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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!
Ice Cubes
The most basic component of cocktails is the “Ice” and that needs careful consideration. Things to consider when making ice is the water type and shape of ice. Icetenders use denser, larger cubes for spirits like Scotch and crushed ice for refreshing drinks that need dilution.
Designer ice cubes add fruits and flowers in the cube. Good ice requires good ice making equipment. The bar culture is getting more advanced and people are starting to pay attention to every last detail that goes into a cocktail. You can really make a momentous difference with ice.
One of the keys to a successful restaurant business is learning how to woo your customer. This means being able to sell whatever you have on the menu to anyone at any time of the year. Even if it’s ninety degrees out, people should want to empty your soup warmers and when it’s colder than ice outside, they should be looking for your salads and frozen treats. But since not everyone has the knack for selling, here’s a crash course in sales techniques that actually work.
Soup Warmers
What’s So Special About Your Place?
You need a ‘hook’ in order to get people in your door – and to keep people coming into your restaurant. So, be honest with yourself, what makes you so special? While it’s true that every restaurant concept has been covered (usually all on one street), you need to find something in your place that makes you better, or at least different, from the rest. And if you can’t find anything, it’s time to make some changes at your restaurant. Maybe you sell all breakfast foods? Have your staff dress up in pajamas and then advertise from that angle. Find something that makes customer feel shocked or something that makes them laugh and you’re going to bring ‘em in by the busload.
Make it a Mystery
On the other hand, the less you tell your customer, the more they’ll want to know. What you might want to do is create a mystery special or a mystery theme that will happen one night a week. Create flyers and signs that promote this mystery event and then do something wild that people will enjoy. Have an 80′s night or redecorate the seating area in crazy colors. Just do something that makes people want to come in to see what else you can offer them.
Become More Regular
Some restaurants that have an older clientele or guests that seem to favor sameness will want to create a schedule of menu items and specials that repeats each week. For example, margarita Mondays are popular. You can create an entire schedule of weekly food specials or entertainment that will help keep people coming in, even though they know what to expect.
Other ways to bring people in:
• Have a certain hour of the day when everything’s half off. But don’t publish when that hour is.
• Have drink specials with certain menu choices.
• Include desserts with dinners on the weekends.
• Include your customers in a vote of what new items you bring onto the menu.
• Have private events for special customers.
Emptying your soup warmers when it’s seventy outside takes talent. But creating a buzz? That just takes a little creativity.
