Refrigeration, Storage & Handling

Blast chillers drop food temperatures from 160 degrees F to 35 degrees F in 4 hours or quicker with some models.

When a bar needs quick and easy access to beverages, bottle coolers become part of the equipment package to help ensure efficient service. These deep well coolers that come in horizontal and box models chill and store bottled and canned beverages.

Ice formats include cube, flake and extruded (also called compressed or nugget). Cubes are a standard in restaurants; however, there has been a recent trend in using chewable ice. This is especially popular in more casual settings like pizza restaurants. A pizzeria’s service style — ranging from dine-in to carry out to a combination of both — will dictate how much ice the restaurant will require, the unit type, placement and more.

Backbar units tend to be tall and have interior lighting for displaying beverages at the bar. In the case of a bar serving alcohol, operators often incorporate these units with beer-dispensing systems. In addition, operators often use reach-in style backbar coolers in the underbar part of the bar. The approximate height of the cabinet is 36 inches if set on the floor or 42 inches if on 6-inch legs.

Although regularly cleaning the condenser can help extend the service life of roll-in refrigerators, operators and trained service professionals do need to provide other basic maintenance requirements.