The Post-COVID 19 Kitchen
Change is an inevitable fact of life. Sometimes change is a voluntary action to try something new, sometimes change is a required response to events outside of our control. Over the past 3 weeks, every single restaurant that makes up this $863 billion a year industry has felt the pressure of responding to the Covid-19 pandemic. Whether that meant re-configuring their tables to comply with social distancing measures, reworking their menu to accommodate carryout-only orders, or closing their doors entirely. One thing is for certain, the effects of these changes will bring about a new wave of kitchens - the post Covid-19 kitchen.
For most restaurants, closing their doors entirely means the loss of months’ worth of inventory and a definite strain on budgets. Chef Erling Wu-Bower at Pacific Standard Time in downtown Chicago knew this was not an option and quickly reworked the menu to serve one specific dish based on his inventory of food each day for his carryout patrons. He began smoking and dehydrating the ingredients that would not last during a prolonged shutdown and smoked meats in bulk to keep up with customer demands. “So far the meals we’ve offered have featured smoked chicken thighs, bourbon-sweet tea smoked pork chops, green chile pork shoulder, smoked pork collar roasts, and Szechuan spiced smoked bacon from the GAME CHANGER Smoker,” says head butcher Daniel Davis. These meals have sold out nearly every night - proving great food can be enjoyed in both a booth and a lazy-boy recliner.
On the other end of the spectrum, Executive Chef Colby Bilbo received the call to completely shut down the University of Texas’s dining services. The kitchen that served three meals a day to over 50,000 hungry college students had to unexpectedly close - possibly for a few weeks, but more likely until the fall. With the intent to feed that many people each day, imagine the inventory that Chef Bilbo was left with on his hands. Immediately, he pulled out all of his perishable foods and began using his GAME CHANGER Smoker to make sauces, soups, and pesto that could be frozen until next fall. His favorite concoction was his twist on pesto with smoked almonds, pine nuts, leeks and ramps - not your typical cafeteria food!
Many restaurants are making do of a difficult situation but are looking forward to the revival traditional dine-in service. While we hope this is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, this likely will not be the last forced shutdown in the restaurant industry - begging the question of how to prepare for this in the future. Just as Daniel used the GAME CHANGER Smoker to prolong the expiration of his perishable foods, kitchens will need to have plans in place to deal with inventory during shutdowns. Adaptable menus to switch to carry-out-only service at the drop of a hat will also help these painful transitions. Lastly, efficient equipment that can operate with little supervision will make the jobs of a shoestring staff much easier. Investing time and money into these measures now will cause less tension on employees, patrons, and owners when (not if) the next wave of mandatory change arises.
During this season of isolation and distancing, there is also a sense of unity and solidarity starting in our communities and spreading throughout the world. Though the weight of these events seems defeating, there is no doubt that we will rise to the occasion and come back stronger than before. The food industry adaptable - and though change may be painful, it is necessary to keep advancing.
Click here to add your restaurant to the Rally for Restaurant’s Directory so customers can easily find your carryout menu. For more information about how the GAME CHANGER Smoker could help your post Covid-19 kitchen, email sales@gamechangersmoker.com or call 574-353-7855.