With more than one million locations in the United States alone, it’s not hard to understand why so many of our service calls revolve around the restaurant industry. According to the National Restaurant Association, on a typical day, the restaurant industry does approximately $1.9 billion in sales.

That is a crazy amount and to think how much wear and tear the typical restaurant door hardware has to go through to handle that many customers might just make your head spin.

While hardware grades are important when you’re dealing with high traffic facilities, there are other factors to consider as well, especially with restaurant door hardware.

Protective Restaurant Door Hardware and Door Material

Hollow Metal Doors vs. Laminate Doors

When it comes to restaurants there are a lot of liquids splashing around whether it be from a spilled drink or the spray of cleaning chemicals, back of house doors have to be able to withstand the harsh conditions.

For wooden doors, all of that moisture would be a death sentence and the door would quickly deteriorate. This is where hollow metal doors are going to be your best bet. They’re rust resistant (if they’ve been galvanized) and can stand up to a lot of moisture. Plus, any harsh chemicals used for cleaning purposes aren’t going to cause any damage to your doors.

However, you aren’t going to want hollow metal doors out in the middle of your restaurant for paying customers to see. They aren’t the most aesthetically pleasing and are generally used for back of house and delivery doors.

If you’re looking for something that’s a little more pleasing to the eye and will be in view of restaurant patrons, a laminate door is also a great option. Laminate doors are incredibly easy to clean and can be wiped down easily if spills occur, which is a given inside any restaurant.

Kick Plates

With waiters bustling through kitchen doors, you can expect your doors to take a lot of heavy hits from carts and scuffs from boots. Especially in the fast-paced world of the restaurant industry, servers can’t be expected to be aware of the door hardware as they rush in and out.

This is where kick plates come in. Kick plates provide a protective metal barrier at the base of your doors and can help prevent damage from the beating carts and shoes can give your doors. This is a relatively inexpensive option that’s easy to install and can add years to the life of your door.

Push Plates

Much like kick plates, push plates provide relief from the wear and tear that can come from waiters pushing through doors, their arms loaded with trays of drinks and food.

The part of the door people come in contact with the most is protected with the push plate to prevent scratches and nicks from everyday wear and tear. They aren’t limited to entry doors into the kitchen, however. Push plates are also used on bathroom doors as well and are easy to wipe off for cleaning.

In the restaurant industry, protective restaurant door hardware is a must and these are some of the basics to get you started. Do you have more questions about what else you might need? Give us a ring today and we can get you started!