Buying restaurant supplies to keep the shelves stocked can be a daunting task. There is a wide range of suppliers selling thousands of products to help them keep their supply shelves stocked. One good rule to follow is that the type of food being served determines the kind of products. Everything from the kind of napkins to the type of knives given to customers would depend on the type of food that is served.
One trademark of any restaurant is its menus. At it's most basic, it can be photocopied in large quantities if it's for a neighborhood kind of diner that only features hamburgers and fries. These kinds can be tossed out as soon as they get any food on them. More upscale restaurants have theirs professionally designed and printed into a large, binder format. The servers remove these menus after taking the order, and keep them wiped down and clean to be reused again.
Other, less expensive items can be handed out to customers as a way to promote the restaurant. Owners of small, independent places that do a lot of "to go" business often have refrigerator magnets next to their cash registers. When employees hand over the order to the customers, they can also hand them a magnet. There are also custom pens, calendars and match books to order. It can be thought of as "marketing to go" tool.
Using portion-controlled dispensers can also help the bottom line, but can also help develop a loyal customer base. Employees can use these to quickly fill an order, such as putting just the right amount of cereal in a bowl, so that customers get the same sized serving every time. It also helps the owner know exactly how much each serving of cereal costs.
When comes the time to eat their meals, customers reach for their eating utensils. Diners use lightweight tableware, while more upscale establishments use more expensive cutlery. They may also need special items depending on their menu, such as crab crackers or lobster picks. Diners have more basic items, while burger joints use plastic cutlery. They may also use a more casual eating utensil called a spork, that is a combination of spoon and fork.
Just like silverware, there are also a wide range of beverage containers. If breakfast is served; coffee cups or mugs with saucers will be needed. Plastic cups instead of glasses will cut down on costs. Plastic cups are purchased in bulk, because they are used once. Containers with lids for hot and cold drinks should also be stocked to be used with to go orders.
To top off their meals, customers will be reaching for the mustard, steak sauce or other condiments. Condiments such as salt and pepper can always be left on the table. They can also be ordered in individual packets, which are more expensive per serving. But, ordering them may help save on the cost of the time it takes employees to keep the bottles filled.
Making a dining experience a memorable one for customers means having a highly organized system for ordering and stocking restaurant supplies. Nothing can ruin an evening out more than eating at a poorly run restaurant that runs out of the products it needs to meet its customers' expectations.