Choosing the Best Keg Rack for Your
Brewery, Bar or Restaurant

The Importance of Keg Racks in Commercial Foodservice

So you’re starting a new bar or restaurant, Huh? 

Your list is already insanely long… 

You’re getting the personality of your business built, planning for food and drink workflows, and designing your back of house to meet the objectives of your unique space. 

As a part of your checklist, there’s something that you definitely need to consider when planning a foodservice establishment that heavily relies around the brews coming from the bar. 

And that’s how you plan on transporting, moving and storing your beer kegs around your establishment. 

Keg storage is critical for any new foodservice business as beer accounts for one of the most popular and profitable drinks in any restaurant or bar. 

A well-organized keg storage system ensures that your beer is easily accessible, safe from damage, and stores to maximize space, temperature control and more. 

At Channel Manufacturing, we design and build standard and custom sized keg racks that are designed to serve high-demand foodservice businesses with top of the line solutions to manage your beer kegs. 

In an effort to help start foodservice operators better understand the process of planning for beer kegs and keg racks, we’ve put together this comprehensive guide to outline what operators should consider when thinking about keg rack storage. Perfect to help you plan your next foodservice establishment.

Plan your Keg Storage Needs

The first step in choosing the right keg racks and storage comes down to planning your forecasted beer demand at your unique location. How much beer do you plan on going through to help you determine your keg turnover rates and storage requirements for peak demand? 

Volume of Kegs: Once you have a better idea of your forecasted demand and keg turnover rates you can begin to plan for different keg volumes, and more specifically plan for the different size kegs you plan on storing in your establishment. 

Types of Kegs: Depending on what types of beer you offer, you will most likely take advantage of a number of standard keg sizes at your establishment. These include: 

• Half-Barrel Kegs (15.5 Gallons)
• Quarter-Barrel Kegs (7.75 Gallons)
• Sixth-Barrel Kegs (5.16 Gallons)

Planning the type of kegs you intend to use in your bar will help you more effectively plan for proper sized keg racks to accommodate the specific objectives and demands of your bar.

Optimization of Space

One of the biggest considerations when planning your keg racks or keg storage in your new location comes down to overall spacing considerations. 

Since beer kegs are bulky and heavy pieces of a busy restaurant, planning an effective workflow that keeps your beer cold and properly stored is paramount to keeping your cold brews flowing and your guests happy with their experience! 

When considering spacing for beer keg racks, be sure to look into both of the following: 

Overall Floor Space: Measure and understand your available floor space in your storage areas in your location. Keg racks are bulky and take up plenty of room. Understanding your overall floor spacing can help you understand how you can maximize space with different rack configurations including single, double, and multi-tiered keg rack systems. 

Vertical Spacing: Understand your vertical spacing requirements to help you choose the most space optimizing rack solutions for your space. Make efficient usage of your vertical space by choosing keg racks that ensure proper spacing and clearance considerations.

Keg Rack Materials & Durability

Next up on things to consider when planning for keg racks comes down to the material construction and durability of your keg racks. 

Not all keg racks are made the same! 

And if you are planning a new foodservice space you want to be thinking for the long term of your establishment. 

When you are planning for your keg rack storage, be sure to consider two main considerations with respect to your keg racks. 

Construction Material: Durable keg racks come in a variety of construction materials including aluminum, steel and others. Here at Channel Manufacturing, we build our keg racks with heavy-duty aluminum materials. As kegs are stored in refrigerated walk-in coolers, the humid, wet environment of a walk-in can cause the steel construction to rust over time.  Whereas Channel’s heavy-duty aluminum construction will not rust or corrode. 

Weight Capacity: The next consideration comes down to overall weight capacity. Different keg racks have different weight ratings that they can safely support without suffering a structural failure and potential accidents. Be sure the keg racks you choose can hold the weight of the racks you are planning on using in your establishment. Channel has designed their keg sizes and capacities with this in mind.

Accessibility & Safety

A primary concern for any seasoned foodservice operator when considering keg racks comes down to how the racks can be accessed and managed by a foodservice team during times of peak demand. 

Some of the considerations around accessibility for any foodservice operator include: 

Ease of Access to Kegs: Understand how your team member will access the stored kegs on the rack. Some keg racks are adjustable or provide for easier storage, lifting,and access for your team to help minimize accidents or unleveraged lifting of the heavy kegs. 

Safety features: The safety of your staff is paramount. Be sure to consider additional safety features like adjustable height racks, locking mechanisms, and durable construction that minimize accidents. 

Clearance for Lifting & Storing: Be sure that areas where you plan your keg storage allow ample spacing for your staff to easily lift, shift and manage your keg storage. This includes clearance to bring in fresh kegs and lifting clearance to be sure they can easily access the different types of sizes of kegs you plan to use.

Flexibility

The easy manipulation of your keg racks while things are busy in your establishment is critical to your location’s overall success. 

Plan and choose racks that provide easy adjustment. 

Adjustable Racks: Need to adjust the heights and configuration of your keg racks? Look into adjustable keg racks that provide on-the-fly height and width adjustments, allowing you to change the configuration of your keg storage. 

Fixed / All-Welded Racks: If adjustability is not necessary, Channel also offers fixed / all-welded racks for your application and needs as well.

Budgetary Constraints

Two main factors go into price considerations when choosing racks for your new foodservice business. 

Initial Rack Costs: Higher quality racks, while more expensive initially, can last longer and are typically more durable. Lower cost racks, while appealing at the start of a foodservice venture, can be more expensive in the long run with higher maintenanceand repair costs, and a shorter lifespan with added replacement costs. 

On-going Maintenance Costs: When planning your keg storage, be sure to consider on-going maintenance costs. Heavy-duty, aluminum keg racks provide durability and strength, and require less maintenance in the long run, while other materials can be more costly to maintain. Choose a rack that is easy to clean and maintain while reducing your ongoing expenses.

Our most popular Keg Racks and Keg Storage Solutions

Here at Channel Manufacturing, we design and build a number of high-quality keg racks and keg storage solutions. 

Some of our most popular keg solutions for foodservice operators include: 

Double Deep Keg Storage: Channel’s Double Deep keg storage options offer a durable, heavy-duty and convenient solution for your keg storage needs that include heavy-duty, high tensile strength extruded aluminum shelving, lifetime guarantee against rust, and available in adjustable or all-welded designs. 

Adjustable & All-welded Keg Racks: Our traditional keg racks are designed for storage of 1/4, 1/2 and 1/6th barrels (kegs) of beer. 

Keg & Beer Case Dollies: Heavy-duty, low profile construction is easy to use and maneuver. Keg dollies accommodate full size, ¼ and ½ barrel kegs up to 16.75” in diameter.

Conclusions on choosing the Best Keg Rack for your Foodservice Business

Selecting the right keg rack for your bar or restaurant involves careful consideration of your storage needs, space optimization, material durability, accessibility, safety features, mobility, compliance with regulations, and budget.

By taking these factors into account, you can choose a keg rack that enhances the efficiency, safety, and organization of your keg storage, ultimately contributing to the success of your establishment.

Investing in a high-quality keg rack is a wise decision that pays off in the long run by improving your operational efficiency and ensuring a safe working environment for your staff. Take the time to research and select the best option for your unique needs, and you will reap the benefits of a well-organized and efficient keg storage system.

We hope that this comprehensive guide has helped you better understand how to plan for the effective use of keg racks in your new foodservice establishment.

If you have questions, or need assistance with your beer keg storage, please contact our team for personalized help!