Hospitality Archives - Page 3 of 8 - Lakeside Foodservice

Posted on January 2, 2023March 13, 2023 by thelakesideteam

Push vs Pull: The Benefits of Each with Utility Carts

On an average day in the foodservice industry, staff will push and pull various carts full of supplies to serve diners. Whether food supplies are being moved, or tableware is being transported, these loads can be heavy. While pushing and pulling are both options, there are benefits to each. For the majority of jobs, pushing is preferred, but below we will discuss why pulling may be a better option for some transportation loads. According to Well Work Force, “We are capable of safely generating more force when pushing, rather than pulling.” Pushing is usually the option that most staff choose, but in some instances pulling can be very beneficial.

Moving around heavy loads is inevitable but knowing how to safely transport those loads is key to helping minimize employee injuries. The differences between pushing and pulling may not seem very evident at first glance, so we have put together an overview of the two and their benefits to help you and your staff decide when to use each for different tasks.

Benefits of Pushing:

When pushing a cart, you are able to use both arms to push the load which allows your body weight to lean into the cart to help maneuver it forward. Pushing carts allows for optimal visibility of the supplies and items on your cart. During transport, supplies may shift around from going over a bump or when taking a turn. When pushing a cart, you are able to keep an eye on the items on the cart to ensure they are stable during transport. If an item shifts while pushing the cart, it can be easily noticed and moved back into its proper place to ensure no accidents occur. Some items may not be affected by a tumble off of the cart, but many items would. Being able to see the items while pushing can help reduce the likelihood of an accident.

For those that have a tendency to experience lower back pain, pushing carts as much as possible is a smart choice, according to Ace Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine Institute. The motion of pushing has less strain on your back and can reduce the progression of pre-existing back problems. Moving heavy equipment can have a great impact on the body, so making sure you are utilizing your body weight and position to your greatest advantage is crucial to ensuring a healthy body free of strains.

Benefits of Pulling:

Pulling loads has its time and place as well. When pulling a cart, the operator is facing forward using one arm to pull the load. Sometimes the operator may use the pulling method and walk backwards in order to be able to use both hands and more body weight to move the load. Pulling is ideal for lighter weight loads as to ensure there is no strain on the operator. Pulling allows the operator to easily make turns with the cart following their guide. When pulling a cart, there are no visibility obstructions as the cart is usually behind the operator when pulling. This visibility ensures that nothing is run over. The operator has no items to look around or over making sure a collision with something else is reduced.

When it comes to inclines, pushing and pulling each have their place. Transporting a full cart down an incline is best suited with pushing as to avoid any accidents happening with a cart falling back onto the operator if an accident were to occur. Transporting a fully loaded cart up an incline merits the use of pulling. If an accident were to occur and the cart were to lose control going up an incline, the cart would not fall onto the operator if it were being pulled. While these points are true for protecting the operator, it is important to also consider those who the cart will be passing in transport. Moving more than the cart can handle can cause problems and possible accidents, so when in doubt, split it into two smaller loads. Pulling a utility cart has its time and place, so make sure to consider whether this is the best option or if pushing would be a safer decision.

Utility carts are built to take the heavy load and make it easier for staff to move supplies. Using these carts to their greatest advantage not only increases functionality, but also safety. Whether it is pushing or pulling a loaded cart, ensuring the safety of the operator is always important. A general rule of thumb is to push heavy loads, and to pull lighter loads if the operator prefers that form of transporting. Lakeside invented and perfected the stainless steel utility cart to help foodservice operations tackle both heavy and light duty loads. Our new product, the Easy-Pull, is a versatile cart that not only allows for the traditional pushing mechanism, but also has a handle that unlocks to allow for ease in pulling the cart. This cart offers the ultimate multi-functionality and flexibility all in on piece of equipment. Meet the Easy-Pull today!

Posted on January 2, 2023March 13, 2023 by thelakesideteam

How to Navigate the Foodservice Labor Shortage

Labor shortages are unfortunately something that has become somewhat of a norm in various industries over the past few years. Everywhere we go, wait times are longer or the goods we want to buy are not available. The implications of the current labor shortage can be seen nearly every day. The foodservice industry specifically has seen a great decline in the staff they are able to retain. Diners see this with longer wait times, smaller menus, and increased prices, but let’s take a look behind the scenes.

Foodservice directors are finding it very difficult to maintain a full staff. When a position is open, it takes months to find staff which leaves the current staff making up for the gaps. Being able to function amidst a nationwide labor shortage has its challenges as diners, guests, students, and patients still are expecting to receive the same level of service and quality food. Although your team is smaller right now, the same amount of work needs to be done. Deliveries need to be put into their home in the storage room and transporting food supplies to the kitchen for meal prep still needs to happen. At the end of the day, your small staff can get by, but ultimately they are pushing themselves to a limit that will soon be reached.

Having employees get to a point where they can no longer physically and mentally work in the foodservice industry is a point we don’t want you to be reached. While the labor shortage will continue to impact the foodservice industry, we have gathered some ideas for you to consider implementing to help make your employees time at work both enjoyable and safe, and also for it to be such a great work environment that your company culture is recognized as being one of the best. Being known for having a great company culture can have great impacts on your hiring process. Below we will dive into some ideas to help reduce the impacts the labor shortage is having on your foodservice operations.

1: Build a Strong Work Culture

When your employees enjoy their work, they share that with their friends and family. Word-of-mouth marketing can be one of the most powerful types of marketing as a positive word-of-mouth review can send your business to success while a bad review can have many negative effects. When you treat your staff well, the community knows it and in return will want to support your business more and even consider working for you.

In an employee starved industry, people looking for jobs have the ultimate say on where they want to work. Being known as a great employer will increase your likelihood of receiving more applications which will lead to more interviews and eventually to great hires. Building your work culture all starts with management. Offering flexibility and positive reinforcement are just two of the many ways to create a good relationship with your staff.

Another aspect of work culture is safety. No one wants to work for a company that pushes their employees to the breaking point and has them do work that is unsafe. Ensuring your operations, kitchen, and dining space offer equipment that is safe for employees to use is very important. In the foodservice industry, there are lots of heavy items that need to be moved around ranging from canned food to bringing heavy dirty dishes to the back-of-the-house from the dining space. Safety paired with an enjoyable work environment can help encourage job applicants to seek out your business.

2: Offer Impressive Benefits

While company culture is one aspect that helps retain staff, offering great benefits helps get people in the door for interviews. When looking for new jobs, the first thing you look at on a posting is the general description and the quick list of bulleted benefits. While some foodservice operations are not designed to offer full-time salaried benefits like health insurance and retirement savings plans, there are many other benefits you can offer your part time staff. Consider offering employee discounts, wellness benefits, flexible schedule benefits, training and professional development opportunities.

With all of this in mind, it is also so important to pay your employees a competitive wage. That may sound like a very obvious statement to make, but at the end of the day, job applicants want a job that will be able to sustain their living expenses. Wage paired with impressive benefits can really help attract and retain employees so consider evaluating your current benefits and then take some time to brainstorm how you could add more benefits to the package.

3: Increase the Use of Technology

Within the foodservice industry, there are many tasks that have now been able to be replaced by automated technology. For example, Open Table is a service many restaurants use that allow guests to make reservations online without having to call and talk to a restaurant staff member. Reducing the amount of time a hostess is on the phone taking reservations is an easy swap to bring back time to your smaller staff.

Another new technological advance in the foodservice industry is the use of wireless payment systems. Instead of staff having to come to the table to get a form of payment, take the card back to the register to process the payment, and then bring the card back to the guests, they can simply do take the payment right at the table, process the payment, and print a receipt within less than a minute. This is yet another way to reduce the time it takes staff to complete a task. With the current labor shortage, when the time it takes to complete a task is reduced, this brings back time to increase productivity and efficiency.

Investing in your employees and company culture is so important in the labor starved foodservice industry. Offering benefits while introducing new technologies can help increase operational efficiency. Efficiency also comes with equipment that works with you, and not against you. With Lakeside’s new motorized cart, you can move more heavy loads with less staff all while reducing operator strain from transporting heavy loads. This new foodservice cart helps increase labor efficiency to help combat labor shortages.

With limited employees, the last thing you need is to lose a staff member that needs to take two weeks off to recover from a work related injury. Your foodservice equipment sets the stage for successful and safe operations for diners, guests, patients, students, or whoever else walks through your doors. Talk with a Lakeside cart expert to discover equipment solutions!

Posted on December 27, 2022March 16, 2023 by thelakesideteam

Going the Distance with the Right Cart

How far is “far”? The answer to that question is different for every foodservice operation, and for every cart that carries supplies and equipment. Some utility carts are built to travel across rough surfaces like gravel and uneven pavement while other carts are built to travel long distances across carpet. Depending on what the cart will be used for, there are different durability levels to choose from to make sure the cart will with-stand its tasks and offer functionality for many years. The foodservice industry as a whole, spans across various areas ranging from cafeterias in colleges to restaurants and businesses offering dining and drink services to guests. Lakeside had the opportunity to work with a Northern California winery to create a custom solution that would improve their operational efficiency. Below in this blog we will highlight the impact this custom cart has on this winery’s operations and the design process that led to the final cart.

