Restaurant Trays & Tray Stands

Common Questions About Trays & Tray Accessories

What trays and tray accessories are available?

There are numerous trays available to accommodate your specific business needs, which can be overwhelming when deciding on the best tray for you. Compartment trays feature individual sections for holding different types of foods, including sections for beverages and utensils. Cafeteria trays are durable, simple to use, and often feature a textured surface to prevent slippage.

Food display trays and mirror trays are made to merchandise your products, increasing visibility and grabbing customer attention. Restaurant serving trays, nonslip trays, and bar trays are ideal for serving and transporting foods and beverages to customers while limiting accidents and spills. Tip trays facilitate the payment process by enabling servers to separate and organize checks. Prison and jail food trays are designed with safety in mind, as they resist breaking, ensuring inmates can't cause much harm to themselves or others. Trays used in healthcare facilities are also durable and break-resistant.

Tray accessories increase your tray's capabilities and streamline service. Tray covers keep product fresh and protect foods from contamination, while tray mats prevent plates and cups from sliding on the tray during transport, reducing spills and messes. Tray stands provide a resting space for heavy trays, enabling servers to distribute plates without laboring to balance the tray. Tray stand covers fit over tray stands for a professional, elegant look in a dining room.

What type of tray do I need?

Because of the wide variety of available trays, it is important to find a tray that best suits your business. Compartment trays are ideal for schools, daycares, and assisted living centers, featuring sections for different food groups to provide a well-balanced diet. These trays can be made for right- or left-handed people, depending on which side the utensil slot is on. They are durable, shatter-resistant, and simple to grip, ensuring small children and elderly patrons can handle them with little effort. Fast food and cafeteria trays are perfect for fast food establishments, coffee shops, and mall food courts because they do not have individual compartments, so they can accommodate products of various sizes. They are typically stackable and feature a textured surface to prevent items from sliding around.

If you own a bakery or business where showcasing product is necessary for sales, then a food display tray or mirror tray would be the best fit for you, because they highlight your product to promote sales. These trays are also shaped and colored in appealing designs, enhancing product presentation. Serving trays are used in restaurants and other businesses where employees bring food and beverages to customers. These trays usually have a nonslip grip for comfortable, dependable handling and a nonskid surface to prevent accidents during transport and serving.

Do I need a tray stand?

Any restaurant or catered event where numerous heavy dishes will be served would benefit greatly from having a tray stand. They provide a resting place for servers to lay overloaded trays before distributing plates, so users can serve guests without performing balancing acts with the tray and its contents, reducing spill risks. Tray stands are necessary improvements to your servers' lives and labor, saving money by limiting accidents where food and beverages could be dropped. They also improve the dining experience by refining service and preventing product from spilling onto your customers.

What are the other types of tray accessories?

Tray covers fit over trays to prevent products from damage or contamination caused by curious customers or debris. They are transparent to showcase pastries, cupcakes, cakes, and more, bringing attention to products effectively. Tray covers come in various shapes and sizes, including rectangular and domed covers. Typically made of polycarbonate or acrylic, tray covers are durable and resist breaking.

Tray mats fit on top of a tray's surface, producing a nonslip surface to keep plates and cups stationary during transport. They provide friction, enabling servers to tilt the tray slightly without spilling plates, cups, and their contents all over the floor. Preventing spills saves money and labor, improving the customer and server experience.

Tray stand covers fit snugly over tray stands for a polished look in your restaurant or at catered events. It keeps the tray stand clean, protecting it from spills and stains. Tray stand covers also can dress up old or dated tray stands, improving the overall aesthetic without purchasing new equipment.