Helping Foodservice Businesses Enhance Front-of-House Presence
while Improving their Operations, Brand, and Profits

When trying to figure the actual price of something, most folks don't want to hear “It depends.” However, when our customers here at G.E.T. ask about the cost of melamine dinnerware, the truth is several variations come into play. As much as we would love to have a straightforward answer, it really just depends. Our 30+ years' experience with melamine dinnerware puts us in a great position to help foodservice operators estimate the cost of their investment. 

In the spirit of helping foodservice operators plan effectively for dinnerware purchases, we're going to review some of the variables you'll want to keep in mind to estimate the cost of melamine dinnerware for your establishment. 

It’s 4:00 a.m. on a Tuesday. The rest of the world asleep, you walk into the commissary ready to prep for a long day of serving the masses. Coffee nearby, you inspect your product for quality, selecting only the freshest meats and veggies before slicing them up to fulfill your weekday pars. Your days are long, your feet and back rarely rested, but this is where you thrive: Making food that people love, which makes them happy, which makes you happy.

If you can relate to mornings like this, you probably work, or have worked in catering or maybe even have a food truck or similar style of mobile foodservice you call your own. Offsite foodservice dictates unique needs like often having to prep food in one place, but cooking and serving in another. Then there’s the equipment to schlep, not to mention the challenge of coming up with great presentations for guests eating on the go.

You probably agree catering and mobile foodservice are complex operations that prosper when simplicity prevails, which is where takeaway cones come into play. Caterers and mobile foodservice operators adore these portable vessels from G.E.T. for four reasons: they’re stylish, sturdy, incredibly convenient, and can be branded with custom logos and designs.
 

Tacos! What's not to love? From corn to flour, crispy to soft, large to small, traditional street food to Asian fusion, the time-honored taco is the perfect handheld device you'll never have to plug in. Did you know tortillas have been on most of NASA's extended shuttle missions since 1985? It's true. Tacos have been in space for more than 30 years and nobody told you. Space tacos. Wrap your mind around that for a minute. 

Unfortunately, not everybody can float around a spaceship plucking their taco dinner out of the air. For those of us left to consume our tacos within Earth's gravitational pull, we'll need a way to serve them. We've put together 10 creative ideas for crafting the perfect taco presentation for your guests. 

Let's taco 'bout it, shell we? 

Imagine a commercial kitchen with no stainless steel or aluminum. It’s hard to do, isn’t it? That’s because stainless steel and aluminum are the most commonly used metals in foodservice. Stainless is a bit more popular than aluminum, but they’re both used in countless front-of-the-house applications.

But what’s the difference between the two metals? Why would you use one over the other, or does it even matter? We’re going to walk you through the qualities of each metal and showcase some of G.E.T.'s front-of-the-house examples where each metal shines on its own.

If you’re in a foodservice establishment, chances are food-safe paper is also close by. It’s used as sandwich wraps and also to line baskets and trays holding menu items served at nearly every course from bread, to fried appetizers, entrées, and even desserts. Regardless of how they're used, the bottom line is that basket/tray liners and sandwich wraps are in front of your guests … a lot. 

Here at G.E.T., we want to help foodservice operators harness the power of food-safe paper by adding custom branded logos and designs. Why? Because it's so frequently in front of your guests – often for long periods of time, potentially spanning an entire table turn – it creates the perfect Real Estate to visually connect your brand to your tabletop.

We’re going to cover some options for including custom logos and designs so you can plan around order quantities, lead times, pricing, and artwork options when you work with G.E.T.

Food-safe paper offers an almost endless array of ways to spruce up your tabletop presentation while ensuring your food only comes into contact with approved surfaces. But with those options comes an abundance of nuance.

Have you ever thought about which side of food-safe paper has designs printed on it and why? What about the difference between grease-resistant and wax-lined paper? Did you know that paper comes in different weights?

Don’t shred your brain trying to navigate all the options out there. We’re going to cover the most common types of food-safe paper used for wrapping sandwiches and lining foodservice baskets so you don’t have to dig for it. 

It’s the perfect day in your commercial kitchen: You’ve planned the recipes du jour, prepped the meats and veggies, and turned on your stovetop. It’s time to cook! But wait … where’s your cookware? Should you use enameled cast iron or induction-ready cast aluminum? Will your choice affect the outcome of your food? Presentation? Ticket times?

