Out of all the things you might look forward to while managing a restaurant or a food storage warehouse, we don’t blame you if organizing your walk-in cooler or freezer isn’t high on the list. But taking the time to tidy up and arrange your coolers in a way that benefits your workers and inventory can really do you a lot of good in the long run, such as increasing efficiency and improving food safety. Here’s a few tips to get you inspired:

Increase Storage Capacity

The first thing you’ll want to do when organizing a walk-in cooler is to make sure you have sufficient storage space for everything that has to be stored in there, to make sure all the different food products have room of their own. If you need to increase the amount of usable surface space in your freezer, make sure to purchase walk in cooler shelving specifically designed for this purpose. Freezer shelving is designed to prevent rust and corrosion and provide enough strength to support any number of items, helping increase the usual storage space in your freezer.

Space Everything Out

The increased storage capacity will come in especially handy here, as different food items need to be spaced out appropriately. Most food industry experts advise using a ‘three inch rule’ to guarantee proper air flow and circulation – this helps to make sure there’s no ‘hot spots’ inside the freezer and ensure that everything remains a uniformed cooled temperature.

First In, First Out – Even For Food

The first in first out rule (or FIFO) applies to all manner of inventory control, even for food. Make sure everything is properly dated and labeled so you know what to use up first and what can be saved for later. This is both a crucial part of food safety, and a large part of inventory control – maintaining proper dating and usage procedures can help to reduce waste and lower inventory costs.

Keeping your cooler organized will help cut costs and make sure your staff can always find what they need, when they need it – all of which will translate to reduced costs and happier customers. And isn’t that, really, the point of running a business?