Blog posts tagged with 'restaurants'

You just received your new NES Glass Rack Cart and you are wondering how to assemble it. Look no further for a full run down of the pieces you should receive in your package as well as assembly instructions and tools that are required.

What you should receive:

• (4x) Swiveling Wheels
• (1x) Base Cart Unit
• (4x) Screws (for Glass Rack Cart with Handle Only)
• (1x) Handle (for Glass Rack Cart with Handle Only)

Tools Required (Not Included)

• Screwdriver (for Glass Rack Cart with Handle Only)

Step 1:

First unpack the box to ensure you have received all of the parts. The master pack will include a box inside containing the wheels, bolts and lock washers, along with the handle (if you purchased a glass rack dolly with handle) and base cart unit. (If you haven’t received all the parts, please let us know by calling 1-800-827-8953 or contacting sales@nationaleventsupply.com) Once this has been confirmed you can start to assemble the cart.

Step 2:

Turn the base cart unit over so that the brackets that hold the wheels are pointing up.

Step 3:

Insert the wheels into the holes on the corner and press to fit.

Step 4:

Repeat Step 3 until all wheels are installed. If you purchased the cart without handle your cart is now complete. If you purchased the cart with handle, continue onto step 5.

Step 5:

Push handle into provided brackets on the bottom of the cart. This may take a fair amount of force to ensure the handle is in all the way. The handle is in all the way when you can see all 4 holes where you install the screws.

Step 6:

Install 4 provided screws to secure handle. Your cart with handle is now complete!

When our Operations Manager first said we were adding glass racks to our inventory I was super excited as customers and prospects had been asking us for these. When our first samples arrived though it suddenly occurred to me I had absolutely no idea how to tell a customer or prospect what glass rack they should be buying. I needed to learn pronto. Thankfully though, glass rack sizing isn’t a particularly difficult concept once you’re taught it. I’m going to walk through a glass rack sizing scenario below utilizing our Serenity Crystal Champagne Flute and our Victoria 28oz Crystal Wine Glass.

1. You always start with a basic glass rack.

This is what keeps your glasses from falling out of the rack and features handles so you can carry the glass rack.

2. Measure the widest part of your glass – whether that is the foot, the stem, the bowl or the rim.

For the Serenity champagne flute the widest part is the foot which measures 2.75” inches wide. For the Victoria 28oz wine glass, the widest part is the bowl which measures 4.5” inches wide.

3. Once you’ve measured the widest part of your glass, you want to find the compartment size that best fits the width of your glass. You will only have one full drop extender and one basic glass rack.

Based on the table above, the Serenity champagne flute best matches with the 36 compartment full drop extender. The Victoria wine glass best matches the 9 compartment full drop extender.

4. To ensure the height of the glass is covered, you choose as many half drop extenders (in the same number of compartments that fit your glass width) necessary to cover the entire height of the glass minus the basic glass rack height and full drop extender height.

The Serenity Champagne Flute has a height of 9.13”. The Victoria Wine Glass has a height of 8.9” and the Victoria old fashioned glass has a height of 3.5”. Each half drop extender regardless of the number of compartments has a height of 1.56”. Each full drop extender regardless of the number of compartments has a height of 3.5”. Therefore, in order to ensure the Serenity Champagne flute is properly secured you would need:

Basic glass rack + 36 compartment full drop extender (3.5”) + 4*[36 compartment half drop extenders (1.56”)] = 9.74” which fits the Serenity Champagne Flute height of 9.13”.

Or

• 1x Basic Glass Rack
• 1x 36 compartment full drop extender
• 4x 36 compartment half drop extenders

In order to ensure the Victoria Wine Glass is properly secured you would need:

Basic glass rack + 9 compartment full drop extender (3.5”) + 4*[9 compartment half drop extenders (1.56”)] = 9.74” which fits the Victoria Wine Glass height 8.9”

OR

• 1x Basic Glass Rack
• 1x 9 compartment full drop extender
• 4x 9 compartment half drop extenders

Note that the basic glass rack’s measurements are not included because when the full drop extender is secured into the basic glass rack, it is flush to the base creating no extra height requirements.

5. Then you need to figure out how many glasses you need to wash, store and transport.

If you need to store 50 champagne flutes, and each glass rack that properly secures the champagne flutes stores 36, then you would need 3 of the basic racks, 3 of the 36 compartment full drop extenders and 12 of the 36 compartment half drop extenders.

If you need to store 110 Wine Glasses, and each glass rack that properly secures the wine glasses stores 9, then you would need 13 of basic racks, 13 of the 9 compartment full drop extenders and 52 of the 9 compartment half drop extenders.

The Bocuse d’Or, often touted as the culinary equivalent of the Olympics, is the only culinary contest where live audiences can view the chefs performing work in the kitchen. 24 countries compete in this event with each team consisting of two chefs, one lead Chef and a Commis who must be under 22 years of age at the time of competition. The team has 5 hours 35 minutes to prepare two elaborate meat and fish dishes in an open culinary theatre facing members of the jury, press and audience. Dishes are evaluated based on the level of perfection in the plating, technical skill, cooking sophistication, creativity, and visual aesthetic. The chef with the highest score is awarded the Bocuse d’Or trophy, a gold effigy of Chef Paul Bocuse in his chef’s outfit and receiving a grand prize of 20,000 euros. Silver Bocuse receives 15,000 euros with the Bronze Bocuse winning 10,000 euros.

