Lauren Coughlin – Foodservice Equipment Reports Magazine

Pro Tips To Avoid Downtime With Ice Machines

Lauren Coughlin — Fri, 01 May 2026 14:19:28 +0000

Spring cleaning may be top of mind currently, but anyone who’s faced downtime with their ice machine also knows the importance of regular, year-round upkeep. Refrigerated Specialist Inc.’s Dustin Hensley, a master CFESA technician and trainer, says following a planned maintenance schedule is the best way an operator can avoid downtime with ice machines. Tasks to focus on include cleaning the…

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Find the Right High-Speed Oven—Faster

Lauren Coughlin — Fri, 01 May 2026 14:07:04 +0000

High-speed ovens can meticulously mind your ps and qs: pizzas and paninis, quesadillas and more quintessential fare. Thanks to recipe programming, the units promptly free up staff members’ hands and minds, letting them cater to customers without burning someone’s lunch. This ease of use has appealed to assorted operators—from convenience stores and national fast-casuals to independents…

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What To Look For in a Pizza Prep Table

Lauren Coughlin — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 15:00:21 +0000

While van Gogh very well may have been an adept finger painter, the world at large benefited from him having more advanced, though simple, tools at his fingertips. So, too, should an efficiency-minded pizza establishment. After all, from Chicago to New York, pizza-making is a highly personalized art. A pizza prep table—which stows cheese, sauce, toppings and, sometimes, dough…

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Beverage Balance: What’s New With Fountain Beverage Dispensers

Lauren Coughlin — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 13:43:32 +0000

A thirst for more knowledge is noticeable in the beverage space, where data could potentially drum up more sales, among other perks. IoT and automation, along with touchless dispensing options that came out of the pandemic, are a few newer innovations on fountain beverage dispensers, with some off-the-shelf models as well as custom collaborations between manufacturers and operators.

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A Technician’s Advice for Weathering Winter

Lauren Coughlin — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 13:00:19 +0000

When the weather outside gets frightful in select portions of the U.S., operators just might be in for disruption indoors, as well. For some insight on potentially sidestepping downtime and added costs, we checked in with Jason Williams, Delaware Valley field service supervisor at Baltimore-based EMR. FER: What are the main wintertime equipment issues you see in the mid-Atlantic?

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Foodservice Operators Share 2026 Outlooks

Lauren Coughlin — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 12:20:31 +0000

Tune in as operators share 2026 perspectives as part of FER’s annual state of the industry coverage. Chief restaurant officer Teriyaki Madness, Denver “In 2026 we’ll focus on equipment that protects what makes Teriyaki Madness special (made-to-order, wok-to-order freshness) while accelerating execution. We’re assessing our current platform and testing solutions that reduce bottlenecks…

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Costa Coffee Adds Convection Ovens, More

Lauren Coughlin — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 15:00:50 +0000

A pair of equipment additions and a handful of fresh drive-thru stores in the U.K.—from Ashford to Maidstone and beyond—have perked up the portfolio of Costa Coffee in recent months. Charlie Ferguson, the brand’s head of propositions and implementation for the U.K. and Ireland, shared details with FER. For one, Costa Coffee is in the process of rolling out countertop convection ovens.

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‘Unmistakably Us’—Advice for Designing a Custom Food Truck

Lauren Coughlin — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 19:17:04 +0000

Even with the best-laid plans, getting from Point A to Point B can bring any number of detours and delays. Such was the path for Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream, which considered a consistent brand experience, for customers and employees alike, to be a crucial checkpoint in its food truck roadmap. That goal required some creativity in design and engineering, and the timeline scooted from an…

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Your Guide to Nitro Coffee Systems

Lauren Coughlin — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 11:17:37 +0000

Whether jet black and piping hot, sweetened and chilled, foam-adorned or somewhere in between, coffee, in its many forms, is a beverage of choice for many. American adults drink about 516 million cups of coffee a day, according to the National Coffee Association’s Spring 2025 National Coffee Data Trends report, released in April. During a select week in January 2025, 9% of consumers ages 25-39…

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Smoothie King Equips for Its First Food Menu

Lauren Coughlin — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 12:00:43 +0000

Bringing some warmth to Smoothie King’s menu called for the addition of new equipment. Today, Aug. 26, the chain launches its first food menu in the brand’s 50-year history, and a ventless high-speed oven plays a key role in several of the offerings. The ovens will warm items like Egg Clouds (veggie, turkey sausage or turkey bacon varieties grace the menu) and sous vide chicken tenders…

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