Salad bars offers diners the freedom to build their own salads, and they makes a visual statement of healthy food choices. Once you identify a space for your salad bar and decide what types and how many food choices you want to offer, start checking on salad bar supplies and equipment you’ll need.

A great-looking salad bar with cold, fresh and well-stocked ingredients will help you keep and attract new customers. As you look more into restaurant grade salad bars, keep the following safety considerations in mind:

1. Ensure commercial salad bar equipment purchased lends itself to proper temperature maintenance – 41 degrees or below for cold items and 140 degrees or above for hot items.

2. Initiate frequent checks of your salad bar at least every few hours to monitor food temperatures.

3. The FDA recommends limiting the length of time for potentially hazardous foods like egg or meat products to sit on a salad bar to no more than four hours.

Action Steps
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Find the right salad bar restaurant equipment and accessories to complete your salad bar

Purchase a salad bar that includes the accessories you need, or buy a base unit and accessorize. Comply with local health department regulations that require sneeze guards to protect your customers from airborne germs. No one wants to visit a salad bar without that level of protection for customers. You'll find single and double-sided sneeze guards available for any tabletop or other portable salad bar and full-sized, stationary salad bars, too. Include tray slides/plate rests so patrons don't have to carry plates from station to station, increasing the risk of spills and accidents.

I recommend: You'll find sneeze guards for any size or type restaurant salad bar at Food Service Warehouse. Learn more about the ZGuard System from the Brass Smith website. Check out available options for stainless steel plate rests and trade slides at Galley.

Improve the look and functionality of your salad bar with the right salad bar accessories/supplies

For functionality, you need crocks or other containers for all the food items on your salad bar that look good while incorporating a design that helps maintain the desired food temperature. If you want to keep decorating costs to a minimum, consider using synthetic greenery or fresh endive.

I recommend: With the Coldmaster food pans at Superior Products, you don't need electricity or ice to keep food products cold. Simply freeze the pans overnight and fill with prechilled foods, and food temperatures will remain at or below 41 degrees for eight hours. For standard crocks at a cheaper price, go to Restaurant Source for the plastic Cambro crocks that resist odors and stains from oils, mayonnaise and vinegar. Keep crocks in place with Impressions TwICEguard ice guards from Vollrath. Order single-leaf dishwasher-safe kale leaves to decorate your salad bar from Central Restaurant Products.

Invest in salad bar supplies that let patrons take full advantage of commercial salad bars

Make your salad bar as efficient and attractive as possible for patrons with an ample supply of tongs, ladles and salad plates.

I recommend: Choose from the selection of Cambro or Carlisle tongs, ladles and salad spoons at Cook's Direct. Consider purchasing glass plates in cases of three dozen for your salad bar at The WEBstaurant store. You'll save money buying in bulk, and they'll go with china, pottery or any other plates and bowls you use.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  To ensure the success of your salad bar, don't negate the importance of its appearance. Besides checking it at least every few hours for proper temperature, your employees must also constantly wipe up messes left behind and replenish dishes when food runs low.

Restaurant salad bars appeal to a broad range of your clientèle. There are a number of obvious selling points. Customers see commercial salad bars as a way to get fast service and food just the way they want it. Kids and adults alike are likely to find something they enjoy. And in an increasingly health-conscious market, salad bars provide plenty of fresh, nutritious selections for the dieting guest.

Setting up a commercial salad bar is not a cheap proposition, but the investment pays off in the form of a happy client-base, lower service costs and less wasted food. In addition, a salad bar gives you the flexibility to control your food costs from day to day, unlike menu items, which can only be changed with careful planning.

You'll need to educate your prep staff about the sanitation requirements of running a salad bar, and have a system in place to make sure all your safety targets are met. In addition, there are many factors to consider when installing a salad bar:

1. The salad bar itself should be compatible with the traffic flow of your restaurant and suit the decor.

2. You'll need to choose a refrigeration system to keep your food product safe, tasty and chilled.

3. Coordinate your salad bar supplies. You'll need to pick out your plates, bowls, silverware, labels and the containers you'll use to display your food.