Chef Corey Spiegel is from Albany, NY and started his culinary career at the young age of 14. Since then he has become a decorated and awarded chef having won the Northeast Regional Student Chef of the year for the American Culinary Federation in 2010 and being hand selected by Chef Richard Rosendale to be his Commis for the Bocuse d’Or USA Finals (the stepping stone to the world Bocuse d’Or held biennially in France). In January 2013, Chef Rosendale with his Commis Chef Spiegel competed in the Bocuse d’Or in Lyon, France.

This fantastic podcast was recorded just weeks after Corey competed in the 2013 Bocuse d’Or in France for Team USA. Corey touches on his life getting to the Bocuse d’Or including his quick progression from high school, through culinary school to apprenticeship. After the years of prep work involved including plenty of full practice runs completing their whole program for the Bocuse d’Or, hearing Corey speak about the competition is eye opening. Though the podcast is decidedly Western New Yorkish – it’s produced by Buffaloeats.org and Buffalo Spree – it’s still an interesting podcast for Canadian chefs – especially those looking to learn more about the competitive culinary world. Listen to Corey and Donnie chat about this insane culinary contest experience, his training towards the contest and future plans.

When you’re in the foodservice or event rental industries, having glass racks that allow you to wash, store and safely transport your stemware and beer glasses is extremely important. They not only protect accidental breakage but also certain kinds of glass racks ensure fingers and contaminants are kept out due to closed external walls. We’ve stocked restaurant glassware for a little over two years now but didn’t have the necessary products to wash, store and transport the glasses. I’m pleased to announce that we now have glass racks in stock!

Similar look to Cambro® Camracks, our glassware racks have closed external walls to keep fingers and contaminants out while the open inside compartments ensure a thorough cleaning on the interior. The NES Glass Racks inter-stack with all other competing glass racks and are made of durable polypropylene to withstand high temperatures and any dishwashing chemicals. The basic glass racks have handles on all four sides to provide easy-to-grip handling, and we also have rack dollies with / without handles as well as a lid to keep all contaminants out.

Here are the following sizes we have available and volume discounts will apply based on the total purchase price. Pricing below starts at the highest price and pricing will decrease with total price of order:

• Base Glass Rack – pricing starting at $22.95
• 9 compartment full drop extender – pricing starting at $13.50
• 9 compartment half drop extender – pricing starting at $12.95
• 16 compartment full drop extender – pricing starting at $13.50
• 16 compartment half drop extender – pricing starting at $12.95
• 25 compartment full drop extender – pricing starting at $13.95
• 25 compartment half drop extender – pricing starting at $13.50
• 36 compartment full drop extender – pricing starting at $14.95
• 36 compartment half drop extender – pricing starting at $14.50
• 49 compartment full drop extender – pricing starting at $15.50
• 49 compartment half drop extender – pricing starting at $14.95
• Open Extender – pricing starting at $11.95
• Rack Dolly without Handle – price: $125 (no volume discounts apply)
• Rack Dolly with Handle – price: $140 (no volume discounts apply)
• Glass Rack Lid – pricing starting 13.95

Below is a chart showing all our restaurant glassware along with the corresponding glass racks required:

Serenity Crystal

Victoria Crystal

Copa Glassware

Eclisse Glassware

With the holiday season (Thanksgiving and Christmas) barrelling towards us at full speed, restaurants should consider promoting a catering special to help customer’s out. I’ve noticed within the past few years that more and more restaurants and grocery stores are jumping on the catering wagon. It makes perfect sense for consumers to look towards a restaurant or grocery store for their thanksgiving meal preparations as they’re less likely to seek out a formal caterer for a crowd of 4-8 people. In fact we’ve been using a local grocery store for a couple years to cater our Thanksgiving. It takes the stress out of the holiday – all we have to do is pick it up. And we completely understand the need to pay ahead of picking it up. For consumers, trusting their favourite restaurant or favourite grocery store with their meal preparation is a logical step and one that restaurants can take advantage of to generate more revenue without having to turn out more tables.

Part of catering is ensuring you have a proper process. Processes are a great thing to implement as they help ensure minor details are done properly and efficiently. As an avid checklist maker I am a pretty big nerd about lists so this post is a pretty thrilling topic to write about. Here’s a checklist to use to plan and execute a catering order for the holidays.

1. Plan the menu and write down what day and time prep should begin.

2. Assign tasks for each station and make a sample of each dish on the menu.

3. Take pictures of the samples to use to promote the menu and catering offer.

4. Price out menu per person ensuring you build in any extra labour and time required to pull off catering orders.

5. Draft order form that should include customer pick up times, credit card fields for upfront payment (and state that payment is non-refundable), number of people, preferred pick up date/time, whether utensils and any condiments are required and order by date (so you’re not taking last minute orders).

6. Promote catering offer through social media, on tables either as a promotion in your menu or on table tents, in your cheque presenters, via your email list, on your website, and on your window to gain attention of passersby.

7. Order necessary food-safe take out containers to ensure food can be safely picked up and transported by customer.

8. Order any extra disposable utensils or condiments required.

9. Order any extra business cards or promotional flyers to staple to catering orders promoting the restaurant.

10. Call any food banks or homeless shelters around the area to ask about food donations on the chance that orders are not picked up (or give to your employees).

11. Cook, assemble and pack all catering orders – ensuring someone double checks each order to make sure nothing is left out.

12. Run all credit cards, staple order form, customer receipt and credit card receipt along with business card or promotional flyer to each catering order.

13. If pick up times are during your regular service, bring in an extra hostess/host in to facilitate pickups. Several if your pick up schedule is close together.

14. Donate orders not picked up to someone who could use it.