I’m sitting at a bar, inside Delray Beach Market (DBM) with Ralph Salvador and Ray Blanco. We’re all vaccinated, unmasked, and admiring the vibrant and airy space around us. The day feels like a sigh of relief.
DBM is one of the most recently completed design and build projects from our Miramar, Florida based team. The space has set the record as the largest food hall in the state; it currently hosts 28 independent restaurant concepts.
Just one hour down I-95 is The Oasis in Wynwood, Miami, where Brian Morehead, VP of Sales – Chain Equipment, and his team just completed each restaurant concept inside the 17,000 square-foot space outfitted inside a cargo container.
“The food hall segment of our business has a long runway,” says Morehead. “We focus on providing every level of detail necessary.”
According to Foodservice Equipment Reports (FER), “food halls, with their reliance on large crowds, may seem unsafe from a social distancing point of view. But in many ways, they are well-placed for a quick comeback post-pandemic.”
“For starters, food hall menu items are already inherently transportable,” tells Phillip Landgraf, Denver-based Principal for Ricca Design Studios to FER. “For another, they tend to feature lots of space for social distancing, and finally, the shared environment provides a platform for chefs or restaurants to venture into new markets or test new concepts, with reduced investment (and risk).’”
Singer is currently working on food hall projects all over the country, from New York and Washington, D.C. to Chicago, Houston and beyond.
Back to the bar. When it came time to design and supply DBM with equipment, our team specified strategically to maximize the operator’s experience, from price negotiation to eventual service and warranty requirements. When it came time to saddle up, Chill-Rite, Krowne Metal and Hoshizaki won the gambit.
“Hoshizaki was an essential partner in the successful implementation of the project,” says Blanco. “Aside from ice machines, Singer M. Tucker specified all of the reach in refrigeration units with Hoshizaki. They were able to pool their resources and fulfil what is known to be one of the single largest orders to date for Hoshizaki, and did so in a quick and efficient manner.”
Large installs are lovely, but equally satisfying is the diversity of equipment outfitted inside any food hall space. DBM is no exception, from its Arcobaleno AEX18 pasta machine to a Globe meat slicer in the charcuterie concept, to even a sushi rolling robot, from Autec.
Any operator can learn from the food hall approach to procurement, whether you have one hood system or fourteen (Delray Beach Market has fourteen, and they’re all Captive Aire).
“At Singer M. Tucker, we’re always directing our customers to consolidate manufacturers because it presents a lot of advantages to the customer,” says Blanco, Sales Account Executive.
“Having that single touchpoint and knowing when you’re dealing with Singer Equipment Company inside their food hall, you have a team of professionals that you can come to. It’s bringing comfort for our clients.”
Consolidate your procurement and get comfortable with Singer Equipment Company today. To learn more, email marketing@singerequipment.com.
