Commercial Refrigeration

There has been much speculation on the net regarding the best refrigeration equipment available for a restaurant or bar. In my experience, I can't help but say that True Manufacturing has not let me down. Finding refrigeration solutions for any size project always has me bringing up the True book. They have excellent equipment warranties, their serviceability is great, and their refrigeration systems are designed for kitchen and bar "abuse". The prices on their refrigeration equipment isn't outrageous either. As a restaurant and bar designer I would recommend True to any business seeking affordable but quality refrigeration solutions. Check out our tips for reach-in refrigerators and freezers on the website for some additional information on commercial refrigeration equipment.

Restaurant China and Chinaware - What Do I Need?

Often we have clients who are in the market for chinaware but aren't too sure exactly what they want. To help with this, we usually begin by asking some very specific questions. If you are in the market for new restaurant china or are looking to update your existing dinnerware, it may help if you take the following few things into consideration:

What Are You Serving On Your China?

Seems like a simple enough question, but you will be surprised as to how many people actually follow through. This question requires a bit of research from your menu. You need to look at every menu item, and know its place on your china dishes. Many stop at their main course or specialty items. This is a careful and tedious task which although time consuming, will help you in the end. If the food you cook is a work of art, then the chinaware used could be considered the canvas. So choose a canvas wisely to avoid working beyond the borders!

How Much China Do I Need?

The answer to this is very simple. Have enough to serve your entire restaurant at any given time, plus extras. A good place to have surplus china is at the waitress station or even at the bar. Its recommended that if you serve pre-made menu items such as salads or desserts, do not count these towards your overall seating capacity. Have enough clean, unused plates for the entire house. Remember that china, dinnerware, and glassware are almost always sold by the case and every case size might be different. Don't sell yourself short if you need to just replace a few. If a case size exceeds what you need, the extras will be a safe back up and will be used eventually. If you are purchasing these items through an online retailer, make sure you are clear on how many actually come per case.

What Color or Style Should I Choose?

If you are picking out china for a new restaurant, then make sure to purchase dishes that compliment the flow of your dining atmosphere. Unless you are going for a stylized effect, its always best to have your chinaware play a balanced role with the interior decor. Black usually enhances elegance, where as white and ivory contrast food nicely, enticing the diner.

For those that have an established restaurant and are simply keeping a standard stock in house, stay true to what works for you. If it isn't broken, don't try to fix it! There are many different choices of chinaware available, but ultimately its comes down to what works best for you and your operation. Unless you are going for a dramatic change in your existing decor, we recommend you stick to what works and keep it that way. One of the secrets of running a successful restaurant is in maintaining the consistency of your product.

Other great tips on china, dinnerware, and glassware can be found on our website's chinaware and restaurant china section.

Searching For The Right Items

Looking into how people search for products on our website plays a critical role in the future of its design. We approach product navigation a few different ways but find that people use the "search" bar the most often. We are currently developing a search system that will allow restaurant owners to shop for supplies in a way that makes sense to them. Instead of exploring large categories or site maps, shoppers will be given a choice to enter specific departments with all the most commonly used products at the forefront. These departments will come up in searches that are tailored to restaurant specific terms. For example, searching for 'scullery' will bring you a list of the most commonly purchased three compartment sinks and commercial dishwashers. A search for ' 3-comp scullery' will bring triple compartment sinks to the top of the list and place dish washing equipment below. We hope that future implementation of this search method will greatly improve each shopper's ability to quickly find exactly what they need.

Hello To All

This is Benjamin Rios, webmaster for Jean's Restaurant Supply, and I would like to take a moment to welcome you to our blog! Here you will find useful information on how to get the most out of your restaurant business. Sure we sell restaurant supplies, but for our company, customer service and education is priority.

So what does that all mean for you?

It means that you will be an informed customer. Most importantly, an informed shopper. When we sit down and consult with our clients, we are not concerned with the status of their pocket book. Instead, we want to figure out what restaurant equipment will bring the most profits back into their pocket book. We are after the best business solution, not the largest sale possible.

Of course realistically speaking, budget will always play an issue. But our business solution goals are aimed at the highest profits that can be made over the life of the restaurant, not the cheapest way to get opened. The food service industry follows the same expression that virtually all other businesses adhere to: "you get what you pay for." Fortunately, we are here to walk you through the options available for your business and to help analyze the balance between quality and budget.

Our blog will aim at sharing the same information that we offer to clients to aid in successfully operating a food service establishment. Check in with us frequently and you might just learn something!