Take a look at your current restaurant shelving and food storage racks, and select supplies for commercial food shelving and storage to make the most of your existing units. Learning to maximize existing shelving and storage will help you save money and make better use of your space.

Look for supplies for commercial food shelving and storage options that are easily washed and sanitized and that can be used for several different purposes to help you stretch your budget. Consider the following:

1. Add additional food storage shelves to current shelving units.

2. Look for wire baskets as commercial kitchen storage options.

3. Stock plenty of shapes and sizes in plastic restaurant food storage.

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Increase storage by adding shelves to existing restaurant shelving

Take a look at the amount of wasted space in your existing commercial food storage shelving. Consider how you can rearrange the food items stored on your current shelves and add another shelf or two to make use of that wasted space.

I recommend: Ace Mart Restaurant Supply has several options of commercial food shelving that include extra shelves to help you make the most of your existing shelving unit by adding more storage options. BuyOnlineNow.com provides you with additional shelving kits to help you add shelves to the units you're currently using.

Use wire baskets as restaurant food storage

Explore the options in wire baskets when looking at supplies for food storage. Baskets allow you to use vertical space in your shelving units while keeping the products stored inside them easily accessible. Another advantage of wire is that it promotes air flow and reduces moisture, which can help keep your food viable for longer periods of time.

I recommend: Gershel Bros. has several options available in open-faced wire baskets to help you maximize your commercial food shelving and storage. Storables has a variety of sizes and shapes of wire baskets suitable for use as food storage options.

Choose plastic containers for restaurant food storage

Select plenty of plastic containers in all shapes and sizes so you have the containers you need to store your food products regardless of the quantity. Look for containers with tight-fitting lids to keep food fresh, and consider purchasing plastic containers you can see through and are machine washable.

I recommend: Flexcon has several nesting options in commercial kitchen storage designed specifically to allow for moisture draining and air flow to keep produce fresher longer. The Wasserstrom Company boasts a large inventory of plastic restaurant food storage options, including clear bins to help you judge inventory accurately.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When adding commercial shelves to existing commercial kitchen shelving, keep the initial weight limits of your shelving units in mind. Most manufacturers that offer additional shelves also offer supports to keep your industrial food shelving sturdy and safe.

Commercial food shelving and storage that is properly organized helps business owners run a more productive, efficient and safer operation. Any business that handles, prepares or serves food should know the basics of commercial kitchen storage. Food storage shelves and racks come in a variety of sizes and materials. Not every set of shelves is appropriate for use as commercial food shelving.

Commercial kitchen storage needs include dry goods and fresh produce. Food storage racks need to be made of durable material that is easy to keep clean.

Well organized commercial kitchen storage can do the following:

1. Reduce food waste, by keeping everything in sight.
2. Increase productivity by keeping food organized and easy to find.
3. Keep food safe from cross contamination and hazardous chemicals with proper use of commercial food shelving and storage.

Action Steps
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Choose the right type of food storage racks

Commercial food shelving comes in both plastic and metal. You can use wood racks, but they must be covered with a sealant, such as paint, which can be cleaned on a regular basis. Although metal racks are more expensive than plastic, they are highly durable, easy to assemble and generally require less maintenance.

I recommend: OnetimeSupplies.com carries several different sized restaurant food storage racks, including tall, narrow models that are perfect for corners. AAA Commercial Products carries adjustable plastic shelving units, which are easy to assemble and move.

Think food safety first in restaurant shelving

Health and safety codes vary by state, but most require that restaurants keep food at least 4 inches off the floor. All food should be separate from any inedible items, such as cleaners and other chemicals.

I recommend: Warehouse Equipment offers a large variety of commercial food shelving, including wooden shelves and wire racks. Foodservice Equipment has a large inventory of wire racks, ideal for restaurant shelving to be used both in and out of the kitchen.

Keep dry food well organized with food storage shelves

Food storage racks can help you keep your dry storage area organized. Clearly labeling commercial kitchen shelving will help guide employees to put stock away in the correct area. Organizing your dry storage will also help you keep better track of inventory.

I recommend: Restaurant-Service.com carries basic metal shelves that work well for restaurants with limited dry storage space. Storage Solutions offers custom built commercial kitchen shelving, ideal for old buildings that don't have a lot of storage room.

Outfit your walk-in cooler with food storage racks

Look for wider shelves for your walk-in cooler, which can hold bulky boxes of fresh produce. Make sure that your walk-in food storage shelves are cleaned regularly to keep food and debris from building up. You should also use proper food storage containers to reduce walk-in messes.

