When customers come back, it's because they want the same quality experience as last time – the same frozen coffee drink, thick shake or smoothie. Yet beverage consistency in the current environment is more challenging than ever. Still, a perfectly consistent beverage is not an impossible goal.

By Stephen Hosey, blending application manager, Vitamix Commercial

When customers come back, it's because they want the same quality experience as last time – the same frozen coffee drink, thick shake or smoothie. Yet beverage consistency in the current environment is more challenging than ever.

Half of all restaurant operators consider recruiting and retaining employees as their top challenge in 2022, and 70% say they don't have enough staff to support their current demand, according to a recent industry survey.

Still, a perfectly consistent beverage is not an impossible goal. Even with the current labor challenges, it can be achieved with the right setup and the right equipment.

When front-of-house staff are moving quickly and trying to manage multiple demands on their time, automation is one way to ease their burden.

Automation is also effective for new employees because it eliminates a set of steps that they would otherwise have to learn and remember.

The Quiet One® is an innovation that grew out of collaboration between Vitamix® Commercial and one of its customers. It provides automation in a simple form that is appreciated by experienced and new employees alike.

That's why you see The Quiet One in successful smoothie shops and coffee shops around the world. It gives front-of-house staff more control over how they spend their time.

The machine comes with 34 optimized beverage programs, covering everything from thick smoothies and shakes to cold or frozen coffee drinks.

Of course, not all beverages require the same range of speeds and timing. The formula is different for each beverage. For a smoothie, you may be aiming to pulverize fibrous vegetables or crush small seeds, with a final texture that is silky smooth. By contrast, a frappé or cold foam topping may not require so much blending power or speed.

The team at Vitamix researched the ideal series of speeds for each type of beverage and captured them in The Quiet One's 34 programs. These programs are now accessible to all restaurant operators.

Front-of-house staff no longer need to think about whether they have blended the beverage too long or not long enough — at too high a speed or not high enough. The program takes care of all that. The result is a perfect blend every time.

Ease of operation and order accuracy

Front-of-house staff who operate The Quiet One quickly become fans, because it is so quiet while it runs, and it's easy to operate.

The Quiet One is designed so that any of the 34 programs can be pulled to the front six buttons on the machine. For the front-of-house staff, that means one-button operation.

After loading the ingredients in the container, front-of-house staff just push one button and walk away. They are now free to do something else while the machine runs.

This single, automated step is far more efficient and accurate than asking busy employees to manually transition through a complex pattern of speeds.

Front-of-house staff also appreciate The Quiet One because it is quiet. Vitamix engineers outfitted The Quiet One with a sound enclosure and patented motor damping technology. A twist-lock design holds the sound enclosure in place and rubber components between the upper and lower parts of the enclosure aid in the seal and dampen vibration.

As a result, while The Quiet One runs, you can hold a normal conversation nearby. This is not just a convenience. Sound can be an irritant to front-of-house staff, adding to stress and interfering with order taking. The Quiet One can make the difference between hearing an order correctly — or not.

Beyond The Quiet One — Your beverage build station

The Quiet One is a powerful and precise machine that improves the work environment while moving your restaurant closer to your goal of beverage consistency.

While The Quiet One addresses consistency in the blending process, that is usually the last step in the beverage preparation process. You still need to consider all the things that happen before you set the container on the motor base, such as how ingredients are loaded in the container and how you measure ingredients. How you organize your build station can greatly improve the likelihood of a consistent outcome. For insights on this topic, see Four Causes of Beverage Inconsistency.

Stephen Hosey is blending application manager and culinary team member at Vitamix. His expertise is in blending and blending equipment, kitchen and bar efficiency, recipe creation and menu development. Contact the team at letstalkcommercial@vitamix.com.

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