Food service trays are a staple supply for the majority of food providing establishments. Whether you plan to purchase aluminum, cardboard or plastic, you will want to understand the pricing and costs of food service trays. The type of establishment you run will partially determine the type of tray you use. A catering business would make great use of disposable cardboard food trays, while an elegant restaurant would lean towards aluminum or plastic trays than it can use time and time again.

Food service trays are generally round or rectangular. Servers typically use round trays to deliver food and beverages. Rectangular trays offer a variety of uses from food delivery to food display. As you research your options for food service trays, consider the following:

1. Aluminum food service trays are good for multiple uses and you can recycle them.

2. Cardboard food service trays are good for only one or two uses, and you can recycle them, too.

3. Plastic food service trays are durable and will last a long time, though it may be more difficult for you to recycle them.

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

Get estimates on the cost of aluminum food trays for serving and displaying food

Restaurants use aluminum food trays for serving and displaying food. Aluminum food service trays come in round, rectangular and oblong shapes. Round serving trays are fairly inexpensive and cost around $45 for a package of 25 trays. Rectangular and oblong trays are more expensive, at prices between $140 and $230 for packages of 12 trays.

I recommend: For a wide variety of aluminum restaurant trays shop Instawares. It has aluminum trays in differing price ranges. The Globe Equipment Company is also a vendor of aluminum restaurant trays. A benefit of this provider is that it gives suggestions for the types of foods and uses for each of the trays it sells.

Find estimates on cardboard food serving trays

Going green not only saves the environment, it can also help you cut costs and allow you to market to a new crowd of customers. Manufacturers make cardboard food serving trays from both new and recycled materials. Large catering trays cost between $40 and $70 for a case of 15 trays. Small round our rectangular trays will range between $90 to $120 for cases of 100.

I recommend: Mr.TakeOutBags is a provider of disposable cardboard food trays. Its trays are solid and recyclable. Tree Cycle is a company that sells recycled paper products, including cardboard food trays. It has a wealth of information and links to sites containing environmental and recycled paper discussions.

Use plastic food service trays to save money

Plastic food service trays are the least expensive food service trays and the longest lasting. For many businesses, these trays make sense because of their durability. Rectangular plastic trays cost between $1.50 and $3 per tray. Round plastic trays for serving range between $30 and $40 per dozen trays.

I recommend: Ace Mart is a provider of several types of plastic food trays. Find round, rectangle and compartment trays on its site. If you want to be a trendy provider, find out what some of the latest trends are concerning plastic food trays at HighBeam Research, which has articles on food trays from magazine, newspaper and journal archives. Use it to find pricing and costs from the providers of the latest trends.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  you are leaning toward aluminum or cardboard kitchen trays for environmental reasons, check with your local waste authority to make sure recycling services are available in your area.

Food serving trays are a necessity in the food service business. Available in a variety of sizes and materials, kitchen trays allow servers to easily distribute food to customers and showcase food for sale. Food warming trays are a handy way to keep food at an optimal temperature for safe serving and the best taste.

Offering a selection of food trays to your customers is the key to meeting the unique needs of each client. Stocking cardboard food trays, aluminum food trays and plastic food trays offers your customers the variety of service trays they need. When stocking your business with food service trays, you should:

1. Buy food service trays in bulk quantities to receive the best price for your purchase.

2. Stock a wide variety of food service trays to satisfy the diverse needs of your clients.

3. Partner with a distributor of restaurant trays and compartment food trays who can work with you to find the food serving trays that meet your needs and your budget.

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

Buy restaurant trays and kitchen trays in bulk

Purchase trays for food in bulk to ensure you have an ample supply of service trays to meet demand. Vendors of food service trays often offer bulk discount prices for large orders.

I recommend: Genpak offers compartment food trays and supermarket food trays at affordable bulk prices. Contact a representative in your area for a free price quote. Molded Fiber Glass Tray Company offers an assortment of service trays at volume discount prices.

Supply your customers with an assortment of food serving trays

From fast food trays and paper food trays to aluminum food trays, stock your business with a variety of food service trays at prices that can fit any budget.

I recommend: Order food service trays from Big Tray, an online leader in restaurant equipment. They offer a wide variety of fast food trays, restaurant trays and aluminum food trays at competitive prices. Buy plastic food trays from United States Plastic Corporation for a selection of styles to suit your needs. The professionals at Go-Green offer biodegradable food service trays for an eco-friendly alternative to standard food trays.

Partner with a reputable manufacturer of restaurant trays

An experienced manufacturer or distributor of food service trays can work with you to ensure you order the food trays you need at a price you can afford.

