Rep Prep: 10 Minutes with Foodservice Equipment Expert Lou Dellaporta

Rep Prep from Eaton Marketing is an informative series that gives you access to one of our foodservice equipment experts. In this edition, spend 10 minutes with Lou Dellaporta, and find out what he used to think about the future of fax machines.

Give us a little background on yourself.

I was born in New Jersey and have been in the foodservice equipment industry for 47 years. My roles have included fabricator, dealer, and rep.

Out of all the lines represented by Eaton Marketing, which one is your favorite?

My favorite line to sell is difficult. I have four top favorites – LTI, Thermo-Kool, Southbend, and Perlick.

Why are they your favorites?

They are all tops in each of their fields, and if taken care of, in some cases they can last longer than the facility. But I really like Perlick. 

Tell us about the most successful install you've ever seen using products from this line?

A Marriott in Austin, Texas used Perlick to create extremely long beer runs, probably a mile long if put in a straight line. They also used truckloads of Perlick bar equipment. The project was completely successful, and the owner and operator were very pleased.

Where is your favorite place to go out to dinner? 

I travel a lot, so between Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa, Jacksonville, and the Florida panhandle, that's a real tough call. I have a small steak house in Thomasville, Georgia that I frequent, so that would be my favorite only because of frequency and because I know all the people.

Does it contain foodservice equipment represented by Eaton?

They do have our equipment – Southbend and Perlick.

What do you usually order?

I order either the dry aged ribeye or the red fish. I always order the chocolate soufflé.

How has foodservice equipment changed in recent years?

When I had my shop in 1972, you did everything by hand. You mailed quotes and POs. When I saw the first fax machine, I told the consultant he wasted his money. It would never catch on. Today is unbelievable. We quote in hours not weeks. We are on the information highway. I'm not sure there are catalogs, etc.

What do you see in store for the foodservice industry?

I see good things in product development and overall knowledge. However, attracting new, smart, hard-working people to our industry is a major problem today, and I think it will get much worse. But remember my story about the fax machine, so I'm not sure I'm the guy to quote projections. LOL.

Lou sees Perlick as an industry-leading manufacturer of bar and beverage equipment. See why by reading the Guide to Perlick Beer Systems.