Temperature controlled food tray system

A temperature controlled food tray system, comprising:

• an upright structure having a heating outlet and a cooling outlet;
• a first tray support;
• a second tray support;
• a first food tray with a first heating element that provides heating energy to an uppermost surface of the first food tray, the uppermost surface of the first food tray comprising a food support surface configured to support food for display to consumers, the first heating element being disposed between the uppermost surface of the first food tray and a top surface of a the first tray supportto which, the first food tray is being coupled to the first tray support;
• and
• a second food tray with a first cooling element that provides cooling energy to an uppermost surface of the second food tray, the uppermost surface of the second food tray comprising a food support surface configured to support food for display to consumers, the first cooling element being disposed between the uppermost surface of the second food tray and a top surface of a the second tray supportto which, the second food tray is being coupled to the second tray support;
• wherein the first tray support is mounted to the upright structure and the first heating element is coupled to the heating outlet;
• wherein the second tray support is mounted to the upright structure;
• wherein the first cooling element is fluidicly coupled to the cooling outlet, the second food tray thereby being configured to have cooling fluid from a source of cooling energy circulated there through;
• and
• wherein the heating element and the cooling element are configured to operate independently of one another;
• and
• wherein the first food tray is disposed above the second food tray or the second food tray is disposed above the first food tray.

A temperature controlled food tray system, comprising:

• a support structure comprising at least one upright member and at least a first tray support and a second tray support, the tray supports being coupled to the upright member and spaced vertically from one another;
• at least one cooling outlet configured to couple to a food tray having a cooling element and provide cooling fluid into the food tray;
• at least one heating outlet configured to couple to a food tray having a heating element;
• a first food tray mounted on a top surface of the first tray support and removably coupled to a first of the at least one heating outlet, the at least one cooling outlet, or a combination thereof;
• a second food tray mounted on a top surface of the second tray support and removably coupled to a second of the at least one heating outlet, the at least one cooling outlet, or a combination thereof, the first and second food trays being interchangeably coupled to the first and second tray supports;
• and
• at least one controller that selectively activates or deactivates one or more of the at least one heating and cooling outlets;
• wherein at least one of the first and second food trays includes a cooling element configured to have cooling fluid from a source of cooling energy circulated there through, the cooling element being disposed between an uppermost surface of the at least one food tray and the top surface of the tray support to which the at least one food tray is coupled.