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3 Things You Didn’t Know About
Water Filtration Systems

March 7th, 2014

Here in Bradley, IL, commercial water systems are used in many businesses to purify the water. Our civic water system does a good job of filtering out contaminants, but no system is perfect. If you’re running a restaurant or catering business, or even if you just want cleaner water for your home, the tap alone just isn’t going to do it. Water filtration systems provide a clean alternative at a minimal cost, ensuring that ice, drinking water and cooking water are all as clean as they can be. Yet most people know only the very basics about the technology. Here are 3 things you didn’t know about water filtration systems.

Water filtration systems can do more than provide clean drinking water
Depending on your system, you can extend the water filtration to encompass your laundry and bathing water as well. Clothes laundered with filtered water feel more comfortable and last longer, while bathing in filtered water is much easier on your skin: something that can affect households and businesses other than restaurants.

Water filtration systems can get rid of chlorine
You may wonder how chlorine gets into your water. It’s often used by civic systems to kill germs, and while it does the job quite well, it can leave your water with a funny “swimming pool” taste. A water filtration system can screen out the chlorine, improving the taste of your water in the bargain.

Water filtration systems can improve your business
Cleaner, safer water means a better experience for your customers, regardless of whether you’re running a restaurant, a catering service or any kind of food preparation facility. Better taste means a better experiences, which means a better chance of repeat business.

For more advice on things you didn’t know about water filtration systems, or to schedule a kitchen service installation in Bradley, IL, the commercial kitchen specialists at Lee’s Foodservice Parts & Repairs is standing by. We serve businesses throughout Bradley and water filtration systems are a standard part of our service. We’re completely dedicated to your 100% satisfaction for any installation or repair job we conduct. If your business could use a water filtration system, pick up the phone and give us a call today!

Tags: Bradley, Water Filtration
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Air Balancing for Commercial Heating Systems

February 26th, 2014

In Indianapolis, commercial heating systems play a vital role in maintaining a successful business. No one wants to work in a freezing cold building and customers won’t feel the need to linger or return to your place of business if they’re not comfortable. Your commercial heating system is thus a lifeline for your business, and you want it to perform at maximum efficiency. That’s why air balancing for commercial heating systems makes so much sense. It’s a process used to determine how evenly and efficiently your heating system is working, and if properly applied, it can save you a great deal of money.

Air balancing for commercial HVAC systems is essentially just a series of readings and tests, performed by a trained expert can administered at key locations throughout your business. It measures air pressure, air flow, temperature and other key bits of data, in order to determine places where you heating system isn’t functioning as effectively as it could. That might mean cold spots in your place of business, or places where the heated air doesn’t flow as smoothly as it could.

This is particularly important for places of business because it’s affected by things that the average residential home doesn’t need to deal with. For example, a restaurant often has customers coming in and out all the time, which creates pressure changes around the main doors as well as allowing heated air to escape. An air balancing session will first identify such areas and then implement smart and cost-effective solutions to help your business retain as much conditioned air as it can. This not only lowers your monthly heating and cooling bills, but provides a more comfortable atmosphere for your employees and customers.

If you’re interesting in air balancing for commercial heating systems, then call on Lee’s Foodservice Parts & Repairs for help. We understand the unique needs of commercial HVAC services here in Indianapolis. Commercial heating systems are one of our specialties, and we can help ensure that your HVAC system provides the most efficient heating and cooling possible. Give us a call today to make an appointment, and let us show you what we can do for you!

Tags: Commercial Heating, Indianapolis
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3 Common Repairs for Bakery Display Cases

February 19th, 2014

One of the ways to attract business to your food service establishment is with an attractive exterior. But what is the first thing most customers will see once they move past that exterior? Probably your bakery display case, where you lay out the pastry selection for customers to entice them from the moment they come through the door.

A bakery display case is more than a simple glass container. It requires upkeep and sometimes repairs to make sure that it works to keep the goods fresh and looking appealing to your customers. When you need bakery display repair in Bradley, IL, call Lee’s Foodservice Parts & Repairs. We install and repair bakery display cases for many types of food service establishments, and we feel confident we can help you.