Going the Distance:

This Northern California winery was looking for a cart to deliver food over the cement trails winding through their many acres of vineyards. They also wanted this cart to be able to then bus and clear dishes once they had finished delivering and serving the food to guests. In order to get both functionalities into a cart, a custom solution was their ideal. Rattling over sidewalks nearly every day of the year will shake a cart to its core. The right construction, material, and casters must come together to ensure your equipment can hold to the use. With the intended use in mind, Lakeside created a design that combined durability, maneuverability, and aesthetics to offer the functionality this winery needed.

Pressing Ahead:

At Lakeside, we analyze cart requirements based on expected load weight, intended distance traveled each day, hours of use, and the terrain the cart will travel over. Combining the winery’s specific needs for the cart ensured our team designed a cart that would withstand the wear and tear the cart would face each and every day. The configurations for this winery were specific. The cart needed to be discrete, carrying food or dirty plates past other guests without being a disturbance, to be able to hold up to its use all while looking nice. We customized the inside and outside of this cart to include the shelving they needed and space for a thermobox for hot food. Finally, we fitted the cart with foam filling and large pneumatic casters to allow it to traverse thresholds and the multiple types of terrain, indoors and outdoors, across the vineyard.

What Can You Do?

It is easy to come up with ideas you want to do with your carts within your foodservice operations. Going from kitchens, to dining rooms, to the outdoors may seem simple enough, however, making the right choice of materials, construction, and design will impact its life span and usability. Lakeside has a team of cart experts to help you design a cart for your exact needs.

Posted on December 20, 2022March 13, 2023 by thelakesideteam

Kitchen (Re)Design without the Headaches

As a Foodservice director, you know how important the kitchen is for the success of your business. You’ve spent countless hours in the kitchen to ensure that your staff can work quickly and efficiently. But there comes a time when even the best-run kitchen needs improvement. And oftentimes, it’s not possible to conduct a full remodel due to budgetary constraints. So what are your options? Let’s take a look at an example from one high school that found a way to improve their kitchen efficiency without breaking the bank.

Work and Store:

A local southern California high school needed to make better use of their existing kitchen space and had a goal to increase storage while also adding more workspace for their growing operations. After exploring several solutions, Lakeside was able to create a design that offered the perfect combination of workspace and storage: a custom-built workstation with sheet pan rack storage underneath it. By using this setup, they were able to store half or full sheets underneath while having ample workspace for prepping food on top. The staff loved this solution and ordered more of these custom-built units from our US factory to keep things running smoothly and efficiently in their kitchens.

Unlock Efficiency:

This custom project emphasizes that improving your kitchen functionality and efficiency does not have to mean undertaking a major remodel project; many times, you can unlock efficiency just by taking an honest look at your facilities and seeing where there might be room for improvement. Not only is this a quicker process than a complete remodel, but it is also more budget friendly. Oftentimes a complete remodel is not necessary. Pinpointing the operational flows that can have increased efficiency is the first step in the process. Take some time today to evaluate your current setup and see if any small changes can make big improvements in the way your kitchen functions!

Redesigning a kitchen can be challenging, especially when you don’t have enough funds for a full remodel budget. However, as shown by our example of the high school looking for a storage solution with extra workspace capabilities, unlocking efficiency doesn’t always require something drastic like a complete renovation project – sometimes all it takes is taking an honest look at what works (and what doesn’t) in order to find ways of making improvements. Evaluate your own facilities today and see if there are any opportunities for increasing efficiency without breaking the bank!

Posted on December 13, 2022March 13, 2023 by thelakesideteam

Catering to Flexibility: Lakeside Custom Solutions

Flexibility carries a heavy importance in the foodservice industry, and without it, operations can be dysfunctional and ultimately affect diners’ experiences. To be able to have flexible service that can shift with the various dynamics of each day can be the difference between a successful and unsuccessful operation. Having equipment that allows for flexibility is a sure way to provide your team with the tools they need to work around unforeseen situations. There are some things that can be controlled, but situations arise that were not planned. Being comfortable changing plans and being flexible to the different needs of each day offers great possibilities for an operation.

At Lakeside, we strive to offer flexible equipment for you and your team to be able to provide dining services amongst all circumstances. Sometimes a standard product is able to stand up to the task at hand, while other times a custom solution needs to be built to offer the ideal solution. Lakeside has worked with foodservice operators in a wide array of industries, one being the catering industry. Lakeside was able to help design, craft, and build a custom cart for a New York based company that offers business meeting and conferences spaces, paired with catering services, for businesses to rent in major metropolitan centers. With offering an all-inclusive experience of technological equipment needed and meal catering, they had a specific need for their new foodservice cart. Below, we will go over how this custom solution was designed and how it allowed for the ultimate flexibility.

