3 Steps to Styling a Bold Cold Buffet

When you think of a buffet, what comes to mind? Early bird dinners with your grandparents, dog-eared metal pans in a dining hall, low-budget weekends in Vegas back in the day? Ah: fond, cheesy memories of something you wouldn’t want in your foodservice operation. Thankfully things have changed!

When you’re short on staff and your customers are short on time, a self-serve cold food bar could really help you serve more customers in less time and increase sales while you’re at it.

Is there any way to make it look stylish and appealing? YES!  

The Simple Solutions^TM Buffet System by TableCraft is not your grandparents’ buffet. This modern system transforms any industry standard-size cold well into a showcase for fresh foods with a full range of stylish bowls and templates. In a few simple steps, you can design and assemble a safe, efficient, and attractive self-serve cold food bar that suits your menu and your brand. 

Here’s how.

Step 1: Choose your vessel type and color(s).

Simple Solutions Straight-sided Cast Aluminum Bowls are available in the same sizes and capacities as traditional food pans or hotel pans, while offering a clean, contemporary look. 

Their modern, straight-sided design allows bowls to sit perfectly flush against each other to keep cold air and food products out of the cracks and where they belong. Quality, cast aluminum construction helps support proper serving temperatures. 

TableCraft offers a wide assortment of sizes and capacities of these virtually indestructible bowls to fill your presentation needs.

For a bold, customized display, TableCraft offers DuraCoat™ Cast Aluminum Coating in 23 colors ranging from neutral shades, traditional colors, trendy hues, and granite and speckled patterns. Coatings are NSF^® Listed, dishwasher safe, and safe for cold food. 

Note that bowls with colored coatings are not intended for use in hot wells or steam tables. Only natural (pewter) finish or non-coated items can be used for hot applications.

Country Kitchen Collection^TM Cast Aluminum Bowls are offered in fluted and smooth styles that look upscale in any environment. 

Available in natural for hot holding and 23 DuraCoat colors for cold food applications, these dishwasher-safe vessels are ideal for both drop-in templates and countertop serving.

Step 2: Choose your drop-in template.

TableCraft templates are designed to fit NSF-7 cold wells and help keep foods at optimal serving temperatures while creating an energy efficient food safety zone.

Available in 3" and 5" depths, Drop-in Perforated Templates rest on the ledge inside your cold well unit and sit slightly above the well floor. Their perforated surface promotes maximum air flow circulation around food bowls. 

Vessels sit perfectly side-by-side within the perforated templates to ensure that no food falls through gaps within your display. This design also helps keep the air at optimal cold-holding temperatures.

Country Kitchen Collection Bowl Templates are also available to fit Country Kitchen Extra Small, Medium, Medium Deep, and Large Square Condiment Bowls.

Standard and custom-made templates can be made to order in Brushed Stainless Steel or Cast Aluminum in Natural or any of the 23 DuraCoat color options. Each template is equal to one well.

Need a sleek and efficient cold well? 

We can help you complete your set-up with reliable options from Delfield and Hatco.

Step 3: Accessorize!

Simple Solutions Buffet System Acrylic Covers

Keep your food protected from cross-contamination between prep and serving with these Translucent Acrylic Covers for Simple Solutions bowls. These covers eliminate the need to prep, store, and serve in different containers, saving precious time and space. Brushed translucent acrylic allows you to see contents, while helping conceal fingerprints and surface scratches. The rigid acrylic surface also supports hygienic, stable, and space-saving container stacking. Covers fit both 3" and 5" Simple Solutions coated or uncoated bowls.

Spacer Bar Kit

In the event of small gaps, especially on the ends of the well, worry not! TableCraft Spacer Bars rest on the ledge inside your cold well and block cold air from escaping to optimize the efficiency of your equipment. The spacer bar kit includes one of each bar: 0.25", 0.5", 0.75", 1", 1.25" and 2". Use individually to fill gaps at the end of your well, to create an alternative serving surface, or use in any combination to support smaller vessels.

Holden Collection™ Utensils

Elegant and ergonomically designed to achieve ideal balance, weight, and feel for comfortable serving, Holden Collection™ Tools go right in the dishwasher after use, reducing cleanup time. 

The Holden Collection is made of Stainless Steel, with hollow handles for balance and light weight, brushed finish handles, and mirror finish heads.

Ready to build a bold, cold food bar to help improve serving efficiency and increase revenues? We’re here to help. Contact us!