International interest, if not intrigue, abounds at FS/TEC's exhibit hall

Nation's Restaurant News,  Oct 8, 2007  by Alan J. Liddle

• E-mail
• Print
• Link

ATLANTA -- Known as the International Foodservice Technology Exposition since its founding 12 years ago, FS/TEC has had its share of technology buyers from foreign lands in the past. This year, however, may mark the first time the exhibit hall is navigated by a conferee of Jamaica's Order of Distinction in the form of one Jukie Chin.

In all, 150 to 160 exhibitors of hardware, software and services aimed at the restaurant industry are expected at FS/TEC 2007, to be held Oct. 10-13 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. FS/TEC this year is co-located with the largest foodservice-equipment shopping venue in North America, The NAFEM Show, running Oct. 11-13.

Chin is the founder of Juici Patties of Clarendon Park, Clarendon, Jamaica, a chain of 44 restaurants operated by a number of different partnerships, some of which, if not all, involve Chin. The chain sells "patties," or crescent-shaped pastries stuffed with seasoned beef or other proteins, and other foods including jerk-seasoning-flavored grilled chicken.

Although Chin could not be reached for comment by email about his shopping intentions, his website says he frequents overseas trade shows to find "ways to use breaking technology and techniques to improve his products."

In 2003, the Juici Patties website discloses, the governor general of Jamaica, on the recommendation of the country's prime minister, conferred on Chin the Order of Distinction in the rank of Officer for his Service to Industry.

A contingent from Max Hamburgerestauranger AB of Lulea, Sweden, also is registered for the show. That 39-year-old, family-owned chain of 51 hamburger and sandwich restaurants cooks to order using only Swedish beef and chicken. The Max party's shopping list also was not available for publication.

Some of the foodservice technology professionals responding to an annual survey of FS/TEC shopping interests asked not to be identified by name. Among them: a vice president of restaurant information systems for a multiregion chain of casual-dining restaurants.

"We're going to be looking at self-service kiosks, both around employees and customers;' the executive requesting anonymity said. That technologist said kiosks for hiring and training employees and kiosks to help guests place or more easily pickup orders from take-out stations were among the systems to be explored.

Pay-at-table technologies also would be looked at, the casual-dining executive said, given the growing desire by some consumers to keep their credit and debit cards in sight to avoid potential identity theft problems, and some proposals by lawmakers in response to ID-theft incidents.

Also of interest to the casual-dining chain technology professional are loyalty card systems, and systems that tie together kitchen production management systems and dining room management technology for the purpose of better fore casting wait times and production needs.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Douglas Davis, information systems coordinator for Monical Pizza Corp. of Bradley, Ill., parent of the 58-unit Monical's Pizza chain, wasn't shy about disclosing the types of technology he wants a closer look at this year.

"The ability for a guest to pay at the table," most likely using a wireless device, is one of the technology concepts he'll investigate, Davis said. "There is a big push towards this technology"

Davis acknowledged that his organization is "on the precipice of trying to decide between in-house [developed] POS [software] or off-the-shelf." He added, "You can make a tough case for both.

FS/TEC is co-produced and co-managed by Nation's Restaurant News and Robert N. Grimes of Accuvia, which is based in Potomac, Md.

COPYRIGHT 2007 Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning