestlife whipped up healthy smoothies for the show attendees using their Dynapro Vacuum Blender. The vacuum pump removes excess air keeping your fruit and veggie blends fresher for longer. The blending technology minimizes oxidation and preserves nutrients and flavor. Besides blenders, Tribestlife also carries juicers, dehydrators, and sprouting systems. The Wheatgrass Grower and Freshlife Automatic Sprouter are all perfect for a diverse diet.
Above, a 3-day old Tribestlife High Speed Vacuum Blend (left) next to a non vacuum blend (right) after only 5 minutes!
From Camtrays to Camshelves
Huntington Beach based company, Cambro, displayed their new shelving unit at the show. The company started in the early 1950s with their first product, the CamTray, a high quality food tray used in hospitals. Since then they have released a slew of diverse food service products perfect for all food industries. The Camshelving Premium Series holds 96 #10 cans or nearly 150 #5 cans. Their other premium line shelves come equipped with vented shelves, easy to assemble add on units, and rust proof material.
Technology That Cooks
Self Service Convenience
Hobart’s Self-Service Scale incorporates a large elevated display making it extremely user friendly and easy to navigate. In the food industry we have seen more products being integrated with tablet software giving the consumer more control. The HTi Scale features customized screens, barcode scanning, and wireless capabilities making self check out at a grocery store a painless and quick process.
Chef + Oven: Perfect Pairing
Lainox showcased their Naboo Oven which is uniquely equip with The Cloud. The Cloud contains all of the content to create and refine recipes, processes, preparation systems, programs and final plate presentations. This Cloud gives the chef ultimate control over their food and the freedom to share content from one device to another. With the Cloud, recipes stay consistent from location to location and can be controlled to deliver the same quality and presentation across several restaurants.
Blend, Prep, Cook
Waring’s food appliance line ranges from blenders, to waffle makers, to deep fryers. And now their blenders have a pop of color! The XTreme series color-coded blender jars come in 48 and 64 ounce sizes, several different colors, and are durable enough to reduce the risk of cross contamination in between blends.
Re-Imagining Food Preparation
Unified Brands line of Groen cooker chillers and braising pans were on display this year along with Randell, Avtec and Power Soak products. The Groen braising pan comes suited with the functional advanced and water resistant control panel.
The Unifed booth also had on display their user friendly app that gave the attendees the freedom to explore different products with a swipe of the finger. The app displays Unified products in dazzling high-resolution and three-dimensional imaging. With the 360-mode and “play animation” feature, the user can easily navigate a virtual cooking space and pick and choose which appliances and layouts work best before making any final decisions. The app is available in the Apple Store and on Google Play.
Toasty Solutions
Employee owned company, Hatco, showcased their acclaimed Toast-Qwik Conveyor Toaster (TQ for short). The toaster heats up 400 slices an hour and delivers the perfect color and crispiness with the patented ColorGuard Sensing System. Hatco also has a line of Built-In Drawer Warmers that are designed to lock in warmth and flavor until ready to serve. Each drawer comes with a temperature monitor and control and adjustable vent slides. The insulated compartments ensure energy efficiency and are available in different stainless steel colors.
From Harvest to Plate
The GardenChef Cabinet from Carter Hoffman offers separate growing zones that allow the user to grow a variety of greens 365 days a year. With the automatic watering system and high output growing lights, herbs and vegetables sprout in as little as 7 days. The cabinet’s digital system has 39 preprogrammed cycles that tailor to different plants.
On Demand Fresh Juice
Handmade in France, Santos’ cold press juicer, the Nutrisantos 65, is fast, easy to use and powerful. It’s the solution to all juice bars looking to serve their product on demand in front of the customer. The double patented heavy duty juicer has an aluminum and stainless steel body with a splash of citron green. With one deliberate press fruit and leafy green vitamins and nutrients are extracted into a healthy pour.
That’s a Wrap!
The NRA Show exposed us to the innovative and technology driven culinary breakthroughs of 2018 so far. For a look at our relatable projects from the restaurant industry, please visit our work page here or drop us a note at info@beyonddesignchicago.com. See you at the 2019 NRA Show!