How to Choose Cake Display Fridges, Salad Prep Tables and Upright Coolers for Commercial Refrigeration and Display
Cold storage is more than “back-of-house”. The right commercial refrigeration and display solutions keep food safe, speed up prep, and make your cakes, salads and drinks look irresistible. In this guide, you will see how cake display fridges, salad prep tables and upright coolers work together, what questions to ask about capacity and layout, and how to match equipment to your menu and front-of-house design.
Who should use this commercial refrigeration and display guide?
This guide is for foodservice operators who want to plan practical, attractive and efficient cold storage and display areas. It is especially useful for:
- Bakeries and pastry shops that need cake display fridges and back-up refrigeration.
- Cafés and coffee shops offering chilled cakes, sandwiches and grab-and-go drinks.
- Salad bars, sandwich shops and fast-casual concepts using salad prep tables.
- Bubble tea and drink shops planning upright coolers for toppings and bottled drinks.
- Hotels and multi-outlet operators standardizing front and back-of-house refrigeration.
Rather than focusing on individual models, this article explains how cake display fridges, salad prep tables and upright coolers each play a role in your overall refrigeration plan and how to size and position them for everyday service.
What commercial refrigeration and display equipment do most shops rely on?
Most bakeries, cafés and quick-service shops combine three core equipment types: cake display fridges to showcase desserts, salad prep tables for cold assembly work, and upright coolers to store ingredients and drinks safely. The table below compares these options by function and selection points.
| Equipment Type | Role in Refrigeration & Display | Best For | Key Selection Points |
|---|---|---|---|
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Cake Display Fridge / Dessert Showcase
Chilled product display |
Keeps cakes, pastries and desserts at chilled temperatures while presenting them behind glass with lighting. Designed for front-of-house visibility and easy serving access for staff. cake display fridge for bakery
refrigerated dessert display case |
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Salad Prep Table / Refrigerated Prep Counter
Cold prep and assembly |
Combines undercounter refrigeration with a top section for ingredient pans, plus a work surface for assembling salads, sandwiches, pizzas or cold dishes. Keeps ingredients within easy reach at chilled temperatures. salad prep table for restaurant
refrigerated prep counter for café |
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Upright Cooler / Reach-In Refrigerator
Back-of-house storage or front display |
Provides vertical refrigerated storage for ingredients, toppings, beverages and prepared items. Available in solid-door versions for back-of-house or glass-door versions for grab-and-go front-of-house displays. upright cooler for café
reach-in refrigerator for bakery |
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How should your concept and menu shape your refrigeration and display choices?
A cake-focused bakery, a salad café and a drink-led shop all use cake display fridges, salad prep tables and upright coolers differently. Clarifying your concept and hero products helps you decide where to invest more in display versus back-of-house storage.
Are you dessert-led, salad/prep-led, or drink-led?
Dessert-led concepts such as bakeries and pastry shops typically prioritize a strong cake display fridge at the front, supported by upright coolers for back-up cakes and ingredients. Salad or sandwich-led concepts may focus more on salad prep tables and upright coolers near the prep area. Drink-led shops, including bubble tea and café bars, often rely on upright coolers for toppings, milk and bottled drinks, with smaller display fridges for desserts or grab-and-go items.
Which items must be visible to sell, and which can stay in storage?
Not everything needs to be on show. List your menu items and mark which ones benefit from display—such as cakes, pastries, salads, fresh juices and bottled drinks. The rest can live in upright coolers or undercounter refrigeration. This simple exercise shows how much display length you really need and helps prevent overloading the front counter with fridges that are difficult to keep full and visually attractive.
How do refrigeration priorities differ between bakeries, cafés and salad shops?
Different operations rely more heavily on certain refrigeration types. The table below compares typical focus areas for three common business types.
| Operation Type | Cake Display Fridge Focus | Salad Prep Table Focus | Upright Cooler Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakery / Pastry Shop | High priority: main visual focus for cakes, tarts and desserts at the front counter. | Lower priority unless offering salads or cold savory items. | High priority for cream, fruit, fillings and back-up cakes or pastry trays. |
| Café / Coffee Shop | Moderate to high priority for desserts, sandwiches and grab-and-go items. | Moderate priority where salads and sandwiches are made to order. | High priority for milk, toppings, beverages and prepared items in back or front. |
| Salad / Sandwich Bar or Fast-Casual | Optional or secondary; some operations use a small dessert or drink display. | High priority: central workstation for assembling salads, wraps and cold dishes. | High priority: ingredient storage and drink display to support high turnover. |
What capacity and layout questions should you ask before buying fridges and prep tables?
Refrigeration choices can easily be driven by guesswork or aesthetics alone. Asking concrete questions about capacity and layout helps you choose cake display fridges, salad prep tables and upright coolers that really fit your shop.
How much product do you need to display at one time?
For cake display fridges, count how many whole cakes, slices or trays you want visible at peak times and how deep you want each shelf to be. For upright coolers used as display, estimate how many drinks and packaged items you expect to stock. These numbers guide the length and internal volume you really need, and whether one large display or multiple smaller units suit your layout better.
