January has characteristically been a slow month for restaurateurs. The majority of Americans are recovering from the holidays and some will undoubtedly be doing battle against severe winter storms too. So they’ll most likely need a little coaxing to get out of their homes and into the restaurants. With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of five January 2015 holidays that are perfect times for busting out the commercial food warmers and drawing in hungry crowds:
1.) National Oatmeal Month
If your restaurant serves breakfast, consider making oatmeal in your commercial food warmer and celebrating National Oatmeal Month. Oh, and by the way, you don’t have to confine the celebration to mornings only. There are a lot of different oatmeal infused dishes that may be prepared in commercial food warmers. The Whole Grains Council has more than 100 recipes available online for foodservice institutions that may help inspire you. They include dishes like three pepper oat pilaf and oatmeal energy bars.
2.) National Soup Month
If lunch is more your restaurant’s forte, why not put your commercial food warmers to work making dishes for National Soup Month? Think about serving hearty offerings, like those that contain meats, beans and cheeses. Customers should gravitate towards them on cold, blustery days. In addition to the soups, you could use the warmers to make extras like warm, slow cooker breads and rolls.
3.) Carnival Season
For a more lively approach, contemplate using your commercial food warmers to welcome back Carnival Season. It normally kicks off right before Lent and runs through early February. This year, Mardi Gras is expected to take place on February 17th. A few dishes that you may want to consider making are Carnival gumbo, Cajun red beans, Creole rice and Jambalaya.
4.) National Polka Music Month
If celebrating Carnival Season wouldn’t be a good fit for your foodservice operation, think about recognizing National Polka Music Month. We can think of many Polish dishes that could be whipped up with the aid of commercial food warmers. The list of scrumptious meals includes, but doesn’t end with bigos, barszcz, ogorkowa and golabki.
5.) California Dried Plum Digestive Health Month
Last on our list is California Dried Plum Digestive Health Month. We know, it’s not the sexiest of holidays but you could glam it up by dropping the nod to digestive health and serving luscious foods. A handful of dishes to consider are sweet potatoes glazed with plum sauce, sunshine chili and dried plum bacon strata.
To share your thoughts and discuss other uses for commercial food warmers, please contact us at Thermodyne Foodservice Products, Inc. We’ve got an assortment of hot wells, steamers, countertop and full size food warmers that may help your restaurant prosper in the year ahead. Plus, we offer a 100% money back guarantee and quick shipping options.
