Durability is one of the biggest issues in the food service industry. Whether catering, bartending or serving, the goal is an attractive presentation for your customer that can’t be broken in transport or storage. The solution to your durability dilemma? Stock up on plastic restaurant supplies.

The foodservice industry has made huge advances in plastic serveware—specifically Melamine, SAN and Polycarbonate. All three materials have unique pros and cons, but the most distinct is cost. Both SAN and Polycarbonate have a petrochemical base, Melamine does not. All three varieties are completely dishwasher safe, but won’t stand up to liquid chlorine bleach or abrasive scouring pads. Regular commercial dishwashing detergent or sanitizer easily cleans your plastic restaurant supplies.

The trend towards plastic drinkware is popular in pool, lake and beach settings, but equally appealing for your average bar or nightclub. Plastic is less of a liability than glass. Plastic pitchers, for instance, are just as attractive as their glass counterpart, but more durable. When your customers are pouring from plastic pitchers, you increase your profits by cutting your overhead equipment costs.

When it comes to storage of your plastic restaurant supplies, plastic tumblers can be stacked without worrying about chips or cracks. A rack of plastic plates won’t weigh you down the way that china, ceramic or glass will.

Plastic restaurant supplies aren’t limited to dinner and drinkware. Crocks and larger serving pieces are also available in Polycarbonate and Melamine. Plastic is a natural insulator for cold foods and also has excellent thermal properties. Though no plastic material can withstand an oven, most varieties are safe for the microwave.

When you need something completely unbreakable, cost effective and attractive, plastic restaurant supplies are the perfect option.

If the dishes in your restaurant aren’t spotless, it doesn’t matter how good your food may taste or how brilliant the service you offer may be. People are not interested in dining on dirty plates, sipping from soiled glasses, or cutting with grimy forks and knives.

Commercial dishwashers are essential restaurant equipment to lower your labor costs, increase the capacity of your operation, improve consistency and efficiency and reduce breakage, making them a key component to the flow of every kitchen. Many options are available to suit your warewashing needs and with some careful consideration, you should be ready to supply your kitchen!

Dishwashers sanitize by using either hot water or a chemical sanitizing solution—commonly referred to as high temperature or low temperature dishwashers, respectively. The temperature of the final sanitizing rinse in a high temperature machine must be at least 180 degrees. Depending on the incoming water temperature a 40 degree rise (for 140 degree water) or a 70 degree rise (for 110 degree water) from a  booster heater is required to reach the high temperature dishwasher’s 180 degree rinse cycle.

Low temperature models have a lower upfront cost but they require the operator to buy sanitizing chemicals regularly for the rinse. Although low temperature dishwashers use less energy, operating costs tend to be about the same because of the continued purchase of the required chemical. Both low and high temperature models use detergent, but the sanitizing rinse chemicals are used only for low temperature models.

The energy efficiency of your restaurant equipment is an important consideration as energy and water costs continue to rise. Most commercial dishwashers employ automatic fill and idle pump shutoff features. Energy Star, a government run agency, now rates commercial dishwashers for their energy efficiency. Energy Star rated units will operate more efficiently than non-rated ones, so look for the Energy Star label when you're buying a commercial dishwasher. Serv-U is an Energy Star partner. Call our sales representatives to find out more about energy efficiency options.

Serv-U offers all types of dishwashers, including the most popular undercounter and pass-though style dishwashers. Pass-through designs, as the name suggests, allow racks to be passed through the unit. This enables one rack to be prepared and waiting while another is being washed. Once washed, the clean rack is slid out of the dishwasher from a side opening and the other rack can be inserted in the opposite opening. When purchasing racks be aware of the size of your glasses and the intended purpose of the rack. Do you plan on using the racks for storage as well as the sanitizing process?

Another important consideration in dishwasher capacity is your water usage. Most commercial dishwashers use less than 2 gallons of water per cycle. Some use less than 1 gallon per cycle. Depending upon the model, it’s possible to clean between 24 and 60 loads per hour. Determining the number of racks you will need is also important. An equation that may help is: number of pieces per person, multiplied by the number of customers expected per hour and divided by 20 pieces per rack. This tells you the number of racks required per hour.

Finally, when it comes time to place your dishwasher in the kitchen, make to check local codes and energy rebates. Some locations have condensate hood requirements, water discharge requirements and considerable energy efficiency rebates.

Overall, a dishwasher is an important investment. Check with your health inspector to find out if there are any local codes to be complied with. Next, call one of Serv-U’s knowledgeable sales representatives to help you navigate the shopping process and ensure spotless results!