Article

Smashburger, AMC Theatres execs among leaders weighing in on COVID-19, shrinking kitchens

Leaders from AMC Theaters, Wing Zone, Smashburger, Four Foods Group and Middleby discuss how they are changing their kitchen designs to stay profitable, while meeting customer needs.

March 19, 2020 by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

In an effort to cut costs over the past few years, restaurant execs have been trying to find ways to operate in smaller spaces. And that strategy is even more important today as leaders try to keep their businesses alive during mandated dining room closures triggered by COVID-19.

This means there is a constant need to reassess and evaluate new ideas surrounding cooking solutions, which is why FastCasual and Middleby hosted a webinar Wednesday featuring several industry leaders discussing not only how they've changed their business practices in the face of coronavirus, but also about the equipment issues they’re facing, the benefits of scaling down prep areas, and the ways it's possible to automate back-of-the-house processes.

Lastly, they pull back the curtain on their own kitchens, giving a view into what has worked best for them and what they wished they could do differently.

Panelists include:

• Alonso Castañeda | VP of Brand Development & Strategy | Four Foods Group.
• Matt Friedman | Co-Founder & CEO | Wing Zone.
• Eric Marcoux | VP, Quality Management | Smashburger.
• Nels Storm | Senior Director – Culinary | AMC Theatres.
• Scott Heim | President | Middleby Ventless Solutions & Evo America.

Download the free webinar here.

About Cherryh Cansler

---

Cherryh Cansler is VP of Events for Networld Media Group and publisher of FastCasual.com. She has been covering the restaurant industry since 2012. Her byline has appeared in Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine, among many others.

Connect with Cherryh: