The weeks from Thanksgiving through New Year’s bring private parties, catering orders, holiday menus and some of the busiest nights of the year. Equipment failures in December hurt more because service calls take longer and every seat is booked. A few weeks of preparation in the fall pays back all season.
Shop the equipment in this article: Westlake GCO511S 39″ double stack gas convection oven, Cookline CC100-DBL double deck full size gas convection oven and Coldline CF76 76″ chest freezer – 22 cu ft. Freight is included on every order.
Step 1: Service Everything in October or Early November
Book your refrigeration technician and gas technician early. Have them check compressors, burners, pilots, thermostats and gas connections. Clean condenser coils, boil out fryers, descale the ice machine and replace water filters. Replace worn gaskets and damaged fryer baskets now, not mid-rush.
Step 2: Review Last Year’s Numbers
Look at your holiday sales and party bookings from last year. Which nights were busiest? Which stations fell behind? If the oven could not keep up with roasts and desserts, that is where to add capacity. If the fryer station backed up, look there.
Step 3: Add Oven Capacity If Needed
Holiday menus lean on roasting and baking. A double stack convection oven adds a lot of capacity in one footprint. The Westlake GCO511S 39″ double stack gas convection oven is one option. The Cookline CC100-DBL double deck full size gas convection oven is another. Confirm hood coverage and gas supply with your contractor before adding gas equipment.
Step 4: Plan Cold and Frozen Storage
Holiday orders mean more inventory: turkeys, roasts, desserts and party trays. Estimate how much extra space you need at peak. A chest freezer is a practical way to add frozen capacity for bulk items. The Coldline CF76 76″ chest freezer – 22 cu ft holds larger volumes. Keep refrigerators at 41F or below and do not overfill them, since packed boxes cool poorly.
Step 5: Organize Dry Storage and Receiving
Bigger deliveries need somewhere to go. Keep cases off the floor, as health codes usually require. A Thunder Group ALDN2036 20″ x 36″ x 12″ heavy-duty dunnage rack handles heavy cases and sacks. Clear old stock before the season so there is room for holiday product.
Step 6: Prepare for Parties and Catering
Private parties often mean buffet service. Check your chafers, fuel supply, serving utensils and hotel pans. Hot holding keeps food safe at 135F or above while it waits. An insulated heater proofer or holding cabinet lets you cook ahead and hold, such as the MPN1836 full size heated warming holding cabinet. For roasts carved to order, heat lamps at the carving station keep meat warm.
Step 7: Stock Up on Smallwares
Holiday volume breaks and loses smallwares. Count hotel pans, sheet pans, roasting pans, lids, tongs and ladles, and fill gaps before the season. Large roasting pans such as the Thunder Group ALRP9604 18″ x 24″ x 4-1/2″ double roaster handle turkeys and large roasts.
Step 8: Dessert and Bakery Display
Holiday desserts and baked goods sell well with good display. A refrigerated bakery case keeps cakes and pies at safe temperatures while showing them off. Browse bakery display cases if you want to push holiday dessert sales.
Step 9: Make a Backup Plan
Know who to call if a critical unit fails, and what you would do in the meantime. Could you move product to another reach-in? Could the menu shift away from a broken fryer for a night? Write the plan down and share it with managers.
Step 10: Train for the Rush
New seasonal staff need to know how to operate and clean each piece of equipment safely. A short walk-through of each station prevents misuse and breakdowns.
Next Steps
Book service calls this week and pull last year’s holiday sales. Then review convection ovens and bakery display cases if you need more capacity. Questions? Contact Express KitchQuip and we will help you pick the right size and configuration.