Transcript
Foster Frable Food Display Cases: Looking Toward the Future By Foster Frable Jr., Clevenger Frable LaVallee
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D
isplay cases have become an important factor in the foodservice equipment business over the last few years. Here are six important reasons to give serious consideration to this future trend: • The popularity of self-service/grab-and-go food delivery. • The desire for customers to see a wide variety of product offerings and make their own selections. • Transition in the channel from mostly store fixture and retail grocery manufacturers and distributors to foodservice equipment manufacturers and equipment dealers. • The evolution from all-purpose bakery or refrigerated display cases to highly specialized and niche cases often designed for just one product—examples range from the little display coolers for energy drink cans to air-curtain display cases that display greens in a vertical salad bar. • Broad availability of attractive designer European display cases that many consider to be “works of art.” • Strong interest in the visual appearance of display cases by architects and interior designers who view them as part of the overall décor. First things first, it’s important to convey to your customers that display cases are designed to hold food at a safe temperature, not chill it. Canned or bottled beverages in a display case can take hours to reach a 40- to 50-degree serving temperature. Water and soda products that are stored in an ambient storage area should be pre-chilled in a separate upright or walk-in refrigerator before being placed in a display case. Some specialty cases offer a “turbo” refrigeration system and special coil to help pre-chill products, but these are the exception and not available on most models. The shape and design of display cases has changed. Square or slanted glass is replacing curved glass in upscale outlets.The new shapes provide a “jewelry box” appearance and designers love it. Curved glass has a tendency to reflect any store lighting that is above the case. Optional non-glare glass is available for most case sizes but typically adds unnecessary cost. Curved glass can also have minor waves within the glass that can distort the view of the food inside the case. The lighting source for cases is moving toward 100 percent LED, which offers a better direct beam of light than fluorescent lighting. Although fluorescent lighting does illuminate, 44 FEDA News & Views
it doesn’t produce a beam or focus of light. The positioning of the LED fixture is critical to the success of the food display. Hussmann introduced an LED sliding light fixture at the Food Marketing Institute’s retail show. It offers the flexibility to strategically beam light on a specific spot. For the highest impact on merchandising food, the actual color of the lighting is important, depending on the food product being displayed. The most common is white lighting, with choices of warm tones and cool tones, but there are other options. Color charts, showing the effect that light has on maintaining proper food temperature, are available from most case manufacturers. Shelving options typically include glass, wire, or stainless/ painted metal. Glass is becoming more popular because wire or painted shelves tend to rust or stain in a refrigerated case. Glass shelves offer the best visual and also subtly communicate a higher level of quality. A solid end panel is recommended if the location of a display case is next to a solid wall or partition, and the interior panel should have a mirror, which offers a noticeable difference on food presentation inside the case. The rear doors of a case should have a partially transparent mirror at the back, so customers cannot see through the door but the server will have some ability to see inside the case. If several cases are needed, the fluid look of multiple cases in an uninterrupted line-up has become popular. Cases are available in straight
Options to Consider When the Environment is a Factor Most refrigerated display cases are designed to operate in an environment with an ambient temperature of 75° F with 55 percent relative humidity. In situations where the environment may not be ideal, consider the options below. • Insulated glass in lieu of non-insulated glass • Air chase, or air sweep, allowing warm air to flow or discharge up front face of the glass. This is similar to the defroster for the windshield of a car. • -Glass with embedded heater wires—similar to a rear-window defroster in a car. This option is not available on all sizes and shapes of glass. • -Glass perimeters with embedded heater wires. • -A combination of insulated glass with heater wires around perimeter of glass combined with an air chase/sweep. This gives the best value solution to adverse conditions, such as display cases located near an outside door in places like Miami or New Orleans. Note: It still doesn’t guarantee lack of condensation in un-conditioned environments.
