VGS Golf & Country Club Supply Blog

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Round Trash Can

A round trash can has the volume to carry maximum amount of trash and waste. The circumference of a round trash can offers it the functionality to be able to carry more waste compared to a square or other shaped trash can.

Round trash cans are available with a swinging top whereby the person putting the waste into it does not have to actually touch the can. The waste can just be dropped into the trash can without having to touch the actual trash can. Circular trash cans are also available having a dome shaped open top which makes putting the trash inside the can easier without having to touch the actual can.

It is comparatively easier to clean a circular trash can. Since, it does not have edges to it, its cleaning is simpler and there is no residue or any dirt left behind sitting along the edges inside the trash can.

Similarly, a round shaped trash can is easier to empty. Because of the lack of any edges to it all the waste and trash in the can comes out easily unlike a square or a semi circle trash can where the trash may remain stuck to the edges and difficult to come out. A little tug to what’s left behind and all the trash will come out without any hassles.

Round trash receptacles are easier to carry around. Because of their shape they can be easily picked up and placed where required. They are hassle free to be carried around. They do not occupy much space. They fit snugly in any corner.

Finally, a trash can classically have been found to be round in shape. If you use a circular trash can it will be immediately identified as a trash can. Thus, a round trash can is much better suited and efficient when compared to trash cans of any other shape.

VGS Golf has customers in Pembrooke Pines, Florida, Boston, MA, Germantown, Tennessee, Gainsville, Florida, Chandler, Arizona, The Woodlands, Texas, Pelham, Alabama, San Antonio, Texas, Smyrna, Georgia and Baltimore, Maryland.

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Monday, June 22, 2009

Ice Storage Bin

Can you give us some info about an ice storage bin? In addition, talk a little about the chance of odor taking over the ice. We look forward to your answer and appreciate all of the information that you provide on this blog.

Thank you for your question as well as your kind comments.

An ice bin is a type of restaurant or concession equipment which is a large container and is used to store large quantities of ice for a long period of time so the ice does do not melt. Ice storage bins prevent the melting of ice such that they can be harvested as and when required.

In commercial settings such as in restaurants the need of ice is perennial. It is generally required for most of the beverages and it helps one to store huge quantities of ice. Other than that it is also required for certain types of food. When the continuous flow of ice is maintained the serving of food and beverages that contain ice can go on without any interruptions. Thus, there are many benefits involved in using such ice storage. With the bin, all that you need to do is just insert the scooper in and take out any number of ice cubes that you may need.

Further, another important benefit of the ice storage bin is that the ice produced in the freezers carry with them the odor of the foods and the gas that passes through the refrigerator in them. The odour and the flavour of the foods get mixed in the ice that is produced. Because of this the odour and flavor of such foods is transmitted to the ice cubes which in turn gets transferred to the beverages and the foods in which they are served. The use of this container can solve this problem.

Some ice storage bins available in the market have an open front. Therefore, taking out the ice becomes easy and convenient. Now the market offers you the option to have ice storage bins that are portable. Therefore, it becomes easy to carry them around. Further, some ice storage bins come with movable lids hence it becomes easy to serve the ice. It is also the most hygiene way of producing and serving ice.

VGS Country Club Supply has customers in McKinney, Texas, Golbert, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Port St Lucie, Florida, Elk Grove, California, Miramar, Florida, Chandler, Arizona, Joliet, Illinois, Denton, Texas, Thorton, Colorado, Olathe, Kansas, Peoria, Arizona and Rancho Cucamonga, California.

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Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Gas Deep Fryer

Our concession stand at the golf course needs to replace our deep fryer. In doing our due diligence, we were wondering about a gas fryer vs. an electric fryer and which one is more economical to use in our operation. Any advice for us?

Since gas deep fryers work on LPG and NG they help to save electricity costs and therefore are very economical.

A gas deep fryer is a piece of equipment that helps to deep fry food items and works on gas. It is useful in commercial setting such as in restaurants, concession stands or snack bars where there is a high volume of food items that require frying at one time. Since the fryers are deep they allow a large quantity of food items to be fried at one time. Therefore, you do not end up frying small quantities at regular intervals. The deep gas fryers therefore prove to be economical in the long run as they help to save oil and the gas cost.

A variety of deep gas fryers are available in the market that allow you many different options. The gas deep fryers available come equipped with chrome plated mesh basket that makes the picking up of the items that are placed to be fried in the fryer simpler and convenient. Depending on the size of your unit, they can contain two or three fryers where you can fry two or more items separately in two different fryers. These units typically contain different temperature settings to give you optimum use of the way that you want to fry.

