Keep those rotisseries spinning

Store Equipment & Design, August, 2000 by Howard Riell

America's love affair with prepared foods still runs hot. That means sales of rotisseries and combi ovens to supermarkets continue to sizzle.

The allure of cooking chickens spinning in a steamy rotisserie appeals to shoppers' senses. Especially the reasonable price part. It's enough to make them stop, smell and then buy the bird, over and over again. "It's an impulse buy," says Kent Kazmaier, deli systems manager for equipment manufacturer Hobart Corp., Troy, Ohio. "As long as the rotisserie is running, they tend to sell a lot of chicken." And let's face it. Such in-store cooking makes for good theater. It draws in the shopper and creates a feel-good atmosphere.

Innovation has molded equipment that does more - and better. That means more cooking in less space. What supermarket operators want is user-friendly equipment that is cognizant of energy usage and space," says Sonny Dickinson, of Alto-Shaam Inc. Retailers are also looking for the ability to back up the system with proper training and implementation. Alto-Shaam, Menomonee Falls, Wis., is a good example of a company that has modified its products. The company started with one cook-and-hold oven and now makes 13 models. "We've added programmable menus, printers, all the features that operators feel would give them a better-looking and tasting product with less shrink that is easier to prepare:' says Dickinson.

ROTISSERIE HEAVEN

Keep that rotisserie running, says Randy Karns, president of equipment manufacturer BKI, Inc. "We are seeing rotisserie sales continuing to climb:' he says. "Actually, with chicken in all categories, both bone-in fried as well as rotisseried." Rotisseries create theater, adds Kazmaier, "Probably the most exciting thing that's out there today are your rotisseries, believe it or not:' he says. To keep customers' attention, Hobart's latest rotisserie model features a curved glass front from top to bottom to increase viewing area and an inner glass door to keep heat from reaching the outside glass. Thus, if retailers decide they want to roll the unit out in front of the customers they don't have to worry about somebody touching it and getting burned.

Such a feature, Kazmaier quickly adds, "doesn't mean you don't have to put 'CAUTION-HOT' on it, it just gives a retailer... that satisfaction knowing that you're not going to get yourself burned when you touch it."

Another popular feature is non-stick coating, which Hobart introduced about eight months ago. Applied to the unit's rotor, drip plates and accessories, the coating--tested for 11 to 12 months in a pair of a major chain stores in Indianapolis, Ind., and Louisville, Ky. - saved a minimum of one hour of labor per day per machine, company officials say. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that that in itself means a lot," says Kazmaier. "Your employees will be more apt to cook more birds instead of worrying about cleanup time."

The non-stick coating only requires running a soft brush or rag through the three-compartment sink "as opposed to using a stainless-steel scratcher for an hour and a half," says Kazmaier. Also to make things easier on retailers, Hobart has come up with a special recipe that lets stores get birds done in one hour using a high temperature. "I'll tell you, the birds just come out gorgeous," he says.

The units also offer a choice of five or seven spits, holding 28 to 35 birds simultaneously. "We've also made this modular in design, so they can stack two: a rotisserie with a warmer underneath or two rotisseries," Kazmaier adds. "They can do two warmers and put them side-by-side. They've got a multitude of things they can do."

OTHER FEATURES

Automatic controls have also proven popular on rotisseries. With these, operators are free to set and select anywhere from five to 15 recipes with the touch of a button. The latest Hobart unit also has a hold cycle. "If they don't get to it as soon as it's done it will continue to rotate, but at a lower temperature so you don't lose the moisture in the bird," says Kazmaier.

BKI's new gas-fired rotisserie features a double-rotation action: The product spins as it goes around and around. "You're watching it brown and sizzle, and you're seeing the flame behind it, and it does give it a sense of theater, somewhat of a mesmerizing look," says Karns. "As people walk by they usually stop for a couple or three seconds and watch this thing turn. Well, those are things, obviously, that a retailer likes to see. More and more retailers are putting emphasis on quality products, properly held and displayed, and they're watching that business increase in their stores." But "the thing that sells" the unit, in Kazmaier's opinion, is the ability to show it where customers can see it. "Now, if that unit doesn't have birds going around, if it's dark, (shoppers) can tell things aren't moving. Then the impulse is not there," he says.

CAN-DO COMBIS

According to Kazmaier, Giant Food Inc. in Landover, Md., now has a combi in every store. "They can steam with it, they can bake with it, they can do their roast beefs, chicken," he says. "They can do what they call rotisserie-style chicken, where they'll put it in a combi oven and do a whole bird in 40 to 45 minutes. You can't call it 'rotisserie,' but you can call it 'rotisserie style."'