lengths, or in wedges, allowing more geometric layout opportunities. Functional Considerations Cleaning is a big part of maintaining a good-looking display case. This important maintenance task is easier if lift-up or tilt-out glass is incorporated instead of stationary glass. Fixed glass is less expensive since the need for mounting, pivot, or lift-up hardware adds cost, but the drawback to fixed glass is the difficulty in cleaning the inside of the glass front. Insulated glass versus non-insulated glass is also an important choice, and it’s all about condensation. The needto-know differences between the two: Insulated glass is heavier so it’s harder to integrate lift-up or tilt features into the design for cleaning. Insulated glass reduces the potential for condensation but requires metal trim where two edges of glass meet. Non-insulated glass can have butt seams (glass to glass) with no trim or hardware. Butt seams are a popular feature with some interior designers, so if you are concerned with condensation, you need to make the designer and customer aware of the risk. If fixed glass is used, insulated is better because it minimizes condensation. However, insulated glass isn’t available in all sizes. Lift-up glass comes with insulated or non-insulated options, but it’s important to keep in mind that not all applications need insulated glass. In a nutshell, the greater the variance in temperature and humidity, where the case is located (think condensation), the better it is to have insulated glass that is fully accessible for cleaning. Other cleaning considerations in the functional design include selecting cases with easily removable shelving and hardware. Rear doors should be removable to allow cleaning within the door track. Some of the cases imported from Asia and Europe may not follow NSF or other sanitation standards and could create issues regarding whatever local health department rules may apply. Cases may use forced air or gravity for cooling, which can affect the food displayed inside. For most prepared foods, “air over” or forced air is acceptable. A gravity coil has application for meat/ cheese-style cases or bakery products,
such as NY-style cheesecakes. The drawback to a gravity coil is that interior temperatures can temporarily rise in the situation of heavy use (where rear doors are open and closed constantly over long periods of time).
a wooden floor, so it’s best to plan for a direct drain whenever possible. Use caution when considering placing any cooking equipment (or any other heat source) directly behind a display case. This could result in hot air being drawn in display cases versus room-temSelf-Contained Cases Versus Cases perature air. In some instances, espewith Remote Compressors cially in tight kiosks, cooking equipment As a general rule of thumb, if there (like double-deck convection ovens) can are three or more cases, the compres- discharge so much heat that it affects the sors should be remote. In addition to refrigeration compressors intake, triggereliminating noise and heat issues, remote ing a short cycling of compressors. compressors also eliminate the need for The location of the display case also a large grill on the base of the case— can have a big impact on performance. that may conflict with the overall design In atriums, greenhouses, or patios, direct motif. It also eliminates the need to man- sunlight will cause a temperature rise age the airflow in and out of cases when inside the case. Air conditioning is often they are built into a niche or mounted turned off at night putting further strain along a wall. on the case. Since display cases should Cases usually have an option for a be emptied and cleaned each day, the condensate drain or a condensate pan. best suggestion may be to turn them Condensate pans add heat and humidity, off when they are emptied. Cases take need to be cleaned regularly, and may approximately 60-90 minutes to reach not function on days with high tem- proper chill temperature, so timers can perature and humidity. Water from an be installed to allow them to pre-chill overflowing condensate pan can create continued on page 55 a slip hazard in front of a case or warp
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Foster Frable continued
before the store and servery opens. Any refrigerated display case located outdoors or close to an operating door should have double-insulated glass, particularly in areas with high temperatures and humidity (which includes most of the country). Nothing diminishes the appearance of a food display faster than a fogged-up and/or dripping glass case. Décor Trends In addition to square glass cases, what are some of the other trends in display case design and décor options that are available? 1.
The “fresh food-market look,” where cases are blended in with grab-and-go options, display tables, and wood or wire shelving.
2.
A “jewel-box” case that’s installed on a decorative worktable. The refrigeration section is recessed below the tabletop—it looks like a case that could be displaying vintage Rolex watches, but it just so happens that today it’s displaying a selection of tapas or sushi. Jewel case designs are often used to showcase composed food offerings and plated items so customers can see what’s available. In a refrigerated environment, food remains fresh and crisp.
3.
Rustic materials are being used (patina metal/weathered appearance) as well as repurposed/reclaimed woods.
4.
Blends of stainless with powder-coat colors.
5.
Tiny slivers of cases that can be built into the front edge of a cashier or order station to offer specifically selected grab-and-go beverages or desserts right at the point of sale.
6.
Vertical glass towers in contemporary styles that bring back merchandising memories of the old Traulsen “ShowOff” hexagon pie-display refrigerators.
7.
Desire for the same “built-in” appearance as the residential Sub-Zero refrigerators, where the case is set flush into a wall or a niche. The Viking wine refrigerators are a good example of products now available to the foodservice equipment channel.
8.
Continued growth in wine display cases, particularly ones that can be integrated into the restaurant décor.
The décor, utility, maintenance—there are several options to consider when helping your customer choose the right display case. When those decisions are well-thought out, ROI and guest satisfaction is maximized. Thanks to P.J. Gavin of RPI Industries for his contribution to this article.
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