Being one of the top foodservice providers in the convenience store industry requires more than a commitment from foodservice managers and store personnel. It demands vision, innovation and, perhaps most importantly, the right foodservice equipment to get the job done.
For Wawa, regarded as one of the industry’s elite purveyors of foodservice items, that means intense scrutiny of the foodservice offering and Merrychef’s accelerated cooking ovens.
Merrychef (www.merrychefusa.com) and Wawa began working together in March. As part of the agreement between the two powerhouse companies, Merrychef will provide its 402(S) accelerated cooking ovens to power the expansive hot food program at more than 540 Wawa stores in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
The Wawa, Pa.-based convenience store chain selected Merrychef ovens after evaluating a variety of options for expanding its menu and speeding its service.
“Our customers rely on Wawa for high quality fresh foods and our relationship with Merrychef will enhance our ability to deliver on that promise,” said Rob Price, senior vice president of marketing for Wawa.
Using the Merrychef 402(S) with its combination technologies, Wawa produces high-quality hot food items at significantly reduced cooking times. In selecting the Merrychef 402(S), Wawa cited the outstanding reliability of Merrychef ovens as well as the ability of the technology to handle expanded future menu items.
Wawa’s foodservice program is quite extensive. In addition to its famed hot and cold hoagie program, the company’s hot dishes include chicken and rice, roast pork, spaghetti and meat balls and roast turkey, all prepared in Merychef ovens.
“Merrychef and our parent company, Enodis, are excited to help expand Wawa’s outstanding foodservice program,” said Steve Beck, president of New Port Richey, Fla.-based Merrychef USA. “By integrating the Merrychef accelerated cooking ovens into Wawa’s proven foodservice operation, Wawa customers will be able to select from a wider variety of freshly-prepared, hot menu items while enjoying fast, convenient service.”
The equipment provider also credited Wawa with pushing the envelope to drive and refine the availability of the new equipment.
“This opportunity with Wawa shows the power of our innovation strategy to develop key technologies that create more value for our customers,” said Dave McCulloch, chief executive of Enodis, parent company of Merrychef. “We believe that accelerated cooking technology across our product range, including Convotherm, Garland, Lincoln, Merco Savory and Merrychef, will dramatically shape the future demand for new cooking equipment. This is a clear example that the adoption of this technology has begun with major chains.”
A global leader in accelerated cooking ovens, Merrychef has installed more than 70,000 microwave and combination technology ovens in foodservice operations in North America, Middle East and Asia as well as throughout Europe in quick service restaurants, and in a variety of casual and fine dining operations.
Convenient Solutions, Hot Profits
In addition to its line of ovens, Merrychef offers convenience operators menu support, culinary guides, merchandising and fast service.
Meal replacement is a big sector and opportunities abound for c-store operators to cash in. The trick is exceeding customers expectations with foods that are fast, affordable, but most of all delicious and easy to prepare. Merrychef offers a full range of equipment designed for convenience and retail, helping operators produce a wide assortment of fresh, tasty, nutritious foods in virtually any footprint.
All of its products are backed by Enodis’s STAR Service and special low-rate company financing is available. The equipment provider vows to help foodservice managers create more productive, efficient high-throughput workstations and kiosks in compact footprints by integrating its products into Enodis Kitchen EXCEL-eration systems for space saving accelerated serving solutions and merchandising options in the ever-changing convenience and retail environment.