Counter Tops and Cabinets for Restaurants

Add atmosphere and usability when buying restaurant cabinets and counter tops
By Tara McClendon, Freelance Writer/Editor Tara McClendon Your choice for restaurant cabinets and counter tops determines the feel of the restaurant kitchen.

When you choose your commercial counter tops, keep in mind your budget, the maintenance required to keep up the counter tops and the look you want to achieve.

Along with restaurant counters, the cabinets may add to the overall feel of the restaurant or simply provide storage. Some restaurants use industrial shelving instead of cabinets. It's a good idea to plan at least one closed restaurant cabinet to keep the dishes clean when they aren't in use.

The counter tops and cabinets for restaurants need to:

1. Provide a work environment that meets safety regulations.
2. Fit your vision for your restaurant.
3. Be durable and non-porous.

Buy a stainless steel restaurant counter top

Choose from 30-inch to 120-inch counter tops to place over existing restaurant counters or select wall mounted stainless steel tables with a back splash and no spill edge. Add shelves to create stainless steel cabinets.
Try:  Restaurant-Services.com, an online commercial cabinet and counter manufacturer, specializes in stainless steel. They provide a wide variety of sizes, lip options and customize counter tops and cabinets to meet your specifications. Specialty Stainless offers integral backsplashes, welded joints for security and raised "v" edges or marine edges to keep liquid from running off the counter top.

Use natural or engineered stone

Natural and engineered stone typically cost more than stainless steel, but provide you the opportunity to choose custom cabinets and counter tops, pick from a large variety of colors to match your interior design and add a bit of luxury to the restaurant.
Try:  Use DuPont Zodiaq Quartz Surfaces' Complete Palette to help you find a color of Zodiaq you like. Countertop Rock provides online color selection for granite, marble, and Caesar stones as well as patterns for the edge details of the counter tops.

Consider specialty restaurant cabinets and counter tops

Heated cabinets, cold cabinets and condiment cabinets serve a specific purpose. Reduce the risk of cross contamination from food with a specialty counter top like a butcher block. Butcher block counter tops eliminate the possibility of a cutting board slipping off your counter top.
Try:  KaTom Restaurant Supply, Inc. and Butcher Block Co. are two online commercial cabinet and counter manufacturers that offer a wide variety of specialty items like warming cabinets and condiment cabinets.

• Use restaurant cabinet and counter top suppliers that manufacturer, deliver and install restaurant counter tops and cabinets.
• Order your cabinets and counter tops early so they can be delivered without having to maneuver around other restaurant furniture.
• Find out whether the material you use needs to be sealed or maintained on a regular basis.