Lisa Arnett – Foodservice Equipment Reports Magazine

Before You Go: National Restaurant Association Show 2026

Lisa Arnett — Fri, 01 May 2026 14:07:23 +0000

The National Restaurant Association Show 2026 is set to take place May 16-19 at McCormick Place in Chicago. “Last year we welcomed almost 58,000 attendees and exhibitors … and we are expecting that number, maybe even a little more this year because it’s a non-NAFEM year,” says Caitlin Rodgers, senior director of marketing for exhibitions for Informa Connect Foodservice Group. Roughly 2,000…

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Look Through Tips for Specifying Food Shields

Lisa Arnett — Fri, 01 May 2026 13:41:23 +0000

Breath guards, sneeze guards, food shields—whatever you like to call them—have been around since the ’50s and have become a main staple of food protection,” says one manufacturer. Some of the latest innovations within the category aim to improve ease of use for operators as well as aesthetics for customers. To help guide you on your journey to outfit your operation with the latest food shields…

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Smart Buying Tips for Heavy-Duty Planetary Mixers

Lisa Arnett — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 15:29:11 +0000

Whether for mixing doughs, blending batters or whipping cream, heavy-duty planetary mixers are versatile all-stars. “Heavy-duty planetary mixers are commercial workhorses designed for continuous, high-load production, not occasional batch prep,” says one manufacturer. “These mixers are built to run all day in demanding environments like bakeries, commissaries and high-volume kitchens.

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Consultants Highlight Catering Equipment Trends

Lisa Arnett — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 15:17:02 +0000

Catering continues to be a profit center for many operators. Here, three foodservice consultants—David B. Hammersley of TBCI Design in St. Petersburg, Fla.; Ryan Rongo of Chicago-based S2O Consultants; and Matthew Anderson of Rippe Associates in Minneapolis-St. Paul—share the latest in equipment they’re recommending for their catering clients. Rongo often works with sports teams on stadiums…

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Ready, Set, Automate: Mapping Your Kitchen Automation Journey

Lisa Arnett — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 11:04:52 +0000

From robotic salad assemblers to auto-breaders and batterers, it’s easy to be dazzled by shiny new technology hitting the market. “(Operators) see these cool things and they don’t know where to start,” says Rob Seely, associate vice president of operations strategy and design at WD Partners. “They want to make sure they’re not missing out and behind the curve.” When it comes to introducing…

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Focus On: Limited Service Restaurants

Lisa Arnett — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 11:15:37 +0000

Though the plexiglass shields, masks and gloves of early pandemic days are no longer ubiquitous, cleanliness continues to be paramount to customers of limited-service restaurants, says Datassential Senior Director of Content Ann Golladay, who wrote the company’s 2022 Limited-Service Restaurant Keynote report after polling 1,000 consumers and 277 limited-service operators in July and August 2022.

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Focus On: Senior Living

Lisa Arnett — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 12:00:17 +0000

With the bulk of pandemic disruption hopefully in the rearview, the senior living segment is refocusing on another force of nature. “The impending ‘silver tsunami’—roughly 76 million baby boomers now aged 55 to 75—will be a real game-changer,” says Donna Wixted, a former vice president at Genesis HealthCare who is now a consultant with Ruck-Shockey Associates. More well-traveled and food-savvy…

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Focus On: Food Halls

Lisa Arnett — Fri, 03 Jun 2022 21:02:02 +0000

Food halls are getting a fresh start, in more ways than one. New ones are opening, some after lengthy delays. San Francisco’s La Cocina Municipal Marketplace—a kitchen incubator for women- and immigrant-led food businesses—was nearing completion in March 2020 when lockdowns began. This spring, it finally opened, serving Senegalese, Algerian, Salvadorian and Mexican cuisine to hungry customers.

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Focus On: Convenience Stores

Lisa Arnett — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 09:00:34 +0000

From sit-down dining to easy grab-and-go meals, convenience stores are continuing to build on their food options for travelers of all stripes. “A lot of the c-stores are doing much more prepared food than they ever did,” says Arlene Spiegel, president of foodservice consulting firm Arlene Spiegel & Associates. “All I see is possibilities and being smarter and more careful with the use of people…

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Focus On: Lodging Foodservice

Lisa Arnett — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 16:44:14 +0000

The rebound of business and leisure travel has helped lodging foodservice find its footing again. As in pre-pandemic times, in-hotel restaurants continue to compete with off-property restaurants and delivery platforms. “Delivering an elevated and differentiated food-and-beverage experience continues to be of the greatest importance,” says Philip Bean, design client relations manager for RealFood…

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