Any restaurant or bar manager knows the importance of ample ice supply during a business’s operating hours. However, not every business has a functioning ice machine on-hand and must understand how to conserve an ice supply for daily use.
If you are an employee or manager in the foodservice industry that needs help managing your daily supply of ice, follow our 5 simple steps towards avoiding an ice shortage before your next bulk ice delivery.
Pre-Order An Excess Amount of Ice
As long as your location has a great freezer, we say, feel free to order more ice than you think you may need. It can be difficult to estimate the exact amount of ice you’ll need during a given shift.
So, always be prepared with extra bags on hand if the front of the house starts to run low and you need an emergency replenishment of ice.
Handle Ice With a Scooper
Picking up ice with your hands is not only extremely unsanitary, but it also leads to wasted ice. Our bodies are warm-blooded. So, when you handle ice with your fingers, you’re naturally heating up the cubes and letting essential ice, literally melt through the palm of your hands.
Maintain An Even Temperature in Your Restaurant or Bar
The temperature at your location has a massive impact on how well ice will keep during operation hours. The best temperature to maintain ice that is inside of an ice maker or cooler is 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Whether you keep your thermostat at a set temperature or frequently glance at it as body heat builds up in your establishment, going the extra mile to maintain an even temperature in your environment can help you maximize your ice use throughout your business’s hours.
Keep Your Ice Tank Maintained
The ice tank or cooler that you store your ice in throughout your shifts must be well-maintained and kept cold.
When it comes to your ice storage tanks, keep these tips in mind:
- Always use an insulated tank that will not be impacted by any gradual temperature shifts in your building
- Make sure that it is properly drained of water throughout the day. This keeps your cooler dry and prevents ice from melting faster as it comes into contact with water.
Select the Right Type of Ice
Finally, remember that all types of ice aren’t going to melt at the same rate. For instance, crushed ice melts quickly, and will be used up fast in a busy bar or restaurant setting.
Crescent cubes or larger ice cubes are always your best choice for longevity and maximum use.
Fortunately, we make selecting different types of ice cubes easy! The suppliers of Emergency Ice specialize in providing our clients with a variety of cube sizes and shapes to select from, in order to meet their cooling needs.
Stay On Top of Your Ice Supply With Emergency Ice
Even if you follow our tips and find that you need a constant supply of ice to your location, Emergency Ice can help!
We are Dallas – Fort Worth’s lead supplier of crushed, cubed, and dry ice to all commercial and residential locations. Trust us to deliver the amount of ice you need, exactly when you need it.
Contact us today to schedule your next bulk ice delivery.