Background:

This New York company needed flexible carts to move catering supplies from central kitchens to the meeting rooms in their venue’s spaces. The carts needed to accommodate food carriers, chafing dishes, full sized pans, carafes, and supplies all while being able to transport smoothly over thresholds and through elevators and doorways. Lakeside’s design team saw this as a great opportunity to design a custom cart to fit their exact needs, ultimately to allow them to have flexible service. Our engineering and design teams were able to build a custom full cart setup that could be modified on the go based on the number of people being served, what food was being served, and whether the food was heated or served cold. Being able to adapt on the fly is crucial for a successful flexible operation.

The Custom Cart:

The stainless steel cart was built with ledges to hold full size sheet pans or snap in shelves. When shelves were removed, the space could be filled with insulated food or beverage carriers. The top was able to store additional catering supplies with upward facing ledges on three sides holding items in place to avoid any accidents. The guests being served weren’t the only ones to be considered in this design process, our design team also wanted to make sure this cart offered ease of use for the operator. Ergonomic handles were built onto this cart to ensure proper pushing angle to reduce the possibility of straining and injury. Beneath these handles, three removable storage bins were mounted to hold carafes and other supplies. Staggered casters, opposite of the handle, were added to help maneuver the cart over thresholds, once again ensuring the maneuvering of the cart was easy for the operator. All of these features combined allowed this company to deliver flexibility and improve operational efficiency while catering to their rental groups.

Ready for Anything:

It can be hard to spot the equipment in your own organization that is holding operations up. Start by taking a look at the single taskers: equipment that doesn’t adapt to a variety of uses. Solutions that deliver flexibility will also improve the efficiency of your organization to all-in-all offer better service to customers. While Lakeside has a vast selection of standard products, we offer you the opportunity to customize a cart, or allow us to help you design the exact cart for your needs like we did with this New York company. Talk with a Lakeside cart expert today!

Posted on December 6, 2022March 13, 2023 by thelakesideteam

Kitchen Trends from Decades Past that Led to This 2023 Trend

The concept of “Transparent Kitchens” has been sweeping across the country in restaurants, college dining rooms, coffee shops, and so many other foodservice establishments. While we have seen an increase in the open kitchen concept marked as the “Transparent Kitchen Craze”, it is predicted to be amplified in 2023 with even more foodservice operators choosing to embrace this concept as it has many benefits and can even increase revenues. This concept of a transparent kitchen did not just appear out of thin air, it is a combination of previous trends leading to this new kitchen functionality we will be seeing in thousands of kitchens in 2023. Below we will go into detail on where a traditional kitchen began and how it has evolved to what we see today. There are often some subtle differences in kitchen trends between a kitchen in one’s home as opposed to a commercial kitchen and dining space, but oftentimes, trends spread across these two kitchen types. While kitchens have been around for centuries, we will start with the 1930s kitchen trends. To start, let’s take a look into the later part of the Golden Age of Cocktails.

1930s

In spite of the Great Depression taking place during this period of time, kitchens seemed to emulate a different feel opposite of a depression, particularly for those who could afford to stay up with the trends. Kitchens in the 1930s were considered to be bright, glossy and joyful with the combination of the necessity for efficiency. There was now an emphasis on installing standardized cabinetry into one’s kitchen, which had not been a common practice in times past. This allowed families to “integrate their new gas ranges and sinks into the cabinets” as opposed to free standing pieces of equipment among the kitchen layout according to a recent article written by Forbes.

1940s

This period was marked by the focus on sleekness as it was somewhat of a necessity as presented by the economic circumstances of World War II. Walking into a kitchen in the 40s would be a vision of plain, simple, and practical. While this is true, people became creative with ways to add some excitement to their somewhat dull kitchens by using utilitarian items as decor. This ranged from using decorative storage containers or having a bright colored kettle on a stove. These small items were able to add some cheer to a time devastated by war.

1950s

This post-war period was filled with vibrant, happy and candy-land colors in kitchens. Families were starting to move out of the cities and into suburbs and amongst this, there was a housing boom bringing a new focus on what people thought of as a standard kitchen. Women spent much of their time in the kitchen, so why not make it an enjoyable place to be? And that is exactly what the 50s did to the traditional kitchen. This room that was once subject to just cooking now became a place that needed to offer comfortable, style, and functional qualities.

1960s

Sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows was a vision of this time period along with the desire for entertaining people. Whether this was inviting people over for dinner parties, or offering a more inclusive restaurant dining experience, entertainment was the name of the game. Kitchens were designed to easily connect to the dining space to ensure guests, diners, or customers could be served quickly while still ensuring quality. Bright-colored accessories along with wallpaper were seen inside the windows of every restaurant and among many residential kitchens to offer a more personal touch to the space.

1970s

During this period, many people were living in family homes that had been owned by the family for a few generations. People wanted a modern feel weaved in with convenience and new technology while still wanting to maintain some of the sense of home that comes with living in a home you or your parents were raised in. It was common to use warm woods for cabinets to offer a cozy home atmosphere. Bringing in textures and patterns to the design was a craze during the 70s.

