A Look at Shelving Units for Restaurant Kitchens

Space is always at a premium inside of NYC restaurant kitchens—a fact that becomes clear when you hear how many times a chef will scream, “behind!” while preparing meals for guests. But room to move isn’t only important for those around hot grills and the sauté station. It’s also crucial for restaurants to have as much storage space as possible.

That’s where shelving units come in. Whether in a walk-in freezer or general storage area, adequate shelving is often the difference between a well-run kitchen and one that can’t get out of its own way. 

To talk about shelving specifically for New York restaurant kitchens, Sam Tell sat down with Joshua Erheim, a sales representative for PBAC & Associates, which is the factory rep for Metro, a global manufacturer of shelving and storage solutions. 

Sam Tell: What is the shelving setup for most commercial kitchens?

Joshua Erdheim: Every kitchen is different. Some kitchens are bigger, some are smaller, some have very little space, some have a ton of space. Some kitchens are looking for storage in walk-in boxes. Some are looking for shelving to go above a dishwasher, some are looking just for shelving in a dry storage area. 

Metro has shelving to meet every single application possible. So it's up to the customer to know what they have and where they want to put the shelving. If they’re looking for dry storage, we have shelving for that. If they are trying to set up a walk-in box or a mobile moisture application, we have shelving for that. If they are working with tight spaces where you need a more narrow shelving unit, or a wide area because they have the space—we have shelving for both. You name it, we have shelving for pretty much every application.

ST: What is the best shelving for heavy duty items?

JE: All of our shelves are rated to be 800 pounds per shelf and maxing out at about 2,600 pounds. Metro shelves are rated heavier than any of our competitors in the industry. You have shelving that's polymer—a.k.a. high-end plastic—or you have metal shelving. They're both equally as strong and durable. It's really a matter of customer preference. 

If a customer is putting things that are hard that could potentially cause a shelving to chip—or maybe canned products that might bang into the shelving—they might want to consider polymer applications because they're chip resistant, rust resistant, and slightly easier to clean. That being said, the more cost-effective option at a more efficient price point is wire shelving. It’s more economical and slightly more versatile than polymer. There’s also more configurations available (depth and length) with wire than with polymer. 

ST: What is the best shelving for tight spaces?

JE: When it comes to tighter spaces, you have one of two options. The first option is a product we have called Smart Wall shelving, which has shelving that actually goes on walls when you don't have a lot of floor space. The other option for tight spaces would be to use shelving that’s more narrow, along with S hooks or intermediate hooks to join shelves, which helps eliminate some of the additional posts that are required. And you can work in L-shaped configurations or connect shelves together to really maximize the space.

ST: What are the different options that Metro offers?

JE: There are so many different options. But first I ask the customer, “Is it mobile or stationary?” That basically means, are they going to be moving the shelves or are they going to keep them in one fixed location. We also need to know if they want the shelves to be adjustable or non-adjustable, with adjustability providing more flexibility in depth and height. It’s also important to know how many shelves they need in a unit.   

As for the different types of shelving: First, there’s wire and within wire, we have chrome, which is very popular; as well as zinc, which looks a bright, stainless material; then there’s actual stainless, which is a higher-end product with a higher price point. We also have polymer, the high-end plastic material that is slightly more durable. Those also have removable mats, so they are easier to clean, along with being rust and corrosion resistant and overall better in moist environments. 

ST: What differentiates Metro shelving from competitors?

JE: The number of different products we offer. I can name six different shelving finishes alone, from chrome to zinc to the antimicrobial Metroseal with microban. There’s designer colors, polymer, epoxy—just the sheer number of finishes offered are unmatched. Then there’s sizing, which is limitless. We go from 14 to 36 inches deep, and from 18 to 72 inches wide. And then there’s the weight capacities. Our shelves undergo rigorous testing and the last and perform up to and beyond standards. If you look at some of our competitors, their shelves will actually bow at 500 pounds. Our shelves don’t bow and don’t indent—they are reinforced to support the full weight of the products being stored. 

ST: What is the warranty?

JE: We have a 15-year warranty on the wire and on the epoxy shelving units. On the full polymer, it’s lifetime warranty.

Contact your Sam Tell sales rep and discover the storage possibilities with Metro shelving!