How to Select Foodservice Mats

Foodservice mats play an essential role in the safety of employees in commercial kitchens and restaurants. Staff in the food service industry know that preventing slips and falls is the key to running a kitchen smoothly and efficiently.  Moreover, mats designed for use in kitchens help create a safer environment by keeping workers off the slippery floors, minimizing the risks of injuries caused by slipping and falling on wet floors and provide anti-fatigue support for long hours of standing. 

There are various foodservice mats available, and choosing the right type for your kitchen or restaurant is essential to get the full benefits they have to offer. With multiple options available, NoTrax™ has the best foodservice mat to fit the needs of your workplace. Our mats are tested by independent laboratories, guaranteed 100 percent under regular use.

Where Will You Use This Mat?

Foodservice kitchen mats provide pliable, non-slip surfaces that keep your employees comfortable and safe. Mats are placed at workstations to help prevent dirt and debris from being tracked in and in high-traffic areas to protect your floors and minimize maintenance and cleaning. Below are some of the foodservice mat types used in the industry.

A commercial or restaurant kitchen has multiple zones that can benefit from a floor mat. From the entrance to sinks to cooking stations, kitchen mats need to resist hot grease damage and crushing from hours of standing and foot traffic. They also need to remain slip-free despite spills from food and beverages. Strategically placing Non-Slip, Anti-Fatigue and Drainage, Oil and Grease Resistant mats in the correct kitchen zones will help keep employees comfortable and prevent slip hazards.

Service counters in restaurants are mostly dry areas but can be subjected to an occasional beverage or food spill. Most employees who work behind the counter stand for long periods and travel short distances to and from the register and the kitchen. Anti-Fatigue/Anti-Slip Drainage Mats for wet and dry areas are best to prevent slips and keep workers comfortable during their shifts.

Dish pits are subjected to water, cleaners, grease and debris from dirty dishes.  The areas are inundated with splashes of water regularly, and slip hazards are the primary safety concern. Floor mats with drainage holes are recommended in these areas.  Drainage mats are available with a variety of drainage holes or slats.  Choosing mats with appropriate sized holes is essential because it allows liquids to pass through the mat while maintaining a dry, clean and safe space on which to work.

Similar to a counter in a restaurant, the area behind the bar is mostly dry but can be subjected to spills from drinks and oily debris from food items. Additionally, employees who work behind the bar stand for most of their shift. Anti-fatigue mats are best for this area because they flex underfoot to stimulate blood flow and keep employees' legs and feet from tiring. A mat that features anti-fatigue properties with a non-slip surface is the best choice to use behind the bar.

Most hosts and hostesses in a restaurant stand for long periods.  They are the first interaction most customers have with restaurant staff, so keeping the employee comfortable throughout their shift is essential.  Anti-fatigue mats work best in this area. These mats are developed to ease the stress on workers' legs and backs.

Like hosts and hostesses, cashiers spend most of their working time on their feet while moving back and forth in a small area. An anti-fatigue mat placed in this area will alleviate foot, back and leg pain. The mats are designed to flex, providing a comfortable surface that absorbs the shock due to walking and standing.

Trash receptacles and bus stations receive a lot of foot traffic and are prone to spills. Placing an anti-slip mat with drainage in these areas is the most effective way of preventing slips due to spills from food and other liquids. All of our foodservice mats feature an easy-to-clean surface for simple maintenance.

Walk-in fridges and freezers can have slippery floor surfaces due to ice build-up associated with moisture and lack of air movement in the appliance. Cold Resistant floor mats offer superior traction that reduces the risk of slipping and helps prevent equipment, such as carts, trolleys and forklift trucks, from skidding on the floor.

Entry mats protect your floors and keep moisture and debris from entering your facility. Your patrons and guests will see and walk on them, so entrance mats offer an excellent opportunity to display a company log while keeping your floors clean. Moreover, entrance mats prevent slip hazards while meeting your aesthetic standards.

An outdoor entrance mat limits the amount of dirt and moisture that can enter your business. Entrance mats, scraper mats and logo mats are ideal for cleaning off people's shoes as they walk into your facility. These outdoor mats hold up well against water, and many of them feature grooves or fingers that effectively wipe away dirt and debris before your patrons enter.

