A Brief Overview of Restaurant Mats
Restaurant mats play a hugely important role in most busy and vibrant eateries – and not just in the kitchen. In fact, there are many variations of restaurant mats that are specifically designed to be of use in other locations and situations within a venue which is serving food. From safeguarding customers to boosting the productivity of staff, not to mention keeping your venue free of tracked-in dirt, there are restaurant mats for every eventuality.
Whether you’re running the Ritz or managing a McDonald’s, there are matting options out there that can help in all corners of your eatery. This is your one-stop shop for information on the main options available, so you can identify your needs and make sure a rubber surface is in place where they are required.
While the kitchen is far from the only place that rubber mats can be useful, a restaurant kitchen is one of the most important locations for a customized surface. For starters, there are restaurant mats available that create a comfortable floor for chefs and other kitchen staff, who are on their feet for many hours at a time while preparing food. These cushioned kitchen mats have a whole host of different names that you might have heard, including chef mat, kitchen anti-fatigue mat, or even kitchen comfort mat. They are all variations of the same thing, and are aimed at boosting the comfort of those standing on them. A kitchen comfort mat will use under-surface technology to provide a padded surface. This eases the strain on joints and, in turn, improves the productivity of employees. This can be a vital feature in a kitchen, which is only as good as the food it is producing – even at the end of a long chef shift.
Restaurant mats also extend beyond comfort into further functionality. Another option available is a drainage mat. These products perform an important role, because they keep fluids off a flooring surface and prevent hazardous puddles forming. This can be especially important in a kitchen, where people are moving quickly in a high-stress environment, with water, oils and greases flying around. A slippery floor is a dangerous floor, and anything that can reduce that danger is a major positive. Not only does a drainage mat keep liquids from pooling, the properties of the rubber surfacing provide a natural level of grip and traction. This all adds up to keep the kitchen dry, and keep staff on their feet. Drainage mats have holes in them, allowing liquids and small pieces of spilled foods to be removed easily from the standing surface.
Drainage mats are not only useful in the kitchen, but elsewhere in restaurants. Walkways, restrooms and public areas near the kitchen can all benefit from instant drainage capabilities. Another area of an eatery which can be improved by the installation of restaurant mats would be any location where a drink is poured. A drainage mat might be positioned underneath a fountain drink machine, for instance. Whether a machine is self-service or operated by staff, there are going to be spillages. Many restaurants also have their own bars, where you should expect to find rubber bar mats. This could refer to the drainage mats on the floor – on either side of the bar – and the rubber mats on top of the bar, positioned to catch and drain drink spills.
At a lot of restaurants, it is likely that a rubber mat is the first thing you might see when you walk through the front door. The ‘restaurant mats’ tag could include rubber runner mats, which would usually be positioned at an establishment entrance. Rubber runner mats are designed to clean off shoes as people enter. This is not specific to a restaurant. In fact, rubber runner mats are used in all sorts of different locations. But a restaurant must be clean and hygienic, and that makes it a perfect place for a runner. These restaurant mats have strong rubber ridges that scrape dirt, moisture and small debris from shoes, while keeping those particles trapped between the mat ribs and off the flooring surface.
All rubber restaurant mats, particularly the runner mats, are designed to be trampled on all day, with a high degree of durability. A few other properties featured in rubber restaurant mats are also noteworthy. A type of rubber called nitrile is used to create some products, which has a high level of resistance to oil and grease, making it perfect for use in the kitchen. Rubber also provides a water-resistant flooring option, as most types are largely non-porous and do not allow fluids to soak into them.
From drainage mats to comfort mats, and rubber bar mats to rubber runner mats, these are some types of rubber restaurant mats that can have the biggest impact in making your eatery a better place for staff and customers alike.
