Overlooking the Show at NRA 2017

The National Restaurant Association’s Hotel-Motel Show (NRA) is held annually in May, at McCormick Place in Chicago. While the purpose of the show is to offer “everything you need to run a successful restaurant under one roof,” Houston’s uses the show as an opportunity to meet with some of our vendors and discuss new products, customer opportunities, or challenges that our sales teams face while representing the vendor’s products. This is also a chance for us to explore items and vendors that would be completely new to Houston’s, and would benefit from the services we offer not only to them, but their customers as well.

First-time attendees, Amanda Hackathorn and Jennifer Vigil, were given the opportunity to meet with many of our vendors face-to-face for the first time, further establishing the great relationships we strive to build with all of our vendors.  Notable stops at this year’s show included San Jamar to discuss Escali scales opportunities with Kelly Walsch, as well as visits with Thunder Group (Johnny Huang), Urnex Brands (Don Eggebraten and Maria Cleveland), and the mother-daughter team (Jan Murtagh & Shaun DiGruccio) from CDN.

Libbey Renewal Etched Glass

When at NRA, it is always necessary to visit with our friends and partners at Libbey Foodservice, where they showed off Libbey’s new Master’s Reserve Renewal collection, featuring an elegant etched design. Also featured were Libbey’s Hydration line and the Scandinavian-inspired Viva Tea Service collection, among many others.

Each year, the show represents the many major technological advancements in both products and services that aid in solving common challenges faced by real world operators. This year was no different, as the sold-out exhibit floor featured on-trend culinary offerings, sustainability options, and the latest technology.

Mixologist, Al Klopper, from iSi North America, Inc. was on hand serving a variety of infused beverages made using iSi’s Gourmet Whip Plus Dispenser and the new professional chargers, including a to-die-for cold brew coffee topped with cinnamon-infused coconut water foam.

Claire Klein, Regional Sales Manager, was showcasing Numi Organic Tea’s new Holistic Herbal Teasans that “inspire a unity of mind, body and spirit,” through the blending of functional herbs from around the world, that help elevate a person’s mood and contribute to their overall inner wellness.

This year’s show was the largest ever, with over 66,000 attendees and a sold-out exhibit floor, which encompasses three exhibition halls within McCormick Place. “NRA was pretty amazing. The size, the scope of the items on display, and level of vendor interaction was pretty incredible,” says Jennifer of her first trip to NRA.

Team Houston’s at the top of Willis Tower

The four-day show isn’t all serious business. Our team has made a tradition of visiting Skydeck Chicago at the top Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) to get a team picture of those who attended NRA each year. This isn’t an ordinary group picture, as the team steps out into glass boxes that extend out over 4-feet from the side of Willis Tower, giving a perfect view of the street 1,353 feet below. Much like the NRA show, the Skydeck is not for the faint-of-heart.

The importance that we place upon maintaining strong vendor partnerships is just one aspect of what sets Houston’s apart from our competition. We look forward to the NRA Show in 2018, and continuing to grow these relationships.

The post NRA 2017 Recap: Foodservice Takes Center Stage appeared first on Houston's Blog.

Photo courtesy of CDN

For those of you unfamiliar with the company, CDN is a family owned business that specializes in kitchen measurement tools, with a wide assortment of thermometers, timers, and scales. With products in over 14,000 foodservice locations, CDN is the global leader in its category and has been named “Best Overall Company” in its category from the Stevie Awards for Women in Business. CDN prides itself on its personal service and commitment to its customers as they are the only company that is solely focused on time and temperature to ensure it meets customers’ needs.

But enough with the history, right? What exactly did Shawn enlighten us with during her visit?

Shawn showed and informed us about different products that her company has to offer. The kitchen measurement tools business is actually more complex than one would think. There are different thermometers and timers for different conditions – from dry and cold storage, to cooking, to thick and thin cuts of meat – and almost every application you can think of.

Here are a few of the products that Shawn showed to us:

ProAccurate® Insta-Read® Beverage and Frothing Thermometer

This is one of CDN’s most popular thermometers. It is actually supplied in every Starbucks worldwide! It’s your standard beverage thermometer. It has a stainless steel body that is both waterproof and shatterproof and measures up to 200°F. This is the ideal tool for any coffee shop.

ProAccurate® Infrared Gun/Thermocouple Thermometer

This thermometer is good for measuring the temperature for almost anything. It measures up to 662°F and is an ideal tool for a health inspector or even your average Joe. All you have to do is it point the thermometer in the direction of the object you are trying to measure and it will give you the temperature. It also has a stainless steel probe if you wish to measure the temperature in that fashion too.

Digital Nutrition Scale

This is a very versatile scale. The measurement range is 11 pounds/5 kilograms/176 ounces/5 liters by ounces, fluid ounces, grams and milliliters . It has 999 different food codes from the USDA National Nutrient Database and measures calories, sodium, protein, fat, carbohydrates, cholesterol, and fiber. This is the ideal scale for those who are conscious of what you are putting into your body.

ProAccurate® Meat/Poultry Ovenproof Thermometer

As specified in the name, this thermometer is for meat, specifically thick cuts of meat. It has a stainless steel body and glass lens making the thermometer ovenproof and perfect for cooking foods like Thanksgiving turkeys, roasts, and much more.

ProAccurate® Pocket Thermometer

This compact thermometer is perfect for thin cuts of meat. Although it is not ovenproof, it is both waterproof and shatterproof. Due to its small size, this thermometer is very functional for everyday use as you can carry it with you in the kitchen without it being a hassle.

In the end, CDN’s products are top-notch and value driven. They offer the broadest assortment of thermometers and timers, with superior customer service, product innovation, quality and value. CDN makes an effort to put their customers first as its product development, “begins with understanding the needs of professional chefs.” CDN is big enough to offer a comprehensive line, but small enough to get things done!

Feel free to contact Houston’s for more details or any questions!

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