21

Aug

How To Prepare For Your Commercial Kitchen Health Inspection?

If you have a restaurant or any food business, then kitchen health inspections are really important to pass if you don’t want to your restaurant to be fined or closed. Moreover, a failed health inspection makes it hard for people to trust your food service. So, if you want to pass the inspection of your commercial kitchen, you need to stay on top of your game. Educate your staff, ensure proper hygiene, maintain the equipment with the help of commercial kitchen appliance repair services, and take care of many other things. Let’s know them more in detail.

Check The Hand Washing Station

First things first, you need to ensure that your hand washing station is clean and up to the standard of the food health and safety code. If the sinks aren’t clean, then how can you expect to pass the inspection with flying colors? So, always make sure that before an inspection and regularly, there is a clean up of the sink and you also want to check for problems associated with the sink, like clogged drains, absence of soap or sanitizer, and the proper working of the faucet.

Also, while you’re at it, make sure that the water temperature is also interchangeable. All of these things are going to ensure that your hand washing station ticks all of the boxes and there won’t be any issues regarding the safety health code when the kitchen is inspected for health and safety measures.

Is There Sanitation?

Hand washing is one thing, but you also need to have different hand sanitation stations, so that chefs, workers, and even servers can use it to clean their hands on the go.

Sometimes, washing hands with water can take a long time, so you’ll need to have these hand sanitation points all over the kitchen, especially near the entrance so that the workers coming in and out of the kitchen can clean their hands before handling food for the patrons. This is an amazing health inspection addition and you will get brownie points for that.

Is There Proper Cleanup?

The next order of importance involves the whole cleanliness of the space. You need to ensure that your kitchen, the floors, and also the workstation have been cleaned after every round of heavy workload. You don’t want to start working in a kitchen that is dirty or hasn’t been wiped down, because there can be a danger of contamination and you don’t want that.

Therefore, always make sure that your kitchen is squeaky clean, and that shouldn’t just be before an inspection. Try to make it a regular habit and you’ll see that the food will be more sanitary and everyone will be happy with the services.

Are The Workstations Clean?

The next important bit to go over is the very place where the food is prepped. You want to ensure that the working counters and stations are clean and they are being regularly wiped down whenever you are ready to make new dishes.

This is important to do because this is the place where food comes into contact with the kitchen surface and you don’t want anything to get contaminated at the end of the day. Make sure that your countertops are clean and that you’re using food-safe cleaners to wipe your countertops down.

Is Your Staff Following All Safety Codes?

This is also really important because, during a commercial kitchen health inspection, the team doesn’t only go through the kitchen, but they also look at different workers and how they’re following the codes laid out by authorities. Are they dressed cleanly? Are they wearing gloves while preparing the food? Are they keeping their mouths and heads covered at all times?

These are just some of the things that the team goes through, so you need to make sure that your staff and waiters are following all orders to the T.

Is The Food Prepared In Sanitary Conditions?

This is something that a lot of restaurants can overlook but you don’t want to if you want everything to go smoothly in a food inspection. If the food is being prepared in unsanitary conditions, then that’s going to give you a bad rating as far as the health and food safety code is concerned.

So, you want to ensure that you’re making and preparing all of the food on clean surfaces and you’re cleaning the workstations, pots, stoves, and ovens regularly, if not a few times a day, to get everything looking spotless and to prevent foodborne illness.

Check The Trash

You don’t want trash, especially perishable trash, sitting around in the kitchen where you’re preparing food. Throwing out trash after every work day is crucial because you don’t want the kitchen to smell bad, especially when you’re preparing food in the same place. So, always make it a habit to check the trash and empty it, as soon as it fills up.

If there is wet and a lot of soiled garbage in the trash, then it’s better if you throw it out before the day ends, otherwise, the smell will waft around the whole kitchen and if you have poor ventilation, then this can turn into a serious problem.

Follow The Rules

When having a commercial food business, there are certain rules and regulations you need to follow. This is different for different restaurants, but you want to ensure that the temperature of the fridges and freezers are set at a certain point.

You also want to ensure that the thermostat of the kitchen is standard to the rules and you also want to know the different working capacities of different workers in the kitchen. This is going to ensure that the inspection goes smoothly and nothing bad happens. If you follow the rules, then you’re good to go.

Have A Checklist

Maintaining a kitchen and its equipment for a food inspection can be a tough task and there are a lot of small things that can slip through the cracks if you don’t pay attention. This is why making a list of things that you need to go over before an inspection is important.

This is going to ensure that you’ve got everything down and you’re not forgetting about the different tasks. Once you’re going through the to-do list, you can even add more things to check as you go and you’ll get done in no time.

Perform A Self-Inspection

Commercial kitchen inspections are done on either a monthly basis or once every couple of months. However, you don’t want to wait around for the team to show up and do the inspection.

Since it’s your kitchen and you are committed to delivering amazing and sanitary food, you need to ensure that you’re doing some sort of regular self-inspections as well. Checking the equipment, making sure that everything is clean, and so on, will only promise better quality and service from your side.

Conclusion

Commercial kitchen health inspections are unannounced so you must make sure that you and your staff are following the hygiene and cleanliness standards set by the FDA. Moreover, your equipment must be maintained by professional commercial appliances repair Springfield technicians to avoid any hazards and food safety violations. Good luck!

30

Nov

Getting Your Restaurant Ready For The Holiday Season

The end-of-the-year holidays are right around the corner and you know what that means. Hustle and bustle, new winter menus, and Christmas and New Years celebrations in restaurants are in full swing. So, you need to keep your restaurant, more specifically your kitchen, in the best shape for customers who are looking for delicious food and a great time. You need the right staff and must have the phone number of commercial kitchen appliance repair services on your phone’s speed dial in case any your equipment breaks down. Here’s how to prepare your kitchen for the festive season.

