Restaurants & Bars

Popular Barbecue Spot Uses New Technology To Serve Authentic Meals Quickly

Maintaining a traditional barbecue style and delivering speedy service can be tricky – especially for a restaurant dedicated to in-house cooking. But with the right kitchen equipment, that’s exactly how a barbecue spot in Southern Utah creates its ‘smoke show’ cuisine.

Pica Rica opened in 2022 with a mission to infuse “love” into a menu that mixes Central Texas-style barbecue with traditional Mexican cuisine. With all-wood pits smoking meats, including brisket, barbacoa, spareribs and sausage, Pica Rica quickly caught the attention of its close-knit community and travelers passing through.

But with a growing crowd of customers salivating in anticipation for smoky flavors, fresh tortilla tacos and must-have sides, being able to keep a traditional kitchen up to speed is no easy task.

To keep Pica Rica’s traditional methods and serve customers quickly without exhausting the staff, Pitmaster Neeley knew he needed to create easier and faster processes that wouldn’t compromise the restaurant’s reputation for authenticity.

Pitmaster Neeley wanted to find a way for Pica Rica staff to efficiently prep fresh ingredients and cook side dishes from scratch to make it easier to serve hungry patrons quickly.

How Our Equipment Helped

Pica Rica made the right choice with Electrolux Professional.

Not only can the barbecue spot keep its claim of authenticity, Pica Rica can also serve customers made-from-scratch meals in less time and less effort:

TrinityPro Food Processor

• This powerful food prep unit slashes prep time from 30 minutes to less than 5 minutes. By eliminating time-consuming knife operation, staff can quickly, consistently and safely dice onions, shred ingredients for coleslaw, mix spice blends and process salsas.

Pressure Braising Pans

• This high productivity solution accelerates cooking speed: beans are prepared in 1 hour instead of 4 hours and rice is cooked in 13 minutes instead of 30 minutes. Potatoes, mac and cheese and barbecue sauce are also made in-house faster without sacrificing an ounce of flavor.

“I trust this equipment. It’s going to do it the way it needs to, and I don’t have to worry about it going out at the end of the day.” 

– Co-Founder/Pitmaster Jason Neeley.

With staff not stressed about time-consuming tasks, they can focus on perfecting meals, expediting orders, and creating the family-friendly vibes Pica Rica is known for in the Southern Utah community.

Modern Steakhouse Uses ‘Dream Equipment’ to Reimagine Traditional Fine Dining

How does a brand-new steakhouse in the Culinary Capital of Texas infuse a modern vibe into traditional fine dining to create an unrivaled experience?

“The quality of the product is a must,” said Executive Chef George Paramithas of BLÜ Prime Steakhouse in San Antonio.

BLÜ Prime opened in 2023 with an in-house dry age steak program and elegant dishes featuring bold flavors that set it apart from their competition. But getting to where they are now – consistent 5-star reviews and booked-up reservations – required more than ambition.

They had the right strategy. They had the right recipes. But when BLÜ Prime began its journey, it faced a problem all new restaurants must solve.

It needed the right equipment.

The Challenge

For a new steakhouse making a name for itself in a foodie city, every decision that affects food quality can mean the difference between success and failure. Chef George asked himself: How can we create an unforgettable dining experience?

To become a renowned steakhouse, BLÜ Prime knew it needed to invest in kitchen equipment to help efficiently create sensational food experiences that could exceed customer expectations.

After seeing the performance of Electrolux Professional Group in product demonstrations and receiving recommendations from equipment users, the choice was obvious.

“It was a no-brainer,” Chef George said. “The best product needs to have the best equipment to make us a real fine dining success – and Electrolux Professional was our brand.”

BLÜ Prime had no doubt they had picked the right partner to help them establish efficient processes in their kitchen.

How Our Equipment Helped

BLÜ Prime’s decision has paid off.

Not only can the trendy steakhouse’s dishes make it the city’s newest must-visit spot, but BLÜ Prime sped up its cooking process and makes the most of labor because of Electrolux Professional Group equipment.

• The ProThermetic Pressure Braising Pan saves up to 75% on cooking time. For short rib, it cuts cooking time from 6 hours to 2.5 hours while holding on to every ounce of flavor.
• The SkyLine Combi Oven has dehydrating, braising and smoking features that eliminate the need for extra equipment and steps. For sous vide dishes, the Combi Oven maintains the taste of ingredients without the mess of water baths that can compromise food safety.

• With SkyLine Blast Chillers, stocks can cool in an hour and a half, compared to wasting time stirring an ice wand by hand. When it’s time for dessert, cakes from the Combi Oven can be immediately frosted and placed in the Blast Chiller to cool.

   

“90% of our kitchen is just Electrolux Professional (Group),” Chef George said. “It’s dream equipment. Things come out far faster, far better, and it’s just always a perfect product.”

Mexican Sushi Chain in California Saves Big on Labor and Food Costs.

Frank Mendoza built El Sushi Loco from nothing.

What now consists of three locations across Southern California started with a humble food cart in 2010. Inspired to make something of his life after being released from prison, Frank started to attract fans of his Mexican sushi – his twist on classic Japanese sushi.

And from there it grew.

“I always had a good palette, but mostly I had faith and a belief in this,” Mendoza said about his business. “I knew I had something special and different and the product was good. I needed the grit to just keep pushing.” 

While growth is the goal for many restaurants, the rapid rise in popularity and production brought its own set of challenges for El Sushi Loco.

The Challenge

El Sushi Loco’s menu is a beloved attention-grabber, but the company wasn’t as efficient as it could be during production. Workers were spending large amounts of time dicing vegetables. Shrimp was being cooked manually in a stock pot.

To properly scale his business, Frank needed to find the right equipment. However, he wanted to make sure that whatever equipment he invested in wouldn’t compromise the distinct taste his customers have come to expect.

“To be successful, I needed to make an investment. You need the proper tools to do the job. But I had to be assured that it would cook my product and keep the taste how I want it to taste.”

However, increasing efficiency wasn’t Frank’s only challenge. Thawing frozen shrimp must be done carefully, considering the risk of the product temperature rising above the safety zone of 41°F. If this happens, El Sushi Loco must throw out the shrimp, which results in costly food waste.

How Our Equipment Helped

Frank’s investments have paid off. An Electrolux Professional TrinityPro Food Processor dices vegetables and the Thawing Cabinet properly thaws shrimp and other proteins before they’re cooked by a SkyLine Combi Oven. The versatility of Electrolux Professional and Groen’s Braising Pans help El Sushi Loco cook everything from chicken and beans to noodles and octopus.

“Surround yourself with people you trust,” Frank said about working with Electrolux Professional and its reps at The Fischer Group. “These were big decisions I had to make, and it could have been a bad investment if I didn’t find people who will help you make a good decision.”