When starting a restaurant, you have a long list of necessities, from commercial ovens and ranges to interior decorating, staffing, chef gear, uniforms...the list goes on, but at the very end, don't forget one other essential: the mints.

Providing mints in restaurants has become a tradition across the country, and it's become almost standard practice. You can find a variety of wholesale mints from candy mint suppliers online to supply your hostess desk. Restaurant managers look for mints when they run into the following:

1. A new eatery is gearing up for its grand opening, and everything is running smoothly, you've got it all...except the mints!

2. The mint dish is running low: candy mints stockpiles are waning, and eventually, you'll need a re-supply from candy mint makers.

3. The mints you have in your dish just aren't doing the job: customers are recommending a brand switch or a switch to wrapped candy mints for better hygienic conditions.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get wholesale mints in unwrapped formats

The unwrapped mint is a blast from the past: restaurants used to offer customers these bulk candy mints by the handful, sometimes providing a spoon for digging them out of the bowl. These days, the unwrapped mint is on its way out, but you can still go this route for a more exclusive restaurant, or one that caters more to regulars than a steady stream of new customers.

I recommend: Find unwrapped French mints from Kopper in a wide variety of candies from Metro Candy & Nut, Inc. These pastel goodies will look classy in a dish and refresh the palates of sated customers. Get old-fashioned butter and jelly mint types from a family-owned candy mint supplier, Blair Candy.

Get wrapped mints for easy customer distribution

The wrapped peppermint or spearmint hard candy mint is a mainstay of commercial restaurant franchises across America. Almost everywhere you go, you'll find these. You can find them often in traditional peppermint red and white, but sometimes in green and white spearmint.

I recommend: You can arrange deals on wholesale peppermint or spearmint buys at Wholesale Warehouse Supply, with pricing and details supplied on the web page. Find wrapped peppermints or a variety of other flavors including root beer and cinnamon at George J. Howe Company.

Get specialty mints

Class up your joint with different kinds of candy mints on hand like Andes chocolate mint varieties, or hard candy mint variety flavors. Your customers will love you for it, and you'll stand out from the crowd.

I recommend: Get chocolate mints, licorice flavors and a range of other after dinner mints at ACandyStore.com. At Promocenter International, you can get truly specialized candy mints with your business printed on the wrapper in lots of interesting styles and flavors.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Find your price range. It may be tempting to get personalized or fancy mints, but you have to find your bottom line and see if sophisticated extras fit in.