A Brief Glance Back to When the The Schechter Report & NEWZ-ZOOM was Live


The Schechter Report, also known as TSR, TSRMAG and tsrmag.com, was an e-Zine covering the food service equipment industry. Their purpose, which the site did very well, was to provide information, interviews and opinions that make the food service equipment needs and preferences of operators and specifiers clearer to suppliers. This was the Schechter Report's website.

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Some observations:
If the The Schechter Report had been around during the past year as the food service industry was hammered by Covid 19 pandemic, it would have been most welcomed.Its bloggers would have been kept very busy. The restaurant industry, more than any other industry in the nation, has suffered the most significant sales and job losses since the COVID-19 outbreak began. Now there are newer websites such as Deloitte.com, Technomic.com, or Restaurant.org who provide restaurant operators the very latest information to navigate the new challenges COVID-19 presents to the foodservice industry.
I sat out- as in out of work - for six months when NYC shut down. People called it sheltering in place. I called it desperate and freaked out. I spent my days at the start fanatically playing slots (only the free versions since I had not money to spend let alone lose) half the day. I played at Miami Club Casino. You can read a review at this affiliate site, Online-Casino_party.co. New York State doesn't allow online gambling so when I tried to sign up to play with real money a while ago, I wasn't allowed. However playing for free is rather fun since you receive a chunk of PLAY money. You can be reckless with your bets since if you lose it all you can just play another free game. Now that I have a new job as a sous chef my restaurant can now cater sit down meals to our customers, I am super busy. We are still doing take outs, but with our side walk extension, the restaurant has doubled its space during these summer months. At the moment I'm too exhausted to play slots at Miami CLub Casino when I get home. But at least I have the money if I choose to play.

Some pundits say that the food service news industry will take up to 4 years to recover. Obviously for those restaurants that had to shut down it doesn't really matter the time for recovery. I must admit that there is significant concern that the virus will reappear. We are certainly not home free and clear by a long shot.

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 The Schechter Report & NEWZ-ZOOM Circa 2011 - 2012

tsrmag.com is updated daily with news, news commentary, interviews, blogs, polls and surveys. Our bloggers are thought leaders in our industry. Their observations and opinions are one reason our readers keep coming back.

NEWZ-ZOOM is the daily e-newsletter readers can subscribe to when they join The Schechter Report. NEWZ-ZOOM provides easy access to news and news commentary from the equipment side of the foodservice industry. 

The Schechter Report & NEWZ-ZOOM are published by AXIS M Inc.

 


Colstan & Associates, 2011 IR&FS, NY

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Frequently Asked Questions

 

If you have a question and can't find the answer here, please use the contact form. We will answer your questions as quickly as possible.

If you have a comment or suggestion for the web site, please post it in the feedback Forum. We always want to know what our readers are thinking.

 

Q: How do I register for The Schechter Report?

A: You can create an account and register for The Schechter Report by clicking the "Log In / Register" button in the menu bar or by clicking here.

 

Q: Why should I register for The Schechter Report?

A: When you register for The Schechter Report, you will be able to comment on favorite blogs, see how other readers voted in polls, ask or answer questions in the forums - and rate and comment on the equipment you use (or don't use). You also get the chance to sign up for NEWZ-ZOOM when you register.

 

Q: OK, I've registered, but I can't log in.

A: Make sure you used a valid email address to sign up. You will be emailed instructions on how to access your account. This is another security feature we use to prevent spammers from accessing our site. You can click the "password reminder" link if you forget or misplace your password.

 

Q: What is NEWZ-ZOOM?

A: NEWZ-ZOOM is the daily e-mail newsletter from The Schechter Report that provides easy access to news and new commentary from the equipment side of the foodservice industry. It arrives in the e-mail boxes of subscribers daily, from Monday to Friday, exclusive of holidays.

 

Q: How can I subscribe to NEWZ-ZOOM ?

A: You can subscribe to NEWZ-ZOOM without registering for TSR by  clicking here.

You can subscribe to NEWZ-ZOOM and become a member of TSRMAG in one shot by using the TSR member registration form. Make sure the check-boxes are checked in the "Newsletters" area of the page.

 

Q: How can I un-subscribe to NEWZ-ZOOM ?

A: You can un-subscribe from NEWZ-ZOOM by clicking the "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of any e-mail edition or by clicking here. But we'd be sorry to see you go.

 

Q: Did you just say Productopia?

A: You must have read ahead. The manufacturers and dealers in Productopia are each given a Company page to display one product and their essential company information. Each company also gets a Product Showroom where readers can research a number of products. Click any product in any showroom and rate your favorite, or least favorite, equipment. Don't forget to leave your comments, too.

 

Q: Did you just say I could comment on and rate equipment?

A: Yes, we did. Tell equipment manufacturers what you think of their products. Visit tsrmag.com's Productopia section, click on any manufacturer's product and you will be able to rank their equipment using a five-star rating system, as well as comment on any product you find on our site. To leave a comment, click on the "Add Your Review" link.