3 repairs we often see for bakery display cases
  • Replacing cracked glass: In a busy establishment, it’s easy for an accident to lead to an ugly crack across the front glass of the display case. Such a mark is not only unattractive, it makes the glass susceptible to breaking apart completely. Don’t hesitate about these cracks, just as you wouldn’t hesitate for cracks in a car windshield. Call for repairs from a foodservice parts company to replace the glass.

  • Fixing deteriorating seals: The seals around the windows on a bakery case will start to decay and lose their sealing as the case gets older. If you don’t want to invest in a new case, you can have repairs done to add new sealing. It’s important to keep the case sealed so that the goods inside remain fresh as long as possible. It’s a difference your customers will recognize and appreciate.

  • Restoring cooling to refrigerated cases: If your display case holds goods that need to stay at a lower temperature, you can’t afford to let the cooling power of the case drop. Because these cooled cases are complex systems, it is difficult to diagnose on your own what the problem is. Call for repairs as soon as you can so you won’t lose your valuable goods.

Call Lee’s Foodservice Parts & Repairs—any time!

At Lee’s Foodservice Parts & Repairs, we have technicians ready around the clock for emergency commercial kitchen service in Bradley, IL. We know that many customers run all-night establishments, and you may need service at unusual times. We can get to you fast and help with the bakery display repair in Bradley, IL you need to keep your customers happy.

Tags: Bakery Display Repair, Bradley
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Other Anniversaries of Valentine’s Day

February 14th, 2014

For more than a hundred years, people in countries around the world have marked the 14th day of February as a time for lovers to give each other gifts and for children to write cards to each other and eat heart-shaped candy. But Valentine’s Day isn’t the only important event to occur on February 14th. There are many other anniversaries to mark on this day. Here are a few:

1400 – The death of King Richard II: The same English king whose engagement resulted in the first love poem mentioning Valentine’s Day (from court poet Geoffrey Chaucer) dies in prison in Pontefract Castle after his cousin Henry overthrows him. He probably starved to death, although another famous author, William Shakespeare, would portray his death as murder.

1859 – Hello, Oregon: The Oregon Country is admitted to the United States of America as the 33rd state.

1876 – Who invented the telephone? Alexander Graham Bell applies for a patent for his new invention, the telephone. Another inventor, Elisha Gray, applies the same day for a similar device, sparking a long controversy over who invented what first.

1912 – Hello, Arizona: Continuing the statehood tradition that Oregon established, the Territory of Arizona is admitted to the U.S. as the 48th state. Women are granted the right to vote in Arizona the same year, eight years before the rest of the nation.

1929 – The world’s most infamous mob hit: Unknown assailants shoot down seven people in Chicago, IL. Six of the dead are gangsters in the mob of Bugs Moran, an enemy of Al Capone in the business of selling Prohibition bootleg liquor. No one is ever arrested or charged for the crime—but there isn’t much doubt who masterminded it.

1931 – “I am… Dracula”: The most influential vampire movie ever made, and the start of Universal Studio’s famous monsters series, Dracula starring Bela Lugosi, premieres in theaters. Universal cannily uses Valentine’s Day to promote the film as “The Story of the Strangest Passion the World Has Ever Known!”

1961 – The Periodic Table becomes larger: The 103rd chemical element, Lawrencium, is discovered at the University of California. The name comes from the laboratory where it is synthesized, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

2005 – Now it’s easy to watch funny animal videos: A group of college students launch a video sharing website call YouTube.

Even if Valentine’s Day itself isn’t a major holiday for you, February 14th has many reasons to celebrate—unless you are a member of Bugs Moran’s gang or a supporter of Richard II. All of us at Lee’s Foodservice Parts & Repairs would like to wish you a happy Valentine’s Day, however you observe it.

Tags: Holiday
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3 Signs That You Need to Repair Your Pizza Oven

February 5th, 2014

Consumers have access to many options for pizza they can prepare at home. From microwave French bread pizza to build-it-yourself pies for conventional ovens, shoppers can choose from many different ways to fill their pizza craving from the comfort of their kitchens.

However, nothing beats pizza from a restaurant or professional kitchen, and nothing ever will. The reason is the pizza oven, something few homeowners will ever have installed in their houses or patios. Pizza ovens are the standard for making great-tasting pizza that keeps customers coming back to your establishment. If your pizza oven needs repairs, you need to leap on them right away before a broken oven affects your business.

