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4 Things You Didn’t Know About Queen Mary Carts for Bussing

queen mary carts

Foodservice operations are complex and intricate from the ingredients that need to be ordered to the tables that need to be bussed and cleared. While there are many aspects that add to a successful operation, bussing plays a large role in customer satisfaction from the moment they are seated to the moment they leave. While the bussing team does a lot for diners, ultimately they want to do their work as quickly and quietly as possible as to not disturb the atmosphere and guest experience. 

In last week’s blog, we discussed the basics of bussing and went over a few tips on how to improve bussing operations, especially with limited staff. Now it is time to talk over the equipment needs  of bussing teams that allow  them to be as efficient as possible. Depending on your operations, the type of equipment you’ll need will vary. If you have a smaller and more intimate setting, using a bussing station set-up just outside the dining area would be ideal. If you have a large hall of guests being served, using bussing carts will be your best bet. 

Lakeside offers a wide variety of bussing equipment solutions, but today we are going to highlight our Queen Mary bussing carts. Being one of our most popular carts, it’s no secret that the ROI of Queen Mary carts is easily noticeable almost immediately. Queen Mary carts are designed to be used to bus a large amount of tables in a short time span. For example, in a German style beer hall, up to thirty tables may need to be bussed before the next guests can be seated. Queen Mary carts are ideal for clearing these tables quickly without having to take a ton of trips back to the kitchen to clear the cart of the dirty dishes. 

With their large footprint, Queen Mary carts have the ability to hold a large weight load while still ensuring the cart is able to be maneuvered easily. Queen Mary carts have so many benefits that allow operations to be optimized so that your staff are able to work smarter and not harder. Below, we will go over some features and benefits of Queen Mary carts that you may not know about yet. 

 

#1: Available in Stainless Steel or Aluminum

Having the option between stainless steel and aluminum offers many benefits as it allows you to choose the material that will best suit your facility’s needs for this specific cart. There are benefits to both which is why we offer each. Stainless steel Queen Mary carts make it easier to handle an extra heavy load. They have superior strength and durability while being extremely easy to clean and sanitize due to stainless steel’s chemical properties and natural resistance to bacteria. 

Aluminum also comes with its benefits, with its main feature being how light-weight it is. The aluminum Queen Mary carts transport your heaviest loads with ultimate assurance for banquets, catering, and bussing. These carts are much lighter making them very easy to maneuver. Aluminum carts can lower the chance of staff getting injured when moving heavy and bulky items due to the cart itself being lighter. Both aluminum and stainless steel have their place in certain operations, so taking a look into what functions you want your bussing cart to provide to help narrow down between these two options. 

queen mary bus cart

#2: Weight Capacity Options

Different operations have different weight capacity needs based on various factors including the types of dishes used and how far the bussing cart needs to travel from the dining space back to the kitchen. The Queen Mary carts are offered in two different durability levels to make sure you have the ideal cart for your operations. The first durability level offered in our Queen Mary series is Tough Transport. Carts in the Tough Transport durability level can transport up to 1000 lbs. and are designed to be used for 10-18 hours a day. 

The other durability level option with the Queen Mary series is the Extreme Duty level. This durability level is able to hold up to 2500 lbs. and is built to be used around the clock. Both the Tough Transport and Extreme Duty durability levels are built for smooth transport over uneven tile floors, thresholds, elevators, and carpets. These two weight capacity options allow you to choose a cart that will support your bussing needs. 

queen mary bus cart weight capacity

#3: Provides Smoother and Quieter Operations

The last thing any staff member or guest wants is their experience to be interrupted by dishes crashing onto the ground. This creates a mess for staff to clean up and customer satisfaction to be affected. Having equipment that transports smoothly and quietly is a must with any equipment that leaves the back-of-the-house. Queen Mary carts have extra load No-Mark® cushion tread wheels that absorb impact for quieter and smoother operations to avoid any accidents. With two fixed casters and two swivel casters, the cart is able to be guided easily.

queen mary bus cart

#4: Offers Extra Protection 

A Queen Mary bus cart is designed to offer extra protection not only for the dishes and wash bins on the cart, but it also has a full perimeter bumper. This all around bumper ensures that during transport, when a wall, corner, or doorway is bumped, it won’t leave a dark scuff that needs to be wiped off. During transport, bumping into walls is bound to happen, but minimizing the effect of that bump is the driving factor behind this Queen Mary cart feature. 

queen mary bus cart

Queen Mary carts are available with a variety of shelves ranging from carts with just three shelves to carts with six shelves. Some operations need all six shelves to make sorting their dishes easier, while some facilities just need the three shelves. Team Lakeside wants to ensure you find a cart solution that is ideal for your operations, which is why we offer these different selections within a series. There is no such thing as a cookie cutter kitchen in this industry, so having the right equipment for your operations is what makes for even more efficient operations.