Photo Gallery

This continuing-care retirement community’s foodservice operation includes a display kitchen, bistro and 23 other points of service.

Mexican restaurants vary greatly in size, menu and volume. But they have one thing in common: Business is booming.

A newly modeled café design and a menu emphasizing healthly eating options are the hallmarks of this new employee dining facility.

The K-12 foodservice segment has seen bigger business in the last year, amidst record-setting, increasing numbers of students.

This Caribbean-themed, regional chain near Orlando, Fla., serves tropical flavors and seafood through its grill station and sushi bar dining options.

The 17,000-square-foot kitchen contains preparation and production equipment supporting efficient food assembly for patients, two cafes and a catering operation.

Upscale menus, high-end décor and a focus on quality and service have become common sports bar attributes.

Barrett provides a social dining experience, encouraging student/teacher conversation beyond the classroom. Photos courtesy of The Wasserstrom Company, Columbus, Ohio

With a loyal following generated through more than 30 years in operation, this sports bar and restaurant just keeps going.

This 30,000-square-foot foodservice operation at one of Tampa’s largest hospitals gets a complete makeover, transforming a dingy, broken-down cafeteria into an upscale servery, with multiple food stations and express service.

This trendy restaurant with a large bar area and club space below buzzes with customers of all ages looking for the ultimate in diverse menu choices – from sushi to burgers to Mexican-inspired food. All photos courtesy of Hub 51

As these cozy spots have evolved, many have added small plates to both attract an upscale demographic and offer less costly options for customers.

This Midwestern chain attracts generations of new customers with its fresh design and streamlined foodservice equipment package.

Consuming nearly half the space of this authentic French brasserie, a departmentalized kitchen brings a high level of efficiency and cleanliness. Photos courtesy of Theodore Barber& Company Inc.

Noncommercial catering provides a budget-friendly option for schools and hospitals.

Indiana’s newest and first electronic-gaming casino just outside Indianapolis attracts enthusiasts to the swanky Maker’s Mark Lounge, European marketplace-style servery, and the casual NASCAR Sports Grille. By Donna Boss www.fesmag.com.

Move aside burger, chicken’s the hot new commodity. In a tough economy, chains focusing around the lean white meat offer a tasty alternative at an unbeatable price-point.

The dining rooms at this historic, secondary boarding school get a makeover. By Donna Boss, Contributing Editor. Expanded online at http://www.fesmag.com

The cool treat is hardly new, but in its latest resurgence, fro-yo operators have sought to build an experience around frozen yogurt similar to what Starbucks created in the coffee segment. By Kate Leahy, Sr. Associate Editor

Merging function and form, the Ram’s Horn at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo., earned top honors from our judges in FE&S’ 2009 Facility Design Project of the Year competition. By Donna Boss, Contributing Editor

Merging function and form, the Ram's Horn at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo., earned top honors from our judges in FE&S’ 2009 Facility Design Project of the Year competition. By Donna Boss, Contributing Editor

FE&S revisits casinos, and the dramatic changes foodservice has undergone in these gaming facilities, from a focus on celebrity chefs to stepped-up cost-cutting efforts during budget-minded times. By Lisa White, Contributing Editor

A lively bar, Blackjack-themed tables, and a “Sports Book” wall create the Vegas, Baby, away from Vegas at this Texas restaurant that survived Hurricane Ike last year. Photos courtesy of Vegas Grill: Jodi Miller

Cash- and time-strapped customers now look to supermarkets for meal-time options that have grown in sophistication and taste.

Entertainment is the name of the game at this sleek and swanky, Brazilian-style steakhouse with upscale cocktail and salad bars and servers roaming the tables with skewers of fire pit-roasted meats. Photos courtesy of ZED451

With jails filling up these days, simple and inexpensive remain key considerations for foodservice equipment purchasing in correctional facilities, especially due to tight budgets and a less experienced labor pool.

A new design redirected the flow of customer traffic, revitalized the interior and reconfigured the placement of equipment to emphasize fresh and healthy entrée-sized salads, soups and sandwiches. Photos courtesy of Saladworks.

French bistros and brasseries may differ from each other slightly, and collectively, but these restaurants all share a few things in common: a big, central bar; lively atmosphere; and charming, but modern, decorative touches.

This high-end French restaurant, with a major renovation to its Parisian brasserie with a charming, casual atmosphere, and an extensive oyster bar and exposed cookline. Photos courtesy of Parasole Restaurant Holdings & Idein; photography by John Abernathy

After a fire destroyed the 65-year-old main building of this upstate New York vacation destination, the owners sought a sophisticated design for the new kitchen and dining spaces. By Donna Boss, Contributing Editor. Photos by Peter Caro, The Sam Tell Cos.