1980s

The 80s were marked by big and extravagant kitchens, much like many hairstyles of that time. With more women entering the work-force full-time, kitchens shifted into a place for families to gather together. During this period, the concept of an open floor plan kitchen was ignited. The open concept allowed for continuous flow from the family or living room right into the kitchen. Kitchen islands allowed for the two spaces to be defined while letting conversations flow between the two rooms.

1990s

A shift from sleek to shabby chic was seen during this time. Homeowners began to take a closer look at professional kitchens when considering what they wanted for their own kitchen. From restaurant to restaurant, customers would take mental notes of their vision and ideas that sparked while dining at their favorite establishment. Cluttered counters were no longer as common and larger refrigerators and gas ranges began to pop into many residential kitchens. This time period marked a shift in the influence commercial kitchens and dining rooms had on residential kitchens.

2000s

With the turn of the century, a new aesthetic came to be. With the rise of TV shows on home renovations and kitchen trends, people were more aware than ever of the trends the best restaurants and icons of the time were having in their kitchens. Stainless steel appliances began to rise in popularity and have really taken off since.

2010s

While many of the trends from the 2000s slipped into the 2010s, there were some new trends that came about. Reclaimed wood floors began the fad. Embracing the bones of a home or building helped to also bring about the vintage charm trend. Subway tiles as backsplash and farmhouse sinks were selling out quickly as people wanted to create a unique style for the kitchen.

Now to the present day, we continue to see the concept of open kitchens be popular among residential homes. What is unique though is this shift to transparent kitchens in commercial kitchens as well. The concept of a transparent kitchen has been boiling up recently as is predicted to skyrocket in 2023. Restaurants and coffee shops are beginning to allow customers to take a peek into their back-of-the-house operations with these transparent kitchens and many operations have reaped numerous benefits from this transition. Consumers are able to feel connected and involved in the preparation of food and this has been shown to improve overall dining satisfaction. Not only this, but consumers can now see the food safety procedures being taken to ensure their food is being prepared with their well-being in mind.

Having a transparent kitchen does put your cooking process on display which means that your equipment will be seen by guests. With this new trend, having equipment that not only is durable, but also aesthetic, is more important than ever. When your equipment is front and center in the consumers vision of the kitchen, it is crucial to invest in the right equipment. Lakeside offers a wide selection of durable pieces of equipment that provide storage and transport for supplies while also offering an aesthetic and clean look. Explore storage and transport solutions today to start your first steps towards a transparent kitchen in 2023!

Posted on November 22, 2022March 13, 2023 by thelakesideteam

Is Stainless Steel or Aluminum the Right Choice for Your Cart?

Aluminum and stainless steel are two of the most popular materials used to make foodservice equipment for the commercial kitchen today. While they have many similarities, they also have several key differences that may make one better than the other depending on your needs as an operator, chef, or foodservice director. When it comes to foodservice, there are perks to both materials as well as some downfalls to note in the comparison of the two. Let’s look at both aluminum and stainless steel so you can choose which one makes the most sense for your kitchen space and cooking needs.

Stainless Steel:

This material is one of the strongest metals used for everyday foodservice equipment. Not all stainless steel is the same though. There are different grades with each having minor, but notable, differences making them unique from each other. Two of the more commonly used stainless steel grades are the 304 and the 304L. The variation between the two comes down to the amount of carbon in the metal. The grade 304 has a maximum of 0.08% carbon while the 304L grade has a maximum of 0.03%. The rest of the composition of these two grades is nearly identical with iron making up the difference. This may seem insignificant but makes a difference.

The 304 grade of stainless steel is generally considered to be the stronger of the two. So why would the 304L be chosen then? The lower level of carbon in the 304L helps to minimize carbide precipitation during the welding process. This is particularly relevant for manufacturers. Using the 304L eliminates the need to anneal weld joints prior to final use. This allows time and money to be saved during the manufacturing process which can in-return allow a product to be shipped to you sooner. Stainless steel has proven its value to the foodservice industry for many years.

Aluminum:

“Aluminum is the third most common element in the Earth’s crust,” according to the World Economic Forum, making it a material that is often used due to its abundance. It has been produced in commercial quantities for industrial applications for just over 100 years and is now being used across many different industries. Aluminum is lighter in weight when compared to other metals while still having a considerable amount of strength. It also has various grades with slight variations in their performance that are suited for different applications. Aluminum alloy 1100 is commonly used in chemical and food processing. Aluminum alloy 2014 on the other hand is a copper-based alloy with very high strength making it commonly used in aerospace structural applications. But there is one grade that is most commonly used and that is 3003.

