As a restaurant owner or manager, you face a wide array of daily challenges and requirements. To improve your efficiency and bottom line, you brainstorm constantly. One of the things you may not have considered during your planning sessions is the use of a mini storage facility. However, such facilities provide numerous benefits for restaurants of all types and sizes. Here are five of the most important advantages of mini storage services.

1) Storage for Non-Perishable Items

Depending on the nature of your business, you may have a large inventory of restaurant equipment. The list of this equipment can include such things as:

  • Chairs
  • Benches
  • Tables
  • Dishes
  • Silverware
  • Waitstaff supplies
  • Backup appliances

Catering companies, in particular, often have a large surplus of such items. Your catering business or restaurant may also have a surplus of non-perishable recipe ingredients.

If you’re lucky, you can clear enough space to store your excess, non-perishable inventory onsite. As a more convenient alternative, try putting these items in storage instead. A secure storage facility allows you to keep everything conveniently stowed in a single location. Just choose a space large enough to meet your current or future needs.

2) Storage for Perishable Items

As a rule, mini storage facilities don’t recommend that householders store perishable items. However, that advice often changes for restaurants/caterers with a bulk inventory of surplus perishables. Unlike private citizens, food-oriented businesses tend to move through their stored inventory fast enough to avoid spoilage. This makes an offsite facility a convenient storage option. Today, the best storage centers provide their customers with climate-controlled conditions. The availability of these conditions makes it possible to store a variety of temperature-sensitive items.

3) Storage for Rush Periods

During most of the week, you can probably estimate how many people will patronize your restaurant. Still, from time to time, you may experience unexpected increases in your customer traffic. Access to mini storage helps you accommodate all possible changes in your volume of patrons. During periods of normal activity, you can keep your unneeded inventory stored offsite. When things pick up during a planned or unplanned rush of customers, just pull what you need from storage.

4) Storage for Seasonal, Holiday-Themed or Special-Occasion Items

Like many restaurants, you may find that your business’ onsite requirements vary with the season. During warmer months, you may need access to items such as patio furniture and umbrellas. And during colder months, you may want to break out your inventory of decorative space heaters. Local mini storage makes it easy to keep your seasonal stock out of the way until you need it.

Like to keep things festive during the holidays? Mini storage can help in this area, too. That’s true whether it’s Christmas, Halloween, St. Patty’s Day or any other occasion. Just store your preferred decorative items until each holiday arrives. With adequate storage space, you can swap out your décor with a minimum of fuss and hassle. The same convenience also applies to any items you keep on hand for parties or other special occasions.

5) Maximum Business Efficiency Throughout the Year

All successful restaurateurs understand the importance of streamlined operations. An eye for efficiency can translate into lower overall costs and larger profits. In contrast, lack of efficiency sets the stage for increased expenses and smaller earnings. And in a worst-case scenario, inefficient daily procedures can lead to bankruptcy and a shuttered business.

When making their calculations for smooth operating conditions, owners and managers may overlook an important factor: clutter. Inadequate physical space in a restaurant or catering firm can lead to congested working conditions. It can also lead to an unnecessary scramble to find items needed for a specific use or occasion. Like the age-old proverb says: Time is money. And if you can’t move freely or find what you need, you can burn through this resource in a hurry.

If you maintain space in a mini storage facility, you can maximize your business efficiency year-round. That’s because adequate offsite space allows you to keep clutter to a bare minimum. Appropriate use of your available space can make day-to-day operations much more simple and straightforward. It can also boost your chances of turning a sizable profit.

Want to transform your restaurant or catering company into a lean, mean machine? Don’t forget the many advantages gained through the use of mini storage facilities. No matter where you operate, you can find local providers who can help. Just match your needed services to those offered by reputable professionals in your area.