A Guide to Display Fridge for Restaurants

Display fridges are not only great for keeping things cool, but also for beautifully displaying popular menu items for easy purchase by your customers.

As the old saying goes, “If you’ve got it, flaunt it.” Display fridges, sometimes called open deck fridges or chillers, are perfect for just that.

Designed to display your food and drink items in the most convenient and attractive manner, these units are a highly effective way to drive sales while maintaining product freshness and convenient service.

When it comes to food, humans are highly-visual creatures. This makes display refrigeration a fantastic marketing tool for cafés, snack bars, bakeries, bistros, and restaurants of all sizes.

If you’re not sure which display fridge is the best fit for your business, we’ve put together a handy guide to help make your decision easier.

Display refrigerator cooling system options & how they work?

Display refrigerators, which are sometimes called refrigerated cases, usually come with one of two types of refrigeration: forced air or gravity coil.

Forced air models use fans to circulate cool air while gravity coil models use a chilled coil at the top of the unit which relies on good ol’ gravity to “pull” the cooled air down over the contents.

When choosing which type is best for you, remember that forced air systems can sometimes cause the drying of products, making gravity coil systems a better choice for raw meats, seafood, and other items where moisture content impacts visual appeal or food texture.

Forced air systems are often better for baked goods, pre-packaged products, and other foods that don’t require moisture to maintain freshness or food that may even benefit from additional moisture control.

There are also dual-temperature cases that allow you to display both refrigerated and non-refrigerated items simultaneously. These are often seen in bakeries and other quick service operations.

Types of Display Fridges – So many to choose from

Refrigerated Food Displays

While there is a dizzying array of refrigerated food displays to choose from, all serve the same purpose of beautifully showcasing your food.

Whether it’s fresh baked goods, delicious desserts, or self-serve buffets, refrigerated food displays are designed to appeal to impulse purchases—when something looks so good that you just have to reach out and grab it.

Designed for front-of-house displays, either for customer or staff access, refrigerated merchandisers come in a wide range of forms and sizes, with multiple methods of display that ensure everything you offer is easily seen and ready to purchase.

Freestanding display fridges include refrigerated cake displays like the Anvil NDSV3740 3-Tier Cake Display or the Bromic FD4T0660C which includes gorgeous LED display lighting and rear, self-closing doors that minimise temperature loss.

Smaller units can also be used for countertop display, or on other reliable surfaces in your establishment, depending on what best serves you and your customers.

Bar Fridge | Back Bar Chillers

Perfect for displaying beverages in a brightly-lit, nicely chilled environment, bar fridges, also known as beer fridges or bar coolers, also provide quick and easy access for your staff to reach in and grab a cold one for your customers.

Bar fridges and back bar chillers come in a variety of configurations, with hinged or sliding doors, under-bench or upright, with the option of one-, two-, or three-pane insulated glass doors.

Commercial Wine Fridges

Differing from standard refrigerators, wine fridges are designed to protect your wine selection and let it mature at the proper rate. To this end, they maintain the ideal ambient temperature, lighting and even humidity so that corks don’t dry out or labels become damaged.

Unlike standard refrigerators, wine fridges operate with very little vibration, which can prevent harm to the quality of your wine.

Models such as Caterlink’s Bromic Eco Wine Chiller smartly designed with wooden shelves to further protect all of your prized vintages before serving.

Pro Tip

A “night curtain” is a great option to conserve energy during off-hours by adding an additional layer of protection to your refrigerator contents.

Many manufacturers have two types to choose from: a roll-down cover that primarily keeps cold air in, and lockable, secure types that prevent theft as well as conserve energy.

Which is the best food display refrigerator for your commercial kitchen?

Now that you’ve had a look at the different types of display fridges, we hope it will be easier to identify the best chilled display options for your restaurant or bar.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our staff who are happy to use their expertise to assist you.