As the country moves towards a vaccine, spirits are on the rise. Slowly but surely, restaurant and club foodservice operations have a vision for once again welcoming guests indoors.
Operators are planning strategies that are focused on new safety protocols with a goal of customers re-gaining confidence in external dining experiences.
With much focus on outdoor dining and takeout and delivery through the pandemic, operators still understand that beverage profits are crucial to maximizing revenues.
While there are many factors that are playing into this, manufacturers such as Krowne, a leading player in the bar equipment industry, have been integral.
Now, Krowne is poised to become a valuable resource in the rebirth of the industry with the elevation of Kyle Forman to President of the company.
Kyle will succeed his father, Roger Forman, who served as the previous president for over 36 years with his partner Frank Bastante.
Over the past year, Krowne has stepped up to not only provide businesses with the same, quality equipment they’ve always produced, but to go even further beyond that call.
Krowne has completely revamped many of their practices and products to make them even more watertight when it comes to sanitation and safety.
Under Kyle’s new leadership, Krowne will surely take even greater strides when it comes to quality bar equipment, health and safety.
“Right now, my biggest priority is keeping our employees safe. We have also continued to heavily invest in R&D to create innovative solutions that allow our customers to safely operate under these new restrictive guidelines,” said Kyle Forman.
“When I say ‘customers,’ I specifically mean people on both sides of the bar. In order to remain operational, customers need to feel safe and bartenders need to be confident in their environment. As the discussion on nationwide shutdowns continue, we all need to take this time to brainstorm and create permanent and impactful design solutions allowing for safe operating conditions. Once we nail down health and safety, we can expand from there.”
Although safety is a hot topic now, Krowne has always been a staunch advocate of it.
“It has always been a focal point of our design. Bars in general have many touch points and it’s our job to understand the science behind that and create layouts that reduce unnecessary contact and bacteria spread. Now comprehensive and exhaustive safety is no longer optional, and we are fully prepared to meet the demand for new sanitary solutions,” touted Forman.
As the industry plans for its future, there are many trends and practices that the operators must adopt permanently. “The health and safety changes we’ve seen will be permanent, not just a passing trend.”
“Using bare hands to squeeze a lemon for a cocktail, wiping down tables with used rags, and other commonplace habits such as these are no longer acceptable”.
This means that investing in proper safety training and high quality Krowne solutions will pay dividends in the long run.
Among leading operators that have collaborated with Krowne to create innovative bar solutions is noted TV host and restaurateur Jon Taffer.
His newly opened Taffer’s Tavern in Alpharetta, GA features the Krowne built ‘Bar of the Future’. It is highlighted by a cutting-edge bar equipment, efficient design and advanced training programs.
In collaborating with Taffer, Krowne used its proprietary 3D bar configurator, signature ‘Zero-Step’ design process for cocktail preparation, and virtual reality (VR) training programs to create the inaugural Taffer’s Tavern bar design.
Kyle Forman takes the reigns of a company that has long been the source for creative bar design solutions.
Krowne has designed bars for leading sports, hospitality and entertainment industry clients including Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, the new Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and Florida’s Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
Moving forward, Kyle Forman has a very specific direction he’d like to take Krowne. “I want to drive more innovation, more sustainable design, and create a lasting impact in our industry through collaboration with the people who interact with our equipment every day, bartenders. I think that’s the biggest problem that I’ve seen in our industry. The people who are designing these bars are not frequently collaborating with the people who are working behind bars every day.”
Forman has already begun to implement solutions to fix this problem.
“To address this, we created a bartender ambassador program by adding five award-winning bartenders to our design team. This way we get insight straight from the most prominent members of the front line, eliminating any disconnect.”
Krowne has been a leading player in the bar equipment industry for nearly 72 years. With Kyle Forman’s passion for the industry, the New Jersey based company is poised to write the company’s next chapter.
To learn more about Krowne, visit Krowne’s website.