3003 aluminum is completely pure but with added manganese that helps to improve the strength of the material to 20% stronger than the 1100. The 3003 also has great workability and corrosion resistance that helps make it one of the most common alloys. Aluminum has many benefits of its own in comparison to stainless steel, but its most notable difference is its lightweight characteristic.

Foodservice Application:

Now that the basics have been covered, we can go into more depth as to which is better for foodservice applications. Both stainless steel and aluminum are used in the industry and the choice between the two comes down to what tasks the piece of equipment will be used for. “While stainless steel and aluminum are both strong materials, steel is typically stronger,” according to Tamp Steel. If the piece of equipment you are looking to purchase will be used to carry various heavy loads a day, stainless steel is usually the better choice. However, it is important to remember that aluminum is lighter than steel and has a higher strength to weight ratio. If a piece of equipment is needed for lighter loads, aluminum may be the better choice. Both stainless steel and aluminum have corrosion resistant properties which is crucial in this industry to ensure operations are sanitary. Making the decision between the two can be difficult, so take a look at the application it will be used for as your starting point. Lakeside manufactures a wide selection of utility carts to help operators transport with ease. Explore our selection here!

Posted on November 15, 2022March 13, 2023 by thelakesideteam

Make Bussing a Breeze with a Queen Mary Cart

“51% of restaurateurs surveyed said their business lacked the staffing to meet on-premise dining levels,” according to a recent article by Restaurant Dive. While this statistic speaks for this particular sector in the foodservice industry, the industry as a whole is experiencing a labor shortage. When your team is half the size of what you ideally need to run, implications quickly become noticeable. Even though this labor shortage is affecting the foodservice industry across the board, diners still want to come and enjoy food cooked outside of their own home kitchen. So how do you combat the labor shortage while still keeping your doors open?

Finding equipment that allows less staff to complete the same job is a start. Although this does not solve all of the troubles having less staff brings about, it helps to improve operational efficiency which brings back time to your team. Bussing tables is a constant job that never stops over a period of service which ultimately means it takes lots of time. Making bussing a breeze is possible with a Queen Mary Banquet cart. This cart is ideal for a foodservice operation that is serving a large number of guests all at once and has the need to clear and buss tables quickly once everyone is finished. Whether it’s bussing tables for a wedding, at a conference center, or at a banquet hall, tables need to be cleared quickly and efficiently. How can a Queen Mary cart help improve your operational efficiency?

1.Reduce Trips

Bussing tables involves lots of people clearing plates, cups, and silverware while running loads back to the washing area in the kitchen. Using a large bussing cart allows you to load many tables worth of dishes onto one cart which allows you to take less trips back-and-forth from the kitchen. When less trips are needed to clear a line of tables, it takes less time for staff to clear tables. Guests will be able to enjoy the next portion of their conference, wedding, or event quickly while ensuring their meal service was remembered kindly. Time is of the essence, especially when staff are limited, so choosing to invest in equipment that increases efficiency can make a world of difference. A Queen Mary cart can hold between 1000 and 2500 pounds depending on which model is chosen. These carts are built to hold your largest and heaviest loads of dishes while still being able to transport and push the cart with ease.

2. Quiet Maneuverability

Bussing is a crucial part of a meal service, but it is not always recognized by diners, that is unless something goes wrong. If things go smoothly, diners will not pay much attention to bussing and that is what should be strived for. Being quiet and polite while clearing tables quickly is a key part to a successful busing operation. That factors into the equipment you use as well. Making sure your equipment is quiet and glides smoothly will help ensure guests are not distracted by the clearing of tables. Easily maneuvering around the kitchen and dining space will help improve bussing efficiency all while making the task of bussing less straining on staff. Queen Mary carts offer the ultimate mobility needed in foodservice operations.

3. Increase Safety

Relying on a cart to do the heavy lifting is a simple way to help reduce the risks of employee injuries on the job. Instead of having staff take heavy loads to and from the kitchen, a cart can be used to help take some of that load off of staff. Queen Mary bussing carts do the heavy lifting of bringing dishes from tables to the kitchen with the guidance of staff. This line of bussing carts also helps to keep dishes secure and in place during transport to avoid any items falling off and hurting a diner or staff member. The design of these carts is built with the operator in mind so that they can easily maneuver and push the cart without putting a great amount of strain on their body. Relying on equipment to do the heavy work allows bussing operations to be as efficient as possible while keeping your staff safe.

Bussing is a part of foodservice operations that plays a crucial role in the overall success of a meal service. When guests are happy and being attended to and dishes are quickly cleared, a successful meal service has been completed. Using equipment that allows staff to quickly clear tables while also limiting trips to and from the kitchen, staff are able to master bussing. Have you considered making the swap to Queen Mary bussing carts?

