Shipping Containers for the Hospitality Sector

Shipping containers are becoming increasingly popular across the hospitality sector.

The versatility and accessibility of shipping containers have made them an attractive prospect to both new and established businesses.

However, there are more factors to consider before converting a shipping container into a bar, cafe or restaurant.

Cleveland Containers has put together a handy guide for businesses looking to use shipping containers for hospitality, as well as showcase some case studies of our past projects so you can see how ideas have developed in this sector.

Planning Considerations for Converted Shipping Containers

There are a few things to consider when looking at using a shipping container for hospitality purposes:

What will the shipping container be used for?

Are you creating a bar in a shipping container, or maybe opening a shipping container cafe?

Whatever your intended use is, this will be the first defining factor in what you look for when planning your container.

For example, a bar might require more shelving and storage than a food unit, whereas a cafe might need less space overall.

Once you’ve got a solid idea of the size of the unit that your business requires, you can start to truly plan from there.

Is your location suitable for a shipping container?

Ideally, you want flat and even land for your shipping container. If your site is slightly on a hill or is uneven, then you will need to account for that before you bring the unit to site.

Solid support blocks will be enough to support the container if you are on uneven ground. But be sure to prepare for added costs and planning when taking this into account.

Is your site prepared for your shipping container?

Make sure the required space is clear of debris, has easy access available and has proper drainage.

This will make the installation of your converted hospitality unit go smoothly and ensure that you will be able to get up and running quicker.

It’s always worth providing wider access than you might think is necessary, just to allow for any slight adjustments when your unit is being delivered.

For more information on preparing your site, read our handy shipping container delivery guide.

What utility connections are available and needed on-site?

Always ensure that your site has enough room for a generator and water tank, or at least easy access to connect to the electric mains and water supply. 

It’s likely that your bar, restaurant or cafe will require constant electricity for refrigeration purposes and constant running water for hygiene reasons.

Setting up these services early on means that your container meets local health codes and avoids any delays when installing.

Is your layout suitable for your expected number of customers and staff?

When considering storage, appliances and other features in your shipping container, it’s important to also allow enough room for the expected number of staff that will be working at one time. 

For every extra appliance or feature you add to your container, the floor space could decrease. If you have a low staff count, this isn’t a worry. But working with a larger crew can create some bottlenecks.

When considering a site, it’s also useful to consider if your chosen area could handle the number of customers that you expect at one time.

Is there ample area for queueing, car parking and seating? If a busy business is in a small area, then customers could easily start to feel cramped.

Shipping Container Conversion for Hospitality

Any shipping container that we sell at Cleveland Containers can be adapted to hospitality. As you will see in our examples below, our containers can be welded together or cut in half to suit your specific needs.

For example, our high cube containers come in either a 20ft size or a 40ft size, but we can customise them to be either 10ft or 30ft if required.

You can contact us today and get a free quote for a completely customised shipping container.

Bespoke Catering Units

f you want a pre-built bespoke container catering unit, Cleveland Containers can provide for you. Available in either 10ft, 20ft or 40ft, our catering units are modified in-house and can be tailored for food preparation, storage or a combination of uses.

Our team will work together with you to make sure that every element that you need in your container is available before the unit is delivered.

Our full range of offerings includes full electrics, serving hatches, lockable doors and windows, non-slip flooring, extractor fans and much more.

Case Studies

We have experience setting up hospitality up and down the country. From bars to restaurants, here are some of our high-profile cases:

Middlesbrough Fan Zone

We collaborated with Middlesbrough Football Club to create a unique fan zone experience outside of the Riverside Stadium.

By using a 40ft high cube container, we were able to create a two-tier fan zone. Drinks are served from the lower tier, with the upper area used for standing space. A modified 20ft high cube container also provides shelter for fans on the upper tier.

The fan zone has been a success with fans and has helped to build the matchday atmosphere before fans enter the ground.

Learn more about this project in our Middlesbrough Fan Zone case study.

Hopetown Darlington

Ahead of the reopening of the Hopetown Darlington museum, we supplied two 20ft shipping containers for the outdoor park.

One of these containers was renovated into a hospitality unit whilst the other was used for toilets, showing the versatility that shipping containers can offer.

The hospitality unit was fitted with Grafo-Therm, to help with condensation, and essential electricals including LEDs and lighting.

Both containers were painted jet black before being fitted with external timber cladding to create a modern finish that fitted in with its surrounding area.

Read our case study on the Hopetown Darlington project to learn more.

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