Lee’s Foodservice Parts & Repairs offers numerous commercial kitchen services. When you need pizza oven repair in Hobart, IN, call us any time of the day or night for fast, effective service.

Here are 3 ways to tell you need to call a pizza oven repair service:
1.Pizza is not coming out hot enough: This is a problem that might initially escape your notice, since the pizza may still feel hot enough when it comes out of the oven. But if customers start to complain that parts of the pizza are cold, it means the oven is not getting the pizza thoroughly heated. This usually indicates an internal thermostat problem that is causing the oven to detect incorrect temperatures.
2.Oven turns on, warms up, but then stops: This is a problem that often happens with gas-powered pizza ovens when they malfunction. It is usually due to issues with the flame sensor in the pilot assemble, or blockage at the air burner shuttle. Professionals will find out what it causing your oven to prematurely shut off. (Don’t try to work on gas-powered units on your own without proper training.)
3.The oven won’t turn on: This is the most tell-tale sign, and an urgent problem. Because pizza ovens are large, powerful pieces of equipment, it can be difficult to tell what the problem is if it’s anything more intricate than a loss of power or a tripped circuit breaker. Call a company with emergency services to get this solved immediately.

Lee’s Foodservice Parts & Repairs handles all kinds of commercial kitchen repairs in Hobart, IN. Whether you have a wood-burning, brick, gas, or electric pizza oven, our technicians can help you restore it and bring back the delicious pies your customers want. If you deliver pizza, let us deliver help for your pizza oven and give us a call today!
Tags: Hobart, Pizza Oven Repair
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Why You Should Have Your Commercial Washer Machine Professionally Repaired

January 31st, 2014

A commercial dishwashing unit is almost as important to a restaurant or catering business as the oven itself. Considering the volume of traffic most successful restaurants experience every day, and considering the need to keep dishes clean and sanitary throughout that time, a good commercial dishwasher is worth its weight in gold. When it encounters problems, you may be tempted to perform the repairs yourself, but here in Gary, IN, commercial washer machine repair is readily available, and often carries considerable benefits above and beyond what a do-it-yourselfer can do. Here are a few reasons why you should have your commercial washer machine professionally repaired.

The biggest and most important reason is time. With a do-it-yourself operation, you lack the familiarity with the system that a professional has, and thus will probably take longer to pinpoint the source of the problem. Furthermore, if you can’t make repairs successfully, then the dishwasher will continue to malfunction and you’ll continue to lose time dealing with repairs. The more time you waste cleaning dishes by hand, or cleaning them inadequately, the more business you’ll lose and the more money it will cost you.

Money is actually a secondary consideration to time when running a business (since money, unlike time can have its amount increased). Even so, it’s very important. When a professional fixes you commercial washer, it comes with guarantees, along with the expertise of someone who handles such issues for a living. If you make the repairs themselves and they don’t stick, or worse – they result in more damage to the unit – then you’re on the hook for all those repairs yourself. Hiring a professional lets you play it safe, as well as ensuring that your dishwasher is fixed in a timely manner.

Commercial washer machine repair and other commercial kitchen services in Gary, IN, can be conducted by the experts at Lee’s Foodservice Parts & Repairs. We had the skills and experience to do the job right and get your business up and running again in no time. Our dedication to your satisfaction is why you should have your commercial washer professionally repair by us, instead of attempting to do so yourself. Call us today to schedule an appointment!

Tags: Commercial Washer Machine Repair, Gary
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The Magician, the Princesses & the Tooth Fairy

January 27th, 2014
By: Dan Mindo

Okay I realize that this has nothing to do with the Foodservice industry but I’ve received feedback from people all over the world who said they really enjoyed this article after it was featured on the Listserve. After all, many of us are parents and have shared similar experiences. So I thought, why not post it here:

Some years ago when my daughter was 4 or 5 I took her to a local festival in Chicago, an annual event that we never miss. She loves all the rides, the cotton candy and the games. Now I usually spend a $100 when I take my daughter to this event. I am a soft touch when it comes to my daughter and she knows it. I had no idea that this trip would cost me $500.00!