Posted on November 8, 2022March 13, 2023 by thelakesideteam

4 Things You Didn’t Know About Queen Mary Carts for Bussing

Foodservice operations are complex and intricate from the ingredients that need to be ordered to the tables that need to be bussed and cleared. While there are many aspects that add to a successful operation, bussing plays a large role in customer satisfaction from the moment they are seated to the moment they leave. While the bussing team does a lot for diners, ultimately they want to do their work as quickly and quietly as possible as to not disturb the atmosphere and guest experience.

In last week’s blog, we discussed the basics of bussing and went over a few tips on how to improve bussing operations, especially with limited staff. Now it is time to talk over the equipment needs of bussing teams that allow them to be as efficient as possible. Depending on your operations, the type of equipment you’ll need will vary. If you have a smaller and more intimate setting, using a bussing station set-up just outside the dining area would be ideal. If you have a large hall of guests being served, using bussing carts will be your best bet.

Lakeside offers a wide variety of bussing equipment solutions, but today we are going to highlight our Queen Mary bussing carts. Being one of our most popular carts, it’s no secret that the ROI of Queen Mary carts is easily noticeable almost immediately. Queen Mary carts are designed to be used to bus a large amount of tables in a short time span. For example, in a German style beer hall, up to thirty tables may need to be bussed before the next guests can be seated. Queen Mary carts are ideal for clearing these tables quickly without having to take a ton of trips back to the kitchen to clear the cart of the dirty dishes.

With their large footprint, Queen Mary carts have the ability to hold a large weight load while still ensuring the cart is able to be maneuvered easily. Queen Mary carts have so many benefits that allow operations to be optimized so that your staff are able to work smarter and not harder. Below, we will go over some features and benefits of Queen Mary carts that you may not know about yet.

#1: Available in Stainless Steel or Aluminum

Having the option between stainless steel and aluminum offers many benefits as it allows you to choose the material that will best suit your facility’s needs for this specific cart. There are benefits to both which is why we offer each. Stainless steel Queen Mary carts make it easier to handle an extra heavy load. They have superior strength and durability while being extremely easy to clean and sanitize due to stainless steel’s chemical properties and natural resistance to bacteria.

Aluminum also comes with its benefits, with its main feature being how light-weight it is. The aluminum Queen Mary carts transport your heaviest loads with ultimate assurance for banquets, catering, and bussing. These carts are much lighter making them very easy to maneuver. Aluminum carts can lower the chance of staff getting injured when moving heavy and bulky items due to the cart itself being lighter. Both aluminum and stainless steel have their place in certain operations, so taking a look into what functions you want your bussing cart to provide to help narrow down between these two options.

#2: Weight Capacity Options

Different operations have different weight capacity needs based on various factors including the types of dishes used and how far the bussing cart needs to travel from the dining space back to the kitchen. The Queen Mary carts are offered in two different durability levels to make sure you have the ideal cart for your operations. The first durability level offered in our Queen Mary series is Tough Transport. Carts in the Tough Transport durability level can transport up to 1000 lbs. and are designed to be used for 10-18 hours a day.

The other durability level option with the Queen Mary series is the Extreme Duty level. This durability level is able to hold up to 2500 lbs. and is built to be used around the clock. Both the Tough Transport and Extreme Duty durability levels are built for smooth transport over uneven tile floors, thresholds, elevators, and carpets. These two weight capacity options allow you to choose a cart that will support your bussing needs.

#3: Provides Smoother and Quieter Operations

The last thing any staff member or guest wants is their experience to be interrupted by dishes crashing onto the ground. This creates a mess for staff to clean up and customer satisfaction to be affected. Having equipment that transports smoothly and quietly is a must with any equipment that leaves the back-of-the-house. Queen Mary carts have extra load No-Mark® cushion tread wheels that absorb impact for quieter and smoother operations to avoid any accidents. With two fixed casters and two swivel casters, the cart is able to be guided easily.

#4: Offers Extra Protection

A Queen Mary bus cart is designed to offer extra protection not only for the dishes and wash bins on the cart, but it also has a full perimeter bumper. This all around bumper ensures that during transport, when a wall, corner, or doorway is bumped, it won’t leave a dark scuff that needs to be wiped off. During transport, bumping into walls is bound to happen, but minimizing the effect of that bump is the driving factor behind this Queen Mary cart feature.

Queen Mary carts are available with a variety of shelves ranging from carts with just three shelves to carts with six shelves. Some operations need all six shelves to make sorting their dishes easier, while some facilities just need the three shelves. Team Lakeside wants to ensure you find a cart solution that is ideal for your operations, which is why we offer these different selections within a series. There is no such thing as a cookie cutter kitchen in this industry, so having the right equipment for your operations is what makes for even more efficient operations.

