VIDEO: 6 Trends in 6 Minutes

With the world changing at an unprecedented pace, operators may have trouble finding a moment to keep up. As such, the FER editorial team pointed to the top equipment trends during a session at our Virtual NEXT event in June.

1. Show your sanitation. Look for safety shields in new places, including POS stations. And makers now offer more upscale hand-sanitizing stations.

2. Contactless is the new frictionless. Expect more touchless equipment, from hand sinks to beverage dispensers.

3. Reducing costs through energy efficiency. True, energy efficiency is more of a core pillar versus a trend when it comes to equipment but plan on seeing operators hyper-focused on it as a way to reduce utility costs.

4. Connectivity. Manufacturers offer total kitchen management systems that feed into one platform and monitor all kinds of data. On a smaller scale, single equipment pieces too can report data.

5. Labor-saving equipment. Self-cleaning equipment, robots and digital
interfaces that store recipes are a few examples.

6. Off-premise accelerated. Plan on new releases that support off-premise orders. Recent advancements include heated holding shelves and a sealing machine for beverages.

Photo courtesy of Sestra Systems