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One of the hardest items to accomplish consistently is maintaining your kitchen cleaning schedule. Fortunately for us, bars and restaurants have similar needs in cleaning and can follow similar procedures with only a minor tweaking here and there. So, unless you are actually clamoring to be shut down by the health inspector, maintaining your schedule will not only help you stay within the law, but will save you time and money!
Create your cleaning list and schedule
Before you can get started on cleaning though, you have to ask yourself, what supplies do you need to clean? The major appliances in your kitchen, such as refrigerators, should have come with a manual, which would include a section on maintenance and cleaning. If you lack a manual, contact the manufacturer for information on how to clean it; do this before you buy anything!
Starting with the major appliances then working down to the more common activities like cleaning the bathroom or washing the dishes, create a list of tools and items you will need to buy. Look over your list for any duplicate items. With this list, you will create a schedule for cleaning. To make a schedule, you can use Microsoft Excel or any spreadsheet program. The cleaning activity can go along the top of the chart with the times on the bottom. Use the spaces so that employees can sign off on each activity they have accomplished.
Ideally you should have one schedule for end-shift cleaning, one schedule for weekly cleaning, and one schedule for monthly cleaning. All the schedules will save you and your employee’s time. During a busy day, things can be forgotten and it is imperative that the important activities, such as the bathroom and dishes, are properly taken care of. With the schedule, you can quickly see what hasn’t been done so you can get it done immediately.
Buy your cleaning products
Now that you have your schedule made, it is time to buy the products. Don’t necessarily buy the cheapest product around. Quality products can go a long way to saving you money. Consider something like glass cleaners. Cheap glass cleaners often leave streaks and a layer of grime, which in the future can be a fire hazard for your stove and take even more time to clean than if you just bought a quality glass cleaner to begin with. You can buy your cleaning equipment at Able Kitchen; which has a variety of janitorial cleaning for you to choose from, and at great prices.
With your schedule and products ready to go, you can implement your cleaning. Explain to your employees what will be required of them. Do your part by checking on the quality of their work by using surprise visits during cleaning.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Consistent cleaning will help you get a longer life out of your appliances, saving you from buying a new machine sooner than you would have. Adjust your schedule as necessary to take advantage of greater savings, it may cost a bit up front but isn’t it worth it in the long run?
John Smith is the owner of Bar Business Blog, a blog dedicated to helping bar owners manage their business and increase their work efficiency. You can also follow him on Twitter!
Back in the day Ice Cream trucks used relatively primitive techniques. First, they only sold ice cream and no other condiments. Refrigeration was done by large blocks of dry ice so the motor was always turned off when the van was stopped for sales. The chimes were operated by a hand driven crank or a take-off from the motor, so they were not heard as often as they are today.
1965 Ice Cream Truck
Today’s upgraded ice cream trucks use commercial cold plate freezers that plug in overnight and when unplugged maintain the cold for at least 12 hours. Music systems are mechanical or more commonly digital devices that have no tape or other moving parts. Each “Music Box” has as few as 1 or as many tunes as one can have programmed onto the chip. The opening on the side that drivers serve from is commonly referred to as a serving window and will usually have a serving counter. Awnings can be attached to trucks over the serving window. Safety equipment usually comes in the form of an electric or vacuum swing out sign which may resemble a stop sign or a triangular shape, as well as vinyl lettering or decals that advise others to use caution.
Ice Cream Scooper
If you stop for a moment to think about how your mother cooked for you as a child, you might be surprised that you made it as far as you did. It seemed that no one knew about germs, so raw chicken and that night’s bread loaves were both on the same cutting board without a second thought. But times have changed and we’re a bit more particular about our foods and food safety. With headlines everyday about e Coli and other dangerous germs in foods, your best line of defense begins in the same place your recipes do.
Everything Has Germs
Right now, your hands have germs on them. That knob you just turned to wash your hands at the sink? Germs there too. For a moment, let’s be realistic. Everything has germs on it. But while this is the case, that doesn’t mean we should give up. Here are some easy ways to keep germs at a minimum:
Wash your hands with warm soapy water for the same length of time as Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Dry them completely with a paper towel and don’t touch anything.
- Don’t touch your face with your hands or cross contaminate your hands in any way.
- Wash down your utensils and cutting board with warm soapy water too. Wash the board between food groups.
- Choose non-porous kitchen equipment, thermometers, etc. When things are made of glass, pyrex, or silicone, they are easier to clean and do not harbor germs.
- Rinse all vegetable and fruits before preparing.