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Revolutionary Cooling Systems, 2011 IR&FS, NY

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- BLOGS -

Sustainable Operations

 

18 Jun 2012

Downsizing Equipment For Water And Energy Savings - Part II

Suzanne Painter-Supplee

If an operator’s flight-type or rack conveyor dishwasher is more than five years old and program changes are being considered, now is a good time to evaluate whether to budget a like for like purchase when the time has come to replace...

 

06 Jun 2012

Downsizing Equipment For Water And Energy Savings

Suzanne Painter-Supplee

In their quest to replace ‘energy hog’ dishwashers and ice makers with current, Energy Star®, CEE Tier III (ice makers), many operators go from a straight through water-cooled machine to a remote or air-cooled unit. In the...

 

09 May 2012

Proper Racks Whack Energy Bills

Suzanne Painter-Supplee

The object of the ware washing cost reduction game is to maximize the capacity of a dishwasher by washing full racks, which ultimately results in washing the same ware in fewer racks. For this exercise, let's assume that the cost per...

 

09 May 2012

27 Apr 2012

The ‘Smallwares Way’ to Smart Sustainability

Suzanne Painter-Supplee

Many commercial foodservice stakeholders believe that if the “it” to fix doesn’t have a plug or use or discharge water, isn’t responsible for cooling, heating, cooking, washing or ventilating, that the “it...

 

18 Apr 2012

Waste Air Heat Recovery, Part II -- Does It Save Money?

Suzanne Painter-Supplee

While it is common for foodservice operations to soften hard hot water, cold water is rarely treated similarly. Herein lies a problem. Heat recovery dish machines pull the majority of their water from the cold water supply

 

05 Apr 2012

Waste Air Heat Recovery -- Does It Save Money?

Suzanne Painter-Supple

There’s a funny thing about commercial dishwashers; if costs can be seen as funny. There’s the upfront equipment cost itself, installation, including running water, and power, labor to run the equipment and dollars spent on...

 

20 Mar 2012

The Ventless Dishwasher Pitch—Bold or Blather?

Suzanne Painter-Supplee

One of the chief considerations when opening a new restaurant or foodservice is the dishwasher. Buy or lease? High or low temp? Door-style machines are most common and generally require 250 CFM and a Type II hood. Some locales insist on...

 

08 Mar 2012

How Did They Do That – Part III

Suzanne Painter-Supplee

Operators may be alarmed to find that they might have to rewash and sanitize their dishes a second time.  Worse, they may do a real no no, soaking ware completely before washing, which leads to breakage and chippage due to...

 

23 Feb 2012

How Did They Do That? – Part II

Suzanne Painter-Supplee

How equipment manufacturers have achieved lower water consumption can make all the difference. No matter what the equipment is, the rating is based on how the equipment leaves the factory, not how it is programmed, installed, used, cleaned (...

 

14 Feb 2012

How Did They Do That? – Part I

Suzanne Painter-Supplee

In this series, we will examine how certain categories of equipment achieved improved water and energy savings and address effects on application, production and operating expenses that can include additional unforeseen water treatment and..

 

Schechter's Perspective

 

Social Responsibility Is Good For Equipment Suppliers

15 June, 2012

While it is good to learn, courtesy of DudaMobile’s just-released report, of the restaurant industry’s national leadership in the development of mobile-device-friendly web sites, there’s another area of current concern where further progress needs to be made. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an approach to business that has recently begun to gain significant traction with the American dining public and, now, increasingly, among some the nation’s largest restaurant chains. The question is, how can companies in the foodservice equipment and supplies distribution channel participate in this movement?

 

Turning Equipment Customers Into Partners

13 June, 2012

As restaurant and foodservice operators continue to struggle with the dismal U.S. economy, it is becoming increasingly imperative for equipment suppliers to form more productive partnerships with end-users. Sales calls by reps and DSRs should constitute just the beginning of equipment manufacturer-operator relationships. The critical next steps should include meetings of the minds, including the formation of operator advisory councils to foster improved, two-way communications.

 

Who Decides What’s Right For Restaurants?

1 June, 2012

Do chefs, restaurant owners and operators have a moral responsibility to strive for sustainability? Or does offering first-class ingredients to guests, earning consistent profits and providing dependable income to suppliers and employees constitute higher priorities? What about municipal and state governments: Should they be able to ban the sale of foods or beverages on the grounds that they contribute to unhealthful life-styles and increasing healthcare costs?

CASE IN POINT: The Hawaiian island of Maui continues to be a launching pad for some of the most progressive farm-to-table restaurants in the state. I recently visited the island staying in a perfect Maui condo rental. When we arrived I asked the property manager if she could recommend restaurants that strive for sustainability. She mentioned several, but Oceanside Restaurant is one of the latest, she said, without most diners being the wiser. When you go all guests see is great food from their “limited” menu. This “limit” has nothing to do with the staff’s capabilities, but with what Maui farms, ranchers and fishermen are able to deliver daily. The Executive chef and part-owner Gary King worked in New York at Il Buco restaurant in NoHo, Cookshop in Chelsea and Moby’s East Hampton. It’s that East Coast style that apprently drives his aggressive take on farm-to- table. It even extends to the coffee and local beers that are on tap. The restaurant, housed in the Maui Harbor Shops complex, overlooks Maalaea Harbor and is nearby to the Maui Ocean Center Aquarium outside Kahului and en route to Lahaina. Sure this is a touristy area, but it is worth the trip.

