Hospitality Service Carts

Steel bar, tableside and delivery carts for restaurants and hotels, sized to what they carry and the route they roll.

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See cart types

TrussMetal is a metal fabrication shop in North Vancouver that works across Metro Vancouver. This page is for restaurants, bars and hotels that serve from a cart: a bar cart at the table, a dessert or cheese trolley, a wine cart, or a cart that takes orders from the kitchen to a room. Catalogue carts come in set sizes; a made cart is sized to what it carries and to the doors, aisles and lifts it has to pass, and matches the rest of the room.

Carts on this page are for indoor service on finished floors.

Cart Types

Bar and drinks carts

Two-tier carts with a low gallery rail, bottle and glass storage sized to what you pour, and a top in steel or a timber or stone top supplied by others.

Tableside service carts

Carts for dessert, cheese, wine or condiment service at the table, with openings for bought-in containers that lift out and a removable board or tray.

Delivery carts

Fixed-top carts for room service or moving plated items between a kitchen or pantry and the floor, sized to the trays you use.

Matched to the room

Made to the size that fits your aisles, doors and lifts, finished to match the room’s other metal, and repeated across a floor or several locations.

Concept drawingBar cart with gallery rail (side view)Side view of a two-tier steel bar cart: a top with a low gallery rail, a lower shelf, a push handle at one end and casters under the legs, one of them braked.Gallery railHandleShelfBraked casterBar cart (side)
Concept drawingTableside service cart with removable containers (side view)Side view of a tableside cart: bought-in containers sit in openings in the top and lift out, a removable board covers part of the top, a lower shelf sits below, and a handle rises at one end.Containers lift out(bought in)Removable boardLower shelfTableside cart (side)
Concept drawingService cart approaching a threshold (side view)Side view of a cart approaching a raised threshold: wheel size and tread are chosen for the floors and thresholds on the actual route, and heavy items are carried on the lower shelf. Concept only; crossing depends on the threshold, the load and how the cart is pushed.Wheels chosen forthe actual routeHeavy itemskept lowPush handleThreshold on the route (side)
Conceptual drawing for planning only. Not a photograph or record of completed TrussMetal work; final detailing is drawn for each project.

Not part of this page: heated, refrigerated or cooking carts and anything with gas or electrical equipment, folding leaves and lift mechanisms, motorised carts, carts for patios and other outdoor use, and back-of-house utility carts. Stainless work tables, some on locking casters, are on stainless steel tables, and merchandise displays on retail display fixtures.

Casters, Brakes and Thresholds

Casters
Bought in for each cart and chosen from the caster maker’s published dynamic ratings, the ratings that apply while a cart is rolling. The weight used is the cart’s own weight plus the heaviest contents you plan to carry. Because floors are rarely flat, the caster makers’ guidance divides that total as if one caster were off the floor, by three on a four-caster cart, and adds a safety margin that depends on how the cart is used. Published ratings are measured under standard test conditions, such as a level floor at a set speed, so the operating conditions are allowed for: the floors, thresholds and ramps on the route and how fast the cart is pushed. This sizes the casters only. It is not a rating for the whole cart and does not show that the cart is stable.
Brakes
Usually two braked casters. A wheel brake stops the wheel turning; a total lock also stops the caster swivelling, so the cart stays put while it is being served from.
Steering
Swivel casters at both ends turn in tight spaces; a directional lock on one end helps the cart run straight along a corridor.
Floors and thresholds
Tread and wheel size are chosen for the floors on your actual route: hard floors, carpet, door thresholds, lift gaps and ramps. A larger wheel generally rolls over a threshold more easily, but whether a loaded cart crosses a particular threshold depends on its height and shape, the load and how the cart is pushed, so no wheel size is promised to clear every obstacle. Tell us the height and shape of what the cart has to cross; some thresholds need a ramp or a change on site.
Ratings
We do not publish a load rating for a cart. Caster ratings do not on their own set what a whole cart can carry; the frame, shelves and stability matter too. The quote states the casters chosen and the total weight, cart plus contents, they were selected for.

Stability and Handles

A loaded cart has to stay upright when it is pushed, turned quickly or stopped, and at the thresholds and ramps on its route; caster ratings do not settle this. The footprint, the height of the shelves and where the heavy items sit are settled for the actual cart and contents before the order is accepted; heavy bottles and containers go on the lower shelf. Handles are placed at a height that suits the staff pushing them, at one or both ends, and gallery rails help keep items on the top. Rails are not restraints, and liquids are carried in their own containers.

Tops, Containers and Cleaning

Tops
Steel, or a timber or stone top supplied by the millwork shop or stone fabricator and fixed to the frame. Tops carry plates, trays, boards, containers, bottles and glasses; food is not placed directly on the steel or its coating. Removable boards and trays lift off for cleaning.
Containers
Pans, ice buckets, bins and bottle holders are bought in and sit in openings sized from the maker’s published dimensions of the exact models you use.
Food contact
Any top, board, tray or container that will touch food is specified separately for that use and supplied by its maker or the owner. The steel frame, shelves, rails and coated steel tops are not food-contact surfaces.
Bottles and glasses
Bottle wells and glass slots are sized from the bottles and glasses you list.
Cleaning
Containers and boards lift out, and the frame is kept open so it can be wiped down. The coating is checked against the cleaning products you use, from the coating maker’s published data, before the order is accepted.

Materials and Finishes

Steel, powder coated
The standard for carts in daily commercial use, applied by a specialist applicator, in black or another colour to match the room.
Blackened steel
With a clear coat, for carts that are handled lightly; it wears at edges and contact points, which some rooms want.
Brass and stainless
Quoted only where a supply and fabrication route has been confirmed for that job. Chrome and other plated finishes are not offered.

Who Does What

Responsibilities that affect the quote

TrussMetal: the steel frame, shelves, rails and handles, the finish through a specialist applicator, and fitting the casters and other bought-in parts once they are confirmed.

Bought in for each job: casters, containers, bins, bottle holders and any food-contact boards or trays. They are not held in stock, and the exact parts are selected and confirmed before the order is accepted.

Owner or operator: what the cart carries, the route it travels, the cleaning products used, and approval of any sample.

Others: timber or stone tops from the millwork shop or stone fabricator, where chosen.

For multi-unit orders, a first-unit sample and approval stage can be included in the quote. Its cost and schedule are set out in that quote.

Related Work

Furniture for the rest of the room is on custom metal furniture, including condiment and cutlery stations. For bars and restaurants more generally, see restaurant and hotel metalwork. Compare finishes in the metal finishes guide.

Questions

Can you make a cart to fit our service?

Yes. Send what the cart carries, the size limits of your doors, aisles and lifts, and the route it travels.

How much weight can a cart carry?

We do not publish load ratings. The casters are chosen from their maker’s dynamic ratings for the cart’s own weight plus the load you describe, which does not by itself rate the whole cart. The quote states the casters chosen and the total weight they were selected for.

Will it roll over our door thresholds?

Send the height and shape of the thresholds, lift gaps and ramps on the route. Wheel size and tread are chosen for them, but crossing depends on the actual threshold, the load and how the cart is pushed, so we do not promise that a cart will clear every obstacle.

Can a cart be used outside on a patio?

Not from this page. Outdoor carts are not part of this offer.

Can several carts match?

Yes. For multi-unit orders, a first-unit sample and approval stage can be included in the quote. Its cost and schedule are set out in that quote.

Request a Quote

Send what the cart has to carry and photos of where it will be used.

What to include in your message

  • What the cart carries, and roughly how heavy the heaviest load is
  • Size limits: door, aisle and lift widths, and the height of the tables it serves
  • The route: floor types, thresholds, lift gaps and ramps
  • Brakes and steering you want, and how many handles
  • Top material, and the exact containers, bottles or glasses it holds
  • The cleaning products used, the finish, and what it has to match
  • Quantity, and your timing

The form starts blank: in “What do you need?”, select Metal Furniture.

Request a Quote

Sending photos of your pet? After submitting, email 3–6 clear photos — front, side, three-quarter, full body and a close-up of the face — to sales@trussmetal.com with your name in the subject line. Photo tips

Have photos or drawings? Email them to sales@trussmetal.com after submitting this form. A photo of the site is the single most useful thing you can send.

Prefer to talk it through? Call (778) 805-5333, Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 5:00.