The cooler is an area in the kitchen where there never seems to be enough space. With each truck coming in, it can seem challenging to keep the cooler organized and efficient. At Metro, we have worked for years to create systems that maximize the usable space in your necessary kitchen areas. This includes your cooler. Here are some tips from the Metro experts to help you make the most of your cooler space.
Tip # 1
Utilize available vertical space. One way to ensure proper storage in a cooler is to take advantage of vertical space. When choosing a cooler rack, make sure that the rack reaches the top of the cooler. Utilizing all the space provided creates a fully functioning cooler solution with the most possible shelf space for holding supplies. These extra shelves will open the space and create a better system to take a visual inventory.
Tip # 2
Utilize available accessories. When designing a cooler area, make sure that the products you use are as organized as they can be. This can be easily accomplished with the use of bins, dividers, and labels. Partitions can be easily paired with racks and shelves to create individual areas for each ingredient. When placing ingredients, make sure to follow the cooler hierarchy for safety.
Once you have determined your placement, put labels with the proper product name on each shelf where items should be placed. This will make inventory easier and unloading trucks quicker and more efficient. That way, you and your staff can focus more on prep and cooking rather than offloading ingredients.
Tip # 3
Keep it simple. Sometimes our drive can be problematic to operations. This is true when it comes to menus. One of the easiest ways to cause overcrowding and spoilage in the cooler is to overcrowd your menu.
Creating an overly complicated menu with a large number of options can be really problematic for your storage. Instead, get creative with a condensed menu with multiple dishes that can be made with similar ingredients. So reduce menu complexity to create a truly optimized offering that doesn't overcrowd your cooler space.
Tip # 4
Use all of your cooler space. One of the major issues we see with general cooler storage design is that corner space is often ignored. With traditional shelving designs, corner space is closed off by posts and virtually unusable.
Instead, opt for a solution where the corners of the cooler can be used. Instead, design your shelving around an S hook solution. S hooks eliminate the posts that make those corners unusable, opening up all that unused space for a more efficient cooler.
Tip # 5
Make I mobile. When designing an efficient cooler adding in the flexibility of mobile storage is often a great way to create a more flexible storage area. Mobile solutions allow you to quickly clean up the cooler and adjust the cooler's internal organization as your needs change. This can have a tremendous benefit over time, and if added to a high-density solution, this can free up a large amount of space, giving you a larger area of space.
Learn more on our Cooler Freezer Page
Check out the other Metro Foodservice Webinars for more tips.