When it comes to restaurant glassware, you want something that'll last and look great. Unlike your wine glasses in your cabinet at home, bar glassware is put through the rigors of commercial dining. Above all else, you need glassware that'll withstand human error in addition to the power of a commercial dishwasher (Because who enjoys lipstick stains on their cocktail glass?). Lucky for you, at Tundra Restaurant Supply we feature a variety of highly durable, exceptionally stylish restaurant glassware from leading manufacturers like Cardinal. Our Restaurant Glassware Buying Guide is a great resource for those who want to learn the differences between bar glassware and beverage glasses/tumblers in addition to other considerations like material types.
Then comes the fun part—style! Shopping for kitchen equipment and supplies might make your chef giddy, but shopping for glassware should be one of those more enjoyable front-of-house tasks. Much like your dinnerware, glassware evokes the culture and feel of your restaurant. For example, maybe you like the casual, European café feel of the Gotham collection, or perhaps straight, sleek lines evoke the simple modernism of your brand. Whatever your preference, we feature a diverse selection of durable commercial glassware for your restaurant!
Strong Restaurant Glassware Considerations
Durability comes in the form of strong material—and in glassware, that means "fully tempered." You may have seen "fully tempered" as a touted feature for some glassware, but what is it? Fully tempered describes a heat-strengthened glass that goes through a thermal process to make it four to five times stronger than annealed or untreated glass. Other manufacturers have also developed their own versions of strengthened glass to mimic the durability of fully tempered glass, but paired with the beautiful aesthetics of a sheer rim. For example, Cardinal's Krysta® and Kwarx® materials tout superior strength, complete transparency and long-lasting brilliance for the best in beauty and strength. You may be faced with a higher initial cost when it comes to more durable glassware options, but you'll more than make up for that cost once you've replaced a couple (or a lot) of glasses.
Bar Glassware Options
When it comes to your bar glassware, anything goes. Wine, beer and cocktails should be poured in their own unique glasses to enhance the flavor of the beverage; and before you ask, customers will expect different glassware, and no we didn't make the rules here! Bar glassware includes everything from rocks glasses (also known as lowball or old fashioned glasses), collins glasses (also known as highball glasses), martini glasses, margarita glasses and more. These types of commercial bar glasses suit a variety of unique cocktails that you can expect customers to order at your bar. By contrast, wine glasses are more straight forward—unless you plan to specialize as a wine bar, some bars opt for single type of glass for red wine and one for white wine.
When it comes to your bar glassware definitely consider a fully tempered glass or otherwise "toughened" glass. Stemware is naturally prone to falling due to its poor center of balance, and breakage could occur more frequently with these types of glassware.
Everyday Tumblers, Iced Tea Glasses and More
Away from the bar, you need glassware for the rest of the dining room. Ideal for water, iced tea, soft drinks and more, these glasses are often referred to as "tumblers" due to their multi-tasking ability. Everyday glassware accommodates a range of sizes, from 8 ounces all the way up to 24 ounces. There's no right decision when it comes to sizing your glassware. Smaller glasses may help control your water cost (smaller glasses typically mean guests will drink less, plus there's less "leftover" waste going down the drain) but your bussers may find themselves having to fill glasses more frequently. On the flip side, larger glasses means that water pitchers are tapped out more quickly, and you may have higher water costs due to waste from leftover (and full) glasses.
With all these options in glassware, it's easy to quickly run out of storage space. In these instances, consider making glasses perform double duty. A highball glass (also known as a Collins glass) might technically be considered as "bar glassware," but you can just as easily fill with water instead of a cocktail. Plus, there's no such thing as "traditional" in restaurants anymore—anything goes, even mismatched glasses, flatware and dishes. All that matters is that your glassware stays true to your concept.
Glassware and Sustainability Options
If sustainability is important to your restaurant and bar, then don't overlook your glassware! Consider this: constant breakages of your restaurant glassware results in more orders of new glassware, putting a strain on virgin and energy resources to create and transport the glass. Often times commercial glassware lurks as a hidden waste glutton because restaurateurs fail to look at the larger production life cycle. Investing in stronger glassware (like fully tempered glass) will not only save you money when it comes to replacements, but you can feel better knowing you're doing what you can to help the planet
