AyrKing

What AyrKing does

AyrKing is a privately held, founder-controlled commercial food preparation equipment manufacturer founded in 1972 and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. The company designs and manufactures a specialized portfolio of mechanical and electromechanical foodservice equipment organized around four functional categories: breading and sifting (the BBS platform with BBS, BBS Mini, BBS Flex, BBS Thin, and BBS Ice variants, plus the patented DrumRoll Automatic Breader), marinating (Tumble, Vacuum, and Double-Door Marinators), mixing and stirring (Mixstir and the Automatic Food and Beverage Stirrer), and cold storage and mobility (Protein Rails, Ice Bath Carts, Food Prep Carts, Ice Baths). Core technologies include the sifter brush used as an auger to blend and separate breading while ejecting doughballs, a helix-shaped tumbling chamber for automated breading, a vacuum-augmented marinator that compresses overnight marination into 20-25 minutes, and a low-RPM wing-blade mixer that avoids aeration. The company holds multiple patents across these technologies and operates a parts e-commerce site (parts.ayrking.com) supporting a documented installed base of equipment with service lives exceeding 30 years.

The company sells through a global distributor network covering 35+ countries across Asia, North America, Central & South America, Africa, Europe, the UK, the Middle East, and Oceania, supplemented by dedicated US sales representatives and direct parts e-commerce. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with revenue generated primarily through unit equipment sales and a recurring replacement-parts stream (notably annual sifter brushes). Customers span quick-service restaurants (Popeyes, KFC, Bojangles, Church's Chicken, Long John Silver's, Captain D's, A&W Restaurants), convenience stores (Kwik Trip), fast casual (Pizza Ranch), and grocery/retail (Kiley's Market), with food trucks and ghost kitchens as emerging segments. The company is privately held with no institutional investors, led by President Jim Bell (since 2013) with Chad Harned as VP Engineering and Sam Eppehimer as VP Sales (both appointed 2022).

Name

AyrKing

Legal name

AyrKing

Website

https://ayrking.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AyrKing is a privately held Louisville, Kentucky-based manufacturer of specialized commercial food preparation equipment, including its patented BBS breading stations, DrumRoll automatic breader, marinators, and mixers, sold to QSR chains, convenience stores, and food retailers across 35+ countries through a global distributor network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Commercial Food Prep Equipment Sales: Primary revenue from manufacturing and selling commercial food preparation equipment including breading stations, marinators, mixers, and automated breading machines to foodservice operators. Equipment sales through distributor network and direct sales for parts.
2. Replacement Parts & Accessories: Ongoing revenue from replacement parts including sifter brushes, screens, dip baskets, coating baskets, and accessories. Maintained through dedicated parts website (parts.ayrking.com) supporting existing installed base.
3. Sifter Brush Replacement: Recurring revenue from replacement sifter brushes available in multiple bristle styles (white, black, red) and lengths (20", 24") to match different BBS models and batter types. Brushes should be replaced annually.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AyrKing designs, engineers, and manufactures commercial food preparation equipment for the foodservice industry, with its core offering being the Breader Blender Sifter (BBS) family of automated breading and sifting stations, supported by the DrumRoll automatic breader, commercial marinators (tumble, vacuum, and double-door), Mixstir batter mixer, and related prep carts, cold-holding, and accessory products. The company also generates recurring revenue through replacement parts such as sifter brushes, screens, dip baskets, and coating baskets sold via its dedicated parts website.

Product overview

AyrKing is a commercial food preparation equipment manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of specialized equipment for foodservice operations. The core product family centers on the Breader Blender Sifter (BBS) platform, which includes multiple variants: the standard BBS for automatic breading sifting, BBS Mini for compact spaces, BBS Flex for configurable workflows, BBS Thin for narrow layouts, and BBS Ice combining sifting with cold prep capabilities. Supporting the breading workflow are the DrumRoll Automated Breader for high-throughput coating and Sifter Brushes for maintenance. The marinator line includes Tumble Marinator, Vacuum Marinator, and Double-Door Marinator for protein flavoring. Mixing equipment comprises Mixstir for batters/liquids and Automatic Food and Beverage Stirrer. Storage and mobility solutions include Food Prep Carts, Protein Rails, Ice Bath Carts, and Ice Baths. Additional products include Lockaire Drive-Thru Windows and Frying + Breading Baskets. The modular, interoperable design allows operators to build customized prep stations by combining products like BBS stations with DrumRoll, Ice Bath Carts, Marinators, and Prep Carts. Founded in 1972 and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, AyrKing serves customers in more than 35 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Breader Blender Sifter (BBS) Fried-food breading and batter table that uses a sifter brush as an auger to blend and sift breading mixtures while removing doughballs. Cuts hand-sifting time by up to 80% and reduces ingredient costs by up to 40%. Available in widths from 14" to 100" with various pan capacities, ice bath options, and configurations. Targeted at commercial foodservice operators doing high-volume breaded protein preparation.
• BBS Mini Compact batter and breading station with footprint as small as 15" deep and 35" wide, offering the same labor-saving sifting and breading as the standard BBS. Designed for c-stores, food trucks, ghost kitchens, bakeries, and other space-constrained operations.
• BBS Flex Adaptable breading station with adjustable lug, pan, shelf, and dip-station placement that can be configured on site for different workflows, employees, and restaurant layouts. Features a larger sifting chamber for more breading per cycle and is covered by a registered BBS Flex patent.
• BBS Thin Narrow breading table designed to fit in as little as 14 inches of linear space, rotating the traditional BBS layout 90 degrees with front access. Targeted at high-volume restaurants, ghost kitchens, and convenience stores with extremely tight aisles.
• BBS Ice Combines all features of standard BBS models with a built-in ice-cooled food well (available with 2, 3, 4, or 5 ice bath pans in right- or left-hand versions) in a space-saving unit that keeps proteins within arm's reach. Targeted at compact commercial kitchens needing sifting and cold-holding in one station.
• DrumRoll Automated Breader Patented high-throughput automatic breading machine that replaces labor-intensive hand breading using a helix-shaped interior that gently tumbles product for even coating. Typical output of eight pieces in under 40 seconds (about 60 wings per minute). Customers see 25% faster production, 32% greater consistency, 13% less breading used, and 5% less fryer oil used compared with hand breading. Covered by a registered DrumRoll patent.
• Tumble Marinator Commercial meat tumbler that reduces marinating time from hours to minutes through timed tumbling, with the flat edge of the barrel tenderizing meat as the drum rotates. Available in 50-lb and 100-lb capacities with a safety stop mechanism. Targeted at foodservice operators needing faster and more consistent protein marination.
• Vacuum Marinator Vacuum tumbler marinator that removes air from the drum so marinade penetrates the protein quickly while the flat edge tenderizes meat. Delivers overnight-equivalent marination results in approximately 20–25 minutes. Available in 50-lb and 100-lb capacities with built-in safety stop.
• Double-Door Marinator Marinator with a second door enabling pre-separation of meats such as thighs/legs and breasts/wings while allowing marinade to flow between chambers, saving time for high-volume operations. Heavy-duty stainless steel construction. Covered by a pending patent.
• Mixstir Commercial Batter Mixer Commercial batter mixer with a low-RPM drive and a proprietary wing-shaped blade that keeps spices suspended and viscosity consistent without foaming. Available in 7-quart and 8-gallon vessel sizes. Replaces manual stirring and re-mixing to free up labor hours; covered by a registered Mixstir patent.
• Automatic Food and Beverage Stirrer Automatic mixer for commercial kitchens and beverage programs that supports both cold beverage applications and hot cooking tasks on gas or electric cooktops. Features timer-based control option and reduces beverage prep time by up to 75%. Deployed by A&W Restaurants for root beer syrup mixing.
• Sifter Brushes Replacement sifter brushes for the Breader Blender Sifter, available in 20" and 24" lengths and in white, black, or red bristle strengths (white for thick batters, black for water or dry breadings, red for European market). Recommended annual replacement. Covered by a registered Sifter Brush patent.
• Food Prep Carts Mobile prep carts in a wide variety of configurations, built with heavy-gauge stainless steel and casters for maneuverability. Available in widths from 15" to 41", holding one to three full-size pans, with accessory options including overshelves, cold storage, and side shelves. Sized for compact and standard commercial kitchens.
• Protein Rails Space-saving cold-storage solution that keeps proteins and chilled ingredients within arm's reach with stainless steel cold-pan inserts that slide easily into place. Available in multiple sizes that can mount on tables, pair with carts, or integrate with other prep equipment.
• Ice Bath Carts Mobile, ice-cooled cold food well that holds proteins, produce, and sauces at safe cold-holding temperatures (below 41°F). Double-walled stainless steel with foam insulation, requiring no plug, compressor, or coolant. Multiple configurations available with standard and low-profile height options.
• Ice Baths Stationary ice baths for cold holding during food prep with an insulated design that keeps foods at safe temperatures. Part of AyrKing's cold-protein storage product line.
• Lockaire Drive-Thru Window Drive-thru window system that helps QSRs and convenience stores control air management and provide improved customer service. Available with an optional bullet-protection add-on for employee safety.
• Frying + Breading Baskets Heavy-duty stainless steel baskets for frying and breading applications in commercial kitchens.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% reduction in hand-sifting time
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Blodgett (Middleby): Blodgett is a Middleby-owned commercial oven manufacturer serving QSRs, bakeries, and foodservice operators. Targets overlapping enterprise customers with cooking equipment that complements AyrKing's prep equipment.
• Middleby Corporation: Middleby is the largest commercial foodservice equipment platform globally, owning brands like Blodgett, TurboChef, and Anets. It competes broadly across cooking, prep, and refrigeration categories and serves the same QSR and foodservice customers as AyrKing.
• Frymaster (Manitowoc Foodservice): Frymaster is a leading commercial fryer manufacturer now part of Welbilt/Ali Group, serving QSR fried-chicken operators with equipment that integrates into the same prep workflows AyrKing addresses. Overlapping customer base in fried-chicken QSRs.
• Hatco: Hatco manufactures commercial food holding, warming, and toasting equipment used across QSR and foodservice operations. Overlapping customer base in QSR chains and convenience store fresh-food programs.
• Vulcan (Middleby): Vulcan is a commercial cooking equipment brand now owned by Middleby, offering ranges, fryers, and ovens to foodservice operators. Targets the same QSR and commercial kitchen customer base with adjacent cooking equipment.

Direct peers

• Antunes: Antunes is a direct peer manufacturing specialized commercial cooking and food prep equipment for QSRs, including bun toasters, holding equipment, and filtration systems. Both companies focus on purpose-built equipment for high-volume foodservice operators.
• Henny Penny: Henny Penny is a direct peer specializing in commercial frying and cooking equipment for QSR chains, particularly fried chicken operators. Both companies serve the same fried-chicken QSR customers with complementary prep and cooking equipment.
• BKI: BKI manufactures commercial cooking, holding, and food prep equipment for QSRs, convenience stores, and supermarkets. Comparable niche specialization in purpose-built foodservice equipment for similar customer segments.

Regional players

• Lincat: Lincat is a UK-based commercial catering equipment manufacturer serving European and international foodservice operators. Comparable in product category (commercial food prep/cooking equipment) with primary geographic focus outside the US.
• Roller Grill International: Roller Grill is a French manufacturer of commercial grills and food prep equipment primarily serving the European foodservice market. Comparable niche specialization in commercial food prep equipment with a European geographic focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AyrKing/videos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ayrking-corporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AyrKing