Deciding to buy a glass door merchandiser for a restaurant is a decision that takes a considerable amount of thought and planning. While it may be tempting to purchase the least expensive model you find, you must consider the location, purpose, size and impression of the merchandiser.

Consider the following pricing and costs of restaurant glass door merchandisers before making your selection:

1. Choose a cost effective glass door merchandiser based on the location where it will be displayed.

2. Get the merchandiser to your store without paying enormous shipping or freight fees.

3. Accessorize your merchandiser to make it appeal to customers.

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

Consider the cost of the glass door merchandiser

Before you purchase a glass door merchandiser for your restaurant, you have to decide where you will place the merchandiser. If it is near the restaurant doors, where the customers can view it, you will need a merchandiser that compliments the decor of your store, which may cost more than a basic model. However, if you place it in an employee only area, you can usually go with a basic model, which is likely to save you some money.

I recommend: You can find glass door refrigerator floor models at A Best Kitchen. This company offers discounted prices, which range in price from $1,300 to $4,700. Kommercial Kitchens has freezer and refrigerator glass door merchandisers. Prices at this company start at under $600 for a counter top model to higher than $3,000 for some floor models.

Take advantage of free shipping for the glass door merchandiser

When you order the glass door merchandiser online, you have to consider the cost of getting it to your restaurant. Basic curbside freight on some of the larger models can add more than $400 to your bill. You will be out even more money if you want it delivered inside the store. Some companies offer free basic freight or ground shipping on glass door freezers and glass door fridges. If you need the unit faster, you may be able to pay an upgrade fee to get it faster.

I recommend: Atlanta Fixtures & Sales Company offers free freight on all restaurant glass door merchandisers. The merchandisers start out at around $600 at this company. Ace Mart Restaurant Supply offers glass door fridges starting at around $1,200 for floor models. Factor in the savings of around $200 for the free shipping from either company and you get a good deal.

Factor in the cost of glass door merchandiser accessories

The way you present your products in the glass door refrigerator or glass door freezer determines if your merchandiser will increase your profits. Using accessories, such as risers, enables you to make your products look appealing without losing much space in your merchandiser.

I recommend: InstaWares has a varied selection of food risers, which start at around $60 for basic risers. Some of the custom risers are higher than $200. You can find platter risers, slotted risers and other specialty food risers at Hubert. Prices vary with each type of product. Basic risers start at around $60. Some other specialty risers are over $600 for sets.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Although glass door merchandisers don't require service very often, most companies provide a warranty on the merchandiser. Keep the paperwork you got when you purchased the merchandiser in case you need to have warranty work done on it. This alone can save you anywhere from $100 to well over $1,000 depending on the type of service necessary.

Refrigerated glass door merchandisers are a good way to increase sales of food and drink in a restaurant. A well stocked glass door refrigerator can hold anything from soda and juice to beer and wine. Restaurant glass door merchandisers work well in self service eateries as well as full service establishments.

Commercial glass door refrigerators are also a good marketing tool outside of restaurants. Glass door merchandisers are ideal for convenience stores, grocery stores and gourmet shops or wherever refrigerated food and drinks are for sale.

When looking at restaurant glass door merchandisers, think about the following:

1. Function- What type of glass door refrigerator would best suit your business needs?
2. Efficiency- Many glass door refrigerators for food service use a lot of electricity, for lighting and cooling purposes.
3. Aestheticis- Select a glass door refrigerator that will enhance the overall look of your restaurant or store.

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

Boost food sales with glass door merchandisers

Encourage customers to help themselves to well-stocked beverage coolers or refrigerated food cases. Look for models with swing restaurant doors and slide restaurant doors for easy access. If space permits, purchase a double or triple door refrigerated merchandiser to really show off your food and beverage options.

I recommend: BigTray.com and Consolidated Food Service both carry a large line of glass door refrigerators, including bakery cases and beverage coolers in single, double and triple capacity.

Increase liquor sales with restaurant glass door merchandisers

Outfit your restaurant's bar with a glass door refrigerator. You can stock it with beer, wine coolers and other liquor. You can even incorporate a wine cellar into your bar, using special, upright refrigerated cases that are outfitted with built-in humidifiers to keep corks from drying out.

I recommend: Bush Refrigeration carries several different sized glass door merchandisers, ideal for bars, pubs and restaurants. Central Restaurant Products offers refrigerated wine cellars that compliment any restaurant décor.

Reduce food waste with glass door freezers and refrigerators

Refrigerated restaurant doors that are made of glass make tracking inventory a breeze. You never have to worry about food tucked in the back of the refrigerator, because everything is in plain sight. This makes ordering easier, when you can see at a glance what you already have in stock. Plus, glass door merchandisers keep food at optimal temperatures for storage, reducing spoilage and waste.

I recommend: Silver King and AceMart.com are two vendors who carry easy access glass door refrigeration units with removable shelves, self contained cooling systems (no plumbing required!) and double pane low energy glass.

Save money with used refrigerator glass door units

Glass door merchandisers are one of the most popular items with used restaurant suppliers. You can pick up glass door fridges for a fraction of the price they cost new. Usually, gently worn glass door fridges need only minor repairs, if any.

