With restaurants of any size, picking the right storage options is essential to making sure your staff can find everything they need to get orders out the door safely and quickly.

Anyone that’s managed, owned, or worked in a restaurant has likely faced the sort of confusion, traffic snarls, and misplaced inventory that poor restaurant storage can cause. It may sound easy at first to stay on top of this issue by putting up the right shelves and cabinets, but knowing which shelves and cabinets to use can be an issue all on its own.

If you’re looking to beef up your restaurant’s storage capacity with some new organizational tools, there’s a few things you’ll want to look for in your shelves:

Sanitation: The first thing, and perhaps the biggest thing, you should look for in a restaurant shelf is sanitation. Your shelves need to be rated for germ resistance and up to both federal and local codes to help keep your products and customers safe, as well as being able to pass any regular health inspections on your business. NSF food shelving is specifically designed to resist germs, corrosion, and rust, keeping your stored food products as safe as possible before it’s time to cook and serve them.

Durability: Shelves in restaurants can face a number of different conditions and environments, from the cold of the freezer to the heat of the kitchen and everything in-between. Focus on buying rust proof wire shelving or plastic utility shelves that can handle extreme temperatures and constant use to prevent damage and reduce the need for frequent replacement.

Accessibility: Of course, all the heavy-duty shelves in the world aren’t going to do much good if your staff can’t get to them. Restaurant wall shelving can work equally as well in the kitchen, near the dishwasher, or in the freezer to keep ingredients, products, dishes, and cooking supplies within easy reach. Hang sanitary wall shelves at appropriate areas throughout your kitchen (even outside of the kitchen, if the wait staff has a plating area) and help your staff get to everything more easily.

Mobility: In a similar vein, restaurants have a lot of hustle and bustle both on the floor and in the kitchen, and there will always be a need for mobile storage to help carry plates, get rid of dirty dishes, or move supplies from storage to the kitchen. Stainless steel restaurant carts can help your staff stay mobile and get their dishes where they need to go, while still adding a layer of germ resistance and safety.

The next time you need new restaurant storage, remember to keep these criteria in mind and you’ll find the right shelves for your kitchen, no matter what you serve or how busy you get.