PRODUCT EDUCATION
WOODSTONE Fire Deck Automatic 9660 Oven
During a year in which many restaurants had to close their dining rooms, consumers were still searching for safe ways to eat out. Te pizza category ended up being one of the big winners, with sales increasing 4 percent during 2020, according to research firm Technomic. Major chains were beneficiaries of that increase. Dominos saw sales rise 11.5 percent in the United States, while Papa John’s saw a 17.6 percent jump.
T HERJAVEC OR AND LEAD SHARK HARK TANK
As pizza places fulfilled more orders product consistency and challenges caused by the labor shortage took center stage. With its latest product release, the Fire Deck Automatic 9660 Oven, Wood Stone set out to solve those operator needs. “We took our most beloved pizza oven and we redeveloped the burners, added smart controls and made it easier to service,” says Jaemi Allen, marketing manager for Wood Stone. “It delivers the same firepower and control that fast casual pizza operators need to deliver quality but requires less training.” Work on the Fire Deck Automatic 9660 began in 2018 when one of Wood Stone’s fast casual chain customers said they were having issues burning the bottoms of pizzas. Te young employees on staff were busy and becoming distracted, causing them to leave the pizzas in the oven too long. To address the issue, Wood Stone changed the design of the burner, improved the heat management system and incorporated smart controls that automated the cooking process and made it easy to cook an artisan pizza with minimal training. “You end up with more sellable pizzas at the end of the night,” Allen says. “You’re not wasting burned skins.”
Te Fire Deck Automatic 9660 can fit up to 24 10-inch pizzas, making it capable of meeting the volumes required by many fast-casual chains. Further, the oven allows operators to create up to six different cooking profiles that can be easily switched depending on the current demand. So when the dinner rush hits, employees can hit a button to switch the profile to cook more quickly with no need to manually adjust a flame height control knob. “You can really create the environment you want for what you produce,” Allen explains. Improving the uptime of the oven was another goal for
the Fire Deck Automatic 9660. Te new burner is designed to prevent debris from entering the burner well and a debris mantel enables kitchen staff to sweep away crumbs and burnt bits into a built-in tray. From there, employees can easily drop the tray out and empty it into the garbage. Te process helps prevent the burner well from clogging, which can lead to service calls and downtime.
What Salespeople Need to Know
Te new oven launched in July as the industry continues to deal with supply chain issues. Because many of the components are similar to its other ovens, Allen says Wood Stone has been able to purchase the parts it needs without issue so far.
When placing an order for the ovens, operators will be able to choose from a few aesthetic options to match their brand image. Some options include a stainless steel wrap, façade tiling, custom powder coating for different colors and a flame guard that has the operator’s logo. But no matter the customized look, the equipment will produce a consistent quality pizza that is sure to please customers and operators. “Our market for this is customers who care about quality, artisan pizza,” Allen says. “If you care about artisan pizza and you want to do a lot of it fast, this is the oven for you.”
The Fire Deck Automatic 9660 Oven was designed in response to operator challenges with a focus on ease of use and delivering a more consistent product.
36 FEDA News & Views
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
