Lee’s Franchisee Maximizes Production in a Smaller Space

When it comes to growing your business, a common concern is whether you will have enough product and staff to keep up with customer demands. To do this, there needs to be an intentional design of space to prepare ingredients, and staff who are comfortable and familiar working with the equipment in that space.

Henry Loving, franchisee owner of Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken in Richmond, Virginia, was looking for an efficient way to deliver a variety of side options, which included corn, apples, biscuits, mac and cheese, and green beans.  

Open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, Lee’s can get very busy, very quickly. During the summer months, it can get very hot and uncomfortable during the day, which poses an additional challenge for their staff.

Initially, Lee’s had two steamers and two convection ovens. According to Loving, the problem with steamers was that his staff was burned by them very easily. It was hard to get the product in and out, and it created a lot of heat in the kitchen because of the added moisture and humidity.

With two Alto-Shaam Vector® multi-cook ovens, Loving was able to free up his counter space by removing both steamers and convection ovens, while still producing large amounts of biscuits and sides to keep up with demand.

“The Vectors have definitely helped with the comfort level in our kitchen without a doubt.” Loving said, “My units can keep up on real hot days, whereas we would have a big challenge with the other ovens and steamers.”

Compared to his previous convection ovens, the Vector ovens can cook an entire menu in any space. According to Loving, the introduction of this oven has made staff training much easier, due to the audible and visual signals on the oven.

“It has eliminated contention about how long something has been in and things getting left in. That was a huge problem… and with the Vector, it’s beeping and letting you know it’s there.”

Now, their kitchen space is better utilized, and the staff no longer need to babysit the oven or rotate pans. Instead, it allows them to focus on other areas in need, such as prepping the next batch of biscuits or assisting in the front counter. This also means every food item can be cooked at its ideal temperature, fan speed, and cook time control – with up to four ovens in one, without any flavor transfer.

Furthermore, the Vector oven has also eliminated discrepancies on how long it would take to cook two trays of biscuits versus five trays of biscuits. With ChefLinc™ capabilities, Lee’s has been able to program and push their recipes to the oven, so their biscuits will come out with the same consistent quality, each and every time. They can also access reliable data and reports, view oven status, receive detailed service diagnostics, and more, all accessed through a mobile phone or laptop.

Overall, this compact, ventless oven has better control over the heat emitted in their kitchen, thanks to revolutionary Structured Air technology®. This unique airflow prevents hot air from blasting out into the kitchen, creating a better workplace environment for staff. Each individual cooking chamber is separate from the other with its own air path, catalyst, and fan in the rear. When the door opens, a curtain is created by the fan sucking the air back into the unit, instead of blowing out.

For more information on Vector multi-cook ovens or how you can reduce unnecessary equipment in your kitchen, contact an expert today.