Food Display Counters are an irreplaceable part of the commercial food industry.
Be it a tiny roadside deli store, a medium-sized restaurant, a five-star hotel or an international airport’s terminal — an array of food items are displayed at all these places in attractive display counters.
With two-thirds of the sales of food items being impulsive rather than planned, it is evident that display counters’ role in driving sales is phenomenal.
The primary goal of installing these counters is to entice the customers into buying food items that are put on display.
Whether you are a small bakery that requires a single counter or a large hotel planning to purchase a whole arsenal of them, purchasing food display counters is a sizable investment that needs to be given detailed thought and viewed through the lens of technical considerations.
Types Of Refrigeration Used In Display Counters
Two basic types of refrigeration systems are used in display counters:
- Forced Air Refrigeration
- Gravity Coil Refrigeration
The type of refrigeration system that you should choose for your display counter depends on the kind of food you intend to present in these counters.
Here is an in-depth analysis of how these refrigerating systems work,
Forced Air Refrigeration:
The forced air refrigeration system depends entirely on the fans. These fans keep circulating chilled air throughout the cabinet to keep the food products at the desired temperature.
Bakery products or pre-packed products are the most appropriate for being displayed in counters that use a forced air system of cooling.
But, such a system of refrigeration can leave the products dry and hence should not be left in the case for too long.
Gravity Coil Refrigeration:
In this type of refrigeration system, the refrigeration coils are placed at the top of the cabinet. The cool air is allowed to flow over the food under the action of gravity; hence the name gravity coil refrigeration.
Unlike forced air refrigeration, gravity coil refrigeration does not produce a drying effect on food products. Hence, these display cases are ideal for displaying raw meat, salads, deli products, and seafoods.
These appliances are also less expensive than forced air refrigeration appliances.
This is just the beginning; more factors need your attention before you are finally ready to make the purchase.
The next step involves choosing from amongst the various features that these appliances offer. The functionality and efficiency of the machine depend on the features it equips.
Various other factors that are to be considered before selecting the perfect display counter for your business are:
Size Of The Display Counter
The quantity of food products you intend to store and the floor space available in your store or hotel lobby influence your choice of the display counters’ size.
Ample space might be available to you, but remember, the food products you store in these cases are perishable and come with an expiry date. You don’t want to stack more than what you can sell, or it might lead to wastage of food products, incurring severe losses to your business.
Arriving at the perfect size that is ideal for business might require thorough research of your demand and supply potential.
Always check the specification sheet thoroughly before purchasing any product because that is where the intake and exhaust air requirements are listed. These two parameters have a direct bearing on your electricity costs. Thus, your choice can either result in the cutting of extra expenses or excess expenditure.
The display counter’s size matters the most when you want it to blend in perfectly with other accessories and appliances such as chairs and tables that you intend to place in your store. Have a practical idea of what your store would look like with everything in place, make arrangements and purchases accordingly.
Also, at times, the space available to you allows you to choose between one large appliance or two smaller ones, always work out both cases’ energy requirements in the long term, and choose the one that is easy on your wallet.
Shelving Of The Display Counter
The shelf clearance, material and build have a considerable impact on your storing and sale of food items.
Display counters used as reception counters need to have shelves with increasing width from top to bottom, this facilitates effortless viewing of all food items with one look down the display counter.
Similarly, display counters arranged along the store walls at the eye level should have uniform shelves to aid in comfortable scanning of the gamut of food items in one go.
For storing bulky items like cakes and meat, sufficient clearance should be allotted in between shelves to ensure hassle-free loading and unloading of the display cases.
For storing and selling grainy food items, it is mandatory to have display shelves fitted with drawer containers to ensure fall-proof handling of food items sold in loose quantities.
Shape Of The Display Counter
Your display counter’s shape comes into the picture when you are a little short on space yet flush with product categories and customer footfall.
Also, if you are a large bakery, food store or a fruit & vegetable outlet, strategic placement of U-shaped display counters helps you create natural pathways for customers to walk through without spending on renovating the space you are provided with.
Also, specific counters such as the J Type Bend Display Counters and Round Display Counters help you add the spice of variety to your store by experimenting with these counters’ positions, thus enabling an artistic display of foods.
Style Of Display Counters
The style of display counters that you might need depends on the amount of time customers spend at your store, the popularity of your food products, the aesthetics of your shop, the standard of your closest competitors, and the socio-economic background of your customer base, etc.
If you are a popular store that sells food items over the counter at a fast pace, average looking display counters will do you no harm.
If you are a store that sells costly and unique food items in demand by a higher socio-economic class of people, you will have to invest in the shop’s aesthetic and display counters thoughtfully. Bend Glass Display Counters are an exquisite fit for such circumstances.
Lighting Of Display Counters
Since a first-time customer who has no idea of how your food tastes can only be compelled to buy a particular product through visual persuasion,
every display counter should be designed to portray your food items in the best possible light.
Far too less lighting might fail to pique a customer’s interest, whereas far too bright lighting will ward off a potential customer by hindering clear visibility.
Also, the amount of lighting that you use has a direct effect on your electricity costs. Expert opinions of display counter manufacturers and sellers can provide you with valuable insights to get appliances with optimum lighting for your business.
Remember that your display counter lighting should be energy efficient and effective always.
Hope we were able to address all the concerns, and answer all the questions that you had regarding the purchase of food display counters for your business.
In case of any further queries, do reach out to us and we shall be more than glad to help you out with the same.
