Skip to content
K-12 School Districts · Cleveland
Cafeteria and Cleaning Supplies for Ohio School Districts
Dean Supply is a family-owned distributor in Cleveland, in business since 1950. We stock more than 50,000 items across foodservice and janitorial and deliver on our own trucks five days a week.
Trays, gloves, scoops, pans, liners, soap and paper. One account, one invoice, one number to call.
How to Buy
Four Ways, Whichever Your Policy Requires
Every district has its own rules about what has to go out to bid. We are set up for all four ways and will send whatever paperwork your treasurer needs for the file.
What We Stock
Six Categories, 50,000+ Items
Serving line
Compartment trays, steam table pans and lids, serving spoons, scoops, food shields.
Breakfast and grab-and-go
Bags, wraps, lidded cups, carriers and portion cups for breakfast in the classroom and cart service.
Transport to other buildings
Insulated carriers, sheet pans, food storage, lids, date labels.
Cleaning and custodial
Can liners, floor finish and stripper, restroom paper, soap, dispensers, chemicals, receptacles.
Concessions
Cups, trays, boats, coolers and food handling for games and family nights.
Terms
The Details You Need Before You Set Up
Questions
Before You Open an Account
What is the delivery minimum?
$150 in merchandise, plus a $2.99 fuel surcharge, on local truck delivery. See local truck delivery.
How fast can we get an order?
Order by 3:00 PM the day before your delivery day and it makes your next scheduled stop. Which days you get depends on your route.
Faster than that, the showroom is open to the public and someone can collect the same day.
Do we have to go out to bid?
Only if your board policy says so for that amount. We are set up for a co-op contract, your own bid, or a PO under the threshold. We send whatever paperwork goes in the file.
Can we buy on a purchase order?
Yes. District accounts order on a PO, not a card. Your office sends the PO and gets the invoice the usual way.
Are you set up for tax exempt?
Yes. Send your certificate when we open the account and it covers everything after.
Can each building order for itself?
Yes. Several managers can order on one account and the treasurer's office still sees every invoice.
How do we reorder?
Phone, email, our website, or our app. The app shows your usual items and more than one manager can be on it. See ordering by app.
Will you deliver over the summer?
Give us your break dates and receiving hours. Summer is usually the biggest cleaning order of the year and someone has to be there to sign for it.
If your summer feeding sites receive somewhere else, tell us that too.
Can you quote for an equipment grant application?
Yes, and sooner is better. Applications need a quote attached and a rushed one is where mistakes get in. Check this year's deadline with your state school meals office — the window moves and the money is not there every year.
Can you help us hit meal pattern portions?
Tell us what you serve and which grade groups. We will tell you which scoop number and colour goes on each well, and which pan depth makes the portion easy for the server to see.
Does Buy American cover trays and liners?
No. That rule covers food — farm products and things made from them. Trays, liners and gloves are supplies, not food.
If your district wants American-made supplies for other reasons, ask and we will tell you which ones are.
Are latex gloves allowed in a school kitchen?
No. Ohio does not allow latex gloves in food service, schools included. Nitrile, poly and vinyl are fine. See our glove guide.
Can you help with the health inspection?
Yes. Our pre-inspection checklist lists what an inspector looks for — thermometers, test strips, soap and towels at every handsink — and lets you order it all at once.
Do you sell equipment or only supplies?
Both. Big capital equipment on a grant or bond is a long quoted job. We are strongest on everything around it — pans, racks, filters, chemicals, gaskets, trays, scoops — plus the everyday cleaning and disposables list.
What if something on our list is discontinued?
We tell you before it ships, not after. If there is a real equal we name it and let you decide. We do not swap things in quietly.
Portion Control
Scoop Sizes and What They Hold
Meal patterns are written in cups and ounces, but a serving line uses scoops. Each scoop has a number and a matching handle colour, so you can tell a server use the blue one instead of about a half cup.
All nine sizes are $14.00 each and in stock. Click any price to see the product.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Size | Handle colour | Portion | Typical use | In stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #6 | White | 4.75 oz | Entrees, casseroles, mashed potato | $ 14.00 502208EA1 View → |
| #8 | Gray | 3.64 oz | Large sides, pasta, rice | $ 14.00 502209EA1 View → |
| #10 | Ivory | 3.25 oz | Standard hot side, cobbler | $ 14.00 502201EA1 View → |
| #12 | Green | 2.75 oz | Vegetables, fruit cups | $ 14.00 502202EA1 View → |
| #16 | Blue | 2 oz | Half-cup vegetable, muffin batter | $ 14.00 502203EA1 View → |
| #20 | Yellow | 1.75 oz | Smaller sides, cookie dough | $ 14.00 502204EA1 View → |
| #24 | Red | 1.5 oz | Garnish, condiment, salad topping | $ 14.00 502205EA1 View → |
| #30 | Black | 1 oz | Sauces, dressings, small portions | $ 14.00 502206EA1 View → |
| #40 | Orchid | 0.75 oz | Butter, dips, tasting portions | $ 14.00 502207EA1 View → |
Portions are the maker's number for a level scoop. What each grade group needs differs by food group and age, so work from your own meal pattern. Tell us what you serve and we will tell you which scoop goes on which well.
One caution: a #6 scoop is 5⅓ oz from one brand and 4.75 oz from another. Standardise the brand as well as the colour.
Compostable
Worth It Only If Your Hauler Takes It
We stock compostable trays and service ware next to the regular ones. Straight advice: compostable only breaks down if something carries it to a compost site. In a dumpster it costs more and does nothing. If your dish room works and is staffed, washable trays beat both on cost per meal.
Trays
Three Ways to Buy a Tray
The decision every district revisits. Which one is right depends on whether you have a dish room and whether anyone is there to run it.
Foam five-compartment tray, 500 per case. The default where there is no dish room or the dish room cannot keep up. Local delivery only.
Five-compartment tray made from plant fibre, fully compostable. For districts with a green commitment in the wellness policy or a composting stream on site.
Moulded compartment tray in six colours, scratch resistant and dishwasher safe. Cheapest per meal over a year if you have the dish room to run it.
Two ounce plant fibre souffle cup for dressings, dips and condiments. Packs of 50 for a small kitchen, cases of 2,000 for a district.
Prices shown are website prices. District accounts are quoted separately — send us your current tray and we will price the equivalent.
Quotes and Bids
Send Us Your List
Email a spreadsheet, a bid sheet, last year's award, or a photo of the storeroom shelf. We price it line by line, mark anything we do not carry, and send it back in a form your treasurer can file.
Writing a bid or a grant application? Send the draft. We will tell you what is real on pack sizes and lead times before it goes out.
Dean Supply · 3500 Woodland Ave, Cleveland
Send Us Your List
We will price what you buy now, tell you what we do not carry, and have the account open before your next order.
Call 216-325-0994 · Email help.desk@shopatdean.com · 3500 Woodland Avenue, Cleveland OH 44115