One of the attractions offered at this particular event was a bungee/trampoline marriage that looked as if it would be great fun. Picture a bungee harness attached to cables and an electric hoist supported by a framework of steel or aluminum that rose about twenty-five feet in the air. Below this was a small air filled trampoline about six feet in diameter and two feet high. My little Princess had to experience this! I paid my five bucks and off went my little angel. So the nice lady strapped her in and my daughter began bouncing on the trampoline the bungee cables keeping her centered over it and allowing her to go higher up in the air with their assistance. So far, so good, and then the nice lady who had strapped my daughter in gave me a big smile, correction, a big toothless smile! And that is when it hit me! I had just entrusted the life of all I hold precious to someone that couldn’t even take care of her own teeth! What was I thinking? As my daughter continued to gleefully bounce up and down I took mental notes of the apparatus trying to determine the weak spots. Where would it break? In what direction will my daughter be sailing through the air? I made my best guess and moved into an area where I felt it would only be a matter of time before I would be rescuing my daughter like Superman. How come fatherhood has turned me into such a neurotic? A few more bounces and then they raised her up to the top of the unit. My daughter was now suspended about twenty feet in the air. If something broke she would shoot straight up in the air like a human bottle rocket! And then the nice lady pushed a button and my daughter slowly descended, the harness was removed and off we went, my daughter fearless and elated and dad needing a Xanax.

Okay here comes the $500.00 part. Annabella wanted to play a game where you throw ping-pong balls into bowls floating in a pool. I would like to meet the cruel genius that invented this game. After an investment of $20 we won a fish, a Betta fish in a plastic bag. When I got home my wife asked me if I would go to Petco and buy a fish bowl. Okay I can do that and I headed to the pet store. While en-route I received a call from my wife asking me to get a fish bowl with a cover (so the cats don’t get at the fish). Once at the pet store I was informed that they did not have covers for their fish bowls. So they showed me an aquarium. A very small, cheap looking aquarium that made the plastic bag seem like the Taj Mahal. So I started looking at the better aquariums. Well I reasoned we were talking about getting her an aquarium a few months back. Why not bite the bullet and do it now. One hour later I left Petco with a twenty-nine gallon aquarium, stand, filter, light, gravel etc. etc. etc. Within a few days I went back to the pet store three times. I spent about $400.00 on the Aquarium and all of the necessary components to make our fish a happy fish. My daughter named the fish “Princess”. I call her “Princess Lucky”. After three days we were able to determine that the water was now suitable for “Princess Lucky” to enter the aquarium. Amid much fanfare “Princess Lucky” was escorted to her new quarters. As she investigated her new “digs” she looked to be very happy. And I could swear at one point she looked back at me and smiled… A big toothless… smile!

Dan Mindo is the Sales Manager of Lee’s Foodservice Parts & Repairs Inc. He is also a Chicago area magician and a father.

Tags: Chicago
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3 Types of Commercial Appliances

January 20th, 2014

A commercial kitchen—whether it’s serving a restaurant, school, or hospital—requires specialized appliances working at their peak. It’s not only beneficial for customers so that they receive quality food and drink, but it’s also important to keep your kitchen up to local health codes. You can’t afford to let any repairs for the appliances in your commercial kitchen fall by the wayside.

In this post, we’ll look at three types of commercial appliances you’ll find in many kitchens that need expert care. Call Lee’s Foodservice Parts & Repairs for assistance with repairs, maintenance, or commercial appliance installation in Hobart, IN for any of these essentials, or to find out more about the other appliances we service and install.

Commercial Ice Machines
Ice is something customers take for granted in a restaurant or cafeteria. But ice is an essential part of the quality of many drinks, improving the sensation and enjoyment of even something as simple as water. Customers may not think much about ice… until it isn’t available. Commercial ice makers are valuable, but they’re complex equipment that require careful installation to access the water supply for your kitchen and to continue to create sufficient ice through refrigeration. If your ice maker stop making sufficient ice for your needs, or stops making ice altogether, call for professional service immediately: there are too many possible reasons for these faults to try to troubleshoot them on your own.

Commercial Dishwashers
Cleanliness is critical for a kitchen: a commercial dishwasher works for you every day to sanitize the dishware of your kitchen so you’ll have happy customers and a kitchen up to code. The best way to watch for possible problems with your dishwasher is to look for “cloudy” glassware, which indicates drainage problems from clogged lines—one of the more frequent troubles for dishwashers that run frequently. Don’t shrug away apparently small problems and neglect calling for repairs: loss of your dishwasher will bring operations to a halt.