Decorate Accordingly

Well, you can’t expect to work during the holiday season and not decorate your restaurant to fit the spirit and theme. Decorating for the holidays is the perfect excuse to let your inner child out and deck out on the décor. Not to mention, it looks very warm and welcoming too if your restaurant is decorated appropriately for the holidays.

This is also going to bring a lot of customers in and they will appreciate the fact that you’re welcoming the holidays and the festive season with an energetic spirit. So, setting up a Christmas tree, and having ornaments, lights, and wreaths dangling from the ceiling is a foolproof way of dressing up your restaurant for the busy and fun holiday season.

Hire More Staff

This tip goes without saying, but you want to hire a few extra pairs of hands to help you out with the holiday rush. More waiters, cooks, and receptionists will make things easier around the customers.

Because of the extra staff, you will have a lot of backup, even if a few of the people decide to take the day off at the last minute and you would know how frustrating it can be to arrange help on a short notice. So, print out those “vacant positions” posters because you will need them a lot.

A Special Holiday Menu

With the holiday season comes a lot of competition and you need to be able to flair your culinary creativity, if you want to stand out from the rest of the crowd. This is where your menu can play a critical role.

Custom create new menus for each season and wow your customers. Come up with the most extravagant and hearty dishes that will attract a lot of hungry tummies to your restaurant. Now that the weather has a nice chill, it’s only appropriate to come up with dishes and sides that are going to give you a warm hug from the inside.

Keep Check Of Your Pantry

Believe it or not, you won’t have time to lift your head once the holiday rush starts, so it’s better to be prepared beforehand. You want to keep an eye on the pantry and take inventory of the things that you need and don’t need. The last thing you want is to run out of essential ingredients and get stumped in the cooking process. That’s not professional at all.

So, keep a lookout for things that are running low and order them in bulk before the holidays start because you’re going to have a hard time getting your hands on some pantry and cooking essentials as soon as the bustling season commences.

Keep The Kitchen Maintained

The restaurant kitchen is the place where all of the magic happens, so it’s only fair that you keep it in pristine condition. If there is any part of the kitchen that needs attention, then you better get to the bottom of the problem and fix it right away. The sinks, drains, countertops, and appliances should be checked as well in case they need some repairs and tweaks.

This is going to increase the productivity in the kitchen and everything will be prepared in no time to feed your customers.

Clean, Clean, And Clean

You don’t want your restaurant to be known as the place where there’s hair in the food or the dishes or tables are dirty. This leaves a bad taste in the customer’s mouth and it could ruin your reputation. While working during the holidays can be super tiring, you still want to take care of the overall hygiene of the restaurant. make sure your refrigerators, ice dispensers, walk-in coolers, etc., are clean and you’re following food safety standards.

Therefore, make it a habit to have the workspace and the dining space cleaned before opening and after closing the restaurant. Scraping the grills, cleaning the grease and grime, etc., will be a lifesaver.

Have All Of The Equipment/Utensils

This is probably the most important prep that you need to do. Your kitchen’s life and soul are the utensils and equipment that you’re using to whip up tantalizing foods and drinks. So, you have to ensure that everything in your culinary arsenal is in top shape. Some of the most important equipment and utensils you’ll need for the holiday season are:

  • Large soup pots
  • Roasting pans
  • Mixing bowls
  • Stand mixers
  • Egg beaters
  • Blenders
  • Sharp chef’s knives (a lot of them)
  • Paring knives
  • Ladles and serving spoons
  • Plates
  • Soup bowls
  • Ovens and grillers
  • Broilers
  • Pizza pans
  • Rolling cutters
  • Loaf pans
  • Cake pans
  • Beverage shakers, etc.
  • Ice dispensers

These things and many others are really important for your kitchen and they’re going to be used for almost all kinds of concoctions you whip up in the kitchen. Always remember! Less is more. You don’t need special pans or equipment to make wonderful and tasty creations. It’s time to get creative in the kitchen and make do with what you’ve already got.

A key tip to keep in mind is that you need to have plenty of these things so that each chef can use an item without having to wait for the next chef to be done. This keeps the rhythm flowing.

Get Everything Checked

Speaking of the kitchen, you also need to have all of the equipment inspected before you open your doors to the holiday rush and bustle. You don’t want any equipment breaking down on you at the last minute.

So, take some time out to repair or replace worn parts like gaskets, clogged burners, broken trays and trivets, any attachments of the mixing equipment and the list goes on. You need an expert who can inspect your equipment and tell you what needs to be repaired or replaced.

If your equipment is in good condition and maintained, then you won’t run into any unwanted problems.

You Must Have Plan B, C & D

With holidays, a huge dose of stress is always inevitable. The way you handle things during this busy time of the year makes or breaks the entire flow. Accidents and “oops” moments are going to happen, so don’t let it ruin your good spirit.

One thing that always helps is the fact that you have backup plans and options. For instance, if a stove stops working, then you should have backup handy. If someone calls in sick, then you should have extra people to cover those shifts. It doesn’t take a lot to think ahead and have a bit of cushion because it’s only going to save you from major impacts and you can go about serving the customers in your brightest mood.

Conclusion

An organized and updated kitchen equals a lot of guests leaving with their tummies filled. You’re going to thank yourself for knowing these prep tips beforehand. Well, what are you waiting for? Hire more people and get a commercial appliance repair Springfield service inspect your equipment because you won’t find time to rest once the guests come flooding in.