If you are looking for an excellent way to increase your restaurant's profits by offering takeout and delivery options, then determining what restaurant disposables to purchase is a great place to start.
Although the types of containers and disposable materials you purchase depend more on what kind of food you are serving, you can still save money by precisely determining what disposables are needed for your business. This article will cover the most common disposables used by restaurants and give you an idea of some items you may want to consider purchasing.
More information about Disposables
Disposable Servingware
What is disposable servingware? The most common disposable items used by restaurants are Disposable Plastic Flatware, disposable plastic bowls, lids for cups and bowls, and plastic plates and trays. If you are a food establishment that offers takeout or delivery options, providing your customers with disposable utensils and other servingware is a courteous gesture. This type of servingware includes items like to-go cups, disposable bowls, utensils, and more.
If you think you don't want to spend extra money on disposable servingware for takeout and delivery, you should certainly reconsider. There is nothing more infuriating for a customer than receiving their food and not eating it because they have to run around searching for forks to eat with.
Also, consider some customers will eat their takeout at work or places where silverware isn't readily available. Therefore, even if your customers don't use them 100% of the time, it is still good to provide them with disposable utensils.
Disposable Tabletop Accessories
In addition to servingware, everyday disposable items in restaurants include tabletop accessories. This niche category involves items like paper napkin bands for wrapping silverware and disposable salt and pepper shakers. While these may not be necessities for your business, it is still important to mention these smaller items as they often get forgotten about.
Disposable Food Containers
Like disposable serving ware, this section is heavily geared towards takeout and food delivery needs. When you receive takeout, what do you usually receive it in? The answer is usually a plastic container with a clear lid, or if you ordered soup, it would probably get to you in a clear pint or quart container. These items are vital for operating a food service operation that provides takeout or delivery options. With lots of different sizes and materials to choose from, it is best to consider the type of food that requires packaging and the best material for keeping it hot longer.
Depending on the price, you may be inclined to choose based on the material of the servingware. That said, food generally continues to cook even after you package it in a to-go box. So, deciding what kind of containers to buy can actually make a massive difference in the quality of your food and overall customer satisfaction.
Disposable Food Packaging Supplies
Another niche category of food disposable items is food packaging supplies. This category refers explicitly to disposable items like plastic or paper bags for takeout or delivery orders and disposable basket liners. It even includes the things you don't usually think of, like butchers twine or food packaging tape.
While the containers the food is being delivered is undoubtedly essential, the bags that hold these containers should be equally considered. If you are serving takeout or providing delivery, you must have something for the containers to be transported in. Using higher-quality paper bags with handles that don't easily break may be a better option than using flimsy plastic grocery store bags.
Disposable Beverage Service Supplies
Just as the name suggests, disposable beverage service supplies are items specifically used for serving drinks - both hot and cold. This category includes disposable cups for coffee and tea with lids and sleeves, straws, and even disposable barware like plastic wine glasses.
Disposable beverage supplies are incredibly essential because it allows customers to receive their drinks in secure containers on the go. To-go cups and containers are necessary for any type of foodservice operation, but again, there are many different materials to choose from, all varying in cost and quality.
Additionally, if you are hosting an event or catering to a large party of guests, using plastic cocktails glasses instead of glasses can be safer for your guests and save your staff a lot of time when it comes time to clean up.
Food Safety Disposables
Safety in a restaurant is always a top priority. To maintain customer safety and avoid cross-contamination, restaurants must purchase food safety disposables. This category can include disposable gloves, hats, and hairnets. Hair is something you don't ever want to fall victim to in the food industry, so even employees with beards should consider wearing specialized hairnets for that purpose.
While ensuring your staff maintains personal cleanliness is exceptional, it should be even more a priority to make sure the food you are serving won't get your customers sick. Therefore, labeling all foods, homemade condiments, and produce when you put it in the fridge for storage will help your employees ensure they aren't serving customers spoiled food. Plus, these disposable labels will stick to any container, so there is no excuse not to utilize them.
Disposable Host & Server Supplies
Last on our list of restaurant disposable items are supplies for your hosts and servers. This includes items like guest checks, order pads, and register paper. These are essential items to consider, especially when operating a cash register that prints receipts for customers. Running out of receipt paper in the middle of a shift can be highly infuriating for customers and employees, so having lots of these in stock at all times will help keep your staff organized and running smoothly.
When it comes to disposables for your foodservice operation, there are a lot of different items to choose from. It is crucial to consider the food you serve and what material is best suited to keep it hot or cold. In addition, using food safety disposables will help maintain the health and safety of your customers. Make sure to have all of the different types of disposable supplies on hand so that your staff can run smoothly and efficiently.
If you are interested in purchasing any of the items we discussed today, be sure to look through our inventory for all of your commercial restaurant disposable needs. We only carry the best quality at the most competitive prices with a wide variety of products to choose from.
