Update you Kitchen w/ Update International Cookware

There are several different factors to consider when purchasing cookware for your residential or commercial kitchen. Among the various types of cookware, Stainless steel is the most common choice among cooks. Checkout why......

Construction

• High tolerance durability
• Resists scratches, rust, stains, and corrosion
• Warp-free

Reactivity

• Contains no reactive metals
  
• Great tasting food without the extra metal absorbency
  

Maintenance

• Keeps luster and shine
• Very little upkeep involved

Price

• Moderately affordable

I know you must be saying "wait a minute, stainless steel cookware is not a good source for heat conductivity!". Well we are now an authorized dealer for Update International, which offers stainless steel cookware with a 3-ply base that consists of 2 layers of stainless surrounding a 5mm thick aluminum core. This aluminum core helps with extreme heat distribution, resulting in tasteful and evenly cooked food.

Therefore, based on all the aspects you need to consider when looking for quality cookware... Choose Stainless steel cookware by Update International. Shop with us online today at www.jeansrestaurantsupply.com.

Holiday Food Variations

A brisk breeze chilling the air, lights decorating every street, carols and festive music being played for all to be heard - the holiday season is here! The holiday mood can also be experienced in taste as well. Many foods and dessert items can easily be made more seasonal by adding a few simple ingredients such as mint, cinnamon, allspice, or nutmeg.

Restaurants can often increase sales by offering holiday variations of common menu items. Holiday variations on traditional foods such as nutmeg coffee cake, mint chocolate brownies, or minty variations of hot drinks are a big hit among consumers. Best of all, holiday spices often play well with most ingredients used in the kitchen. Spread some more warmth this season and try out a holiday recipe today!

Tankless Water Heaters

What exactly is a tankless water heater?

A tankless water heater allows for the heating of an establishment's water without having to heat up an entire tank like a traditional water heater. Because a traditional water has a tank that refills with water, the temperature of the water that is produced is not consistent. A tank that refills with water also has the problem of heating and reheating water that is not used in the tank every time hot water is needed. Because of this inefficiency with traditional water heaters, heating and reheating the same tank of water will cost the user more money. In comparison, a tankless water heater only heats up the amount of water needed, which saves on energy costs. This feature also allows a tankless heater to be more consistent with the temperature of the water produced, as well as produce an unlimited amount of hot water without having to wait for a tank to refill. Tankless water heaters are also generally a fourth the size of traditional water heaters and have twice the longevity.

Installing a tankless water heater in your home or restaurant can be a very cost effective long term investment. Everyone can benefit from a product that takes up less space, is more energy efficient, and can produce a consistent supply of hot water. At Jean's, we offer the best selection in tankless water heaters to meet your home or restaurant needs. Start saving money on energy today!

Go Virtual! Benefits of the Restaurant Virtual Gift Card

Many casual-dining foodservice chains have embraced a new, exciting and innovative way to increase their sales. It is in the form of a Virtual Gift Card. Some of the participating chains include Chili's Grill & Bar, Landry's Seafood, Ruby Tuesday, and recently Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar has joined in.

Here's How it Works:

• Buyer purchases gift card online.
• Virtual gift card is emailed to recipient, and a text message notification can be sent, depending on the food chain.
• Recipient will receive email with a link to the merchant website that will provide them with redemption information, and terms and conditions.
• Recipient can print virtual gift card or in some cases redeem it directly from their mobile phone with the gift card's identification code at the restaurant location.

Gift cards may be personalized with images, photos, and self recorded audio tracks.

Benefits of the Virtual Gift Card for Buyers

• Hassle free shopping- Save time and money by purchasing these gift cards without ever leaving the house.
• Avoid extra costs by sending gifts to out of town relatives by mail delivery.
• Receive incentives or bonuses-For instance, Outback Steakhouse offers the buyer a $20 bonus card for every $100 gift card purchase till the end of December. Bonus card is redeemable at any of the company's brand restaurants.

