Resources
Opportunity Kitchen Provides Second Chance in Toledo
Program & Culinary Instructor Chef Saundra Irvine Graduate Emani Frais Graduate Jermaine Sanford with Chef Saundra Irvine and Coordinator Byron Wynn Graduate Frederick Wittich Created with a goal of giving individuals a second chance at a productive future, the Opportunity Kitchen provides a boot-camp-style culinary education in a supportive environment. Students not only learn about the ins and outs of the commercial foodservice industry, they also learn life lessons about commitment to craft and dedication to work. Burkett Restaurant Equipment & Supplies was among the sponsors of the program in attendance, July 15, at the graduation ceremony for the first class of Opportunity Kitchen graduates. Committed to the community we call home, Burkett was on board as soon as we heard about this program, donating numerous smallwares and supplies to the commercial kitchen. During the 10-week, 80-hour class curriculum, students learned front of the house and back of the house operations of a restaurant and became ServSafe certified. The kitchen is housed inside Helping Hands of St. Louis, under the auspices of Catholic Charities of Northwest Ohio and the Diocese of Toledo. Working in the Helping Hands kitchen and visiting area restaurant kitchens to see how they operate inspired students and opened doors for them to enter the industry equipped with the technical and soft skills needed to succeed. The training, however, goes beyond the kitchen, said Program & Culinary Instructor, Chef Saundra Irvine. “The kitchen is a disciplined and fast-paced place. Everything has a process and an order that must be communicated. Everything in the kitchen relates to life. That’s why we do this program.” Coordinator Byron Wynn expressed that the program, "focuses on transformational change that can be done through learning, education, and, in this case, culinary arts.” All graduates of the program already have job offers in hand, including Jermaine Sanford, who will be working at Starbucks. The coffee giant is also a program sponsor and had employees visit the Opportunity Kitchen to teach students about making coffee. “This was more than just learning about the food service industry,” Sanford said. “It was a chef with students under her tutelage, this was us becoming a family and building a lasting legacy that I hope everyone will have the opportunity to experience and learn.”
Read moreInspirations
Visit Us at the Midwest's Premier Foodservice Trade Show
Burkett Restaurant Equipment & Supplies is proud to once again be an exhibitor at the Mid-America Restaurant Expo, Jan. 13-14 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, OH. We'll be in Booth 723 and featuring the latest products from some of our favorite brands, including SEAGATE, Garland, Manitowoc, and APW. We'll also be showing off some of our Burkett Certified reconditioned equipment from Star, and Hobart. If you've seen us at the MAR Expo before, you'll be sure to recognize the photogenic and showstopping bright red Hobart floor mixer. It's very popular with show attendees. Our Burkett Concepts team will also be at our booth to talk to you about the latest trends in kitchen design, installation, and project management. So make plans to stop by Booth 723, you can also RSVP via our Facebook Event. We look forward to seeing you at the MAR Expo!
Burkett Joining Midwest's Best at 2018 Mid-America Restaurant Expo
The Ohio Restaurant Association's Mid-America Restaurant Expo aims to innovate, inform, inspire. We are very excited for this year's expo, and not just because that theme is also central to Burkett and our 40 years among the leading distributors of restaurant equipment and supplies. We are excited to hear the keynote speaker, Cleveland's own Iron Chef Michael Symon. We are excited to see old friends and make new ones as they visit our booth, No. 721, inside the Greater Columbus Convention Center, 400 North High Street, Columbus, OH 43215. We are excited to watch the classic Pizza Pizzazz Competition and the all new Expo Burger Battle. We are excited to be among the 4,000 in attendance discussing the latest trends and topics and the foodservice industry. We are especially excited to talk to independent restaurant operators and regional chains, whether start-ups or longtime staples, hear their stories, and see what solutions we can offer moving forward. From the local mom and pop shops, to food trucks, to major franchises, we've always thought of every customer as a partner in business. It was our philosophy from the day we first opened our doors and it still holds true today. We take pride in the products we sell, the service we provide, and contributing to the success of every type of business we serve. 2017 was a year of great strides and improvements for Burkett and we are ready to hit the ground running in 2018. That all starts on Jan. 28-29 in Columbus, Ohio. Expos are a time where both businesses and customers can break away from the day to day operations and really focus on themselves, their wants and needs, and get focused on meeting and exceeding goals and ambitions. It's that time of year again, and we couldn't be more excited for this year's Mid-America Restaurant Expo! Check out the full schedule of events and video highlights from the 2017 Expo below.
