Dave's Hot Chicken: Elevating Quality with Mars Air Curtains
Challenge
Dave’s Hot Chicken, serving Nashville-style fried chicken, is on a spicy-hot growth trajectory and even on track for being the fastest growing concept … ever. With at least 100 units opened within five years and a strong word-of-mouth marketing engine, Dave’s Hot Chicken founders and franchise operators mean business. That might be why they chose Mars Air Systems air curtains for the thermal protection and energy savings they offer. Committed to becoming the national leader in hot chicken, franchisees need construction plans that will yield a profitable concept ensured to have sanitary food prep and serving zones. They also need equipment partners that can support their high growth, high quality values and provide quick shipment when construction and roll-out schedules shift or are tight. Reliable products, exceptional customer service and quick technical support when needed are key qualities for vendors of high-performing chains.
The Solution
While there are often regulatory requirements behind air curtain installations in a foodservice setting, operators readily realize the benefit that comes from a seemingly simply but highly engineered stream of air. Designed by the Mars research and development team to provide adequate airflow at every opening of every size, air curtains on pass-thru windows, receiving doors, walk-in coolers and the ever-important customer front entrance create multiple benefits for operators:
- Flying pests are deflected,
- Interior temperatures are stabilized,
- Energy spend is lower (increasing operating profit),
- The HVAC system lasts longer with a reduced workload by way of air curtain support.
The air curtain’s ability to extend shelf life of products in the walk-in, the capability to stop debris and flying pests from entering at the pass-thru no matter how busy, and the protection at the front entrance to create comfort and sanitation for dining guests all make air curtains an invaluable 24/7/365 supporting player.
STUDIES REVEAL A 6%-9% UPSIDE EFFECT ON WORK PERFORMANCE BASED ON IMPROVED AIR QUALITY AND TEMPERATURE. (WYON 2004)
REDUCING OPERATIONAL SPEND IN LARGE INDOOR-OUTDOOR ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX TO PREP FOR GROWTH
Designed for guests flowing in and out of game playing, eating and imbibing drinks, Chicken N Pickle takes inspiration from The American Town Square with activities pivoting from a large, central outdoor courtyard. The indoor structures wrap around the large performance space and host a series of 30-foot openings so that guests flow easily throughout. With plans to open 12 additional units in 2023 alone, the need to control operating costs and manage the flying pests, windborne dust and debris that the design inherently contributes was paramount to future growth. Initially the cost of 30 air curtains per unit appeared daunting but upon analysis, using the Mars ROI calculator, it became evident that the air curtains would pay for themselves within a year with the energy savings they bring about. Lowering the energy spend while managing exterior flying pests and windborne debris creates the brand experience operators need to provide a satisfying guest experience and repeat visits.
CUSTOMIZED SUPPORT FOR FAST-GROWING CONCEPT
When the produce-forward, high-growth restaurant concept Salad and Go begin their efforts to double their footprint across the U.S., from hot humid Houston to the dry Arizona desert, Mars air curtains was their brand of choice. Mars customized a solution for the Salad and Go concept that took into account operational considerations, store configuration and climate to protect the pass-thru window, drive-thru windows and employee entrances. The Mars units were integrated with the window system for seamless installation and wiring, reducing labor costs and simplifying the start-up process when every construction day counts.
While the Mars brand is widely recognized for its exceptional flying pest protection, Mars air curtains are now accepted in national building codes as an energy saving device reducing excessive loads on heating and cooling systems. This ensures a lower annual utility spend and a longer HVAC system lifespan that yields better operating profit
ENERGY SAVINGS AND SUSTAINABILITY LEAD EQUIPMENT SOURCING
When a nationally noted chef and multi-restaurant concept developer committed to launch a new sustainable concept, his leading values were to operate profitably while minimizing the impact on the earth. The concept was envisioned to source products and equipment from value-sharing vendors who reduce emissions, minimize environmental impact, and save energy. The unit had two vulnerabilities that required protection: cold storage and the customer front entrance. Because the operator knew the value of UVC for sanitation, he sought out the Mars LoPro units enhanced with a UVC bulb to both extend product shelf life and provide a protective barrier to separate interior temperatures from outside air infiltration that causes temperature fluctuations. Mars LoPro units were installed at the customer front entrance. The operator immediately noticed the low sound profile and a significant drop in the accumulation of dust and exterior debris at the door which had accumulated heavily prior to air curtain installation.
KEEPING WIDE OPENINGS FROM ATTRACTING THE WRONG CROWD
When a popular sports bar in Downtown Overland Park, Kansas added a track-guided garage door and a series of fold-out windows along the second-floor dining area to open the space and bring the outdoors in, Johnson County health code regulations threatened to halt the experience enhancing plans. Prohibitions against open exposure to flying pests in food prep and food serving areas were circumvented when Mars Air Systems was part of a rescue served up to meet regulatory requirements, amplify guest comfort, and cut utility bills. A cleverly designed exterior-mount solution provided a simple ledge to cradle the hardworking air curtains while doing double duty as an architectural mullion. A painted custom-made protective covering was then placed around the units to shield them from harsh Midwestern elements while blending in with the building and appearing to be part of an intentional facade. Now the threat of flies and mosquitoes has been halted as the air curtains provide the proven invisible protective shield the health code demands. Able to operate continuously whenever the garage door or windows are open and provide trusted defense, patron experiences are also separated as any drifting cigar or cigarette smoke from guests on the patio is safeguarded from reaching inside diners.