Article

PDQ gets kitchen efficient

Whether it's a limited-service restaurant or a pizzeria, running an efficient kitchen is key to ensuring smooth operations, a fact that PDQ understood all too well.

March 9, 2016 by Travis Wagoner — Editor, Networld Media Group

Whether it's a limited-service restaurant or a pizzeria, running an efficient kitchen is key to ensuring smooth operations, a fact that PDQ understood all too well. The chain, which stands for "People Dedicated to Quality," and specializes in hand-battered chicken tenders, made-to-order sandwiches, daily cut fries, hand-spun milkshakes and fresh salads, recently tapped FusionPrep to help it improve its back-of-house operations.

"When it became apparent we were growing, we knew we would need a way to keep the information that we were communicating to our kitchen consistent," said Andrew Sansone, PDQ operating partner. "Also, as we were tweaking recipes, and adding new items it allowed us to make changes quickly as we were doing R&D, or make a change to our prep process and push the changes out immediately. We didn't need to worry about re-printing, laminating, and communicating the change. One button and our stores have the most up-to-date information.

Combatting the issues

FusionPrep's cloud-based system enabled PDQ employees to store, update and communicate recipes, build training documents, and provide information simultaneously to all of their kitchens online, Sansone said. It also allows kitchen teams to see exactly what's happening in kitchens at multiple locations.

"It's an iPad platform/app that we use in the kitchen," he said. "FusionPrep allows us to embed photos and videos in our recipes to show how each dish is prepared, and ensures that all teams across all our units understand and prepare dishes in a company approved, standardized manner."

The system can also print food-safety labels directly from the recipe for any prepared item. All labels have the correct information, including shelf life, portioning information, prep date information, and the name of the employee that prepared the item.

Keeping it simple

PDQ needed to simplify its food-prep lists and give its staff the ability to generate prep-lists based on inventory, Sansone said. For example, if an employee is preparing a particular menu item, the software will automatically log what ingredients that employee used and how much of its ingredients remain in the refrigerator or storeroom. In this way, items can be restocked as needed.

"It also lets our team members complete their line checks digitally with optional prompts for temperature and protein weights," Sansone said about the platform that only took a few minutes to install. "PDQ uses FusionPrep to help assure that all of our recipes are made properly and gives us consistency throughout our brand on all of our products. We use it for recipe adherence, labeling of our product, and as a tracking for who has made each product. With more than 50 restaurants across the system, consistency around execution and prep is important to us."

Cutting costs

Operating costs are always important to any restaurant, so PDQ wanted to control costs while improving and efficiency. Although Sansone couldn't comment on specific costs, he said that the cost-savings on waste, and the ability to track ingredients and employee accountability, while giving guests consistent products, made the platform worthy of his investment.

"We use two iPads in each restaurant," Sansone said. "We purchased cases, mounting hardware, and a label printer from FusionPrep. When we evaluated the system, we quickly realized that the ROI of duplicating paper binders alone makes sense."

Overall, the software has helped to drive good behavior in the heart-of-house, Sansone said.

"We reduce waste by ensuring that prep procedures are consistent across our organization," he said. "In order to print a food safety label, the recipe needs to be in front of the team member. We know that if we update a recipe, it's updated instantly across our entire organization."

About Travis Wagoner

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Travis Wagoner spent nearly 18 years in education as an alumni relations and communications director, coordinating numerous annual events and writing, editing and producing a quarterly, 72-plus-page magazine. Travis also was a ghostwriter for an insurance firm, writing about the Affordable Care Act. He holds a BA degree in communications/public relations from Xavier University.