Food Delivery

Food Delivery Supplies: What You Need to Know

As customers' dining habits continue to change, more choose to enjoy delivery and take-out in the comfort of their own homes. This means restaurant operators are investing in food delivery equipment to prep menu items for transportation. Disposable food containers, take-out bags, insulated bags, heated cabinets, and other food delivery service supplies enable restaurant operators to service this trend. Professional catering services continue to be popular for private events, especially at banquet halls and other event facilities, but many customers expect their favorite restaurants to offer catering options for office lunches, private parties, holidays, and other large celebrations.

To eliminate setup for customers, many restaurants invest in food carriers, delivery bags, and other food delivery supplies to keep meals warm during transport. Insulated beverage dispensers enable operators to provide hot and cold drinks alongside their food, giving customers an all-inclusive catering option. Disposable servingware, plastic and foam cups, paper towels, and other take out supplies make it simple to serve each component of your catering menu.

Common Questions About Food Delivery Equipment

What type of delivery service supplies do I need?

Different styles of foodservice establishment need vastly different types of take out supplies and food delivery gear. Caterers require holding cabinets and food carriers to keep their food hot between kitchen and customer, while restaurants delivering to their customers' homes need smaller pieces, such as insulated food delivery bags. Your first consideration is determining the type of service you hope to provide – do you plan to serve banquet halls and convention centers, or deliver single family meals to residences? The former will require substantial tableware for many people, while the latter will need only safe transport equipment and disposable dinnerware.

You also should consider the distance between your kitchen and the customer. Operators must keep food warmer than 140 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure no bacteria can grow, and customers likely won't order again if their meal arrives cold, even without considering food safety. Insulated holding bags can keep food warm for a short while, but if you're going to have a significant delay between cooking and serving, you should consider heated cabinets or other hot holding equipment to ensure the final product is tasty and safe. Consult the individual product specifications page for each unit to see how long it's rated to hold food.

What food delivery dangers should I know about?

When delivering food to customers, the first thing to take care of is food safety. That means having the proper food delivery gear to keep your food hot (or cold) and free of pests. Disposable cups, sandwich bags, takeout bags, and our other food delivery products can provide a barrier between your safely cooked food and potential outside contaminants. If your food may sit in the danger zone (from 40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit), you must do more than just protect it from contamination. At these temperatures, bacteria begin to grow again at dangerous rates, so use insulated carriers or heating cabinets to keep your food at a safe temperature between preparation areas and your patron.

If you're a casual restaurant adding delivery options, consider all the ways time can be lost between the kitchen and the customer. You'll be sending out a car with multiple deliveries – the time it takes to get to the last delivery is the one you must calculate for, not the first. Consider bad traffic, problems with card readers, and any other potential delays. Factor in a good bit of leeway and don't overload one delivery vehicle with more stops than it can get to safely before the food needs to be discarded.