Having the right restaurant pitchers in your business shows your customers that you pay attention to the details. Food service pitchers offer convenience to your wait staff that won't have to run back and forth between kitchen and tables when customers need refills. In addition, by placing a pitcher on the counter or table, you’re showing customers how generous you are in allowing them second helpings of a beverage or condiment.

When it comes to commercial restaurant pitchers, the choices are endless. In addition to the more traditional stainless steel and glass pitchers restaurant owners still buy, you can now find pitchers made of newer materials, such as break-resistant acrylic and polycarbonate material, which help reduce replacement costs. Your decision on which restaurant pitcher to buy depends upon the particular style of your eating establishment and who is going to use the pitchers. These general guidelines in buying food pitchers for restaurants can help you make your decision:

1. Prefer stainless steel or acrylic restaurant serving pitchers for casual eating establishments.

2. Make a great impression with fine glass pitchers.

3. Consider sturdy plastic food pitchers for outside dining and mobile food carts.

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

Buy restaurant steel pitchers for diners and relaxed eateries

In diners and casual eateries, the restaurant pitchers are usually right on the counter or table for customers to use. That means you want stainless steel or aluminum pitchers with sturdy construction, but which are still attractive.

I recommend: Zesco Products carries an aluminum restaurant water pitcher and stainless steel pitchers for coffee, tea and cold drinks. It also supplies clear acrylic pitchers with lids and ice chambers for water and juice. Another major supplier of food service pitchers is Instawares Restaurant Supply Superstore, which sells stainless steel restaurant pitchers that have double walled insulation and spouts with ice guards.

Look for fine glass or pewter restaurant pitchers for a more refined atmosphere

With a more highly trained wait staff, you can invest in hand blown glass or fine Asian pewter restaurant pitchers.

I recommend: Mission Restaurant Supply provides top-brand glass carafes and pitchers in several different moderately priced styles. Choose from beer wagons, New Orleans style pitchers and hand blown, handmade pitchers perfect for sodas, iced teas and beers. For exquisitely designed, but much pricier, pitchers made from pewter, check out Thomas Dale Company, which operates out of Morton, Illinois.

Stick with safe and sturdy plastic restaurant serving pitchers for busy mobile vending carts

When you're serving customers outdoors in a fast-paced, hectic environment, your best bet is non-breakable, sturdy plastic.

I recommend: OnTimeSupplies and The WEBstaurant Store are both online sites for purchasing food service tools. Both sites carry rugged restaurant pitchers made of polyethylene plastic that are dishwasher safe. Choose from a two-liter clear pitcher with an ice core center, a plastic bouncer pitcher perfect for beer and sodas and a multi-purpose, easy to clean 1-gallon pitcher with lid available in blue and white.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Both wait staff and customers prefer restaurant pitchers that can pour liquid without allowing chunks of ice to pass through the spout. Your best bet is to find pitchers with both side and front pour options, which are also the easiest to handle.