Meats are the Worst Offenders
You probably already know this, but meat is your enemy when it comes to germ fighting. It contains hundreds of possible bacteria right from the start and it’s an uphill battle from then. Here are the ways you can reduce your risk of food poisoning and infection:
- Never store raw meat above fresh produce. The juices can drip onto the clean product.
- If meat looks or smells spoiled, throw it out. Better to waste some money than to make your guests sick.
- Always check expiration dates.
- Wear gloves when handling meat and then throw the gloves away when done.
Temperature Rules to Follow
To make sure your meats are safe to eat, they should be cooking to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, at least. This ensures that any bacteria are dead and gone from your meals. You can use long digital thermometers to check this, wiping the thermometer down with a sanitizer or washing it thoroughly between temp checks. Cold foods should be kept between 35 and 45 degrees, helping to keep germs from growing.
Meats can not sit out for longer than two hours, so if you have a buffet arrangement, you need to make sure to check the meat temperature to make sure it’s consistent or bring the food off the table after two hours. Cold foods should also checked regularly and placed into bowls of ice to help keep the temperature low.
Germ Warfare on Your Foods
No one likes to work if they don’t have to – admit it, you don’t either, no matter how dedicated you are to your store or restaurant. So, if you want to make sure you’re making the most of your time while still making the customers happy, you might want to invest in time saving pieces of equipment. Call bells, door chimes, and timers are a great way to ensure that everyone gets what they want, as quickly and as efficiently as possible.
Call Bells for Everyone
While the idea of hearing a chime for you is going to cause you to sigh anyways, having a call bell on the front counter of your restaurant will help you still attend to back of the house details, but also to be there for the customer in an instant. Simply place the bell out whenever you are going to step away from the front part of the restaurant and then move it out of sight when you’re readily available. You might also want to keep the bell up front as a way to signal other employees about orders. Two rings for a food order, one ring for a drink order, etc. This way, you’re not shouting at the employees you need (even if you want to).
Door Chimes Herald Business
As you are sweeping up another pile of crumbs from a table, you might step away from the front portion of your store or restaurant. Instead of making the customer wait until you see they’ve arrived, you can add a few chimes to your front door to alert you that someone came in. Sure, it’s going to get confusing when people leave that way too, but you will at least be alerted to the possibility of work to be done. You can install simple wind chimes or you can find an electronic system.
Timers Let You Know When It’s Done
Timers that are placed around your heated food will help you remember when to check the temperatures of the foods and when to replace them. Since there are certain food-borne germs in food that sits around for over two hours, you can set the timer to remind you when it’s time to put out something fresh. Just set the timer when the food goes out, labeling the timer to remind you what it means.
From call bells to door chimes and timers, your store can be efficient and safe. And you can do as little work as possible.
Call Bell
Sometimes people want to go where everybody knows their name. And they’re always glad they came, so why not make sure they’re drinking right with special touches like half-yard ale glasses? Instead of simply offering customers what they already expect, doing above and beyond the normal bar gear is going to get you noticed with the younger crowd as well as the seasoned drinker. Here are some easy ways that your bar can make an impression with all of the drunks. And designated drivers, of course.
Sturdy Glasses are a Must
If you’ve ever been to a wild and rowdy party, you know that things can get out of hand pretty quickly. Instead of worrying about every glass that’s on the tables, you might want to invest in a half-yard ale glass set that comes with its own holder for extra assurance. Plus, it looks really cool on the tables. You might also want to choose weightier glasses for ‘on the rocks’ drinks so that it’s harder for them to break, should they fall out of anyone’s hands. Some people like to use plastic cups to help ensure that their glasses stay in tact, but these look cheap and really aren’t creating a cool mood. You’re not opening up a frat party, after all.
Nibblers are Always Appreciated
The good news about drunk people is that they’re pretty happy with anything you put in front of them. Pretzels, party mixes, and peanuts are great things to have on the bar as well as on the regular tables as freebies – and they don’t cost you a lot of money either. If they’re really salty, they’re also going to make people feel thirstier, and that’s going to lead to a higher tab. You might also want to pop small bowls of popcorn or serve salsa and chips to help keep the party going.
Make the Music Loud
At your bar, you will want to turn up the volume on your sound system or your televisions to make sure that people don’t feel like they’re talking too loudly as they drink. Self consciousness and drunk don’t normally go well together, but just to be safe, turn up some faster paced music and make sure the game is loud enough for everyone to hear. A quiet bar is an empty bar.
Whether you choose to serve everything in half-yard ale glass sets or not, know that turning your bar into a success is actually an easy thing to do – once you understand what your customers want: booze, food, and fun.
Half Yard Ale