I recommend: A City Discount and TopJetSales.com carry a variety of used glass door merchandisers for sale.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Keep your refrigerator glass door merchandisers looking and operating like new with routine cleanings of the inside shelves, as well as the grills and fans.

When you buy a glass door fridge or glass door freezer for your restaurant, you want to get the most for your money. While the main consideration should be food safety, there are some other things to consider to ensure the freezer or refrigerator glass door merchandiser is put to the best use.

Consider the following suggestions to help you make the most of glass door fridges and glass door freezers in your restaurant:

1. Save money by purchasing an energy efficient glass door merchandiser.

2. Allow customers to see all of the food in the merchandiser by using risers.

3. Show off the products in the merchandiser in the best light possible.

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

Choose the glass door merchandiser that saves you money

One aspect of making the most of restaurant glass door merchandisers is choosing a model that meets all of your business' needs and is energy efficient. Choosing an energy efficient model helps the environment as well as your business. Lower energy costs means higher profits for your restaurant, even far off into the future.

I recommend: Flex Your Power is a website maintained to help users save energy. This website offers suggestions about how to purchase and maintain a glass door merchandiser. An industry overview is also included. BuyEnergyEfficient.org sells restaurant glass door merchandisers that are energy efficient. This website also features a Learning Center that is jam packed with articles to help you 'green' your entire life to save even more money.

Accessorize your glass door merchandiser to make it more appealing

Making your food look appealing in the glass door refrigerator will increase your sales. Display risers are one way to accomplish this. These risers make it possible for customers to see the products at the back of the display just as well as they can see the products near the front. Find display risers that match your restaurant theme or the theme of your display to make the display look natural.

I recommend: Twin Supply offers a varied selection of food display risers, including single step, dual step and triple step options. InstaWares offers designer display risers for restaurant glass door merchandisers. Pedestal, octagon and mirror risers are on this website.

Light up your glass door merchandiser

Lighting plays a big part of making food and other items in a glass door merchandiser look appealing. The lights should be bright enough to make the food in the display look nice but, at the same time, the lights shouldn't dry the food out. Using bulbs made for food service use enables you to showcase your items without ruining the quality. Make sure you change the bulbs often, as they will dull before fully burning out.

I recommend: BulbTown.com has a numerous lighting options for restaurant food display cases. The selection includes incandescent lighting and shatterproof, safety coated bulbs. Pegasus Associates Lighting sells under cabinet lighting that can be for use in restaurant glass door merchandisers. This company offers wholesale prices and discounted shipping options.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Keep your glass door merchandiser clean by using commercial grade glass cleaner and coffee filters. Finger prints on your food display case look worse than fingerprints on your restaurant doors.

Just as there are a myriad of restaurant options to suit the tastes of millions of diners, there are numerous types of glass doors to welcome all customers. Whether restaurateurs choose tinted glass or decorative glass to lend a look of sophistication or style, or they opt for safety glass, which lends added protection, the options are endless. Familiarize yourself with the many choices and options offered by restaurant door merchandisers to make an educated choice for your business or develop your own glass door merchandising empire.

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

Tinted glass

If your restaurant is in an area that receives a lot of sunlight, you may want to invest in tinted glass windows to block some of the heat and harsh light. Not only does tinted glass offer respite from the sun on hot days, it lends a look of cool sophistication to restaurants, as well as a bit of privacy as onlookers outside are unable to peer in at patrons enjoying a meal.

I recommend: Longs Millwork offers a wide variety of doors for restaurants.

Partially opened or completely opened glass doors

Two unique options provided by manufacturers of glass doors for restaurants are partially opened or completely opened sliding glass doors. These options allow restaurants to slide away doors opening an entire area for additional dining space or other entertainment purposes.

I recommend: Nana Wall offers an explanation and illustration of its partial and completely opened glass door products.

Security doors

For restaurant owners concerned with safety, security doors enable users to use keys only from the inside. There are other options, including in-swing doors and even security French doors for those interested in both security and style. Many times security doors will have to be custom made and fit for a specific business.

I recommend: Swiss Shade + Security describes different types of burglar-resistant security doors.

Bulletproof doors

For those concerned with the added security that bulletproof glass doors provide, there are different levels of bulletproof doors, as well as different styles available to suit your needs. The technologies involved in developing bulletproof glass doors include a grading system. A professional manufacturer can consult with you.

I recommend: Gaffco touts its "Grade A" manufacturing facility where it produces bulletproof doors for various businesses.

Stained glass doors

Stained glass doors feature designs and artwork customized to fit the theme and decor of the restaurant. These options can be as detailed and intricate as the restaurant owner wishes.

I recommend: Alpine Glass presents its portfolio of stained glass art, some of which is designed for the entryways of restaurants.

Impact-resistant doors

For restaurants in areas where hurricanes are often a part of the weather forecast, impact-resistant doors are a necessity, as well as a smart business investment. These heavy-duty doors are made of commercial-grade aluminum and impact-resistant laminated glass to meet building codes established in hurricane-prone areas.

I recommend: CGI has more information on impact-resistant doors.