The Caroline Case Study

CLEAN AND EFFICIENT

HOW THE ADVANSYS™ LXGePR SAVED THE CAROLINE TIME, MONEY AND BREAKAGE

Located on The Square in downtown Troy, Ohio, The Caroline is a popular restaurant serving classic American dishes in an upscale, yet relaxed setting. Open six nights a week for dinner service, the spot has become a destination in this Dayton suburb thanks to its unique dining experience and welcoming atmosphere created by owners Steve Smith and Melanie Elsass-Smith.

After 23 years in the hospitality business, the couple fulfilled a lifelong goal when they opened the restaurant in 2008. Named after their daughter, The Caroline offers dining for up to 180 and a menu selection that includes steaks, chops, pasta, seafood, appetizers, desserts and a full bar with an extensive wine and craft beer selection, plus a full complement of cocktails. Roughly a quarter of the restaurant’s business comes from the bar, where Smith said wine makes up 60 percent of the orders, followed by 25 percent from cocktails and 15 percent from beer.

The Caroline has done well, but like any restaurant, there have been challenges. As the restaurant gained in popularity over the years, Smith said washing all the glassware became an increasing problem. While the bar had a pub scrubber, the machine didn’t have the capacity or ability to deliver consistently clean results. To make do, the bar sent glassware to the kitchen where it was run through the dishwasher, but this also was a problem. Often, glasses had to be rewashed or wiped, especially if the water for the kitchen dishwasher hadn’t been changed.

“We were sending a lot of glasses back to be rewashed,” Smith said, noting that it was not only a problem due to the waste of time, but also the glassware breakage. “Our building was built in the 1850s and has very narrow corridors, which meant people were either running into each other or almost running into each other in server alley. There was just a lot of congestion.”

There was also a general bottleneck at the kitchen dishwasher as waves of customers came through. The bar’s pub scrubber could handle only so many glasses, Smith said, so busy nights led to significant backup. The end of the night was much the same situation, as bartenders found themselves waiting on clean glassware to close down their station, on the clock the entire time.

SAVING TIME, SAVING MONEY

Figuring there had to be a more efficient solution, Smith began shopping for a new glass washer. At the very least, Smith thought a new machine could at least cut down on the time the restaurant’s bartenders spent waiting at the end of the night. After searching for a solution, Smith purchased a new Advansys™ LXGePR glasswasher from Hobart.

With more than 100 years of foodservice and food retail equipment manufacturing experience, Hobart built the Advansys LXGePR glasswasher to address the concerns that restaurants and bars have with glass washing – high labor costs, unsatisfactory results and sanitizing residue that clings to glassware and creates unpleasant odors.

Unlike using a pub scrubber or hand washing in the sink, the LXGePR offers the ability to clean between 29 and 38 racks of glassware per hour based on light or normal wash cycle selection. The Advansys LXGePR also provides:

• A PuriRinse cycle that incorporates a potable water rinse to remove chemical residue;
• Washing and rinsing requires low voltage (120v) which is readily available; and,
• An ENERGY STAR-qualified appliance that uses just 1.14 gallons of water per rack.

To keep the LXGePR running smoothly, Hobart built-in advanced service diagnostics and sensors that notify operators of a clogged wash arm or dirty water, with alerts displayed on an easy-to-read panel. It also features an automated de-lime cycle that automatically adjusts the recommended de-lime frequency based on water hardness.

Once installed, the result for The Caroline was immediate, said Smith.

“The time alone we’ve saved from the staff not having to run glass racks back and forth to the kitchen has definitely been worth the investment,” Smith said. He estimates that savings The Caroline will realize in labor, chemicals and breakage will reach approximately $4,000 annually.

Just as important, Smith said glassware comes out of the glasswasher clean, clear and odor-free, every time. The machine’s rack loading and one-button operation make it extremely easy to use, which Smith said leaves more time for The Caroline’s bartenders to focus on making drinks instead of running racks to the kitchen or rewashing glassware.

The Advansys LXGePR has also changed the restaurant’s closing routine.

“OUR DISHWASHERS ARE FINISHING ABOUT 45 MINUTES EARLIER THAN THEY USED TO, WHICH MEANS OUR BARTENDERS AND MANAGERS GET TO LEAVE EARLIER TOO,” SMITH SAID. “JUST IN DISHWASHING WAGES ALONE, I’M SAVING AT LEAST $20 PER DAY.”

At the end of the night, Smith said the washer is easy to break down and clean. That’s because Hobart engineers designed the glasswasher to require little in the way of daily maintenance. Each is built with a deep-drawn, stainless steel tank and housing that keeps the unit clean and enables it to blend in to any décor. At shutdown, an auto clean cycle sprays down the inside of the machine to facilitate quick cleaning.

“The glasswasher just about pays for itself,” Smith said. “Any restaurant or bar considering the Hobart Advansys glasswasher should buy it because they will save money on labor and gain productivity.”

ABOUT HOBART

IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT HOW A HOBART GLASSWASHER CAN HELP YOUR RESTAURANT OR BAR REALIZE CLEANER GLASSWARE, FULL-FLAVORED DRINKS, AND A REDUCTION IN LABOR AND ENERGY COSTS, VISIT WWW.HOBARTPERFECTGLASS.COM

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