Where should prep and display fridges sit in your service flow?
Place salad prep tables where staff can assemble items without blocking order-taking or pick-up points. Position cake display fridges so customers see them as they approach the counter, while staff still have comfortable serving access from behind. Upright coolers used for storage should sit close to prep or bar areas; those used for customer self-service should sit where traffic can flow without congestion.
How will you manage door swing, ventilation and cleaning access?
Measure the space around each planned fridge position, including door swing clearance and where customers and staff will stand. Check manufacturer guidelines for ventilation gaps on sides and back. Plan enough room to pull out equipment for deep cleaning and to remove or adjust shelves and pans. Tight spaces may limit airflow and make cleaning difficult, so thinking about this early helps you avoid future headaches.
How does your daily operation and food safety planning affect refrigeration choices?
Commercial refrigeration is closely linked to daily opening, service and closing routines. Choosing equipment that fits your real workflow supports consistent temperatures and straightforward handling procedures.
How often will doors be opened during service?
Display fridges and upright coolers near the front see frequent door openings. Consider models and layouts that help maintain stable conditions even with regular use, and think about how you will organize shelves so high-turnover items are easiest to reach. For salad prep tables, plan pan layouts that reduce unnecessary lid openings and help staff work efficiently during peak periods.
What are your opening, restocking and closing routines?
Plan how often you will restock cake displays, salad pans and upright coolers throughout the day. Decide which items are prepared in advance in back-of-house coolers and which are filled directly into front display units. Consider how long it takes to empty and clean each unit at closing. Choosing equipment with removable shelves, pans and easy-to-clean surfaces can simplify these routines.
What practical checklist should you use before choosing commercial refrigeration and display equipment?
Use the checklist below to collect the information suppliers need and to compare cake display fridges, salad prep tables and upright coolers for your shop.
1. Which menu items require refrigeration, and where?
List all items that need chilled storage or display, and group them into front-of-house display, prep station and back-of-house storage. This clarifies how many refrigeration “zones” you need and which equipment type fits each zone best.
2. How many pans, trays and bottles do you need to hold at once?
For salad prep tables, count how many ingredient pans you use in a typical shift and what sizes they should be. For cake display fridges and upright coolers, estimate tray counts and bottle or container counts for your busiest times. Share these numbers with suppliers so they can propose realistic equipment sizes.
3. What are your space and utility constraints?
Measure available width, depth and height at each planned fridge location and note electrical supply details for those positions. If your region has specific ventilation or drainage expectations, include that information. Clear constraints help suppliers recommend equipment that fits without major modifications.
4. How will you organize cleaning, defrosting and maintenance?
Ask suppliers to describe typical cleaning schedules, whether units use automatic or manual defrost, and how to access condensers and drains. Consider how these tasks fit into your daily or weekly routines and whether you have enough staff time and space to complete them comfortably.
What should you search for when researching commercial refrigeration and display solutions online?
Using focused search phrases helps you find refrigerators, prep tables and display cases designed for professional bakeries, cafés and foodservice operations.
Here are examples you can adapt:
- Cake display fridges: “cake display fridge for bakery shop”, “refrigerated dessert display case for café”.
- Salad prep tables: “salad prep table for restaurant kitchen”, “refrigerated prep counter for sandwich shop”.
- Upright coolers: “upright cooler for café and bakery”, “glass door reach-in refrigerator for drinks”.
- Complete systems: “commercial refrigeration and display solutions for bakery”, “cold display and prep equipment for café”.
Add your city or region if you need local installation and service support. When reading product descriptions, compare dimensions, internal layout, recommended cleaning routines and temperature ranges against your own menu and layout plan.
Frequently asked questions about commercial refrigeration and display solutions
Many small bakeries choose a cake display fridge for front-of-house and at least one upright cooler for back-of-house storage. The display fridge presents finished cakes and pastries to customers, while the upright cooler holds ingredients and back-up stock. In very limited spaces, some operators reduce display length and rely more on upright storage, but this can reduce visual impact at the counter.
Salad prep tables are widely used for salads, but they also support sandwich, wrap, pizza and cold snack assembly. Cafés, bakery cafés and fast-casual operations often use refrigerated prep counters as central workstations for cold ingredients, not just salads. The key is to select pan sizes and top layouts that match the ingredients you use most often.
Before making decisions, prepare information about your menu, display needs, storage needs, available space and utilities. Share your estimated tray, pan and bottle counts and your planned service flow. Ask suppliers to explain which cake display fridges, salad prep tables and upright coolers fit your concept, what installation and ventilation they require, and what daily cleaning routines they recommend. This helps you build a refrigeration and display setup that supports safe, efficient and attractive service from day one.
Ready to plan commercial refrigeration and display solutions for your shop?
With a clear view of your menu, space and service flow, you can choose cake display fridges, salad prep tables and upright coolers that support both food safety and sales. The next step is to match your plan with specific equipment options and discuss details with a supplier so you can build a cold storage and display system that works smoothly every day.
This article is for general guidance only and does not provide performance claims about any specific model. Always review detailed product documentation and consult with suppliers before making purchasing decisions.