I recommend: Partner with Cafeteria Tray Store, an online supplier of food service trays, for a selection of quality kitchen trays at affordable prices. Order restaurant trays from Foodservicedirect.com for the variety of trays for food you want and the customer service you deserve.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Inspect the food service trays that interest you before you commit to a bulk purchase to ensure you are satisfied with the quality of the food serving trays.

Food service trays are part of what keeps business moving through a certain kind of restaurant, cafeteria or dining establishment. In the many food service venues where customers choose from "a la carte" options, food service trays help them to manage selections and move food to seating. Also, smaller plastic food trays in other take-out locations and even in supermarkets allow customers to take their food "to go."

For either of these options, some basic supplies can be a resource for a business buyer that wants to outfit a new or existing food service shop. Those tasked with providing these kinds of in-house or take-out solutions can find some handy purchase options from the web, for food service trays supplies and equipment for setups like:

1. Take-out containers where food may be served on a tray, but needs a plastic lid for allowing for the "to go" option.

2. Self-purchasing setups where food trays will need to be sealed with adhesive labels that will also provide dates of freshness, price, ingredients and more.

3. Cafeteria-style dining where large kitchen trays need to be outfitted with paper tray liners for promoting a restaurant's brand.

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

Find food service trays with plastic lids

Suitably fitted plastic lids can make a food service tray presented to a customer into a handy to-go container, as long as they fit. Check the online catalogs of food service providers to make sure that both elements are included in a package deal.

I recommend: Get your plastic lids along with various models for fitted dining or fast food trays at The WEBstaurant Store. Seekers can locate more of these plastic trays and lids for nachos and other foods at Instawares.

Locate adhesive labels for self-purchase food service trays

Another option for a lot of food serving trays is to offer wrapped and labeled 'retail or restaurant trays' in coolers or other locations within a business. In these setups, labels play many roles, often including sealing of a food trays package, as well as information the customer needs to know about what is inside.

I recommend: Get a feel for all of the kinds of adhesives a company called UPACO offers for food service trays and other containers at Worthen Industries: "Quality Solutions for Industry." Find news on labels for single serving food containers from big suppliers at CSPI Newsroom.

Use paper food service trays liners to promote the brand or provide sanitation

For the larger cafeteria style trays, one popular option is paper liners that can provide a better dining experience and promote a restaurant through custom printing.

I recommend: Paper tray covers are part of a catalog of products that My Paper Shop offers to businesses online. Get more of this from sites like IDS Packaging.

Almost every sector of the food service industry uses trays. When imagining a food service tray, the average person may first picture a waiter's or waitress's platter, but you can use trays for things other than just to serve drinks and meals. You can use them to create and display food in restaurants, delis, bakeries, supermarkets, hotels and catering establishments. As you shop for food service trays, it's not likely you'll run across many terms that confuse you. However, you'll find trays designed for specific purposes, and if you understand the terms used to describe those purposes, you'll end up finding and buying the sort of trays you need more easily and quickly.

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

Cork trays

Cork trays are plastic, rimmed trays lined with cork. The cork helps prevent slipping and absorbs small amounts of fluid from drinks or pitchers.

I recommend: Carlisle Foodservice Products describes the general make up of a typical cork tray.

Proofing tray

To proof while baking allows breads or other items with yeast to sit and rise. Bakers can use proofing trays as a place for breads or other goods to rest while they rise.

I recommend: Losurdo Foods explains how to properly proof its pizza dough on proofing trays.

Display pans

Display pans are actually trays that you can use for displaying food items, usually within a glass fronted case. You'll see this type of tray in bakeries, delis and supermarkets.

I recommend: Molded Fiber Glass Tray Company describes the common uses of display pans. Click on the "View Models & Sizes" link and read more about common sizes and durability.

Nonskid tray

You can use nonskid trays for serving food and beverages. Most manufacturers make these from plastic, and they usually have a lip all the way around the round or rectangular edge, as well as a nonskid surface attached to the inside bottom.

I recommend: WEBstraunt Store describes the make up of a typical nonskid tray.

Market trays

Market trays are plain, rectangular plastic trays used for displaying desserts, salads, pastries and the like. You can also use them to serve fast food.

I recommend: The Globe Equipment Company pictures and describes typical market trays.

Room service trays

Room service trays hold dishes of food that staff need to carry to a hotel room. They may be plastic, wood or some other material. To make carrying easier, they usually have raised edges on every side and finger holes.

I recommend: Architectural Plastics showcases a typical room service tray.