Get Competitive with Hot Doggers

What could be more Amercian on the 4^th of July than a perfectly grilled hot dog topped with all your favorite trimmings? How about 62 of those perfectly grilled tube steaks. Competitive eater Joey Chestnut took his place in the winners’ circle at yesterday’s Nathon’s Hot Dog Eating Contest by eating 62 hot dogs in 10 minutes. So in honor of his gluttonous achievement, you should check out some of the great deals on hot dog equipment available from Servu-Online.

Whether you like your hot dog broiled, grilled or steamed, Servu-Online has your hot dog cooking needs covered. Hot dog broilers, hot dog steamers and hot dog roller grills are guaranteed to cook your hot dogs to perfection each and every time. Hot dog bun warmers allow you to serve your delicious hot dogs on a warm, toasty bun. Hot dog prep trays allow you to easily trim your hot dogs from condiment prep centers. Condiment pump centers are great for toppings such as ketchup, mustard, relish and cheese.

Happy National Ice Cream Month!

Did you know that July is National Ice Cream Month? In 1984 former President Ronald Regan declared July as National Ice Cream Month. He also appointed the third Sunday in July as National Ice Cream Day, which according to my calendar falls on July 17 of this year.

In honor of this oh-so-yummy summer treat, enjoyed by nearly 90% of Americans each year, I thought it would be a good time to highlight some of the ice cream equipment and ice cream supplies offered by Servu-Online.

Servu-Online has ice cream dipping cabinets and merchandisers and flavorail cabinets for making sure your ice cream and gelato are stored and merchandised properly. Commercial ice cream makers and commercial gelato makers are great for making your own custom-flavored treats. Waffle cone bakers allow you to create delicious waffle cones and waffle baskets. Ice cream cone holders and ice cream cone dispensers are a great place to store your freshly baked waffle cones.

Topping rails, topping bars and fudge warmers allow you to create the perfect sundae or banana split each and every time. Ice cream scoops and ice cream spades are available in a variety of sizes. Servu-Online also offers a variety of SAN plastic fountainware as well as glass fountainware.

Stock-up on ice cream equipment and ice cream supplies from Servu-Online today, so you can be prepared for National Ice Cream Month!

Bar Equipment that Boosts Sales – Portable Beverage Merchandisers

Increase your profit with impulse sales of beer, bottled water and soda. A portable piece of bar equipment such as a portable beer icer is perfect for tempting thirsty customers at your bar, hotel, concession stand or outdoor event. Simply wheel a portable beer merchandiser into a high traffic area and watch your beverage sales skyrocket.

Portable beer merchandisers are a terrific addition to your bar equipment inventory as they are typically constructed of durable molded plastic. These fully insulated mobile beer coolers will keep their contents cool, thus saving you time and money with minimal ice refills. Most portable beer merchandisers will feature a built-in bottom mounted drain, thus making them an easy piece of bar equipment to empty and clean.

Name your product--pizza, pretzels, pastries, bagels and more. When you can deliver these items to your customers at the perfect temperature and texture, you earn big sales for your deli, café, or concession stand. Heated display merchandisers are designed to deliver the profits. Serv-U offers a range of merchandisers to suit each product’s unique holding needs.

Pizza is a favorite product at sporting events, fairs and concerts for its alluring visual presentation and familiar taste. Appeal to all the customer’s senses by keeping your pies hot and delicious in a 1 or 2-door pizza merchandiser. For superior taste and texture, it’s important to invest in a humidified merchandiser. Slices stay soft and fresh for a longer shelf life because of the consistent heat. You can give your customers a piece of quality pizza, beyond the confines of the parlor.

Pretzels, pastries and other bread products are also best served by humidified display cabinets. Humidified warmers are designed for a more rapid rate of turnover, guaranteeing a fresh, soft pretzel always available for your customers to purchase. They allow you to control the temperature and humidity and are often illuminated for optimum display. The maximum capacity 3-tiered warmer can hold up to 72 pretzels, but if space in an issue compact models can save you money by not requiring too much additional room. Hanging racks can be replaced with flat ones to hold bagels, donuts, scones or sandwiches, depending upon your needs.

A state-of-the-art display case can set you apart from your competition. Tempered glass, digital thermostats, and bright lights are all available within Serv-U’s selection of merchandisers. Such features will assure your customers of professionalism and dedication to high standards.

Today, a quick roundup of some extreme restaurant marketing in the news lately:

1)    An upscale NY eatery is giving away meals to promote its new menu choices.  (As we noted in a blog post last week, reworking your restaurant’s menu can be a margin-boosting decision.)

2)    T.G.I. Friday’s is offering a “buy one, get one free” deal.

3)    For the savvy eater, some UK restaurants offer coupons online.

4)    Even Starbucks is adding “value meals” to their menu.  (Ok, maybe that’s been done before and doesn’t really qualify as “extreme,” but Starbucks?  Really?)

5)    So-called “occasional” restaurants are popping up.  Many make regular changes to their décor or implement other near-theatrical gestures that they claim draw diners for the “adventure.”

Add your own ideas for "extreme" restaurant marketing in the comments section below!

Yes, it's that time again--time for a quick rundown of all the interesting (and/or strange) holidays in and nicknames for the month of July.  Enjoy!

 (image by "quacktaculous" of Flickr Commons)

The Month of July:

            Anti-Boredom Month

            National Baked Bean Month

            National Hot Dog Month

            National Ice Cream Month

            National “July Belongs to Blueberries Month”

            National Picnic Month

            National Recreation and Parks Month

July 1: Canada Day, Air Conditioning Appreciation Begins

(--Though I've gotta be honest here; with energy prices where they are, I have yet to appreciate any air conditioning this season!)

July 4: Independence Day

July 14: Bastille Day

July 20: National Ice Cream Day, Moon Day

July 27: Parent’s Day

Today is the first day of summer and we all know what that means: it is ice cream time! Summer is the season of ice cream: from melting cones on the Fourth of July to giant sundaes at the swimming pool. Frozen yogurt is also a really popular treat now that the temperature is up. Summer’s heat and laid back feeling beg for the creamy, sweet concoction and the Internet agrees. The net is abuzz with articles talking about the popularity of these treats and the ever increasing variety available.

Two of my favorite sites are expanding the way we see ice cream. Bon Appétit magazine has ice cream listed as one of the 100 best recipes and features new flavor and technique ideas on how to make the perfect batch of ice cream. Also offering new flavor ideas to the world is the Serious Eats blog today. The site offers up a bourbon-vanilla ice cream and (with some help from their readers) makes a few suggestions of other scrumptious flavors.

Some people don’t scream for a heaping cone of ice cream at this or any time of year. For the millions of people who are lactose intolerant ice cream can be a nightmare (gluten free people should know that ice cream is naturally gluten free, but any additions could have gluten). However, some companies are starting to acknowledge the growing number of lactose free customers and are finding some solutions. The internet is full of recipes for tasty sounding, lactose-free ice cream that can easily be made at home. And, in a move that has lots of milk avoiders happy, some companies are launching lactose free versions of their tasty treats.

It’s easy to please all your customers when they scream for ice cream. Your Serv-U representative can help you get all the serving utensils, storage containers, and serving dishes you need to serve the perfect ice cream Sunday or heaping ice cream cone.