In the banquet environment, when hundreds, if not thousands, are fed simultaneously, whole industries have been formed to enhance the delivery of food and make sure it’s as warm and tasty as when it was first pulled out of the oven.

Cres Cor
Stacey Shriver, marketing assistant with Cres Cor in Mentor, Ohio, a provider of mobile foodservice solutions, says Cres Cor has recently introduced Banquet Cabinet CCB-150 which has two inches of insulation for better heat retention and energy efficiency. Its reinforced internal frame provides structural rigidity, something that’s important when carts get bumped around. Its doors have a 270-degree swing, which means they fold flat against cabinet sides for easy loading and unloading.

“Clean-up is a breeze,” says Shriver, “because the cart’s two shelves can fit into a dishwasher. Additionally, we have rounded corners in the interior of the cart, which makes it easier to clean.”

Carter-Hoffman
Kim Aaron, marketing manager with Carter-Hoffmann in Mundelein, Illinois, a supplier of commercial foodservice equipment, says the company has eliminated the traditional heat source in its mobile banquet carts—canned fuel—and with it a whole host of other problems. With its new EnduraHeat cart, developed about two years ago, a chargeable mat-like heating system is placed on the bottom of the cart and keeps food warm for up to two hours.

Made out of a patent-pending “solid to solid phase change heat retention material,” the mat is removable for easy cleaning—although at 60 pounds, cautions Aaron, two people may be needed to lift it.

The heat source is rechargeable, but it’s not like a battery that will eventually lose its charge. Aaron says there’s nothing that can wear out or break. The only problems Carter-Hoffmann has had with EnduraHeat revolve around training. Many operators are so accustomed to canned fuel that they automatically still use it.

“People just have to learn they can’t put any sterno in the cart—but they don’t have to,” says Aaron. Not only are fire hazards eliminated with the EnduraHeat cart, but, adds Aaron, “you can save a whole lot of money on canned fuel. If you throw six or eight cans in a cart and multiply that by however many meals you serve and how many days you use those carts, it can add up to a couple thousand dollars each year."

USECO
USECO, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, a manufacturer of meal delivery equipment, carries three sizes of banquet carts that either provide up to 185 degrees fahrenheit of warmth using a 120 volt power source with thermostatic control or through canned fuel. Each cabinet boasts one-inch-thick continuous wraparound fiberglass insulation. “The insulation is superior to some of our competitors,” asserts sales administrator Renee Bolden.

Even the floor is insulated “which not only helps with heat retention but with noise reduction,” she continues. USECO uses a gasket-less door, which reduces maintenance and repair. Furthermore, notes Bolden, “the cart comes with a power hinge which means when a door reaches a 90 degree turnout it will stay open for easy unloading and loading.” Lastly, the interior is finished in 24 gauge stainless steel with all corners covered for easy cleaning.