First it was the food, now it’s the design. Many elementary and middle school cafeterias have undergone serious makeovers to accommodate healthier foods.

As part of a total concept revitalization, this chain used aggressive marketing and standardization methods in addition to streamlining operations to better support its franchisees. Photos by Larry Hamill

This 138-year-old premium ice cream and soda shop chain continues to remain strong with century-old recipes, retro yet timeless décor and a loyal customer base. Photos by Larry Hamill

Located in Boston’s Back Bay area, a display kitchen that’s accented by the warm red glow of heat lamps and quilted stainless steel remains the centerpiece of this bustling steakhouse. Photos by: Andy Starr, Boston Showcase

This family-style diner, which first opened its doors in 1950, remains popular for its old-school, comfort food menu and New York City-style décor that includes a Broadway set design for the newest location. Photos by Peter Caro, The Sam Tell Cos.

Customers continue to flock to brew pubs to sample the fuller-flavored, small batch beer these craft brewers produce. But it’s the diverse menus that get consumers to stay at these brew pubs and helped this segment reach $5.7 billion in annual sales.

This isn't your stereotypical casino buffet. A $114 million expansion project last year added 90,000-square-feet to the buffet dining area and kitchen, complete with two garde manger areas plus a butcher shop...

Marketplace-style dining operation provides front-line and back-of-the house showcase for equipment and supplies. Photos courtesy of CSU Dining Services, Paul Brokering

Breaking away from a more traditional format, today’s healthier Mexican fare makes good use of basic equipment and prep supplies.

This rapidly growing casual-dining “roadhouse” steak chain keeps an attentive eye on everything from the details of the beef aging process to equipment design and maintenance.

Many refer to the West Virginia state capitol building as an “architectural gem,” but it’s also a busy place for foodservice, necessitating a $3.4 million renovation to accommodate the masses. Photos by Reggie Daniel, Daniel Design Inc.

Taking an eco-friendly approach to its operations, equipment and store design, this quick-service chain charts new territory that is capturing the interest of a new generation of environmentally sensitive customers. Photos Courtesy of Pizza Fusion

Today’s hospital boards and foodservice directors continue to revamp their outdated traditional cafeterias, replacing bland and limited food choices.

A newly renovated servery and kitchen in the dining hall of this private boys school increases efficiencies at both the front and back of the house for breakfast and lunch service,plus catered events.

As more consumers are strapped for cash, they’re turning to pizza as an economical option for dining out, and at the same time, operators are going back to pizza’s roots, serving authentic-style, Italian pies.

This glitzy version of the NYC restaurant, Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino with over-the-top design and a menu of upscale Mexican cuisine thanks to an efficient, new kitchen. FOH photos, B.R. Guest Bar & kitchen photos, JEM Consulting Group; Tim McDonald

Founder and CEO Jeffrey Sinelli “chooses the superior vibe” as part of his mission for the five-year-old, upscale quick-service chain. Photos courtesy of Which Wich Superior Sandwiches

Behrooz Anvary, the owner of three La Casita restaurants in Minnesota, bought out a mom-and pop restaurant at this location, demolished it and rebuilt it as a modern Mexican eatery with authentic tastes. Photos courtesy of Strategic Equipment Inc.

Forget run-of-the-mill cafeterias, corporate offices now have upscale serveries intended to feed the masses but also please them.

An increased number of hotel restaurants are being run by independent operators set on making their mark in the foodservice industry.

This start-up concept leverages a simple yet highly efficient menu and equipment package to maintain high standards for food quality and service while keeping labor costs as low as possible.

This specialty drink chain continues on an aggressive growth curve thanks to its flexible footprint and a co-branding concept that helps draw traffic throughout the day.

One of the most prestigious newspapers in the world has a new home in an all-glass building. Photos courtesy of Hopkins Foodservice Specialists Inc.

A sophisticated food court brings myriad choices to students at this Midwestern high school.

Foodservice at sea

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A small equipment package, which leaves more than 60 percent of the tavern's space for seating, allows staff to be efficient in the back of the house as they prepare eclectic tavern fare.

Silver Aspen, Bistro and Barista at Platte Valley Medical Center, Brighton, Colorado

Steakhouses in varying formats depend on more than just grills to satisfy customers’ more discerning tastes.

This chic restaurant’s open Minneapolis kitchen allows customers to see the production of enchiladas, pollo con mole poblano and other Mexican creations, giving them insight into how certain equipment produces authentic meals.

A growing consumer emphasis on freshly prepared, customized foods continues to be the engine that drives this foodservice segment at a faster growth rate than its peers.

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