Ray Kroc and Colonel Sanders are legendary icons of fast food. Working alongside them at the outset was an invisible pioneer of the quick serve industry's technology and operations: Ben Koether, chairman and founder, FAST and Kitchen Brains (formerly SCK Direct). Although the famous names have passed, Koether is still at the vanguard, increasing efficiency, improving food safety and revolutionizing the kitchen—by equipping it with ‘brains.’
Ben Koether only ever had food poising once. It was 1964 and the new salesman for the former American Machine & Foundry (AMF) had scheduled an 11 a.m. meeting with a now defunct Miami, FL restaurant chain. After the meeting, Koether sampled one of the restaurant’s milkshakes and then began to make his way to his second meeting, this time with a Burger King executive.