Some gas fryers that are available in the market go off after a certain temperature limit is reached. Thus, it helps you not to burn the oil. Burnt oil gives a different odor to the food and can change the taste of the food. However, the function where the gas fryer goes off after attaining a certain temperature is very useful to maintain the taste and odour of fried food.

VGS Golf has customers in Melbourne, Pensacola, Sarasota, Sunrise, Ocala, Florida, Greenville, Rock Hill, Mount Pleasant, Spartanburg, Sumter, South Carolina, Cheektowaga, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, Utica, Brentwood, New York, Charleston, Huntington, Parkersburg, Morgantown, West Virginia, Escondido, Riverside, Lancaster, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Oceanside, California.



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Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Deep Fryer

As we all are trying to make our clubs more energy efficient and reduce our cost all at the same time, here are five tips to do just that from the VGS article How To Make Money With A Deep Fryer:

1. Energy Star
Making the move to purchasing an Energy Star commercial deep fryer will not only help the environment but it will also help you bottom line in the long run. The Energy Star rating that have been given to these units have a minimum cooking efficiency of 50% for gas and 80% for electric. In turn, this means that you can save up to $600 a year on utility bills.

2. Recovery time
As you compare various commercial deep fryers, you will want to also compare recovery times of the units. With a slower recovery period, you may be sacrificing performance for energy efficiency. This can also hinge on how busy your snack bar, concession stand or restaurant is throughout the day. Typically, electric fryers will recover faster than gas fryers.

3. Automatic energy-saving mode
As you are looking to purchase a commercial deep fryer for your snack bar, concession stand or restaurant, a unit that offers improved electronic controls will be able to fryer into idle mode after a specific period of inactivity. Especially in a busy commercial kitchen, this will save on your overall energy cost.

4. Data technology
Yes, believe it or not technology is even implemented into your commercial deep fryer. You can now monitor the performance of your unit by connecting it to your computer. You will be able to pinpoint any problems much faster and confront it before you have a big energy or money loss. With some models you can even change cooking temperatures from one monitoring location.

5. Insulation
The amount of insulation around the fry pot of the deep fryer is what is important. With an insufficient amount of insulation, the losses could be as high as 25%. Insulation is not available for all models. In addition, it may have some extra upfront cost. However the savings in the long run will outweigh the initial cost.

VGS Golf & Country Club has customers in Boston, MA, Jacksonville, Florida, St. Louis, Missouri, Richmond, Virginia, Knoxville, Tennessee, Durham, North Carolina, Cleveland, Ohio, Newark New Jersey, Pittsburgh, PA, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Tampa, Florida, Augusta, Georgia, Scottsdale, AZ and Long Beach, California.


Learn more about the following Restaurant Equipment topics:

Start Up Restaurant Equipment, Kegerators, Under Counter Wine Coolers, Commercial Bar Equipment, Bar Equipment, Kegerator, Beer Coolers, Commercial Freezers, Start Up Restaurant Equipment, Under Counter Refrigerators, Buying Restaurant Equipment, Sandwich Prep Table, Saving Energy At Your Club, Wine Refrigerator, Restaurant Equipment, Under Counter Refrigerators, Worktop Refrigerator, Start Up Restaurant Equipment, Commercial Restaurant Equipment, Commercial Ovens, Patio Furniture Chair, Patio Furniture Chairs, Outdoor Furniture Chairs, Deep Fryers, Concession Stands, Electric Deep Fryers, Snack Bar Equipment, Restaurant Equipment Buying Tips, Deep Fryer, Ice Machines, Commercial Ice Machines, Restaurant Equipment Buying Tips, Under Counter Ice Machines, Ice Dispensers, Commercial Ice Machine

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Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Capacity Of Ice Machines

I am looking for an ice machine for the golf course I work at. I am not very familiar with industrial or commercial ice machines. How much ice can an ice machine make and do they come in standard sizes?

With the introduction of cutting edge and innovative technologies, an ice machine today is no longer a bulky device producing insanitation, consuming more energy, making noise, and with a lesser efficacy. With that being said, commercial ice machines come in many different sizes.

As a result of the high end technologies, ice machines are able to achieve the highest levels of energy and water conservation. Now an ice machine can easily produce from 65 pounds to 2,000 pounds of ice cubes in a day. You will really need to knwo how much ice you typically use in order to purchase the correct machine for you. In addtion, you can find varied shapes of ice cubes such as dice, half dice, octagon, crushed, nugget, and flake to offer different looks to your members and guests.

