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NRA Names Kitchen Innovation Award Winners

Ecolab, Activeion cleaning devices on the menu.

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By: TOM BRANNA

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The National Restaurant Association (NRA) has named the winners of its 2010 Kitchen Innovations (KI) Award. This year’s cleaning honorees include Ecolab’s Scrub N Go and Activeion Cleaning Solutions’ Ionator EXP.

The KI Award recognizes the “most groundbreaking equipment on the global foodservice market as selected by an independent panel of experts,” according to the Chicago-based association, which will showcase the products at the 2010 NRA Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, scheduled for May 22-25 in Chicago.

Ecolab’s Scrub N Go Cordless Floor Scrubber replaces the daily mop and bucket as it cleans, scrubs, vacuums, and dries, all in one pass. Featuring a rapid-recharge lithium battery, Scrub N Go scrubs at 1045 rpm and the powerful vacuum leaves floors virtually dry and safe, according to Ecolab.

Activeion’s Ionator EXP is hand-held, on-demand power cleaner that converts tap water into ionized water. When used as directed, the ionator EXP kills 99.999% of harmful bacteria without the use of toxic chemicals, according to its maker.

“These products will make restaurants run faster, smoother and more efficiently, which will result in better customer service and higher quality food,” said Ira Cohn, convention chair for NRA Show 2010 and president of Aramark Business and Industry Group. “Selecting the right equipment for a restaurant kitchen is crucial to creating and serving safe, nutritious and delicious meals.”

The Kitchen Innovations Award applicants were judged by an independent, expert panel of industry leaders consisting of Dan Bendall (principal, FoodStrategy, Inc.); Martin Cowley (senior manager design & standards, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts); William Eaton (chairman of the board, Cini-Little International); Robert Forrester (principal, Restaurant Industry Solutions); Foster F. Frable Jr. (founding partner, Clevenger Frable LaValee); Aaron LaMotte (director, Sodexo Performance Interiors); Robert Marshall (V.P., U.S. operations, McDonald’s Corp.); George McNeill (vice president, culinary and corporate chef, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company LLC); and Kathleen H. Seelye (managing partner, Ricca Newmark Design).

More info: www.restaurant.org/show

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