The back office can see a fair amount of foot traffic too. Whether you have carpeted or non-carpeted flooring,  placing floor protector mats at the entrances, in busy hallways will keep dirt and debris in check while keeping your floor looking great for years to come.

Many commercial kitchens and restaurants can use standard mat sizes, but standard mats won't work for those with unique layouts. NoTrax carries a wide range of mat sizes and offers custom sizes upon request.  Our foodservice mat options include:

• Stock Sizes We keep several standard foodservice mat sizes in stock that may suit your needs. Stock mats are prefabricated and are available in several sizes, patterns, materials and colors. 
• Custom Length For unique shaped kitchens or restaurant spaces, we can cut a roll to fit your facility's exact specifications.
• Interlocking Mat Tiles Modular mats can be configured and arranged in all kinds of unique shapes to fit irregular commercial kitchens and restaurants.  
• Logo & Message Mats Your entrances offer the perfect opportunity to display your company logo while preventing moisture and dirt from entering.  Our logo entrance mats are printed using a state-of-the-art dye-injection process to create a long-lasting color that resists fading over time.  We carry a variety of stock message mats, or we can add your unique company logo upon request. 

Understand the Mat Types

We use industry-specific terms in the descriptions of our products, which can be challenging to interpret. Here's a glossary to help you understand the terminology and find the perfect foodservice mat for your kitchen business.   

Mat Types 

• Non-Slip Mat (Dry) These rubber mats are used to prevent slips, trips, and falls in the workplace. In wet areas, non-slip mats provide traction and fatigue relief for the feet, legs and back. 
• Anti-Fatigue Mat (Dry) Made from various materials including rubber and PVC, these mats are designed to reduce fatigue caused by standing for long periods on a hard surface. Many anti-fatigue mats feature a textured surface for traction. 
• Anti-Fatigue Anti-Slip Drainage Mat (Dry/Wet) Perfect for the dish pit or in front of sinks and drink dispensers, these mats feature a large hole or ribbed drainage design that drains moisture and debris away. It also has a textured surface that increases traction and a yielding surface for fatigue relief. 
• Oil and Grease Resistant Not all water-safe mats are also grease-resistant. Mats designed for grease resistance are incredibly heavy-duty and capable of standing up to grease and other slippery liquids without sacrificing slip-resistance. These mats are perfect to use in front of stoves and dishwashing areas. 
• Water and Debris Trapping These mats feature drain holes or grooved channels that drain away water or trap food away from the surface.  Floor mats for wet areas increase the usability and safety around a  commercial kitchen or dishwashing station.
• Recessed These mats are designed to lay flush with the surrounding floor area. It's perfect for entryways or hallways that have low door clearance space. Recessed mats help with drainage and prevent trips and falls.
• Cold Resistant The floors in walk-in refrigerators and freezers have slippery floor surfaces from ice build-up, condensation and lack of air movement in the appliance.  A cold-resistant floor mat is designed to provide traction and is resistant to extreme temperature variations.
• Floor Protector Areas that receive a lot of foot traffic can benefit from floor mats. Placing a durable floor mat in the area will protect the floor's surface, limit moisture and dirt spread through the facility and provide traction. 
• Interior Entrance Mats placed at the entrances of your business or any interior door minimizes the amount of dirt that makes into the facility. 
• Outdoor Entrance Scraper mats placed outside of the facility ensure most of the dirt and moisture on the bottom of shoes never enters your business. 

Special NoTrax Characteristics

• REDSTOP™ is a uniquely engineered technology that eliminates the slipping and sliding of NoTrax floor mats on all types of smooth floor surfaces. It works by increasing the friction between the underside of the mat and a clean, dry floor surface.
• MicroStop™ is an antimicrobial rubber compound made from a specially formulated blend of raw materials that inhibits the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi that can cause odor, stains and product deterioration.
• Uni-Fusion™ is a revolutionary bonding technology that uses heat and pressure to fuse a floor matting top surface to a base material. The resulting finished product is virtually a single piece, thereby eliminating the possibility of delamination.
• NSFI certification guarantees an independent evaluation of slip resistance on floor mats, coatings, cleaning agents, etc. It provides information to end-users to aid in their purchasing decisions.

If you have questions about selecting other types of matting, visit our Floor Mat Buyer’s Guide, or for specific industries, see our Guide to Mats for Your Business.