Don’t leave your barbacks out in the cold
To make sure your bartenders don’t run out of ice at a bad time, don’t get flimsy plastic scoops. You need cast aluminum ice scoops from a reputable foodservice brand like Adcraft.
Plastic scoops are cheaper and they can be left in the ice machine without freezing, but unfortunately they can also chip off pieces of plastic into the ice bin and in any case they inevitably wear down. I’m not a bartender but when people request their martinis dirty I’m pretty sure they’re not talking about plastic shavings from cheap ice scoops! For the extra cost, just get ice scoops made out of cast aluminum. On busy nights the ice scoops will no doubt be banged around as barbacks frantically scrape into the ice machine bin. Get one ALS-5 ice scoop for each barback that you employ; these things last forever and have a professional-looking polished mirror finish. At ReStockIt.com you get free 1-2 day shipping for this product, and you even get a discount for buying in bulk.