Introducing SEAGATE Commercial Products
As one of the leading distributors of restaurant equipment and supplies, Burkett's catalog includes more than 100 of the top brands in food service. We are proud to introduce our latest brand offering, which is a Burkett exclusive. With SEAGATE Commercial Products, you’ll get quality commercial kitchen equipment that is affordably priced and ready to go, right out of the box. Choose from pizza prep tables, sandwich prep tables, keg coolers, commercial refrigerators, freezers, restaurant ranges, and commercial fryers. SEAGATE Commercial Products have been specifically designed for customers that are seeking quality workmanship at an affordable price point. All SEAGATE products come pre-assembled and are ready to go right out of the box. What does that mean exactly? That means when you get your brand new SEAGATE reach-in refrigerator and open the doors you won't find any casters or other parts inside to assemble. From shelving to casters, everything comes already factory installed on the units. SEAGATE makes it simple. SEAGATE restaurant equipment is available exclusively from Burkett Restaurant Equipment & Supplies and is available for sale now by phone, online, or in our showroom store. SEAGATE is redefining the standard for our industry and we couldn't be more excited to offer it. That’s why you’ll enjoy free same-day shipping from our warehouse in Perrysburg, OH on all SEAGATE equipment. Your customers have come to rely on you for consistency and you've come to rely on your products for reliability and durability. With SEAGATE, you get a reliable and competitively priced piece of equipment that can handle the rigors of any commercial kitchen and help you deliver the consistency your customers crave When you can get value without compromising quality, it means a great deal.
Toledo institution Tony Packo's chooses Burkett for newest location
Tony Packo's has been serving authentic Hungarian food in the Toledo, OH area since 1932. Tony Packo's offers a delicious menu with everything from Sweet Hot Pickles to the signature Packo's Chili Hot Dog. The restaurant has become world famous thanks to numerous references on television and the many celebrity signings of the "Packo's Bun." There are some very unique restaurants in Toledo, OH that are must-try for anyone who visits the city. Tony Packo's is among those places thanks to some amazing history. For the opening of its 5th location at 5822 Alexis Road in Sylvania, OH, Tony Packo's chose to work with the Business Development team at Burkett Restaurant Equipment & Supplies for a complete build from design all the way through to installation. Burkett, Packo's employees, and other Packo's friends and family members, got to see the fruits of their labor during a soft opening on May 23. Check out the pictures below and if you're ever in the area, be sure to stop by after their grand opening on May 27. Congratulations, Tony Packo's! Toledo has always been our home and it was an honor to work on a project for one of the city's great icons!
How is climate change transforming commercial refrigeration?
Addressing the effects of climate change is a top priority for The U.S. Department of Energy. Record heat puts the Earth at a higher risk of more intense and frequent weather events such as droughts, wildfires, and floods. Global warming has been linked with greenhouse gases used as cooling agents in commercial refrigeration, namely hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). While President Obama’s Clean Air Act is phasing out HFCs, they continue to be the most prominent greenhouse gas present during testing. Normal climate changes are caused naturally, but in recent decades, human activities have been the likely cause of warming, mostly due to increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Regulating energy efficiency in commercial refrigeration is one way to reduce greenhouse gas pollution linked to ozone damage. Commercial refrigerators generally must be kept cold constantly, consuming large amounts of power and generating emissions on a daily basis. The Energy Department has proclaimed appliance efficiency a top priority. Therefore, to counteract these emissions, the government will begin regulating the way refrigeration can be produced and sold. To stay within the Clean Air Act guidelines, manufacturers have the option of using the hydrocarbon refrigerant known as R290. R290 is a refined blend of propane, a naturally-occurring compound. The explosive nature of propane is a big concern; therefore it is advised not to use open flames when working with R290. However, the results of an ignition risk assessment study of a R290 refrigerant leak revealed the probability of an explosion is less than 0.001%. In the end, hydrocarbon refrigerants like R290 mean more efficient, environmentally conscious, commercial equipment. The new alternative is safe for operators and will decrease emissions of ozone-depleting substances in the years to come. Manufacturers in the U.S. have already started using the new alternatives in applications such as refrigerators, freezers, bottle coolers, beverage dispensers, and dehumidifiers. Time and future testing will tell us know how much safer it really is.
