Restaurants & Bars

The Growth of Marco's Pizza

Marco’s Pizza is one of the fastest-growing pizza chains in the country.

Established outside Toledo, Ohio, in 1978, the popular chain has grown beyond the Midwest and now has a footprint across 34 states, as well as locations in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. 

In the wildly competitive world of fast-casual pizza chains, Marco’s credits its successful growth in part to the quality of its ingredients.

The Cheese Waste Challenge

Squeezed margins are a grim reality in foodservice and a major obstacle to growth.

Profits are drained by everything from ingredient inflation (cheese, flour, meat) to rising energy costs and wage pressure. Some margin compressors are unavoidable, but others can be addressed.
 

For example, Marco’s Pizza locations faced the common challenge of preventable cheese waste. When cheese falls off the pizza and onto the floor during prep, each shred doesn’t seem like much – until it adds up to a sizable hit every week.

Since the price of cheese can be a moving target, this is a costly problem that’s also an unpredictable budget line item.

How the Cheeser Station Helped

To combat preventable cheese waste, Marco’s Pizza turned to the Randell Cheeser Station®.

The Cheeser Station’s refrigerated holding bin accommodates 30 pounds of cheese with a stainless steel grate to hold the pizza during preparation. Whoever is preparing the pizza sets it on the grate and reaches down into the holding bin to get the right amount of cheese.

Any pieces that don’t land on the pizza end up back in the holding bin, not on the floor.

“We’re not losing (cheese) on the floor, it’s not getting left out in the bins. Huge for saving us money.” 

– Desiree Holcomb, Marco’s Pizza Franchisee

Paired with a Randell Prep Table

Marco’s Pizza got even more out of their prepping by pairing the Cheeser Station with a Randell Raised Rail Prep Table, also known as a make line.

Staff add the cheese on the Cheeser Station, then easily slide the pizza directly onto the Raised Rail Prep Table to add the
toppings. Marco’s Pizza said their prep is much more efficient and ergonomic because they can fit what they need in the prep table, rather than wasting time and energy constantly reaching underneath for toppings.

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.”