Benefits of the Virtual Gift Card for Restaurants

• Allows buyers to make last minute online purchases.
  
• Creates a basis for potential future customers.
• Increases sales and decreases cost of ordering plastic gift cards.
  

Benefits of the Virtual Gift Card for Recipients

• Enjoy dining out at your favorite restaurant.
• Cannot be lost or stolen, and replaces paper gift certificates and plastic gift cards in your wallet or purse.
• No expiration date.

Consider the benefits above, next time you are undecided on a gift for anyone, no matter what the occasion. This can make you the ultimate gift giver!

Will Food Safety Schemes Improve Food Safety?

SQF (Safe Quality Foods), GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) and all the other schemes in the world do not manage our plants and farms every day. The goal is to find a system that everyone can follow, to develop a HACCP plan for their processes, and provide the develop a sanitation, product handling and processing plan that employees will use every day to protect the consuming public. And yet even with retailers demanding that suppliers have systems, we have to deal with individual people making decisions every day.

The retailers do not totally trust the schemes because they are still too easy to make the grade and are dependent on auditors to find the holes in the process and see that people are doing the right thing every day. How can you judge the adequacy of a sanitation program from reports? Is one inspection every year or two enough to keep producers and processors focused on food safety?

How many recalls have you seen this year? Produce still has issues with Salmonella, seafood issues with Listeria, C. botulinum, meat and produce E. coli. How many times have we seen recalls for allergens, when we know that multiple allergens are processed on the same line, but not shown on the labeling? Cilantro, smoked salmon, chocolate brownies? Will these be recalled this week?

Do you know as a consumer how well your manufacturers are performing? Maybe we need a rating system that is consumer run, not manufacturer, not retailer. Do you make an informed vote with your food dollars? How do we apply ethics to the mainstream and the fringes of the food industry? Let's devote ourselves to putting ethics back into all we do in our food industry. In the choices we make about what is "okay". In the ingredients we use. In the training that we give our people. In the accountability in our actions. Do you walk the walk and talk the talk? Is everything that you do the truth? Are the products you make beneficial to all concerned?

Where do you stand on food safety? Do the right thing everyday!

Bonding in the Kitchen

Thanksgiving is often described as a holiday that emphasizes family togetherness. Relatives coming in from out of town, kids returning home from college, and family gathering around a table full of food are all very familiar images that one associates with the upcoming holiday season.

However, bonding shouldn't be exclusive to just the dinner table. The preparation of your meal is often a great time to catch up and interact with the other members of your household. Everyone can partake too: younger children can help out with mixing ingredients together, while older ages can be assigned to more complicated tasks like making tamales. The resulting meal is more appreciated by everyone, having contributed to a part of it. Best of all, the dividing up of food preparation means that the meal is ready faster and cleanup is faster!

Jean's Restaurant Supply can help with you with all of holiday cooking needs, from something as simple as a cookie cutter, to something as extensive as an entire knife or cookware set. Call or visit today!

Advertising Changes

Over the past few years restaurants advertisements have been geared towards the customers wallets, and the value of their dollar.

Just recently more and more restaurants have been advertising to show the quality of their food. With channels like the Food Network presenting shows that focus primarily on culinary masterpieces, and how to make these foods at home, its no wonder restaurants are using advertisements that focus on their food quality.

Restaurants have begun using words such as "Artisan", and "Hand crafted" when they are describing the quality of their food. Restaurants have no longer been mentioning the price of the meals, instead they have begun using close up images of the food, or featuring 5 star chef's in the kitchen preparing the meals.

If your in the look out for new advertising and need some great Restaurant Equipment to be featured in your commercials.... Look no further, Jean's Restaurant Supply has everything you need and more to supply your restaurant with great quality commercial equipment. You can find everything from Refrigeration and Cooking Equipment to Janitorial Supplies on our website, or in one of our showrooms!