In each case, the length and width of an industrial ice machine may vary, depending on the space and requirements. Generally, an ice machine converts the liquid into ice, which can quench your thirst. Such machines are classified into air-cooled machines and water-cooled machines. The former uses air to remove the heat, whereas the latter uses water to preserve coolness within the machine. It is pertinent to note that air-cooled ice machines consume more energy and much noisier than water-cooled ice machines. But both of them are effective in their respective errand.

Moreover, while choosing an ice machine one has to consider the size of the device, since it does not look nice if it does not fit in the space. It is recommended to buy a compact and sleek ice machine that looks chic and takes less space. For the environmentally conscious, you are suggested to purchase an ice machine, equipped with CFC-free R-134a refrigerant.

Furthermore, to keep your ice machine durable and highly efficient; you should purchase an NSF certification ice machine for your commercial establishment. In fact you should do this if purchasing a unit for your home as well.

VGS Golf & Country Club Supplies has customers in Mesa, Arizona, Louisville, Kentucky, Las Vegas, Nevada, Washington DC, Nashville, Tennessee, New York City, New York, Portland, Oregon, Tucson, AZ, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Fresno, CA, Kansas City, Missouri, Cleveland, Ohio, Virginia Beach, Virginia and Omaha, Nebraska.

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Friday, January 9, 2009

A High School Concession Stand and Their Commercial Deep Fryer

I have just started working at the high school concessional stand and I have a few questions about our commercial deep fryer for you. What type of oil should I be using in the commercial deep fryer, how long does it last and how often do I need to change it?

There are two main food items that are typically used in commercial deep fryers—oil and shortening. The stable oils used in most fryers can last up to 100 hours, meaning that you don't have to change the oil each and every day after use, like you might with a home fryer. In fact, depending on how many batches you do each day in your commercial deep fryer, you may go through all the oil and actually have to add more to it.

Shortening comes in tubs or bricks and quickly melts down to a liquid for frying purposes. Using shortening in commercial deep fryers used to be very popular because once the shortening melts down, it can last from 200 to 300 hours—2-3x as long as oil. This means you get just as many batches out of it without it having to be changed as often. Shortening is not used as much now, however, because it is so high in fat and calories. Now, most restaurants opt for healthier fry oils like vegetable, canola, and the like. Which type you would use in your commercial fryer would depend on what you are frying and if you are trying to save fat and calories or not.

Typically, if you do 50 large batches of food, such as fries in a commercial deep fryer, you would be short four pounds of oil. This is because some of the oil from the fryer does absorb into the food, even if you drain it. Let's say you started your day with a fryer that holds 20 gallons. After fifty batches, 1/5th of your oil would be gone and need to be replaced.

VGS Golf & Country Club Supply has customers in Orlando, Florida, Washington DC, Knoxville, Tennessee, Louisville Kentucky, Birmingham, Alabama, Madison, Wisconsin, Chicago, Illinois, Hartford, CT, Glendale, Arizona, Long Beach, California, Sante Fe, New Mexico and Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Standards Of Sandwich Prep Tables

I am going to be looking for a sandwich prep table for my facility. Can you discuss some of the important basics of these types of prep tables?

Sandwich Prep Table – Size
The size of a sandwich table will typically vary between 27” in width to 72” in width. It is important to understand your needs at high and low traffic times as well as the space that you will have available in order to properly make the decision on which unit will best suit your needs.

Sandwich Prep Table – Construction
Although you can find them made of various materials, most units are made of steel. You will find that the exterior construction includes heavy-duty stainless steel finish on the front of the unit, the sides of the unit, the top of the sandwich prep unit as well as the door(s). In addition, the unit will have a removable hood and insulated lid.

Typically the bottom of the unit and the rear of the unit are made of galvanized steel. The interior food liner is made of anodized aluminum for superior resistance to corrosion and prevents food spillage from entering the cabinet interior.

You will need to pay attention to the casters of the unit as some manufacturers include them with certain units and not with other units. In addition, you will need to make sure the depth of the cutting board will fit your needs. The depth of the cutting board will vary by manufacturer.

Sandwich Prep Table – Refrigeration systems
Most refrigeration systems use airflow to ensure that product in open containers is kept below 41°F and above freezing. Using an airflow type of design provides better airflow management and uniform temperature distribution throughout the cabinet. This translates into increased product shelf life, higher quality food, better food appearance, fresher product and a reduction of bacteria build-up to combat food-borne illnesses.

Sandwich Prep Table – Doors
Options available also include self-closing doors with 120° stay open feature. Doors on these units may also have the ability to be field reversible to accommodate any needs that you may have. In addition, some of the units offer the flexibility to convert a unit with doors to a unit with drawers.