Commercial Coffee Machines
Coffee is one of the few items almost every commercial kitchen will serve; it’s a basic part of the work day for millions of people. Customers have an expectation that coffee from a commercial kitchen will taste better than what they can brew at home, so make sure you have a commercial coffee machine that can live up to this expectation—and can produce sufficient coffee to satisfy that morning demand.

There are many other kitchen appliances vital for operation: refrigerators, walk-in freezers, stoves, ovens, microwaves. All of these require professional installation, maintenance, and prompt repairs. Call Lee’s Foodservice Parts & Repairs for 24-hour emergency service, as well as for quality commercial appliance installation in Hobart, IN.

Tags: Commercial Appliance Installation, Hobart
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Issues to Expect from a Poorly Maintained Commercial Oven

January 18th, 2014

Ovens are the centerpiece of any restaurant or catering business, and commercial ovens need to be properly repaired and maintained in order to keep such businesses running. If you own a commercial oven in Hobart or other Chicagoland cities, you need to know the signs of a problem with your oven and get it corrected, especially if that oven hasn’t received the best maintenance service over the years.

Here are some issues to expect from a poorly maintained commercial oven.
  • Fires. Perhaps the biggest potential problem with a poorly maintained oven is the possibility of a fire. Hoods, fans and similar devices are designed to help keep the oven safe, but if they’re not cleaned, then the grease can start to build up, increasing the risk of a fire. Usually, you need to clean your oven every six months, but that may be more frequent if your commercial oven sees more use.
  • Uneven heating. Build-up and other problems with a poorly maintained oven can reduce the evenness of its heating capacity, leaving some food under-cooked while other food in the same batch is overcooked. Needless to say, this can cause a serious disruption in your business, as well as complicating your cooking process unnecessarily.
  • Inefficiency. Your oven might appear to be functioning, but without proper maintenance, it could be using a lot more energy in order to do its job properly. That means it will cost you a great deal more in monthly bills to operate. If you’re running a business based on that oven, those costs can add up to quite a bit.

Repair sessions from a quality service can correct most of these issues, but it’s much better to plan for regular maintenance to keep the oven clean and properly functioning. For help with servicing a commercial oven in Hobart, Lee’s Foodservice Parts & Repairs is here to help. We specialize in commercial kitchen appliances, and our expertise allows us to correct any existing problems and help prevent any future problems from forming. Call us today to make an appointment; you’ll be glad that you did!

Tags: Commercial Oven, Hobart
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Signs You May Need Repairs for Your Commercial Washer Machine

January 12th, 2014

A commercial washer machine is an essential part of a restaurant or catering business. You can’t serve your customers on paper plates after all, and kitchen utensils need cleaning and sterilizing at the end of every shift. A reliable commercial washer keeps your dishes clean and sterilized, helping to contribute to a pleasant environment as well as a healthy one. That’s why you need to fix your washer machine quickly when it breaks down. Washing dishes by hand is unacceptable when you’re dealing with the bulk of dishes produced by your average restaurant, and in Chicago, commercial washer machine repair services are readily available to help. Here are some signs that you may need repairs for your commercial washer machine.
  • The dishes aren’t getting clean. If you find bits of food and other materials stuck on your dishes after washing, and/or you need to wash dishes multiple times in order to get them clean, your washer isn’t doing the job that it needs to. A qualified repair technician can hunt down the source of the problem for you
  • Leaks have developed in the system. A leaky dishwasher is a hazard: spreading water across the floor of your kitchen and causing serious problems in its ability to clean dishes. Leaks can spring from any number of lines or hoses, or from the main unit itself. A leak can often cause dirty dishes or create other problems.
  • Poor draining. You can run into problems with your draining due to clogs, a ruptured line or the like. Bad draining means that your dishes won’t get clean (cloudy glassware is a good sign) and may cause further damage to your washer if left undetected.

If you spot signs you may need repairs for your commercial washer machine, you can’t simply rely on a domestic dishwasher repairman for aid. Lee’s Foodservice Parts & Repair operates out of Chicago, commercial washer machine repair is part of our area of expertise, and we know the differences between a domestic dishwasher and a commercial industrial one. Pick up the phone and give us a call today. You’ll be glad you did!


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