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Maximising Your Space with Smarter Hot Food Displays

09 November 2022

Last updated January 2026.

How much space do you really have dedicated to hot food? For many businesses, the answer is “not much.”

That’s where smarter hot food displays become essential. With innovative design and efficient heating systems, modern displays make it possible to serve and showcase a wide variety of products — even when space is limited.

Smarter Design Means Better Space Use

In busy food-to-go environments, the right hot food display can turn even a small counter into a profitable food station.

Compact, well-designed cabinets don’t just save space. They also improve workflow, reduce congestion behind the counter, and help your team serve customers more efficiently during busy periods.

But beyond the footprint, it’s also about how your equipment works for you. When heating, visibility, and layout work together, your hot food display becomes a fully integrated part of your service. This allows you to offer more food, maintain quality, and keep operations flowing smoothly.

Some of Our Innovative and Space-Saving Hot Food Displays

The new Flexeserve Zone Xtra demonstrates how smart design can enhance output without needing extra space. With 80% more merchandising capacity, you can display more menu options at once.

It also uses convection heat rather than outdated contact heat. This means hot air is continually circulated throughout the entire volume of each zone or shelf, creating a consistent and stable environment for your food offerings.

Key features of the Flexeserve Zone Xtra:

  • Consistent airflow heating keeps food evenly warm and fresh for longer
  • Multi-zone temperature control for holding different food types
  • Open design for quick restocking and smooth service
  • Energy-efficient performance for lower operating costs

The Unis Thaya Hot Food Display Cabinet, on the other hand, features a multi-tiered layout that helps you display a broader range of products within the same counter space, giving customers more choice while keeping everything organised and easy to reach.

Key features of the Unis Thaya Hot Food Display Cabinet:

  • Removable shelves for flexibility of display and easy cleaning
  • Suitable for table top or drop-in counter installation
  • Quality stainless steel construction
  • LED lighting for clear product visibility
  • Water tray for humidification of the display area
  • Heated units fit standard tray sizes up to 40mm deep

Both of these displays show that smarter equipment isn’t about adding bulk — it’s about efficiency. By choosing displays that maximise space and consistency, you can turn compact areas into high-performing, profitable food stations.

Serve More with Less Space

Smarter equipment helps you serve more, waste less, and make every metre of your space count. Whether you’re running a cafe, supermarket, or convenience store, the goal is the same: to create a hot food offer that attracts customers, increases sales, and fits seamlessly into your existing setup.

Check out our range of commercial food cabinet displays today. Get in touch with our team or call us at 1800 265 771, and we’ll be happy to assist you in choosing the right hot food display to suit your business needs.

About The Author

Michael Brick is a Partner & General Manager at Meris Food Equipment. For over 20 years he has helped food-to-go businesses boost sales and profitability by introducing innovative food concepts. His passion lies in creating a holistic solution, focusing not just on the right equipment (like Perfect Fryers or Flexeserve displays) but also on perfecting the menu, packaging, and in-store processes for increased sales, basket value, and food traffic.

What Our Clients Say

We have benefited greatly from the individual temperature-controlled shelves, allowing us to hold food at the perfect temperature

“The benefits of the Flexeserve are as promised. We have benefited greatly from the individual temperature-controlled shelves, allowing us to hold food at the perfect temperature, preserving its freshness and increasing the variety of food items we offer, meeting peak mealtimes throughout the day.”

– Clinton & Tanya Loftus, IGA Busselton

We went from $600 to now $5,000 in food a week!

“If you’re not in hot food now, you are 5 years behind. Just go for it and dip your toe in, remember you don’t have to do everything all at once.

We went from $600 to now $5,000 in food a week!”

– John Blazely, Store Owner & Operator, Shell Service Station, Colac

We have benefited greatly from the individual temperature-controlled shelves, allowing us to hold food at the perfect temperature

“The benefits of the Flexeserve are as promised. We have benefited greatly from the individual temperature-controlled shelves, allowing us to hold food at the perfect temperature, preserving its freshness and increasing the variety of food items we offer, meeting peak mealtimes throughout the day.”

– Clinton & Tanya Loftus, IGA Busselton

Country Grocers & Liquor Ballan

Sales increased by a staggering 41%. With year-on-year sales up by 81%

Sales increased by a staggering 41%. With year-on-year sales up by 81%

“The results were almost immediate. Within 2 months, sales were up by 37%. In just six months, sales increased by a staggering 41%. With year-on-year sales up by 81%”.

– Ashlee Plucke, Store Manager, Country Grocers & Liquor Ballan

FoodWorks

“When we were looking to purchase a heated merchandiser for our chickens and hot food, we got a quote on the Flexeserve from Meris as well as an alternate unit from another supplier. The Flexeserve® was more expensive, so we went with the other unit. From day one of installing the other unit we had a myriad of issues.

After three months of this and an inability for anyone to be able to fix it, we re-approached Meris about the Flexeserve® unit, and they helped us out. The Flexeserve has done all the things they told us it would, and we have not had an issue. Clearly, you get what you pay for, and the Flexeserve® is worth it”

Shane Cantania - FoodWorks
Country Grocers & Liquor Ballan

“Our previous hot food display was too hot to touch and was melting the food packaging. The harsh heat was drying the food out, which was limiting shelf life and leading to more food wastage.

With Flexeserve, the results were almost immediate. Within 2 months, sales were up by 37%. In just six months, sales increased by a staggering 41%. With year-on-year sales up by 81%. ”

Ashlee Plucke, Store Manager - Country Grocers & Liquor Ballan

“The FlashGrill is so good.

Always such an even cook. Never have to worry about re-heating, it’s always at temp.

Super easy to clean and nothing ever sticks.

We cover the plate with 30 frozen burgers, cook them, then add another 30 straight away with no change in cooking time between the first lot and the second and get the same great result. It’s really impressive”

Katrina Sanderson, Food Operations Manager - Bowser Bean and Vantage Fuels

It enhances flavours by cooking at low temperatures.

“FlashGRILL completes any food. It enhances flavours by cooking at low temperatures. It can perfectly caramelise and grill the products. It is great for white meat and fish. It is very satisfying to cook different kinds of meats and ensuring clients can fully perceive the differences in tastes due to the specific flavour of each product being preserved.”

Chef Francesco di Maria, - LA FIORENTINA Ristorante-Pasticceria Roma - Italy

“Since I have had the possibility to cook at lower temperatures, meat does not stiffen or burn. It remains evenly cooked and intact, and enhances flavour. Thanks to FlashGRILL, which keeps the temperature even on the full cooking surface, I managed to optimise cooking in my work kitchen. I also use the CLOCHE every day. Thanks to it, I obtain great results with meat and fish, like tuna. I am extremely satisfied.”

Chef Diego Asara, - GINGER SAPORI E SALUTE Roma - RM
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