VGS Golf has customers throughout the US such as in Birmingham, Alabama, Los Angeles, California, Indianapolis, Indiana, Bakersfield, California, Phoenix, Arizona, Clearwater, Florida, Macon, Georgia, Charolette, North Carolina, Washington DC, Richmond, Virginia, Boston, Massachutesettes, Stuart, Florida, Las Vegas, Nevada, Jacksonville, Florida, Huntsville, Alabama, Nashville, Tennessee, Miami, Florida, Orlando, Florida, Denver, Colorado, Long Beach, California, Cincinnati, Ohio, San Antonio, Texas, Las Cruces, New Mexico, Kansas City, Missouri, New York, New York, Orange County, California and Chicago, Illinois.

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Tuesday, November 25, 2008

How To Maximize Concession Stand or Snack Bar Revenues

I am looking for ways to maximize my concession stand or snack bar revenues. Do you have any ideas that I can implement at a country club with a driving range?

If you are space challenged and are looking for the least amount of headaches possible then a vending machine would be the answer for you. Vending machines do not require any permits and you can set them up in a number of different ways limiting the initial cash out of your pocket.

The easiest way is to have the company provide the machine and the product and you get a commission off what is sold. There are also options where you can buy the machine and have the company place the product.” The benefit of vending machines, he adds, is that they don’t require permits, much space or a lot of maintenance.

The next step would be to move up to providing fountain drinks. This will need more space as well as drainage. In addition, you are going to have to be able to get water to the fountain. This could require some construction costs and there will be permits involved. However in the long run it will be worth it.

Once you have installed the fountain, the transition to a candy rack and grab-and-go foods is very easy. In addition to the potato chips and energy bars, the suppliers are offering some very good prepackaged sandwiches and hamburgers that you just heat in a microwave. These products really have a good quality now and there is no major kitchen equipment required.

To help maximize food revenues, golf courses and driving ranges can serve golfers outdoors rather than waiting for them to come inside and eat by purchasing a grill. People enjoy hitting range balls during their lunch hour. With the purchase of an outdoor grill to place near your range you can sell the smell of lunch. You can then come up with different lunch specials including the food and range balls. Prior to purchasing the grill, check with local officials about any permitting that may need to be completed first. Permitting varies across the country.

VGS Golf & Country Club Supply has customers throughout the US such as in Birmingham, Alabama, Los Angeles, California, Indianapolis, Indiana, Bakersfield, California, Phoenix, Arizona, Clearwater, Florida, Macon, Georgia, Charlotte, North Carolina, Washington DC, Richmond, Virginia, Boston, MA, Stuart, Florida, Louisville, Kentucky, Nashville, Tennessee, Las Vegas, Nevada, Jacksonville, Florida, Huntsville, Alabama, Nashville, Tennessee, Galveston, Texas, Miami, Florida, Orlando, Florida, Denver, Colorado, Long Beach, California, Cincinnati, Ohio, San Antonio, Texas, Kansas City, Missouri, New York, New York, Orange County, California and Chicago, Illinois.

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Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Electric Deep Fryer

Electric deep fryers are just as effective at frying your food as a gas commercial fryer, but use electricity instead. An electric deep fryer will use coils like those found on an electric range in your kitchen to heat the oil from inside the oil tank. These coils heat very quickly and so can have your oil ready for cooking in just a matter of minutes, depending on how much oil you need. Electric deep fryers make delicious deep fried foods fast and easy. The most efficient home models fry up to six big servings with using just the minimal amount of oil. They can maintain the perfect frying temperature automatically and should come with handy scoop lifts, drains, stirs, and a "no mess" basket to place your finished product.

Since electricity is usually cheaper and cleaner environmentally than gas, electric fryers are generally cheaper to maintain. No gas line is needed either, just somewhere to plug the machine in, along with an adapter since the plug is usually a large commercial or three-pronged plug. Many of the newer, more efficient commercial fryer models are electric fryers.

Whether for your home or for your business, electric deep fryers assist you in diversifying your menu. The deep fryer seals in the taste of all of your (and your customer's) favorite foods such as; chicken, seafood, vegetables, and much more. Most importantly, with electric deep fryers, manufacturers keep your well-being in mind and reduce the risk of accidental fires which are associated with deep fryers by including safety features. You too can keep deep frying safe by following a few key tips such as never leaving the fryer unattended and never overfill the fryer with oil. Once you enjoy your favorite meal with the assistance of an electric deep fryer, you'll wonder how you ever did without it!

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