Brains, Beauty and Brawn
Key Accounts Business Manager, Anthony Pilla, discusses the durability of Marra Forni ovens
Q: What challenges do fast-casual pizza chains face?
Anthony Pilla: To me, it’s about creativity. When it comes to providing food options your patrons are going to keep coming back for, versatility makes or breaks a business as does consistency. You need an oven that can be used for pizza as well as other items that are baked, slow roasted, braised, seared and fire roasted. That’s where our Rotator oven comes in. It’s ideal not only for fast casual pizzerias, but, also for colleges, hotels/resorts and hospitals. Due to the oven’s simple touchscreen operation, anyone can jump on the line, and the results will be the same every time. And the Rotator oven can cook pizza in 90 seconds with one rotation, which is unheard of in our industry.
Q: Talk about the importance of durability in foodservice.
AP: Durability is crucial, as equipment gets beat up day in and day out. Our Rotator ovens are manufactured in house, and our burner and motor are American made for the utmost in durability. We use 3000-degree installation with proprietary Italian refractory bricks that are lighter, yet more durable to heat. These offer superior heat retention and absorption. The Rotator’s motor only uses 10 percent of its full capacity, which means it can take the necessary pressure of even the busiest commercial kitchen. It utilizes a combination of gas and air, 60 percent and 40 percent respectively, burning only 84,000 BTUs versus the typical 160,000 BTUs or more with traditional ovens.
Q: What other attributes lend to the Rotator oven’s longevity?
AP: Our oven has low gas consumption and is eco-friendly. The Rotator’s 3000-degree installation traps heat in the oven, which not only saves energy, but also provides longevity. Our bricks are high porosity, which means heat goes in and out fast. Our unique full brick floor recoups floor heat faster, and the bricks are resistant to cracking. The Rotator offers a gas burning or combination of gas and wood burning operation.
Q: How does the oven’s operation enhance its durability?
AP: It features a redundant back up system, which is three-part and failsafe.
The Rotator’s plug and play ventilation system is customized to your architect’s or engineer’s specifications before it ships. And the system has all the necessary UL listings, which make it possible to vent at high temperatures.
Q: What is the service life of these ovens?
AP: They’ve been around for 10 years and are still operating. Cleaning and maintenance are easy, with sweeping and cleaning under the deck as needed and a burner cleanout once every eight months.
Q: Why is labor savings, like durability, so important?
AP: You don’t have to be highly trained to use the Rotator oven as is the case with a traditional wood-burning oven. It has an automatic timer, which is a huge benefit, as the oven can be set to turn on at a certain time without a staff member present. This is a huge return on investment.