There’s nothing better than helping a customer transform their foodservice operation.
And in the world of razor thin margins, alleviating their work-related stressors often drastically improves their personal life.
For example, Frank Mendoza, the owner and executive chef of El Sushi Loco, got the right advice on equipment that eliminates unnecessary costs, makes prepping more efficient and even helps retain his staff.
And now his restaurants are thriving.
“One of the best investments of my culinary career without a doubt,” Mendoza said about the equipment. “It has literally transformed my restaurant operations both financially and emotionally.”
Mendoza started El Sushi Loco as a single food truck in 2010. With hard work and advice from foodservice professionals he trusts, he has since built his company into three successful locations across Southern California.
In this industry, setting your foodservice clients up for success is important to build long-term relationships. You solidify yourself as a trusted source for important decisions that help their business grow.
“Surround yourself with people you trust,” Mendoza said. “These were big decisions I had to make, and it could have been a bad investment if I didn’t find people who will help you make a good decision.”
Getting rid of hidden costs helped Mendoza grow his business
Manual tasks are often the biggest time- and labor-wasters – especially for locations that have been short-staffed for years.
At El Sushi Loco, it used to take his team 30 minutes to manually slice 55 pounds of tomatoes. And it took 8 hours to cook 40 pounds of shrimp in a stock pot.
Eliminating those manual tasks was a major driver in the company’s growth.
“You need the proper tools to do the job,” Mendoza said. “I understand that restaurant operators do not want to spend money [on equipment] because we have a lot to spend on within the restaurant. We have hundreds of items that we spend on. But right now we are spending that money and we don’t even know it.”
Operational improvements that were a result of the new equipment include:
- With the Electrolux Professional TrinityPro food processor, it only takes staff 5 minutes (not 30 minutes) to slice those 55 pounds of tomatoes.
- With the Electrolux Professional SkyLine Combi Oven and Electrolux Professional SkyLine Blast Chiller, it takes 6 minutes to cook 120 pounds of shrimp.
- For that same shrimp, the Electrolux Professional Thawing Cabinet safely defrosts 300 pounds of shrimp easily in an 8-hour cycle – without using water or ice, reducing shrimp spoilage from 30% to zero and lowering water consumption.
- With the Electrolux Professional Pressure Braising Pan, El Sushi Loco cooks 80 pounds of chicken in 8 minutes to the right temperature every time. Then they vacuum seal the cooked chicken, which means ticket times are drastically cut down because all his staff needs to do when they get an order is reheat it.
Avoiding the challenges of being short-staffed and minimizing costly turnover
Another major reason for El Sushi Loco’s growth was that the labor-and-time-saving processes make the most of his staff without burning them out. In doing so, he is able to address two causes of high turnover rates that are common in the restaurant industry: low wages and being overworked.
Staff can complete tasks quickly and easily with the right equipment, reducing the potential burning out. Plus, by limiting the manual tasks in the back-of-the-house, Mendoza’s team can focus more on providing 5-star service to customers – building the loyalty that grows businesses.
And with additional revenue from slashing unnecessary costs, Mendoza can take care of his staff and the community – transforming not only his business, but also his life.
“When you create efficiencies, you’re going to make more money,” Mendoza said. “And when you create more money, you can do something with that money – you can give back to the community.”
Further details:
To learn more about how Frank Mendoza uses Electrolux Professional kitchen equipment to reduce food waste costs and create efficient processes that can help to reduce costly turnover, read this case study.
