Proper Handling of Glassware

Proper restaurant glassware handling can reduce breakage and damage. There are two primary types of damage to restaurant glassware – thermal shock and mechanical shock.

Thermal shock occurs when restaurant glassware experiences a sudden, drastic temperature change. Glass is known for holding temperature, and a rapid change in temperature can cause enough stress to result in breakage.

Mechanical shock in restaurant glassware occurs when a glass comes into contact with another object such as a spoon, a beer tap, another glass or a piece of china. This kind of contact can cause minuscule abrasions to your restaurant glassware, invisible to the eye, but over time these abrasions can cause permanent weakness to your restaurant glassware.

Below are some tips for extending the life of your restaurant glassware:

• Never pick up restaurant glassware in bouquets.
• Always use an ice scoop with your restaurant glassware. Never scoop ice with the glass itself.
• Never stack restaurant glassware.
• Before pouring a hot beverage into a glass, preheat the glass with hot water.
• Never let restaurant glassware come into contact with a beer tap.
• Always have an adequate back-up supply of restaurant glassware for rush periods.
• Avoid glass-to-glass contact, especially while stored in overhead glass racks.
• Always handle restaurant glassware gently.
• Be sure to inspect restaurant glassware often for abrasions, cracks and chips.
• Never put flatware into restaurant glassware.
• Never overload bus trays with restaurant glassware.
• Always remove each piece of restaurant glassware from bus trays one at a time.
• Always use correct dish racks for each type of restaurant glassware.