Posted on November 1, 2022November 21, 2022 by — 2 Comments

Mastering the Basics of Bussing

What is most important when bussing a table? That is a good question, and the answer is a multitude of aspects within operations. If you run a professional kitchen, you are well aware that a smooth flow of staff can make or break a successful evening of service. While it is such an intricate part of service, it can be an aspect that is overlooked by foodservice managers. When a dining space is filled with guests at every table, the bussing team knows they will need to be efficient and timely when clearing tables.

While clearing tables is one component to bussing, there is also the prep work that sets the stage for guests to have a great experience at your establishment. Prep work ranges based on the type of service, but the bussing team will be sure to have plates ready for guests, whether at tables or in plate dispensers for self-service. The team will also be sure to have clean silverware, cups, and napkins for guests as well as a supply to replenish when needed. Every person operating in a restaurant contributes to the success of the group, and this includes the busser. They serve a number of important functions that require experience and training. Read on to better understand the critical role of the busser as well as some tips to make bussing operations a breeze.

Focus on Service:

Happy guests are a must for a successful foodservice operation whether that is at a restaurant, school, casino, or convention center. Bussers are on the frontline or preserving the guest experience. When guests arrive, they should be met with a clean table and quickly provided a glass of water with the cup being replenished when needed. Dirty dishes should not lay on the table untouched for too long as this can cloud the guest experience. These are the obvious ways that bussers contribute to positive guest experiences, but there are less obvious ways they contribute.

While there are plenty of ways to add to the customer experience and satisfaction, there are also simple back-of-the-house operations that can deter a guest’s dining experience including leaving tubs of dirty dishes in the line of sight of guests. This is not appetizing and looks unprofessional. Having a dirty washcloth bucket in visibility is another easy thing to make sure is not seen by guests. Little aspects like this can add up and cause guest experiences to be less than ideal. Make sure to focus on not only the obvious ways to improve guest experience, but also the subtle aspects. Regardless of how your establishment employs bussers, there is no doubt that having a skilled and highly trained bussing staff will elevate guests’ dining experience.

Encourage Back-of-the-House Flow:

Increasing customer satisfaction all starts with efficient operations on the back end. While keeping guests happy is of vital importance, it is not the only way bussers are important to a restaurant kitchen. Bussers are responsible for delivering an essential item to foodservice: flatware and dinnerware. Foodservice operations need to optimize their budgets, which means they can’t keep a never-ending supply of dishes and flatware in stock.

Bussers are responsible for getting dirty dishes back to the dishwasher, who then get dishes cleaned and back into circulation to be used for the next group of dinners. If bussers are not appropriately staffed or trained to efficiently move dishes, this could cause a backlog for the entire kitchen. While every operation has a different way of handling bussing, we have compiled some tips to hopefully help improve your bussing, especially with the industry experiencing a current labor shortage.

Tips for Bussing:

#1: All Hands-on Deck

Everyone, and we mean everyone, on your team should be trained on how to bus. With limited staff, the bussing team may not be able to get to a table as soon as a server may, or a hostess may have a lull between guests arriving. Ensuring that everyone knows your bussing operations will help make sore smoothie clearing of tables. Having a plan to ensure consistency amongst everyone makes for a cohesive guest experience. No matter your role on the team, everyone should always be keeping an eye on tables. When customers feel attended to, this not only increases their current experience, but also their likelihood of returning or recommending.

#2: Scale Up the Table

While some guests clearly let you know when they are done with a plate or drink by moving it away from them, other diners are less clear. Being able to gauge whether someone is done with a drink, side, or course takes time to acclimate to. Look for signals of more talking, not touching plates for a few minutes, or approaching the table and seeing if they pick their utensils back up. While there is no secret sauce to this, after practice you are able to perfect this skill. Once you have been able to confirm that guests are done, it is key to clear the table quickly while still ensuring quality work. Making minimal noise is also important to note as to not disturb any conversations amongst guests or alter their experience.

#3: Don’t Push Your Limits

Adding that one extra plate on top of your stack in the moment may seem like a good idea but carrying more than you can handle never ends well. When plates go crashing on the ground because a busser took too many plates at once sends all diners eyes to immediately shift towards the scene. Dining atmospheres are handcrafted by owners, and while accidents happen, avoiding them by taking smaller loads can make a huge difference. Making sure you look professional even if it means taking smaller loads is worth it in the end and impresses guests with your establishment’s seamless night of service.

Bussing tables plays a crucial role in various aspects of a diner’s experience from their initial impressions to when they are about to leave. Having all hands-on deck when it comes to bussing can help the labor starved foodservice industry keep guests flowing in and out while ensuring quality is not compromised. Lakeside offers a wide selection of bussing solutions to help ensure customer satisfaction. Talk with a Lakeside cart expert today to see how we can help improve your bussing operational efficiency.