Something as seemingly insignificant as the metal composition of your cookware can impact several areas of your operation in tangible ways. We’re going to take a look at the differences between enameled cast iron and cast aluminum cookware, how it can affect foodservice operations, and which heat sources are best for these metals.

So you’ve just gone through the process of researching, selecting, and buying tabletop baskets that perfectly fit your foodservice operation’s brand. Maybe they’re metal baskets. Maybe they’re plastic. Maybe they’re round, square, oval- or cone-shaped, or even a tray. Regardless of the material, shape, or size of the baskets you chose, there's one thing missing: food-safe paper liners.

Considering the seemingly endless options for foodservice baskets, how do you even begin sorting through food-safe tissue paper to accompany them? We’re going to help you steer through some of the more popular options on the market to make your journey toward excellent food presentation a pleasant one.

When you think of cast iron, you may imagine antique potbelly stoves or cooking by the campfire. Cast iron is a wonderful metal for cooking, as evidenced by its centuries of use. It’s just as effective today, but it isn’t quite as versatile as stainless steel and aluminum - the two most common foodservice metals.

Cast iron comes in two configurations: natural, also referred to as uncoated, and enamel- or porcelain-coated. Both options create excellent cooking implements, and they both look fantastic. In fact, cast iron's elegant look has aided in the growing interest in using it to cook and serve.

Keep up with the cast iron trend by learning about the differences between natural and coated cast iron for foodservice applications, but know that it comes with its challenges for ease of use in kitchens and foodservice operations. 

Action stations, also referred to as display cooking, are popular options in high-volume foodservice for a number of reasons. Guests are drawn to the interactive experience as they watch chefs prepare their meals in real time, often leading to higher check averages because of a perceived elevated service level. Sounds of sizzling food and fresh-cooked aromas activate more senses than a closed kitchen can provide, creating a stimulating experience for diners.

From a logistics standpoint, you have several options for action station setups, heat sources, and cooktops. Let’s take a look at some of the preferred action station choices out there to help you understand which applications may be a fit for your operation.

Congratulations! You’ve decided to use plastic drinkware at your foodservice establishment due to the many advantages over glassware. With new designs available in plastic drinkware, your beverage service can look as good as glassware, but won’t shatter like glass if it’s dropped, increasing guest and employee safety. Plastic drinking glasses also tend to have a longer service life because they're more durable than glass, but it's important to note that they can break if the circumstances are right. 

To get the most out of your investment, you'll need to practice proper handling, care, and maintenance.

We’re going to walk you through 4 easy care and maintenance steps designed to help you extend the service life of your plastic drinkware. By the end of this article, you’ll be an expert at keeping your plastic glasses looking beautiful for as long as possible, saving your operation money and upholding brand standards. Let’s take a look, shall we?

Metal baskets are a familiar item in foodservice. They’re versatile, durable, and come in a plethora of shapes, sizes, and designs. They’re used for fried appetizers, bread baskets, shared dishes, and entrées. But with so many choices out there, how do you even know where to begin looking for the right metal foodservice basket for your operation?

We’re going to help you get started by exploring some of the coatings commonly used on metal baskets for foodservice. Why? Because most metal baskets used in foodservice are made from low carbon steel, which can easily corrode. For that reason, it’s almost always coated with a food-safe material.

By starting with understanding common foodservice metal basket coatings, you can narrow down which qualities are most important to your operation and move forward from there.

Almost every kind of foodservice you can imagine provides some form of to-go service built into their business model. Out of those businesses, most of them offer this service via disposable takeout food containers often made of Styrofoam™ (less formally known as polystyrene). It’s convenient for operators and diners alike, but it’s not necessarily the greenest option, to say the least.

You may be ready to switch to a more Earth-friendly material because it’s a personal passion, you want to position your brand as eco-friendly, or you’re complying with a local government initiative. Whatever your reason, we’re going to explore a few eco-friendly food takeout options that you may want to consider using in place of Styrofoam™ for your foodservice operation. We’ll also take a look at some common processes for eco-friendly waste disposal of these items.