 

Equipment Defines The Concept

30 May, 2012

Every restaurateur and foodservice operator has a vision of the sort of concept they want to present to customers. In today’s multi-cultural market, restaurants and foodservices come in more types than ever before – from good-for-you to heart-attack cafes, from Nordic to Latin, from food trucks to full service. What all these disparate dining destinations have in common, however, is that every one of them relies on kitchen equipment to define their mission, menu and market niche.

 

Time To Get Your Equipment Truckin’!

25 May, 2012

This week’s news has been filled with reports on the increasing presence of food trucks, their innovative menu selections, deployment by chain restaurant companies and adoption by celebrity chefs extending the brands they’ve established at bricks and mortar establishment. While truck and van makers and customizers have attempted to join this trend by rolling out vehicles designed for use as food trucks, manufacturers of kitchen equipment have so far been conspicuous in their failure to pursue business in this emerging potential market.

 

Concept Development Now A Test-Bed For New Restaurant Technology

23 May, 2012

One of the more interesting trends in restaurateuring is the development of fast casual concepts by full-service chains. Red Robin is the latest to take its better burger brand into the fast casual niche and there are several good reasons that this approach will resonate positively with customers.

 

Brand Differentiation Boosts Sales

18 May, 2012

In many instances, manufacturers’ reps act as barometers when it comes to evaluating levels of business activity in the foodservice industry. The latest business report from MAFSI, the trade association for reps, indicates that sales growth is still on the rise, but at a much more moderate pace than was predicted at the beginning of this year.

 

Becoming A Knowledge Factory

16 May, 2012

Operators of restaurants and foodservices today face a plethora of challenges ranging from the weak economy and customers’ need to minimize their dining out expenditures to the growing necessity of mastering social media marketing and adapting programs to include online transactions. Add in consumers’ demands for nutrition information, transparency and ever-wider menu diversity, and it’s easy to realize that operators require more support and education than ever before.

 

Equipping Web-Based Operations

11 May, 2012

The time has now arrived when suppliers of mobile apps, network integration software and internet-linked ordering and payment tablets can be classified as providers of foodservice equipment and supplies. As was evidenced by the growing number of high-tech exhibitors at this year’s NRA Show, providing the software and hardware that fosters interactive communications between operators and their customers is definitely one of the sweet spots for suppliers in our industry.

 

Why Equipment Brand Extensions Go Wrong

9 May, 2012

Foodservice equipment manufacturers pursue many strategies in their quest for profits during difficult economic times. Some drop prices, hoping to make up in volume what they sacrifice in margins. Others add more bells and whistles to existing models to gain competitive advantages and avoid commoditization. Perhaps the most commonly adopted approach, however, is to introduce new product line-ups, to take market share from rivals by offering types of equipment hitherto not sold by a company.

 

2012 NRA Show Preview

4 May, 2012

With the 2012 NRA Show scheduled to kickoff on May 5, attendees will be drawn by a wide variety of interests and business concerns. Some industry professionals will attend to hold planning sessions with business partners, others will look to taste-test new food offerings, some will register for skill- and knowledge-building seminars and still others simply for the chance to visit with friends and colleagues.

 

The Future Of Kitchen Operations And Design

2 May, 2012

Whether it’s a mobile kitchen for the in-room preparation of a hotel breakfast program or an entirely new menu at a leading molecular gastronomy restaurant, innovators are driven to convert dreams into reality. From operators with new concepts to foodservice designers who yearn to merge sustainable functionality with welcoming ambiance, our industry is abundantly supplied with imaginative professionals whose creativity is displayed on a daily basis.

 

Picturing The Advantages of Equipment Videos

27 April, 2012

More and more in the foodservice industry, marketing and customer communication is becoming about visual imagery. In Florida, the Carmel Café chain is utilizing iPad-based “MenuPads” to enable customers to view high-resolution photos of current menu items, as well as send their own orders instantaneously to restaurant kitchens.

 

Fighting Hunger Is Good Business

25 April, 2012

As more and more foodservice customers look to operators (and E&S suppliers) to exercise social responsibility, it’s time for industry professionals of all types to step up our efforts to fight hunger in America. Nearly 50 million Americans now face going without food and malnutrition on a daily basis, and with persistently high unemployment rates and cut-backs in social services budgets, the problem is only getting worse.

 

Making The Consultant Connection

20 April, 2012

Despite the need to grow sales in an overcrowded market, a surprising number of foodservice equipment manufacturers still have not figured out how to build mutually beneficial, long-lasting relationships with specifying consultants. Almost every equipment maker has established solid and productive communication channels with other members of the E&S distribution channel, but for most factories gaining the support and trust of specifiers continues to be a mystery.

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