The Benefits of Food-Grade Conveyors in Restaurants

When you think of conveyor systems in restaurants, you probably think of Krispy Kreme’s giant metal conveyors, baking and glazing their famous original glazed donuts. Or maybe you think of those small conveyor belts at sushi restaurants, where kaitenzushi winds its way around the restaurant, allowing the diners to take whichever dishes they’d like.

Many different conveyors in food industry have revolutionised how food is processed and handled, these have primarily been on the manufacturing side and provided great benefits for several decades at this point, improving efficiency, sanitation levels and reduced human interaction in the production process.
 
However, there are to be more opportunities to incorporate conveyor systems into restaurants in the future, especially in the fast-food business. Burger King’s “Restaurant of Tomorrow” concept has already opened the door for this idea. Here are just a few of the benefits of food-grade conveyors in restaurants.

They Increase Productivity

Industrialization increases productivity. When specific processes are automated, workers can better focus their attention, enabling them to produce more overall.

Let’s take kaitenzushi as an example. On average, a skilled sushi chef using traditional methods can prepare four sushi rolls per minute. However, a chef using a sushi robot to mix and flatten the rice can assemble 10 or 12 sushi rolls per minute.

Though this method eliminates traditional sushi's luxurious, personal nature, kaitenzushi allows diners to enjoy larger quantities of sushi at a far lower price point. Automating wherever possible is always a good idea when it comes to increasing output.

They Reduce the Spread of Illnesses

Conveyors, especially with touchpad ordering systems, allow employees to reduce contact and proximity to customers. Especially in the context of the recent pandemic, this could be a huge milestone when it comes to keeping customers and staff safe.

Reducing unnecessary contact between individuals lessens the chance of spreading sicknesses, even with common illnesses like the flu.

They’re Extremely Sanitary

Conveyor systems have a long history of usage in the food processing industry. Industries that use them are held to high sanitary standards by the FDA. The conveyors in the food processing industry are often used to handle raw meat and must do so without contaminating the product. The chances of these conveyors contaminating cooked or packaged food items are incredibly slim.

Introducing food-grade conveyors into restaurants has plenty of benefits. It will be fascinating to see whether this innovation becomes common and commonplace sights and strategies for success with Breakfast Leadership — your go-to source for leadership articles, shows, and more. Subscribe today to stay informed and inspired!