“With the RATIONAL, we were able to replace three pieces of equipment, two soup stoves that we used to put big pots on, and the other one is our oven. We find the RATIONAL to be more accurate with the temperature.“ – Tigist Reda, Chef/Owner, Demera Ethiopian Restaurant
A well-loved, growing community business.
Since 2007, Demera restaurant has served up authentic Ethiopian cuisine to Chicago residents and visitors. Traditional recipes are prepared from scratch, and many of their spices are grown in Ethiopia and shipped directly to the restaurant, making the flavors distinctively bold and vibrant.
Its flagship restaurant in Uptown and newer walk-up location in the Time Out Market in Chicago’s West Loop serve about 2,500 meals each week. Chef/owner Tigist Reda’s passion extends beyond the restaurant to community engagement and philanthropy. Demera hosts and participates in fundraising dinners, popup events, and partnerships every year to support causes addressing those in need, with particular focus on the humanitarian crisis in Tigray, Ethiopia.
Reda plans to open a third Demera location in Chicago’s historic Bronzeville neighborhood that will include a 4,000 square foot commissary kitchen to provide space to grow their catering business and, eventually, expand to packaged food production.
Chef Tigist Reda, along with kitchen manager Frank Threatt and their team of about 35 employees, are motivated to bring Ethiopian hospitality and food to the community. However, the preparation and cooking demand a great deal of time and physical effort.
In 2022, she made the decision to invest in two RATIONAL iCombi Pro, replacing an outdated convection oven and two burners – saving space and taking some of the heat out of the kitchen. “It just solved a lot of issues for us, especially when it comes to consistency and labor,“ she says. In their bustling kitchen, they previously lifted and stirred 80-quart pots on the stovetop for hours to achieve the perfect taste and texture. Not anymore, the iCombi Pro saves their team from overexertion.
- Industry:
Restaurants - Core business:
Casual dining - Location:
Chicago, IL - The challenge:
Improve utilization of space, time, and labor while preserving Ethiopian tradition - The solution:
iCombi Pro
Features:
- iCookingSuite – monitoring and support to deliver results exactly as specified
- iProduction Manager – allows you to prepare different foods at the same time
- iCare System – automatic cleaning and descaling
- iDensity Control – intelligent climate management for exceptional productivity and results