Commercial Dumbwaiters

Providing Convenience & Safety for Employees - Stop carrying heavy or bulky items up and down stairs. Instead move products, supplies and equipment effortlessly, with a commercial dumbwaiter from Inclinator.

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Commercial Dumbwaiters from Inclinator

In the past, it was common for large houses to have the kitchen located on the lowest level, often in the basement, while the dining and living areas were located on the upper floors. Locating the kitchen in the basement of older homes kept it out of sight and out of mind, except when it came time for meals. Then, servants would need to dash up and down the stairs, bringing trays and plates full of food to the dining area and transporting empty dishes back down.

The clatter of dishes, not to mention the chance of someone dropping a plate or two on the ground, didn't make for the most enjoyable dining experience for the owners of the houses. That's where the dumbwaiter comes in. Dumbwaiters are small lifts that make it easy to transport food and dishes from one level to the next. Although you will still find dumbwaiters in use in some residences, they also have commercial applications. If you're considering installing a heavy-duty commercial dumbwaiter at your place of business, learn more about the benefits of doing so and how to make the most of one.

Specifications of Commercial Dumbwatiers:

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Key Benefits of a Commercial Dumbwaiter:

Also called restaurant or industrial dumbwaiters, commercial dumbwaiters have many advantages for your business and your employees. Here are the top benefits of dumbwaiters:

1. Reduce the Risk of Injury

You might think that, among restaurant workers, the most common type of injury would be from something cooking-related, such as burns or cuts. In fact, sprains and strains are the most common, accounting for one-third of injuries among workers in the restaurant industry. But sprains and strains affect more than restaurant workers. In 2017 and 2018, they were the most common type of non-fatal work-related injury across occupations.

Sprains and strains can occur when a person does something to overexert themselves physically. Trying to carry heavy items, such as a bag of potatoes, a box of books or a stack of patient files, from one area to another can lead to a sprain. Carrying unwieldy, heavy or large objects can also increase a person's risk of tripping, as they might not be able to see the ground beneath their feet or any obstacles that might be in the way. A dumbwaiter takes away the need to carry big or heavy objects up and down stairs, reducing the chance of injury on the job.

2. Minimize Workers' Compensation Claims

As they reduce the risk of injury in the workplace, installing dumbwaiters can also help to protect your company financially. The fewer employees who are injured on the job, the fewer workers' compensation claims you will need to pay. If employees have a high risk of injury at your place of business or are complaining of back pain and soreness, a dumbwaiter can be a smart financial investment. 

3. Streamline Organization and Workflow

Dumbwaiters are usually equipped with a stainless steel car that can carry considerably more than the average person. Since a dumbwaiter lifts a heavy load with ease, it reduces the number of trips needed to serve a meal, bring packages from one floor to the next or otherwise transport objects.

A dumbwaiter can also make the process of transporting objects from one floor to the next more efficient. Employee A can be stationed on the upper floor, where they wait by the dumbwaiter. When the lift arrives on their floor, they can unload it, then send it back to the lower level. Employee B can be stationed by the dumbwaiter on the lower floor and responsible for filling before returning to the upper level. The two employees don't have to move as much or travel up and down stairs, allowing the process of transporting items to happen more quickly.

4. Complement Your Decor

A dumbwaiter can be fully customized to meet the needs of your business and to match the decor inside your building. An attractive dumbwaiter can be particularly valuable in a restaurant or another public-facing setting. The cab can be painted to match the walls or flooring of your establishment. Attractive stainless steel is another option.

Dumbwaiters are also available in custom sizes, allowing you to make the most of the lift. The maximum size available is 36 inches by 36 inches by 48 inches. Depending on the model you choose, the lift can carry anywhere from 200 to 500 pounds and can load from counter height or from the floor.

5. Help Employees


Along with helping to lower their risk of injury on the job, dumbwaiters can make your employees' work more enjoyable. They can stay in one place throughout a shift, instead of having to run up and down stairs all throughout their shift. Depending on the type of work your team does, a dumbwaiter can boost their productivity. A medical biller can load all of the files they need into the dumbwaiter, then send it up to the office level, where they can retrieve the files. They'll be able to access more paperwork at one time, reducing the need to make several trips. There will be fewer interruptions as they complete their work. 

Industries That Can Benefit From a Commercial Dumbwaiter

Given the name, it's easy to see how restaurants can benefit from the installation of a lift. A restaurant dumbwaiter makes it easy to deliver dishes and beverages from a kitchen or bar area on one floor of an establishment to another. In addition to using the lift to move prepared meals from one location to the next, restaurants can also use a dumbwaiter to transport shipments of ingredients and supplies to the kitchen or pantry, or to move tablecloths and napkins from the linen closet to the dining area.

Other businesses in the hospitality industry, such as hotels, can also benefit from the use of a dumbwaiter. Instead of taking up space in the main elevator with room service carts or trays, a server can load the tray or cart into a dumbwaiter. Using a dumbwaiter for room service meals would also free up the larger freight elevators at a hotel.

In a similar way, medical facilities, such as hospitals or physician's practices, can also benefit from the installation of a dumbwaiter. Hospital staff can use floor-loading dumbwaiters to send carts or portable imaging equipment from one floor of a hospital to the next. Transporting equipment in a dumbwaiter helps to keep the elevators clear for patients and visitors.

Along with business in the medical or hospitality industries, companies in the following sectors can enjoy the benefits of a dumbwaiter:

Customize the Design of Your Commercial Dumbwaiter with Inclinator

Hoistway Doors

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Cab Gates

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colapsible gate cab Collapsible - (where allowed by code)

Choose Inclinator for Your Commercial Dumbwaiter

If you're looking for a more efficient way to transport food and other items from one area of your establishment to another, a dumbwaiter can be the solution. When you work with Inclinator as your commercial dumbwaiter manufacturer, you get the advantage of our industry knowledge and years of experience, not to mention our commitment to meeting the needs of our customers and providing workable residential and commercial solutions. 

Along with installing dumbwaiters, we also offer expert service and repair. We take safety and reliability seriously and will do what we can to ensure that your dumbwaiter works the way it should. To learn more, find the Inclinator dealer near you.


Looking for smaller sizes for home or office use? See our Residential Homewaiter®.