Few pieces of equipment can boost your bottom line in foodservice like a commercial beverage dispenser. From sodas to slushies, juice or filtered water, having a drink dispenser frees up your staff from pouring customers drinks and helps you slash your costs on single-use plastic beverages - a sustainability win, too! Making food service delicious and sustainable for your business and the planet are all things we care about at Eleven36, which is why we serve up quality commercial beverage dispensers to fit a range of needs.
A Beverage Dispenser to Quench Your Thirst
When you're out and about on a hot day, there's nothing like walking into a cafe, corner store or restaurant and picking out the perfect cool drink for your parched lips, whether it's a fountain soda or a lemonade. The variety of drinks you offer can be a major selling point to passersby who might want a slushie, for instance, or the ability to make their own Frankenstein concoctions from a commercial drink dispenser. (They also provide easy, all-day impulse buys for when your customers aren't hungry!)
There are a few kinds of commercial beverage dispenser units that you will want to consider in choosing which works for you (and possibly all of them do!)
A refrigerated beverage dispenser allows you to hold a lot of one drink at a time and usually has several bowls and nozzles in one machine so you can offer multiple options, be they juices, lemonades or iced tea. Units contain an agitator to keep drinks mixed and consistent throughout service. You can easily refill with fresh drink when you run out and use the machine all day, cleaning at the close of business.
A commercial slushie machine is similar to a refrigerated beverage dispenser except it keeps drinks frozen! Depending on where you are operating, you can even serve alcoholic beverages from a slushie machine.
A fountain soda dispenser is refrigerated as well, of course, usually with ice as an option in the middle, and a number of drink options, from 6 to 12. These machines can use postmixed soda (ready to serve) or produce carbonated water with syrup at the dispensation point (premix). A mainstay at many restaurants, the cost of providing the soda is incredibly low to the business owner, and keeps your customers happy as they get their own refills and feel satiated.
What to Look For in a Commercial Drink Dispenser
What makes a particular restaurant drink dispenser model worth the investment? Make sure it has the appropriate capacity for your customers - a small machine you're constantly refilling is almost defeating the purpose (except on cost). Ensure you're buying a quality machine that won't have its cooling mechanism break down on you - spoiling your product and leaving you scrambling to serve thirsty customers!
You also want to make sure the unit is easy to clean, as you'll need to clean it daily after service. Make sure that gunk cannot accumulate in the valves or in the hopper, which could make your customers sick.
Finally, remember those moments when a drink dispenser fills your soda glass with a vengeance, leaving splatter everywhere? That's the exact sort of experience we are careful to avoid with the products we supply at Eleven36. Look for products that offer a leak-free and splatter-free experience.
The Game Changing Qualities of a Restaurant Drink Dispenser
It's difficult to overstate the advantages of a commercial beverage dispenser in your foodservice business. In this world where everything only gets more expensive, being able to offer free refills is as refreshing as the drinks you serve to customers! And you can do that with a drink dispenser if you choose because avoiding bottles and cans helps keep costs so low. Your staff will also be free to work on other tasks in the kitchen and focus on the quality of the food you serve. Plus, having a beverage dispenser allows you the ability to offer your own branded, hometown favorite versions of drinks like iced tea, lemonade, or juices - unique selling propositions your customers will love. The cost-cutting a beverage dispenser allows can help free your restaurant to invest more in quality ingredients for your dishes, as well.
How to Buy a Commercial Drink Dispenser
There are a few other things to look out for when shopping for beverage dispensers that will make work even easier on your staff. Investigate whether your dispenser is easy to drain if the service tray becomes filled with liquid during a service. Think about how many beverages you would like to offer during a particular meal (for example, a beverage dispenser with grapefruit juice, cranberry juice, and orange juice is a big winner for breakfast). Given the cost-savings a dispenser can provide, don't be afraid to invest in a quality model that will keep your beverages at the right temperature for the long haul - it pays for itself very quickly and avoiding breakdowns will help avoid you pulling your hair out over how to provide a very essential service - drinks!
Cool, lip-smackingly delightful drinks are just on the horizon for you and your business with our selection of commercial beverage dispenser products. Reach out to Eleven36 today for refreshingly honest and informative advice on using these tools to boost your business.