Reconsidering a new utility cart, bussing cart or even a Queen Mary cart for your institution? Initially this seems like a simple enough task until you start looking for a cart. Open up a website, type Cart into the search bar and suddenly it feels like google where you get 453,000 results in 1.3 seconds. While that’s a great experience on google, it’s a little daunting when you’re cart shopping. You can narrow it down a bit when you know what type of cart you are looking for, but you will still get many options and sorting through them is easier if you’ve answered these six questions as prep work for your search.
1. What will you be using the cart for? Is it for moving and storing small appliances that you don’t use daily in the kitchen or will it be hauling produce off the delivery truck? Knowing what you’ll use the cart for in your operation helps to start digging a little deeper into your requirements.
2. What size objects will you be carrying on the cart and how much of the cart area will be covered when it’s loaded up? You don’t know your size requirement until you know how big the items are that you will be placing onto the cart. You will be sorely disappointed if your new cart is too small because you didn’t use a little foresight.
3. How much weight will you be placing on the cart? Top shelf & bottom shelf? Carts typically have a weight limit on each shelf as opposed to the whole cart. Excess weight can damage even the sturdiest of cart shelves.
4. How many shelves are required? Will you need a five shelf Queen Mary cart or two shelf utility cart? If you are carrying objects that are not particularly tall, a third shelf on a utility cart can potentially increase your capacity by 50%.
5. What type of casters are needed? Will you need casters that have brakes? Will you be okay with two breaking casters and two swivel? Have you considered locking casters or oversized casters…and what about the safety of the casters?
6. Finally, should you purchase a metal or a plastic cart? Metal carts typically have the durability feature but plastic carts are lower in price and can be more giving when they are run into a wall. They are also usually a little less expensive.
The carts you choose can vary widely depending on use, material, size and caster type. If you need any help making the right choice when it comes to carts for your institutional foodservice operation, give us a call. We are here to help.
