Restaurant Dumbwaiter Lift

Restaurant Dumbwaiter Lift


Why Install a Restaurant Dumbwaiter Lift?

The dumbwaiter lift has been improving the efficiency of restaurants for over a century now. It was originally designed for use in aristocratic homes where the kitchen and dining rooms were on different floors.

It didn’t take long, however, for the benefits of the dumbwaiter come to the attention of commercial providers of hospitality. By the end of the 19th century the restaurant dumbwaiter lift was considered key to the efficiency of the hospitality industry.


The Modern Dumbwaiter

The best ideas are often the simplest one, and this is certainly the case with the dumbwaiter lift. It’s a small goods lift, cabinet size, which travels between different floors carrying food, drinks and used crockery. They’re extremely popular with Tower Lifts clients because they’re simple to install, and extremely durable.

There are 3 key benefits that the food dumbwaiter lift delivers to restaurant or food outlet owners:

1. Dumbwaiters Increase Efficiency

The food dumbwaiter lift delivers meals to diners with optimum efficiency. If your kitchen and dining rooms are on different floors, a food lift negates the need for waiters to run up and down to the kitchen, and the food arrives in a pristine condition, at a perfect temperature.

2. Food Lifts Increase Floorspace

Every restaurant owner needs to be able to optimise their available space. The dumbwaiter lift helps in this task by reducing the number of waiters needed to carry food to tables, so reducing congestion, and increasing capacity.

3. Improved Health and Safety

The less distance covered by waiters carrying plates of food, the lower the risk of accidents and spillages. Waiters who are able to work efficiently without rushing are the ideal for any restaurant, and the dumbwaiter has this as its primary goal.

Do I Have Space for a Dumbwaiter?

The biggest restriction on dumbwaiter installation is space. Some restaurants struggle with building requirements, or simply being able to position their food lift in the optimal spot for service. Tower Lifts designers and installers can help. We’ve installed hundreds of dumbwaiters and can normally find a solution which serves our client well.

Features of the Restaurant Dumbwaiter Lift

Whilst the operating model of the dumbwaiter has remained the same for over a century, the features included in its installation have become more complex. These include:

  • Aluminium trays and rail system
  • Arrival buzzers
  • Automated control systems
  • Bi-parting or slide-up door systems
  • Floor and travel direction indicator
  • Low-maintenance electric motors capable of handling different voltages
  • Safety features: door sensors, safety lights and a final top limit
  • Soft start and stop
  • Stainless-steel cabins of varying sizes
  • Travels through multiple floors
  • Variable frequency drives
  • Weight capacity of up to 100 kilograms

Working With Tower Lifts

The Tower Lifts team has been designing and installing bespoke dumbwaiter lifts for retail, hotels, hospitals and homes for over fifteen years. Tower Lifts designers customise the size, shape and features of the lift to your restaurant’s requirements.

Once your restaurant dumbwaiter lift is installed, we provide ongoing maintenance and repairs. Our maintenance contracts are tailored to each individual client, and ensure compliance with LOLER regulations, continued premium performance, and emergency repairs should you need them.


Would you like to speak to someone about a dumbwaiter lift for your restaurant? Call us today on 01525 601099


Tower Lifts carry out design and installation on a varied range of lifts throughout the UK including:

Domestic Lifts • Food Lifts • Bespoke Platform Lifts • Service Lifts • Platform Lifts • Goods Lifts • Scenic Lifts • Heavy Duty / Car Lifts • Passenger Lifts • Dumbwaiter Lifts • MRL Lifts • Fire lifts • Residential Lifts • low-Headroom Lift