Around the Table with Antunes

Tania Sanchez wasn’t sure what she wanted to do after high school. Then, she started working at Antunes and realized she was exactly where she wanted to be. “I liked the work. I wanted to be part of something. At that time, there was a Wendy’s project that was a huge rollout, and I was able to learn a lot of things and able to be part of a team and help a team,” she said. Later, thanks to Antunes programs that provide reimbursement for college, Sanchez secured her associate’s degree, worked in various parts of the company and rose to the position of Service Parts Supervisor. It’s a special story, but one that isn’t entirely unique at Antunes, because the company seeks to keep the family atmosphere it had when Vice President Jane Bullock’s father founded it more than 60 years ago. That manifests itself in programs like those Sanchez benefited from, but also in a commitment to health and wellness that goes beyond simply a ping pong table (which Antunes does have) and extends to a full gym, plus a clinic with a doctor and nurse on site and a flexible time-off policy. “We need to grow. We need to be profitable. And we need to keep our eye on expanding. But, with all of that, there’s a great amount of responsibility to give back and be part of the community and touch as many lives as we can,” said Glenn Bullock, Antunes CEO. “We can’t do that unless we’re profitable, but, as a company, we really do talk a lot about our corporate social responsibility and how we can generate those benefits for all the people we touch.”

Dennis Wendt, Technical Service Manager for Antunes, knows when a customer’s foodservice equipment goes down, every moment spent waiting for a repair is money lost. As a service manager, Wendt's goal is to address the issue as fast as possible either through technical assistance on the phone or on that very first service visit. Eight years ago, service companies carried an abundance of parts for all the manufacturers they represented. With a steady increase in manufacturers over the years, it became unsustainable for service companies to manage and maintain all of these parts. Now, service providers order the parts they need when they need it. This shift led to the creation of large parts distributors—the economies of scale generated by these distributors lower purchase costs for the service providers. Wendt said Antunes utilizes ASA’s (authorized service agents) to provide a level-1 service support for the customer to speed up repair time. If the specialist on the phone isn’t able to resolve the issue, they will have a good idea of the problem. When they dispatch a technician for the service call, they will arrive with the potential replacement parts needed. “The local ASAs that we utilize are CFESA-certified (Commercial Food Equipment Service) technicians,” Wendt said. “They’re sending out top-notch, trained technicians. And that goes for everyone inside the office, as well, whether it’s your warranty admin, your general manager, your service manager or your dispatchers. They all have that level expected from a CFESA-certified company.” Be sure to subscribe to our industry publication for the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the Food & Beverage Industry.

In the age of technology, convenience reigns king. In the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry, where convenience and speed are part of the product, technology is a natural business partner. “Around the Table,” explores how automation has made its way into franchises all over the country, with the full extent of its capabilities still untapped. Antunes guests Steve Gauger, Senior Vice President of Advanced Development & Automation, and Dan Hartlein, President, speak decisively about automation’s potential to improve quick-service system, customer satisfaction, and profits. The term “automation,” often brings to mind visions of intricate machines roving around autonomously. But Hartlein and Gauger assure that automation doesn’t have to be that complicated, or wildly futuristic. In fact, Antunes designs automated programs that integrate into a QSR’s already established kitchen space, resulting in little disruption to established processes. Whatsmore, automating need not be a giant change. In fact, small, granular changes can have major ripple effects in efficiency and profits. From cutting slices of cheese, to fishing out pickle spears, automating these small tasks in the assembly line can produce drastic changes in QSR performance. As the COVID-19 sits heavy in everyone’s thoughts, Hartlein and Gauger point out the hygienic benefits of automated processes, emphasizing the consumer’s growing habits of ordering-in or delivery. But will automation steal jobs from people? Gauger and Hartlein assure that’s not the case. With automation still breaking ground in the quick-service industry, the possibilities are endless and processes are ripe for improvement.

Welcome to Around the Table by Antunes. This podcast, designed for the foodservice industry, takes an inside look at the products and solutions that benefit providers and customers around the world. On this premiere episode, Melissa Neckopulos, GM of Water for Antunes, discussed the importance and benefits of a water ultrafiltration system for food services. “Most foodservice providers would all agree that reliable, filtered water is critical to their operations,” Neckopulos said. “Water is an ingredient to food, beverages and appliances. Any improperly filtered water would affect the taste, have wear and tear on the equipment, and would affect the overall customer experience.” One issue with many foodservice water filtration systems is the continual maintenance and replacement of cartridges. Neckopulos spoke to Antunes’ VZN ultrafiltration system and its self-cleaning technology, which reduces the need for frequent cartridge replacement. “It’s a base filtration system that cleans the water and takes out the particulate matter before it goes to the carbon filter,” she said. Periodically, it cleans itself, which extends the overall life of the cartridge anywhere from five to 10 years. Can an ultrafiltration water system make an impact on foodservice sales? Neckopulos cited a couple of examples where owners saw an increase in beverage sales after switching their filtration system over to VZN. One restaurant owner was changing out their filtration cartridges every three months due to clogging, and the pressure loss resulted in lost beverage sales. Once the owner got the VZN ultrafiltration system, it made a tremendous impact on his business through less cartridge expense, maintenance and an increase the taste quality of the beverages served.