Finding Space for Merchandising Grab and Go

A lot has changed in the last couple of years, but one thing seems to have returned to normal: people are back to being overscheduled. 

Whatever type of foodservice you’re in, you’re feeling it: school lunches crammed into short meal periods; employees of all kinds squeezing in a quick bite between work, meetings, and appointments; parents wedging a frenzied dinner between school, work, and the kids’ practices; and so on.

Grab ‘n go rose to historic popularity at the height of the pandemic for safety reasons, but it’s here to stay for that and so much more. It’s convenient for both time-crunched customers and labor-crunched foodservice operators. Grab ’n Go items are prepped, packaged and merchandised in advance of busy periods for self-service that doesn’t require open tables. This enables back-of-house and front-of-house staff to be assigned tasks that make the best use of their time to generate revenue.

If you’ve been reluctant to offer grab ‘n go due to space or availability of electricity, you may be surprised by new merchandising equipment that can help you overcome those limitations. These flexible options make it easy to work with your existing infrastructure and repurpose underutilized space to increase revenue with grab ‘n go meals and snacks.

Hot Grab ‘n Go Merchandising

Hatco's Flav-R-Savor® Heated Air Curtain Merchandiser gives customers access to temperature-controlled hot food without having to open doors to get to it. Warm air at the top front of the cabinet is forced downward to form a “curtain” of heated air, some of which is drawn toward the rear of the cabinet. 

This air flow pattern effectively and safely keeps foods at ideal serving temperatures without doors getting in the way of efficient service.

Hold times of a cabinet paired with the accessibility of a merchandiser makes for quicker and more hygienic service of packaged hot grab ‘n go items or unwrapped food products.

What you need:

• 2 to 3 1/2 feet of counter space that’s at least 28 inches deep
• 110V outlet

Cold Grab ‘n Go Merchandising

The Reveal Refrigerated Self-service Mobile Case by Structural Concepts is a refrigerated self-service display on casters for flexible merchandising of cold grab ‘n go foods and beverages. 

Features like handrail/bumper, cord management, leveling and locking casters, and evaporator pan splash guard make this a truly mobile merchandiser to help you make the most of available space and traffic flows.

LED top and shelf lights make grab ‘n go items look appealing and easy to identify, while Reveal’s EnergyWise Refrigeration System minimizes energy consumption.

What you need:

• Floor space that’s 3 to 6 feet wide (3’, 4’, 5’, and 6’ models) and at least 5 feet deep (including space for rear air intake)
• 54” of vertical space
• 110V outlet (208-240V for 72” model)
• Ambient temperature below 80° F

Ambient Merchandising

The Mobile Flex Station by Cambro maximizes use of vertical space and creates instant, flexible merchandising (or storage) wherever you need it. 

With five different pre-packaged configurations, Mobile Flex Stations can be accessorized with Cambro food pans, food boxes, GoBags, and GoBoxes to maximize capacity and meet changing needs. 

Place CP814159 Camchillers in the bottom of food boxes for short-term merchandising of cold foods.

Flex Stations are made of durable Premium Series Camshelving and have a lifetime warranty against rust and corrosion. 

Locking swivel casters make the cart easy to maneuver where you need it and stay put once it’s there. 

Cambro also offers two signage packages (sold separately) to jazz up this ultra-portable merchandiser,

What you need:

• Floor space that’s 4 feet wide and 2 feet deep
• 68”-76” of vertical space, depending on the model

Cold Beverages

The CVC75 Vending Cart  Base Unit by Cambro provides attractive, mobile merchandising for cold beverages with a large open serving well that holds approximately 72, 12-ounce bottles or cans in ice. An in-well drain on both sides and a ball valve drain release underneath the cart provide efficient drainage. If you’d rather not deal with ice, the well also fits 5 full-sized, 6" deep hotel pans sitting directly on Cambro Buffet Camchillers to help keep beverages (or food) cold.

Three storage compartments on the service side are sized to hold insulated carriers such as Cambro GoBoxes or Ultra Pan Carriers to keep your back stock cold and ready to merchandise. Made of roto-molded polyethylene, this cart is built to last through years of heavy use. 

Cambro also offers a wide variety of design options.

What you need:

• Floor space that’s 75” wide and 34” deep
• 39” of vertical space

We can help you make the best of your space to maximize revenue. For recommendations tailored specifically to your foodservice operation, contact us.