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Buy a portable salad bar on wheels

For small spaces, or if you only want to offer your customers a salad bar during lunch, buy a portable salad bar that can be rolled off the floor when it's no longer needed. These can also be used as a buffet for private parties.

I recommend: Check out Central Restaurant Products' selections to get an eye for the range of styles available. You'll notice that they offer small cool bars and others for a hot buffet.

Call in the serious salad bar manufacturers

If you want a salad bar that will stay put, you have a number of options. The circular bar looks great but isn't the most space-efficient way to go. The one-lane bar is easiest for the customer to navigate and can go flush against the wall. A stand-alone bar has the benefit of being two-sided and can be a beautiful centerpiece to your dining room.

I recommend: Atlantic Food Bars is a large manufacturer of salad bar restaurant equipment for all kinds of food venues. Industrial Support Inc. is another company that designs and installs large, stainless steel structures in restaurants that do everything from fast-casual and fine dining.

Choose your accoutrements wisely

Though the structure of the bar is important, the plates and platters at the bar showcase the food and can really give it some style. Things like labels and tongs may seem like small details, but the effect can be striking when they are coordinated correctly. Of course, you'll need to take cost into account, and remember that you'll be replacing broken items frequently.

I recommend: Serv-U, an online restaurant supplier, has some modern-looking salad bar equipment. Of course, if durability is a bigger concern, be sure to check out Central Restaurant Products again for a selection of trays and tongs that are sure to appeal to the primary-color set. You'll also need your crocks and ladles to serve dressings, condiments and the like.

Remember safety first

Nothing will slow business to your new salad bar like a few cases of food poisoning. To keep your offerings safe and your customers healthy, it's crucial that your staff knows all about food safety and how to properly maintain your offerings.

I recommend: ServSafe is a well-known firm that trains and certifies restaurant employees. In addition to classes, they offer online tutorials as well. If you would like an overview of salad bar safety, check out this article at Restaurant.org.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  You'll need to pick a method of refrigeration. You can use ice, but remember that it needs to be hauled in and out every day, and forces you to rely on your ice maker. Otherwise, you can choose a system that pipes in refrigeration from the hood or from underneath the bed of the salad bar. The latter is the most energy-efficient.
• •  Once your salad bar is ready for action, you can get creative. Remember to capitalize on the visual nature of the salad bar and make the mixture of colors and textures as appealing as possible. Stay away from offerings that wilt or discolor quickly.
• •  You can save money on prep work by purchasing fruits and vegetables precut. And, of course, you can vary your selection according to what produce happens to be in season. Experiment to find a balance between your customer's preferences and your food costs.

When adding a commercial salad bar to your business, your final decision will take into account pricing and costs of restaurant salad bars. Your budget must include not only the cost of the salad bar itself, but also any salad bar equipment/supplies and the cost of the food itself, so you can set a reasonable price and still make a fair profit.

Restaurants profit from food service salad bars, because they offer patrons value for their money, controllable portion sizes and ingredient selection. To ensure your salad bar achieves the profitability you plan for, remember the following:

1. Keep your salad bar clean, freshly stocked and properly cooled/heated to keep customers and decrease inventory waste.

2. Roughly plan for the number of ingredients you'll stock on your salad bar, so you can find the right size salad bar for your restaurant. Decide if you’ll have a more extensive salad bar on the weekends, and charge a premium.

3. Carefully consider plate/bowl sizes for customers at restaurant grade salad bars – larger plates encourage larger portions, and eat into your profit.