I recommend: Valumotion.com food grade containers are ideal for storing fresh produce in a walk-in cooler. The Restaurant Source is another vendor of storage containers for commercial food storage.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Never store chemicals near your food storage racks. Even if there is no obvious physical cross-contamination that occurs, the fumes from the chemicals can actually permeate foods, especially fresh produce, making them toxic.

Taking the time to learn about commercial food shelving and storage basics can help your business keeps its food products fresher, longer. Food storage racks are designed to hold food products in reserve until they're needed. Since different food products need to be stored in different ways, the more you know about commercial kitchen storage options, the better decisions you'll make for your business.

Evaluate the materials used in the construction of restaurant shelving. You want food storage shelving that is easily cleaned and sanitized, commercial shelves strong enough to support the weight of the food items you'll be storing, and commercial food shelving equipment that can withstand the environment in which it will be used, such as a walk-in freezer.

1. Educate yourself on how to use food storage shelves to safely and legally store food products.

2. Examine metal industrial shelving for restaurants.

3. Evaluate plastic restaurant food storage options.

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

Learn how to store food so you know what food storage shelves to select

Before you can select the best type of food storage system, you need to bone up on how to safely store the food products you'll be working with. Refresh your knowledge of food storage and safety by checking the rules and regulations governing food storage in your area determined by the Department of Agriculture.

I recommend: The Virginia Cooperative Extension spells out how to safely store food products in clear and concise guidelines. Oregon Department of Agriculture provides you with a list of laws and regulations governing how to store all types of food products.

Look at metal industrial shelving for restaurants

Metal shelves can be used in several locations, including pantries, walk-in coolers and walk-in freezers. Metal shelving is known for its resistance and is easily cleaned and sanitized, making it a good choice for food storage.

I recommend: Shelf Reliance has several options available when it comes to metal food storage shelves. From automatically rotating systems that dispense the first products in to keep food fresh to freestanding units that can be used in a variety of locations, you're sure to find what you need. IRSG boasts an entire division dedicated to wire food storage options that include freestanding units, movable shelving carts and wall-mounted options.

Explore the possibilities in plastic commercial kitchen storage

Remember to look beyond the shelves and purchase the storage containers that you'll need to hold the food that's housed on those shelves. Choose containers in a variety of sizes to eliminate waste, and make sure the containers are suitable for refrigeration and use in walk-in coolers or freezers. Look for airtight seals to keep food fresh regardless of whether it's in the cooler or in the pantry.

I recommend: Global Equipment Company offers several plastic storage options, including buckets and bins to help you keep your food fresher for longer. United States Plastic Corporation has plastic storage containers in several shapes and sizes, ensuring you can find the storage products you need for your business.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Talk to restaurant shelving suppliers about hidden costs like shipping, delivery or setup fees. Discuss return policies and maintenance policies prior to signing on the dotted line.

Whether you run a restaurant, a catering business, or are just trying to put food on the table for a small group of people, learning some commercial food shelving and storage key terms can help you extend the freshness of your food purchases. The fresher and more expensive the food, it seems, the shorter the shelf life. Before you go shopping for shelving and storage options, learn some of the basics so you can choose wisely.

Action Steps
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Food rotation

Whether it's stored properly or not, fresh food doesn't last long. To avoid spoilage, commercial food is always rotated so that food is used before it goes bad in a 'first-in, first-out' process. This means that the oldest acceptable food is used first. In the case of grocery stores, new food is placed behind older food so that customers will buy the older food first.

I recommend: Learn more about food rotation and check out some food rotation systems at Shelf Reliance.

Front-loading

Almost all commercial food shelving and storage shelving and racks are front-loading. That means that new products are loaded from the front. The most common exception to this is with coolers along the walls of stores that are stocked from behind.

I recommend: Check out the front-loading shelves and racks at Food Storage Shelves.

Modular

Modular food storage, which utilizes standard-sized containers and shelving to maximize storage capacity and efficiency, is widely practiced in the commercial food storage world.

I recommend: Read about the benefits of modular storage at ELA Enterprises.

Bulk storage containers

Bulk foods are purchased in large quantities and divided into smaller portions for sale or use. Typical bulk food items include rice, flour and beans.

I recommend: See Zesco.com to see a wide range of bulk storage containers.

Walk-in refrigerator and walk-in freezer

Like the names imply, walk-in refrigerators (or coolers) and freezers are large enough to walk into. These expensive items are designed to keep fresh food at 33-40 degrees and frozen food at 0-degrees or below.

I recommend: HowDoYouCook.com discusses a wide range of food storage issues. It also has a handy guide for how long different foods will keep when refrigerated or frozen.

Can racks

Can racks are used to hold and display canned goods in grocery stores. Many modern can racks are designed so that they automatically feed cans forward when a can is removed from the front.

I recommend: CanRacks.com describes the form and function of typical can racks.