Recently, the creator of the Hawaiian Pizza passed away. This combination of tomato sauce, bacon, and pineapple rings is something on par with casting a woman to play Bob Dylan -- it shouldn't work, and yet somehow it does. 

This is a good lesson for restaurant owners across America, many of whom are afraid to venture too far from the tried and true. The fact is, many of the most popular foods were not intentionally invented, but the effect of happy accidents. This list ranges from Worcestershire sauce to potato chips, even chocolate chip cookies!

That is why experimentation and creativity are two important principles for working inside of the kitchen. Innovation is a driving force in all facets of American culture, including food.

But in order to have the abilities to experiment, your kitchen needs to be equipped well enough to have a full range of resources and cooking preparations to explore. Here are just three important factors to the creativity of your kitchen.

• The Right Equipment: It doesn't matter how creative your cooks are if they don't have the proper equipment to carry out their culinary creations. Industrial meat tenderizer machines, spiral dough mixers, or commercial dough sheeters can open up a world of possibility with experimenting.


• Unique Ingredients: Unless your cooks are McGyver, they won't be able to come up with anything too creative unless you go out of your way to provide them with interesting and unique ingredients. While no one is suggesting you go full monkey brain, unique types of cheese, interesting heirloom fruit, and exotic fish all make exceptionally interesting and underused ingredients.


• Support for Failed Ideas: Just because a recipe didn’t turn out, doesn’t mean that it was a waste of ingredients. Each new failure is a step closer to making the truly unique and exciting dish that can put your business on the map.

While it can at times seem like a distraction, experimentation in the kitchen leads to unique and inventive dishes. From the immensely loved chocolate chip cookies to the Hawaiian Pizza, which is about as polarizing as anything can be without running for office, these unique dishes are cornerstones of creative American cuisine.

And with 34% of Americans visiting casual restaurants each week, isn’t it time for your kitchen to make its mark?

For more information on spiral dough mixers, electric meat cutters, or other restaurant tools, visit Pro Restaurant Equipment today.