Growing a business through vertical serving and merchandising

In any servery, space comes at a premium. Lateral space for counters and equipment fills up fast to accommodate serving trays, drop-ins, heated or cooled surfaces and space for merchandising. So, what happens when there’s no more room at counter height? It’s time to start moving upward.

When there’s more product to display and serve but no more room for it in the serving area, going vertical allows operators to serve more product in the same footprint. Using equipment suited for this method will help make serving operations more efficient and—more importantly—more profitable.

Stacked serving shelves allow operators to offer a greater variety of food in the same amount of space. For example, a heated shelf can be placed directly above a refrigerated drop-in cold pan. This gives operators the ability to group together warm entrees and cold sides, giving patrons quicker and easier access to both. With the right equipment, the same stacked shelving can be used to serve any variation of hot and cold products, giving your already efficient serving system even more variability.

Placing more product in front of customers with something like a stacked beverage display will also offer increased storage in the back of house. This can also make restocking more efficient, as operators will have to worry about filling their displays less frequently.

The vertical arrangement also creates better visual appeal, making it easier to sell products. Stacked serving will enhance merchandising by placing products at eye-level of the customer. Aided by the addition of accessories such as LED lights and polished tempered glass, vertical displays will create demand and can help prioritize food items in the eyes of customers.

Whether it’s a middle school cafeteria, university dining hall or a c-store retail setting, use of vertical space for serving and merchandising is sure to enhance the operation of any servery. Want to know more about the best way to implement this strategy? Contact your equipment dealer for suggestions on how to can increase serving space.