Tastee employees operating the Patty Express.-Contributed PHOTOS
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Sheldon Williams, Gleaner Writer
Last week, Automotives started a feature on the mobile units which are used by a number of companies to take their services to the customer, without sacrificing the quality a fixed office provides. After starting with JPSCo, today it is the turn of a company famed for its patty product - Tastee.
Tastee lays claim to being the first patty restaurant to be introduced to the island (1966) and has continued its pioneering efforts by launching the first mobile patty canteen, the Patty Express.
Approximately 20 feet long, it debuted on June 8 this year at the Edward Seaga Sports Complex in west Kingston during the Tastee/KSAFA Under-17 football semi-finals. However, the Express was officially launched a week later in Ocho Rios, St Ann, at the Tastee Talent Trail semi-final show.
Powered on location by a generator, the heavily branded unit operates primarily in the Garden Parish (St Ann). However, Tastee plans to introduce more mobile canteens.
more units coming
Ryan Foster, Tastee's chief operating officer and group chief financial officer, said, "A further two units will be added to the fleet by October 2013. The location of these two units will be announced at a later date, where we will do an official launch."
He attributed the introduction of the Patty Express to satisfying customer requests. "Tastee introduced the first mobile unit as we believe in meeting our customers' demands. The mobile unit presents an ideal medium to meet our customers in their communities and at social events, as well as it increases our accessibility and visibility to our loyal customers," he said.
"The mobile unit is presently located in Ocho Rios at a strategic location. The first set of mobile units will be stationary at strategic points throughout the island. However, at a later date we will be developing units specifically for events," he emphasised.
Tastee's public relations officer, Jamal Tugman, assures that the Patty Express maintains the standard of the 14 traditional restaurants islandwide. "Tastee strives to maintain a premium standard in all its stores and outlets. The mobile unit also adheres to these standards and its products are tested for consistency," he said.
He also noted that the Patty Express was uniquely designed to meet Tastee's specifications. "Modifications to facilitate health standards were implemented and different systems were put in place to ensure the product remains at a top quality," Tugman said.
The Patty Express is capable of serving up to 1,000 customers on a business day and feedback has been favourable. Tugman described it as excellent. "The public recognises Tastee as a trendsetter, being the first to operate the mobile unit," he said. However, he confessed that the Patty Express is not capable of providing the full gamut of menu offerings available in the restaurants because of space limitations.
While not listing the Patty Express' operational costs, Tugman summed it up as "the standard cost associated with operating any food business".
surplus food donated
Tugman said if there is leftover food at the close of business, it is given away. "If there is surplus, we give a donation to persons or organisations in need - NGOs and children's homes and homes for the elderly," he said.
Foster emphasised that having a mobile unit is important in keeping the company ahead of its competition. And Tastee will be going mobile in another way next month. "We will be launching a catering service first week in September. It will be a top-quality catering service in Jamaica. We will offer exquisite meals, hors d'oeuvres and entrées," Tugman said.