Our Story

Phil and Steve, The Restaurant Guys know all too well how precious a commodity space is in the kitchen. Having owned and operated restaurants throughout the country (Aspen, Chicago, Encinitas, Minneapolis, St Paul and Solana Beach) for over 30 years, The Restaurant Guys have seen it all when it comes to the kitchen staff trying to accommodate working in tight places. Seeing space as a basic kitchen need, Phil invented the InstaPrep Table, a secure, sanitary prep table that creates additional workspace in any kitchen. Steve, Phil’s partner, seeing the value in the InstaPrep Table, joined Phil in taking the InstaPrep table from concept to reality –soon the InstaPrep Table was born.

Phil noted that one of the most common practices to gain space in the kitchen was to place cutting boards, bowls and sheet pans on trash receptacles. Not only was this practice potentially unsanitary it also was costly. Workers would often bump into the balanced sheet pan or cutting board, spilling valuable prepped food. Knocked over trays and cutting boards also creates other serious problems. We all are aware that spilled food can produce slippery and dangerous conditions in a busy kitchen. However, the initial concept, to create additional, portable workspaces, whenever you need it, wherever you need it made sense. So Phil designed a durable, portable, plastic table that could securely be fastened to a trash receptacle. The table’s arms fold-out holding the InstaPrep Table firmly in place preventing spills and other accidents. The fold-out arms also keep the table well above the lip of the trash receptacle keeping the surface of the table sanitary and safe. It was also important to make the InstaPrep Table strong, light weight, portable and easy to clean. So Phil and Steve made the table from durable polypropylene and designed it to fit in most commercial dishwaters while still providing sufficient workspace. The InstaPrep Table was close to becoming a reality; one final touch was to cut a hole in the table’s surface. The hole provides a place to secure mixing bowls as well as an easy and clean way to dispose of scraps. With the addition of the hole, the design specs checked and confirmed the first InstaPrep Table was built. The first prototype was a huge success and is still being used in Steve and Phil’s restaurant in Solana Beach. Today thousands of restaurants enjoy working with more space in their kitchen thanks to the space creating InstaPrep Table.

With the InstaPrep Table you can create additional, portable workspaces, whenever you need it, wherever you need it. The Restaurant Guys guarantee it.