Nashville: (615) 255-2002
Memphis: (901) 379-0900
Chattanooga: (423) 629-0906
Johnson City: (423) 979-0069
Knoxville: (865) 692-4840
Fixed Right. Fast, Guaranteed.
Each year, the Restaurant Facilities Management Association (RFMA) hosts an annual conference that connects professionals across the industry to converse and display new and existing ideas, connect with existing clients, and catch up with peers. We’ve been a conference sponsor for the past few years, and it’s become one of the best ways to stay connected with the industry.
This year, we had the chance to send
Mark LeBerte,
Donny Smith, Neil Townsend,
Debra Zotto, and
Melony Martin to attend the 2023 conference. Our team had a great time gathering with old friends, catching up with peers in the industry, and making connections with new facility directors. If you couldn’t make it, here are a few of the most important insights we noticed from the various RIF talks, breakout sessions, roundtable discussions, and conversations we had throughout the conference. We learned even more about how to run a successful restaurant kitchen.
1. The most successful restaurants balance industry trends with the foundational elements.
The restaurant industry has changed dramatically in the last few years. First, the pandemic forced restaurants to find new ways to attract and serve customers. Technology-enabled equipment has also been a popular topic across the industry. While these new trends can be a great way to attract new customers and boost sales, they can also be a challenge for restaurant managers to implement. The key for restaurant managers is to find a way to balance these new trends with the foundational basics of
running a successful commercial kitchen. This means hiring the right staff, getting things right in the back of the house, and managing food costs effectively.
The restaurants that are thriving have found a way to incorporate the right trends into their operations without sacrificing the quality of the food or the customer experience.
2. Every restaurant is looking for innovative and effective ideas for hiring and training employees.
Hiring is a challenge that seems unanimous across the industry. Many of the main sessions and breakouts at RFMA were dedicated to helping restaurant owners and managers address the labor shortage. If you’re interested, you can check out a couple of
RIF talks on the RFMA YouTube page. In addition to trying new ideas for attracting employees, such as enhancing benefits and offering flexible schedules, leaders highlighted the importance of training and developing employees in every part of your restaurant. For commercial kitchen managers, that means
training staff to take ownership of the kitchen to create an environment they enjoy working in each day.
3. Establishing a solid operation requires building relationships with providers and vendors.
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Restaurant owners and managers are having to manage an increasingly complex number of tasks and relationships to keep their operations running. With all those factors in mind, how can you build and maintain strong partnerships with your vendors? One of the most interesting RIF talks of 2023 highlighted this important idea.
At ATECH, we’ve built our business on valuing relationships over transactions and doing everything possible to support the restaurants and kitchens we partner with.
4. Restaurant owners and kitchen managers need to maintain equipment and address issues early.
A major trend we heard in conversations was the importance of equipment maintenance. We handed out our
free Planned Maintenance Checklist and discussed work order automation to help commercial kitchens reduce downtime and keep everything running smoothly. Automation, equipment maintenance, and clear processes and roles are all part of how to run a restaurant kitchen efficiently.
We enjoyed attending RFMA 2023 to connect with other professionals in the restaurant industry. We learned a lot about the latest trends and technologies, made some valuable connections, and enjoyed each other’s company at our dinner at Boudro’s and party at Rio Rio Cantina. We hope to continue to build on these relationships in the future.
Attending industry events is just one of the ways we stay informed about restaurant industry trends. If you have an issue with your kitchen, refrigeration, or HVAC equipment or want to discuss what type of outside equipment you should buy, we’re here to help. Feel free to reach out anytime through
our website or over the phone.
Locations also available in Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Johnson City
Nashville: (615) 255-2002
Memphis: (901) 379-0900
Chattanooga: (423) 629-0906
Johnson City: (423) 979-0069
Knoxville: (865) 692-4840
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