Serving Quality Food with Quick Service Using Unox
At a Glance
TouchPoint Support Services is committed to providing our patients and residents with delicious, nutritious, and well-prepared meals, all while reducing food waste, minimizing costs, and, when possible, putting new technological innovations and tools to the test.
With a desire to serve traditional, slow-cooked meals of consistent quality, often with a quick turnaround, TouchPoint leadership was intrigued by promising new equipment developed by Unox, a company that first appeared on their radar at the 2022 National Restaurant Association meeting. Wanting to put Unox’s equipment to the test, TouchPoint leadership identified an account in Waco, Texas served by its dedicated senior living hospitality division, Catered Living, as the site of the initial pilot program.
Chefs and kitchen staff can prep and hold multiple meals at once.
Risk of burnt or undercooked ingredients is reduced.
Solution
Upon reviewing Unox’s line of advanced ovens and food service equipment, leadership landed on a Unox oven and the Evereo 600, the first ever “hot fridge,” as the solution to their needs. By utilizing Evereo’s heat preservation system, combined with precise temperature control and accurate management of its chamber atmosphere, this unique system can cook and preserve meals for up to 72 hours at the appropriate serving temperature. Paired with Unox’s multi-day pans and trays, Evereo would allow TouchPoint chefs to prepare traditional meals in advance, then hold the food at serving temperature until ordered, translating to zero wait time for patients and guests.
Implementation
February 2023 saw the Waco team launch a $130,000 pilot program to incorporate a Unox oven and the Evereo 600 holding unit into its food service operations. Overseen by Executive Chef Jessica Battcher, the intended goal of the program was to encompass as many of TouchPoint’s food service goals as possible:
Create healthy meals
Delivering meals with quick, efficient service
Minimize food waste
Reduce labor costs
Results
Running for three months, from February to April 2023, the Evereo pilot program has been deemed a success by the Waco team. Now, chefs and kitchen staff can prep and hold multiple meals at once, thereby freeing them up to focus on other kitchen and service tasks. While additional associate training is needed to further fine-tune operation of the Unox equipment, the innovative system has proven to be a labor saver.
Associate overtime was reduced by up to 80%
• With the team working two to three meals in advance, they are unaffected by staffing shortages
Require fewer associates on hand as backup
Because Unox’s oven utilizes pre-programmed meal profiles, the guesswork is taken out of cooking, ensuring that each dish is made just right, reducing the risk of burnt or undercooked ingredients. The Evereo technology also helps kitchen staff get the most out of their prepared food. Leftovers are vacuum sealed in Unox trays and pans, stored at serving temperature, and either re-served or incorporated into a new dish up to 72 hours later. Unox Evereo 600 is also energy efficient. By incorporating modern insulation technologies, Evereo avoids heat loss and consumes less power than a traditional freezer.
But the most important question is, how does the food taste? Waco’s patients and residents are raving about the Unox-prepared meals. Patient satisfaction scores rose dramatically during the pilot, from 75% in November 2022 to 88.69% in April 2023.
Diners are not only pleased with the improved food quality, but they are excited by the new menus TouchPoint chefs are now able to create using Unox’s built-in features and attachments, such as a grill, a fryer, and a smoker for making brisket and ribs – dishes that were previously out of reach for the facility.
Though the proper operation of a Unox unit requires a high level of advanced associate training, operation of the equipment is relatively foolproof. From perfectly poached eggs to pulled pork, TouchPoint’s Waco chefs now have greater creative freedom in the kitchen and their patients and residents are eating up the benefits, all thanks to the Unox system. These advantages, paired with energy, food, and labor savings, make Unox units a strong contender for a continued roll-out within TouchPoint’s locations.