Few of us can pass by the restaurant dessert cart without longing to succumb to its delightful temptations. Flaky pies with smooth fillings, dense chocolate cakes topped with cloud-like frosting and delicate pastries filled with luscious morsels push our willpower to the limits. That is precisely why restaurant owners should artfully display these sweet attractions in commercial dessert carts.

There's no question a dessert cart for restaurant use proves to be a worthwhile and comparatively small investment. Since people eat with their eyes, many will defer ordering extra helpings at the main meal so they can save room to indulge their sweet tooth. Dessert carts also offer you the chance to market new products that your customers might otherwise never know you carry. The rule of thumb for using the restaurant dessert cart is to offer a wide range of sweets that appeal to highly diverse tastes. Commercial dessert carts can help your food establishment in many ways:

1. Seduce your dessert-loving patrons with an alluring French dessert cart.

2. Prefer open dessert carts for dining rooms with limited hold time.

3. Protect your pastries in domed dessert carts for longer display periods.

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

Create a tempting French dessert cart for the most eye-catching impression

French dessert carts command attention in almost any setting, but particularly in fine dining establishments where customers linger over their meals and expect to end their dining experience on a sweet note.

I recommend: Ms. Desserts has established itself as a market leader in providing high quality desserts to the food service industry since 1978. Its extensive product line includes several classic French desserts. City Cafe and Bakery offers a complete line of desserts and specializes in French pastries. They bake their homemade delicacies right on the premises.

Choose open commercial dessert carts for restaurant dining rooms

Open dessert carts are appropriate for restaurant dining rooms where your staff stacks the carts with desserts just before taking the customers' orders and serving them.

I recommend: AAA Commercial Products supplies a variety of dessert carts for sale with your choice of finish. The company offers free freight on deliveries within the contiguous states. Restaurant supply superstore Zesco Products, Inc. provides a wide selection of dessert carts and is known for reliable customer service.

Use domed restaurant dessert carts to store non-perishable pastries and sweets

Domed restaurant dessert carts allow you to display baked goods for longer holding times in a protected enclosure. Their acrylic covers keep desserts from drying out.

I recommend: Restaurant Equipment World has been serving the restaurant business with high quality products and equipment for more than 30 years. A comprehensive food service equipment dealer, The Restaurant Source is based in Colorado and aims to ship its orders within 24 hours.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Like most restaurant equipment, commercial dessert carts are pricey. Ask restaurant suppliers for rental dessert carts if you're only going to need them for temporary use at trade shows and food exhibitions.