Restaurant Salad Bars Key Terms

Some key terms for operating salad bars
By J. Stoltzfus, writer/programmer LOCAL CITIZEN 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.

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