Dining services sliced the meat and cheese that would be needed and layered it on waxed parchment. The papers were placed on sheet pans, which were stacked in carts and kept in coolers. Three trucks delivered the carts to assemblers. Steak-Out stores hot foods in a proprietary hard container and cold foods such as salads in a proprietary bag. Customers provide distance and delivery times so no foods reach inappropriate temperatures during transport.
Many operations use steam-table pans for holding, whether in the front or the back of the house.
Barbara Pyper, R.D., president of An Apple a Day, a Seattle-based consulting firm, who also teaches sanitation classes at South Seattle Community College, says many operators don't give safety its due when keeping foods warm. Steam can leak and lower food temperature. It should touch the bottom of the steam-table pan. There's the possibility of cross-contamination. But don't rely on them for long-term holding.