Should You Accept Reservations?

Staying up-to-date on the latest restaurant tendencies and trends can be overwhelming. One of the latest trends, however caught our eye. Recently, it has become more common for restaurants to refuse to take reservations. For many customers this practice is frustrating and inconvenient but the reason behind the no reservation trend has an explanation. Let us explain the possible benefits and detriments of accepting reservations and why this trend seems to be growing across restaurants.
Reservations can be advantageous but it takes exact planning and timing. Customers clearly like the option of making reservations because it allows them to plan their evening accordingly. The customer is able to say "Ok, I have two hours to be here before I have to be at dinner, which then I can sit down, eat, and then get to this movie (for example) by this time." Not having a reservation often means a lengthy wait before you are even seated. Sometimes on a weekend you can get to a restaurant and wait another 45+ minutes before being seated, which then begins the process of waiting for your food. Preventing reservations means that a customer must say to themselves, "what time will I be hungry? I should arrive an hour before that." On the other hand, the biggest problem with accepting reservations is if the customer is late or misses their reservation completely, it can take money away from your restaurant. Protocol differs between restaurants, but most wait at least 5 minutes for reservations before moving on to the next person in line. Canceled reservations and overestimated reservations are a problem too. If a potential customer is waiting on a table but can’t be seated because too many reservations were taken, chances are, the restaurant will lose that customer.
While there are detriments to accepting reservations there are benefits too. Restaurants that accept reservations have better access to large groups, parties and even conventions. Restaurant owners know that big parties typically result in big checks. If a large group cannot schedule a reservation with your restaurant they’re likely going to take their business elsewhere. If a group is wanting to eat together, they know it can be an ordeal without a reservation. Be sure to clearly mark reserved tables with signs like our Reserved Sign from Update International so everyone in the staff is aware of the large party. Walk-in customers will be more accepting of a wait time if they see a table is reserved, rather than simply not being utilized. Another benefit of reservations is that they can give your business a more upscale demeanor. If someone is wanting to schedule a nice evening out, especially if they have plans following dinner, they will want reservations. So, now that you've determined that you will accept reservations, the question is: How do you offer reservations without losing money?
Restaurants are dependent on their customers to arrive on time for their reservations or they will lose business. You may not be able to make your customers be punctual but you have options. Some restaurants who offer reservations require a deposit for reservations. If your customer does not show up you will still make money. Another option is dropping reservations after a certain amount of time. For example, if patrons are more than fifteen minutes late you can move their table to the next guest. Some restaurant use call ahead seating as an alternative to reservations. Call ahead seating is when customers calls and adds their name to a wait list as they’re driving to the restaurant. This is great for small groups but does not work well for parties.
Another factor in accepting or refusing reservations is understanding your restaurant style and clientele. If you’re debating between reservations and no-reservations consider a few things: Is your restaurant casual or formal dining? If you own a formal dining restaurant you will likely want to accept reservations especially if you serve long, multi-course dinners. Casual menus don’t take long and tables typically rotate quickly.   Where is your business located? If your business is located on a busy street and you accept walk-ins, reservations may be unnecessary. On the other hand, if your restaurant is in a less frequented area reservations may be a great way to bring in business. What can patrons do while they wait? If your business has a comfortable lounge area or an excellent bar, you can go without reservations and recommend your customers wait at the bar. When customers have a way to occupy their time and enjoy themselves, they will be more patient with wait times; however if they're stuck standing at the door, constantly shifting side to side to let people pass, a long wait can increase walk-outs. On the contrary, if your business has limited seating, reservations are likely a good idea.While your customers wait, always allow them to have the option to look at a menu, at least then, they'll be able to order quickly and eat sooner.
At Public Kitchen Supply we work to stay current in the restaurant industry. To make sure your restaurant stays up to date and has all the products it needs to handle restaurant reservations, visit our website at PublicKitchenSupply.com. Or, if you would like to speak to a sales representative directly you can call us at 1-800-458-1716, we'd be happy to help.

How to Make a Stir-Fry Dish

Buwei Yang Chao first coined the term stir-fry in her book How to Cook and Eat in Chinese. First published in 1945, many culinary historians consider it the first book to present traditional Chinese recipes to an American audience. Over the years stir-fry has become a common entree gracing dinner tables everywhere. Stir-fry is a great way to incorporate fresh vegetables and lean meat into a delicious meal. In today’s blog Public Kitchen Supply will explain how quick and easy a stir-fry meal can be with the right kitchen smallwares.
One of the most common stir-fry tools is a wok. A wok is a wide, rounded pan that originated in Guangdong Province in China. A wok’s curved, sloping sides allows for more food to cook evenly. You can shift food around in a this pan by cooking some food on the more direct heat and others on the side farther away from the burner. We recommend Adcraft’s Induction Ready Wok with Cover. This wok is made with an aluminum core to maximize even heat distribution. The Adcraft wok has a magnetic bottom so it can be used on an induction cooker. To make stir-fry, woks should be placed over medium-high heat. Once your pan is hot, 1 tablespoon of peanut oil should be added to the wok until the oil simmers.
Before you add your stir-fry spices and ingredients, you should considering measuring them to ensure no one ingredient overpowers another, unless you want it to. Use Update International’s 4-Piece Measuring Spoon Set for your seasonings. Stir-fry is a versatile rice dish that can use a large variety of spices and sauces. Some of the most common, popular stir-fry seasonings are garlic, soy sauce, peanut sauce, crushed red pepper and ginger. The key to delicious stir-fry is knowing the impact of each flavor. Each seasoning needs to be correctly measured. Same goes for meats and vegetables. For a yield of four, we recommend using 12 ounces of lean meat and four cups of vegetables. Use Cambro’s 1 Cup Clear Measuring Cup for precise measurements for your meats and veggies. Stir-fry is a great way to use leftover ingredients. Most meats and vegetables work well in a stir-fry, especially with the right seasoning. Consider using chunks of chicken, chunks of beef, or pieces of seafood. If you’re looking for a quick weeknight dinner use a bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables and chicken breasts and mix with white rice.
Once you have measured your ingredients and added them to the wok you will need a wooden spoon or a heatproof silicone spatula. Rubbermaid’s 16.5” White Spatula Spoon is a great way to stir and handle all of your ingredients without damaging the wok. You should continually stir your meat, vegetables, and rice until they are crisp, hot and tender. Be careful not to stir-fry too many vegetables at once or they’ll lose their crunch, becoming soft and mushy. Most stir-fry recipes take about 40 minutes between food prep and cooking.
Serve your stir-fry dish with Update International’s 12” Black Serving Spoon. This serving spoon is made out of nylon making it heat resistant up to 410°F. Its long handle will provide plenty of space between your hand and the stove. Use colorful plates like Tablecraft’s Orange Frostone Serving Bowl to present your stir-fry dish to your family or guests. The Orange Frostone Serving Bowl is temperature resistant up to 212°F. It will do an excellent job of containing your favorite crispy vegetables and meats in their exotic sauce. Let Public Kitchen Supply supply your kitchen with the kitchen smallwares you need to feed your family. Stir-fry is a quick way to make a hot, fresh meal. There are endless stir-fry combinations that are just waiting to be explored. Spice up your weekday with is easy, healthy delicious dish.

Merril D. Smith (9 January 2013). History of American Cooking. ABC-CLIO. p. 65. ISBN 978-0-313-38712-8.

The Big Push to Include Calorie Count on Menus: Good or Bad?

According to the Huffington Post, in 2010 the U.S. Government required chain restaurants and other food establishments to label their menus with a calorie count. This decision was extremely controversial in the restaurant world. Some businesses appreciated the law seeing it as a step to greater food consciousness and health awareness. Yet, others in the food industry argued the practicality of a calorie count menus. In today’s blog Public Kitchen Supply will discuss the benefits and detriments of this new FDA requirement.
One negative of calorie count menus is that they can be extremely difficult to create. Creating an accurate calorie count menu requires exact precise measurements every time. While products like Fundamnetal Design’s Portion Pal and Cambro measuring cups can reduce this burden it can still be difficult to meet exact calorie expectations. This is especially true in restaurants that have greater recipe flexibility. If you’re restaurant is required to have calorie count menus, Public Kitchen Supply suggests investing in quality measuring cups and utensils. Purchasing the proper portion control tools will help you meet menu requirements every time.
While a calorie count menu requires more work, one benefit is uniform cooking. If you’re restaurant strives for consistent recipes, a calorie count menu may prove useful. Many food establishments, especially chains, want their customers to have a consistent product. Many customers expect the same taste every time when they go to a restaurant. The best way to achieve this is through exact recipes. A calorie count menu will motivate employees to use the proper measuring utensils. Calorie count menus make it easier to manage what ingredients are being used and how much. This is a fantastic benefit when it comes to restaurant inventory and food cost. Following a calorie count menu assists in restaurant organization.
One obvious detriment of calorie count menus is that it may cause people to order less. While a customer may know a food’s unhealthy for them they may proceed to order it if they don’t know the exact calories. When all customers see is a tasty menu description it’s easier to ignore the food’s calories. Calorie count menus eliminate this veil clearly displaying menu items nutritional value. While this may deter some customers from ordering as much food as they normally would, some customer’s may not care either way. If you see a substantial drop in food orders considering creating “half portions”. “Half portions” are a great way to meet health conscious customers in the middle.
Another benefit of calorie count menus is menu transparency and restaurant honesty. Many customers will appreciate truthful menus. Some customers, especially those dieting, may choose calorie count restaurants over another because of their menu. At Public Kitchen Supply, we think product honesty is a part of business integrity. Consider offering a low calorie menu for your health conscious customers.
Public Kitchen Supply work's hard to stay up to date on the latest restaurants trends and regulations. As the U.S. government and FDA push for greater food awareness it’s important the Food Industry does the same. At Public Kitchen Supply we carry a variety of products that will assist you in building a calorie count menu. To view the products mentioned in today’s blog and other fantastic product visit our website at publickitchensupply.com.

Jalonick, Mary C. "Menu Labeling Law: Calorie Counts Are a 'Thorny' Issue, FDA Head Says." Huffignton Post 12 Mar. 2013: n. pag. Huffingtonpost.com. Web. 25 Aug. 2014. .

APW Wyott Plate Dispensers 101

When you run a public eating establishment you have to consider how you want to offer plates to your guests. You have to consider the appearance of it as well as the usefulness and the hygiene aspects. Having a stack of plates that your employees constantly refill may be the cheapest way to present plates; however, you have to consider all the labor that goes in to that. Someone has to load them and unload them from the dishwasher, possibly dry them, then take them over, set them down, watch the level and repeat as necessary. This process would be a full time job during a busy dinner service. And since you can't stack plates too high, could potentially cause a run-out of plates.
All of these are things to consider if you want a manual plate dispensing system. Otherwise, a busy restaurant or catering company should look into more of an automatic plate dispensing system. APW Wyott is a great manufacturer to turn to for this dilemma. They offer many different options for plate dispensing. You just have to determine what style best fits your needs. There are drop-in and mobile options, heated and unheated options, shielded and unshielded and enclosed options.
Drop-in vs Mobile Drop-in plate dispensers are what you would assume they are. They are the type that you will build into a countertop or buffet line. All you should see of them is the black plate guides that manage to keep the plates in place as they're being held and dispensed. These are best to purchase when first building or remodeling your restaurant. Once in, they're essentially permanent unless you perform construction. Built-in styles are more for restaurants that know their layout and don't expect it to change for a while. A mobile plate dispenser, on the other hand, is ideal for the ever-changing food service place. It gives you the ability to move the plate dispenser around to wherever you need it. More of a cart, it allows it to be wheeled around a room. These are ideal for caterers who constantly need to change the set-up based on their clients' wishes. While it can be used in a restaurant, typically they are not. The fact that it is on wheels can be a liability and look out of place in an otherwise stationary and built-in setting. One great benefit of a mobile dispenser over a built-in dispenser is that when it needs to be refilled, it can be carted over to the dishwasher and filled there. A drop-in kind, on the other hand, requires someone to either carry a small stack at a time or enlist the use a utility cart to transport the plates from the dishwasher. There's a time and place for both styles.
Heated vs Unheated Choosing between a heated or an unheated plate dispenser is really a thing of taste. We've all been to a buffet line where you grab a plate and it's still wet from the dishwasher. You have the choice to either set it down and try a different plate or just ignore it and keep going down the line. A heated plate dispenser helps to prevent this from happening to your customers. The heated elements will ensure your customers get plates that are dry. The warmth of the plate helps also to keep their food warm while they're eating, which is especially helpful if your restaurant is a family-style restaurant filled with talking customers. Customers want to be able to carry on a conversation and not worry about their food getting cold. While heated plates are one of the most popular styles, they do tend to cost more, but customers notice the difference. Unheated dispensers on the other hand, do have a very important place in a restaurant as well. You should consider the placement of where a heated dispensers along a buffet line is not wanted. The last place you want to put a heated dispenser is next to a salad bar. For these plates, you probably want an unheated plate dispenser. No one wants a hot plate for a cold salad or fruit. By the time a person has finished preparing their salad, the lettuce will start wilting, guaranteeing a ruined meal. So make sure you consider what will be placed on the plates before shelling out extra money for a heated element.
Shielded vs Unshielded vs Enclosed When you're considering which type of plate dispenser you need, you also need to consider how open your plates can be to the elements. Some versions of plate dispensers from APW Wyott come as shielded plate dispensers and others you can get as unshielded. Which you purchase depends on where you will be placing them. You won't want to put an unshielded dispenser out in the middle of a busy room. Dirt particles among many other things can have easy access to the plates causing them to become dirty and unsanitary. Also, nothing will protect the plates from having a beverage or other food spilt on them causing a possible food allergy to occur. An unsuspecting customer with a high-level peanut allergy can grab a plate that had peanut butter spilt on it and end up in the emergency room. You don't want to have that happen when you could simply purchase an enclosed or shielded dispenser. A time when unshielded dispensers are great is when they're built-in to a counter or part of the drop-in collection. This means that the counter is already its protection from the elements and having the extra material to enclose it or shield it ends up being an added and unnecessary cost.
With all of the options that APW Wyott offers, knowing the diameter of the plates you plan to be dispensing is an important guideline. There are a few "adjustube" options, that are adjustable between a set of plate diameters. Look to these as your solution if you are a caterer who uses two plate sizes and are able to change them between dinner and dessert. Either way, you have a lot of options when you begin your search for the perfect plate dispenser. Choose wisely, and shop the different styles. Make sure what you purchase is appropriate for your needs. Browse our wide selection right here: www.PublicKitchenSupply.com/PlateDispensers

The Tools for a Perfect Catered Brunch

Regardless of the season, there is always large social events. Caterers are always busy with graduation parties, weddings, and other parties. Nothing pairs better with special events than a delicious brunch. At Public Kitchen Supply we have a large selection of products that will help you create the perfect catered brunch for any type of gathering you may be catering or hosting. We will be highlighting some of our favorite brunch and breakfast tools that should be in every caterer’s collection.
Omelet stations are always a hit and should be included in a catered brunch set up. People love customizing their own breakfast and watching it being made in front of their eyes To create an omelet station you will need tools like mixing bowls, measuring cups and whisks. Stainless steel mixing bowls are perfect for omelet stations. Crack your eggs and mixing them up to make them fluffy. They are easy to clean and have a sleek, professional appearance. American Metalcraft’s 2 Quart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl is heavy duty and perfect for a task like this. The stainless steel composition will not break or scratch easily even when using other utensils within it. Of course, you’ll need a whisk with your mixing bowl. Browne Foodservice’s 12” Stainless Steel Deluxe French Whisk matches American Metalcraft’s Mixing Bowl well, complementing the stainless steel. When setting up an omelet station don’t forget to buy measuring cups. Cambro’s Clear 1 Pint Measuring Cup has metric and standard measurements along the sides for precise measuring. Complete your made-to-order omelet station with food pans. Cambro’s 1/9 size pans are great for holding fresh toppings on display for your customers. Food pans neatly display fresh ingredients while keeping them at a fresh, safe temperature.
Bread is a must at a catered brunch. Customers expect to have bagels, english muffins, and toast along with a variety of other breads. We recommend purchasing the APW Wyott’s 13” Wide Radiant Conveyor Toaster. This toaster will quickly toast bread as it allows two slices of toast to pass at one time in less than 30 seconds. The 13” Wide Radiant Conveyor Toaster has variable speed and temperature control. APW Wyott’s toaster is ideal for serving ten people or more, making it perfect for a catered brunch tool. Have a member of the staff ready to toast your guests' bread at a moments notice. It prevents burns from improper use as well as speeds up the toasting process from a traditional toaster.
Breakfast isn't completed without scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes and meats. Rely on chafing dishes to keep your meats, hash-browns,  and other brunch favorites warm. Update International’s EZ Stor Folding Chafer is lightweight and travels well because of its foldability. Its stainless steel design is sure to match the rest of your catering equipment providing a professional appearance. Be sure to purchase a chafing dish heater to keep the chafer and food warm for extended periods. Adcraft’s Electric Chafer Heater is a great pairing. The Electric Chafer Heater will evenly distribute heat throughout the entire chafing dish ensuring all of the food within the dish is kept at the proper temperature. Proper temperature is extremely important when catering, make sure your chafing dish and chafing heater are up to code before setting up.
While breakfast foods are expected at a brunch some light lunch foods are too. That's what makes it brunch. Sandwiches and soups are great brunch foods. Consider grilling sandwiches and making paninis, grilled cheese, or other warm sandwiches for your perfect catered lunch. Equipex’s Majestic Panini Grill is a great choice for toasted sandwiches. This Panini Grill is easy to clean and easily controlled. Remember to provide a spatula with your panini grill for your customers to safely and hygenically remove their sandwiches when they are perfectly toasted. To pair a tomato soup with a grilled cheese, invest in an APW Wyott Soup Kettle. Soup kettles make it easy for customers to serve themselves. It’s important to remember simple serving utensils when purchasing pricier items like soup kettles and panini grills.
For salad and dessert bars you can rely on Table Top Food Bars. Cambro supplies an excellent Table Top Food Bar that works well for salad and salad toppings. It is NSF listed and can hold a maximum of three full size pans or a smaller pan configuration. It is made from lightweight polyethylene that will help keep food cool when filled with ice. If you want to make desserts or fruits more personal, consider serving them in Tablecraft’s stylish, Orange Frostone Serving Bowl. The Frostone Serving Bowl is an elegant square ribbed shape, painted orange with a glossy finish. Cambro’s Table Top Food Bar and Tablecraft’s Orange Frostone Serving Bowl work well with many other dishes too. You will find many uses for these versatile products along your catered brunch buffet line.
Finish you scrumptious brunch with a piping hot cup of coffee or tea. Buy Adcraft’s Hot Water Dispenser to dispense hot water immediately. Adcraft’s Hot Water Dispenser is great for setting up with tea bags and hot chocolate mixes. At Public Kitchen Supply you can find manufacturers like Keurig®. In our Keurig® Coffee and Tea category you will find countless Keurig® brewing systems and delicious drink blends to keep your customers refreshed. You will find brands like Green Mountain Coffee®, Starbucks®, Caribou Coffee® and many others. These beverages will allow your customers to have a wide variety of drinks to choose from rather than the standard milk, orange juice, and coffee.
If you’re planning to open a breakfast themed restaurant or want the perfect catered brunch, we have the tools you need. At Public Kitchen Supply we are happy to help. Call us at 1-800-458-1716 to start planning your perfect brunch or visit our website at www.PublicKitchenSupply.com/.

Bestsellers for June

At Public Kitchen Supply we track our manufacturers' and products' success each month. We are continually impressed with our customer’s brand and product loyalty so sometimes we enjoy sharing the items that seem to make our customer's the happiest. These products come from a variety of categories and range in price making it understandable that its simply product quality, durability, versatility and ease of use for why these products succeed and our customers continue to purchase. Dive in with Public Kitchen Supply and discover what products are selling fast and learn why, if you haven't used these products first-hand already.
Starting off our June bestsellers is the Blentdtec’s Two Quart FourSide Jar with Hard Lid. What makes the Blendtec Two Quart FourSide Jar so popular is the versatility of the container. It can be used on most of the Blendtec commercial blenders without a hiccup. The Two Quart FourSide Jar is perfect for anyone who loves a good smoothie or frozen blended drink. The FourSide jar is clearly marked in cups and ounces along the exterior for exact measurements keeping your drinks or sauces consistent, a necessary quality at a bar or restaurant. This style jar comes with a firm, hard, non-venting lid creating a perfect seal preventing a potential disaster. Consider Blendtec and their Two Quart FourSide Jar if you blend any drinks or sauces throughout the week. Blendtec has a loyal following due to their high-quality commercial and residential blending options.
The next bestseller is a commercial kitchen staple -  Prep-Pal labels. ITD’s 1 inch Square Prep-Pal Labels are great for food prep and food storage in either a home kitchen or a commercial kitchen. Food labels are a commercial kitchen must however. They keep your kitchen safe and organized, preventing spoiled food from being served and cross-contamination from occurring. ITD’s 1 inch Square Prep-Pal Labels come in a 750-count. Each label is one square inch, an ideal size for containers giving you the space you need to include a prep date or expiration date, and any allergen notices. ITD’s Prep-Pal Labels will stay on during use but easily come off in the wash without leaving behind a sticky residue. Restaurant needs food labels so you might as well buy the best.
Next on our list is no surprise - the Keurig Bolt Commercial Brewing System. Shipping out July 15th, people have been preordering the Keurig Bolt. This commercial brewing system works the same as a traditional Keurig single-pod coffee maker except for one main difference, the Bolt brews 64 ounce pots of coffee rather than individual cups. The Keurig Bolt is ideal for any large group. Now, you can serve fresh gourmet coffee in your restaurant or office. The Keurig Bolt brews an entire pot of coffee in as little as 2 minutes. On Public Kitchen Supply you can choose from delicious coffee brands like Tully’s Coffee, Green Mountain and The Original Donut Shop to use with the Keurig Bolt. Start your morning the right way with the help of Keurig’s Bolt Commercial Brewing system.
It’s no wonder a Vitamix product has made it on our bestselling list. Anyone who’s ever bought a product from Vitamix knows of its impeccable quality. The 48 oz/ 64 oz. Ice Blade Assembly is designed to work with 48 ounce and 64 ounce blender jars for the Touch and Go Blending Stations from Vitamix. These blade assemblies are an item that should be replaced every so often to ensure that your commercial Vitamix blender is always in perfect working condition. The sharper the blade, the faster and more consistent your blended treats will turn out. With the help of Vitamix’s 48 oz/ 64 oz Ice Blade Assembly you will be able to power through ice, chunky fruit and leafy greens without leaving chunks. Make your blender stronger and better with the help of Vitamix’s 48 oz/ 64 oz. Blade Assembly.
And finally, Rubbermaid’s Auto Faucet Valve Control Module is rounding out our bestsellers for the month of June. The Auto Faucet Valve Control Module allows you to use an Auto Faucet with Surround Sensor Technology in your restroom of choice. This product promises to save you money by including the best sensing technology available. It will turn on when your customer places their hand in front of the sensor and turn off when they move. With the elimination of sticking solenoid valves and decrease water conception, Rubbermaid’s Auto Faucet Valve Control Module is an economic and environmental purchase. Those that have a touchless restroom know how important a working Auto Faucet is to saving money.
June may be over, but these products sold well and continue to sell well for great reasons. Get your hands on these best sellers and see what you are missing! Visit our website at PublicKitchenSupply.com to see more fantastic items designed to improve your commercial kitchen. At Public Kitchen Supply we work with the best so you can be the best.

Getting Your Restaurant Summer Ready

Summer is here which means warm weather and more time in the sun! As a restaurant owner or manager, it’s important that you note that guests will want to take advantage of the warm weather. The second that sun starts shining and the temperature is warm enough, you need to be prepared to seat guests on your restaurant patio. Like any deck, after a long winter your deck will need to be cleaned, decorated, and well-stocked to thrive all summer. A bit of deck and restaurant maintenance will help keep your patio be a popular, healthy and safe place to dine. In today’s blog Public Kitchen Supply will go over the steps you need to take for a beautiful restaurant patio or deck.
Before you even consider seating guests outside, assess the cleanliness of your deck or patio. If you restaurant has a deck, be sure to check for cracks or structural timbers. Sometimes, after a snowy winter, decks will develop cracks that will make it structurally unsound. Consider having a professional come in and inspect it to make absolute certain its safe. Another important step for patios and decks is to check for left behind nails, screws and other debris that can cause a customer to trip. Also be sure your outdoor areas are clear of any trash. After you have checked your deck or patios sturdiness and general tidiness you’ll want to clean it. Depending on it's level of uncleanliness, you may need to choose between powerwashing and using a concrete cleaner. Chemco’s Concrete Cleaner is a great chemical for concrete patios. It is excellent at removing tough, ugly stains that could have occurred over the long winter. To use Chemco’s Concrete Cleaner, just pour, scrub and rinse clean. Your deck will quickly go from grungy and filthy to that clean gray look of a freshly cleaned concrete patio that is ready for your customers.
Next, play up your patio. Small, inexpensive decorations can easily create a summer theme. Think of tiny ways your restaurant can embody the warm summer weather. Update International's Cocktail Parasols are a quick way to add some summer flair. These tropical cocktail parasols are perfect for an outdoor drink station or bar area. Customers appreciate tiny decorative touches like cocktail umbrellas in their drinks. They make a person feel like they're in the tropics, even if they're far from it. Find ways to incorporate other summer decorative items like bamboo skewers, like Update International’s 12” Bamboo Skewers, into summer recipes. Something about fresh veggies, delicious meats and sweet fruit brought together with a bamboo skewer, defines summer cuisine. Tropical decorations are a great way to set a fun, summertime mood and when mixed with the heat of summer, elevate any meal.
Non-breakable dishware is one of those overlooked detail that can drastically change a restaurant's feel. If broken, glass can be very difficult to pick up. Depending on the flooring, it may be hard to see the pieces or may get stuck in cracks. Broken glass not only exposes food to cross contamination, it can result in customer and employee cuts. Summertime means customers tend to wear more open-toed shoes and have more skin exposed. Dropping a glass plate or glass drinkware could mean disaster. To ensure your patio and deck areas stay safe, use durable, unbreakable dishware. We recommend Tablecraft’s Black Classic Oval Food Basket. This food basket is made out of polyethylene, it will not break or shatter when dropped. Food baskets are a great way to present food in casual dining environments. Tablecraft’s Black Classic Oval Food Basket is lightweight and is the perfect way to deliver foods like hamburger and fries.
Summer is an excellent time to take advantage of additional, outdoor seating. People enjoy relaxing out on a nice patio with the warmth surrounding them. Opening up your restaurant's patio can be an instant boost in sales if done right. Make sure your restaurant deck or patio is summer ready with these summer tips and tricks from Public Kitchen Supply. To view the products and manufacturers mentioned in today’s blog visit our website at PublicKitchenSupply.com.