Action Steps
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Establish a price to charge customers for dining at your restaurant salad bar

Your budget, your restaurant's size/motif, salad bar location, number of patrons who visit the salad bar and the amount they consume help determine the type of salad bar you need. If opting for a side-salad type of bar with very basic ingredients, look at tabletop salad bars ranging in price from $150 to nearly $1,000. Prices for a portable salad bar on casters vary greatly depending on construction materials, cooling method, size and accessories included and run anywhere from $800 to more than $5,000. Stationary commercial salad bars may not fit your budget, so consider starting with a portable model. To save money and even get a better salad bar than you could otherwise afford, consider going with a used salad bar.

I recommend: Visit Salad Bar Equipment World to see the wide selection of portable salad bars from three popular brands: Cambro, Duke and Vollrath. Start your search for tabletop salad bars at Central Restaurant Products.If leaning towards a used salad bar, go to ACityDiscount Restaurant Equipment & Restaurant Supply, a BBB-accredited business.

Determine commercial salad bar equipment and accessory costs

If you buy a salad bar base unit, you'll need to install items like sneeze guards and tray slides. Sneeze guard features affecting price include size, construction materials and single- versus double-sided guards; prices run anywhere from $50 to $350 each and even more if you order custom-made guards. Expect to pay $200 to $500 for each tray slide you need.

I recommend: Furnish you salad bar with sneeze guards that fit from either erestaurantsupply.com or The Restaurant Source. Look for tray slides that fit your particular salad bar at Wholesale Restaurant Supply.

Comparison shop for salad bar supplies to get the best deal

When outfitting your salad bar, you can breathe a small sigh of relief looking for reasonably priced salad bar supplies. You'll need serving utensils like tongs and ladles that start around $1.50 depending on whether they're plastic or stainless steel, serving crocks/bowls for roughly $5 each on the low end, and salad plates/bowls that price out around $2.50 to $6.50 each. The best thing about stocking up on most supplies is that you need lots of them, so you can buy in bulk and get reduced prices.

I recommend: Shop at National Hospitality Supply or The WEBstaurant Store where you can get a better price for buying larger quantities of items you'll use every day. Check out salad bowls, plates and other supplies at ServU-Online.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Purchase salad bar equipment and accessories certified by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), an independent, not-for-profit organization devoted to consumer safety through product testing, material analyses and unannounced plant inspections.

When it comes to getting a lot of healthy food out to a lot of people every day, restaurant salad bars are a premier option. The salad bar is basically a buffet composed of the choicest health foods available to the public: raw vegetables and greens. Other side items can make a salad bar more appealing to a wider clientele. Knowing about some of the basic key terms for food safety and running a salad bar will help managers know that their installations are set up the right way.

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

Traffic flow

One big consideration for restaurant salad bars is the way customers will serve themselves. Those responsible for setup can choose from circular, single line, or two-sided options to keep salad bar traffic flowing smoothly.

I recommend: Find out about traffic flow styles for restaurant salad bars at this helpful guide from big food supplier SYSCO.

Cold pans

One way to keep salad bar materials fresh is with cold pans: some models hold ice for cooling, others operate electronically.

I recommend: Find more on cold pans and a whole lot of other salad bar gear at this Food Safety Program guide.

Sneeze guard

The sneeze guard or shield is a way of protecting salad bar food from germs. A popular salad bar attracts many visitors, and without some kind of physical shield, many more germs will end up gravitating into the serving area.

I recommend: Get sneeze guard guidelines and more with this Work.com guide.

HACCP

Almost any food service operators will be familiar with this acronym, which stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point. The HACCP food service standards are widely used and apply to salad bars and any other type of public food service.

I recommend: Get a detailed guide to HACCP from this FDA site.

Dipper well

Food service managers use this kind of setup to clean dippers used for scooping ice cream or other materials on a salad bar.

I recommend: Find info on dipper wells and more guidelines for food service at this guide from Berkeley.

Record keeping

Among the principles used by food service managers to promote freshness, record keeping is ultra-important in running salad bars. Knowing when to 'turn over' food will help protect customer health and the success of the business.

I recommend: Learn about record keeping as a principle of greater food management at this page from the Michigan Department of Agriculture.