STRATFORD, Conn. and SAN DIEGO, May 14, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- Food Automation - Service Techniques, Inc. (FAST), maker of Smart Commercial Kitchen(r) (SCK) technologies, today announced that ICH Corporation (AMEX:IH) will outfit its Arby's brand restaurants nationwide to function with FAST's SCK Direct(tm) on-line kitchen technology to control and monitor the preparation of every roast beef sandwich it serves.
ICH Corporation is the parent company of Sybra, the second largest franchisee of the Arby's brand. Sybra currently owns and operates 240 Arby's restaurants and is in the fourth year of a nine-year, 210-store development agreement with Triarc Restaurant Group, the franchisor of the Arby's brand.
Under the agreement, the existing ovens in Sybra's restaurants will be upgraded to computerized oven controls equipped to function with FAST's SCK Direct, a device that wirelessly Web-enables the appliance so it can be monitored over the Internet. The controls monitor and manage roast beef preparation, allowing Sybra to maintain product quality, assure safe food cooking temperatures, and automate processes to reduce labor. The SCK Direct service gives those existing ovens at Sybra the capabilities to collect and wirelessly transmit critical cooking and holding data outside the restaurant to a central database that management can review.
"We're very excited about this partnership between our company and FAST," said John A. Bicks, co-chairman and chief executive officer of ICH and Sybra. "FAST's smart monitoring technology should enable Sybra to improve the operating efficiency of its Arby's units by eliminating some of the more labor-intensive steps in the preparation of Arby's signature roast beef sandwich products. This way our managers and crew can focus on maximizing sales and optimizing customer experience," he said.
FAST also supplies data hosting and warehousing services to restaurants that provides real-time access to the preparation and food safety information through a secure Web portal called 'MySCK'. With a standard Web browser, SCK users can access data from multiple store locations and configure reports to monitor quality control, food safety, and efficiency.
Under the agreement, the two companies will shortly begin the system-wide installation of the SCK Direct wirelessly enabled oven controls and expect the full implementation to be completed by the end of the year.
"This is by far the most aggressive step we've taken to ensure product consistency and safety in our restaurants to date," said David Fitnich, chief operating officer of Sybra. "We believe this technology will set a new standard for efficiency in our restaurants."
About ICH Corporation
ICH is a Delaware holding corporation which, through its Sybra operating subsidiary, currently owns and operates 240 Arby's restaurants located primarily in Michigan, Texas, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida and Connecticut.
About FAST and SCK
SCK is a division of privately held FAST, the leading manufacturer of appliance controls and on-line kitchen networking products specially developed for use in the foodservice industry. FAST products, based on DigitalDNA(tm) technology from Motorola, can be found in major restaurants worldwide, including KFC, Burger King, Popeyes, Arby's, Church's Chicken, Taco Bell, Jack in the Box, and others.
Based in Stratford, Conn., FAST is committed to open networking standards in the foodservice industry. Through partnerships with Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector and Multiservice Networks Division (MND), FAST delivers interoperable, end-to-end networking solutions that provide foodservice operators with an easy migration path to a smarter kitchen. For more information on SCK, visit www.fastsck.com. For more information on FAST, visit www.fastinc.com.
Notices: FAST is a registered trademark of Food Automation - Service Techniques, Inc. SCK, Smart Commercial Kitchen, and SCK Direct are trademarks or registered trademarks of Technology Licensing Corporation. DigitalDNA is a trademark of Motorola, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.
Certain information discussed above may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in any such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be achieved. Forward-looking information is subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from projected results. Among those risks, trends and uncertainties are the general economic climate, costs of food and labor, consumer demand, interest rate levels, the availability of financing and other risks associated with the acquisition, development and operation of new and existing restaurants.
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CONTACT: Jacobs & Prosek Public Relations (for FAST)
Wayne E. Travers, Jr.
(203) 378-1152
wayne@jppr.com
Cameron Associates (for ICH)
Richard Moyer
(212) 245-8800
Richard@cameronassoc.com