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For many people, maintenance is the least favorite thing to do and that has often led to them completely ignoring it. However, improper maintenance will only lead you to huge losses, more than what you would spend on timely maintenance right now.
In terms of restaurants particularly, since you are overloaded with bustling foot traffic, waiters swinging the doors in and out and orders being hurriedly prepared in the kitchen, it’s all the more important that you make sure timely maintenance is being carried out. That way, you can ensure that your customers are having a memorable experience.
Now, when we say memorable, it isn’t just about the food; customers, in fact, expect to have a fuller dining experience once they enter your restaurant. Here, one way to make them remember you is by opting for the right branding – for instance, getting custom beer mats for your restaurants and pubs.
However, in order to make a great first impression, you need to keep the timely maintenance of many elements in your restaurants in check too. The most important one being your restaurant’s doors and windows for safety reasons; so consider hiring professional service providers like automatic door installers or repairs to be precise. Other than this, here’s a list of tips that can help you maintain your restaurant in all the right ways!
Ultimate Restaurant Maintenance Checklist
1. Take Preventive Maintenance
Preventive maintenance simply means not waiting for your assets like ovens and automatic doors to break open and instead of working on ensuring that they’re functioning properly. Depending on your asset, routine checks should be conducted regularly; for instance, every week or at the end of your working day. However, routine tasks like cleaning, polishing, and other checks should be done by your regular staff every day.
Outside of these regular maintenances, your restaurant will need timely building and outdoor maintenance too. Tasks such as automatic door repairs, building’s overall heating, cooling, lighting, plumbing companies, and so on will require you to hire professional help because these tasks require trained experts to be carried out smoothly.
2. Succumb to a Network of Contractors
In preventive maintenance, as mentioned earlier, the majority of the tasks are beyond the skills of your regular restaurant staff. To overcome this, you’ll either have to hire a maintenance team (an expensive affair, to be honest) or curate a list of trained contractors for all kinds of tasks. You will need to do some intense research for this part; the hard work will be worth it because you will see positive results in your business soon.
In terms of primary research, it can be carried out smoothly by communicating with your colleagues or other establishments, by looking at reviews, counting the experience of the service provider, and so forth. These steps will help you to put together a list of reliable contractors for the maintenance of your restaurant.
3. Create a Template of Checklist
The details to be kept in mind can get a bit overwhelming while creating a mental note of the necessary tasks to be done. This is why it is ideal to create a template and keep it as a basis to follow while carrying out maintenance tasks.
Here’s a sample template that you can refer to while making your restaurant maintenance template.
In terms of Daily Checks:
Ovens
- Check their door seals
- Clean the interiors including walls and racks
- Check for debris in fans and fan hinges.
Freezers and Refrigerators
- Check if the thermostat is at the right temperature
- Ensure the interior is clean
- Check if airflow vents are clear
Stand Mixers
- Unplug before cleaning
- Clean all the parts by dismantling to the extent that it allows
- Wash and dry all the other parts
- Clean the planetary assembly
Stoves
- Wipe and scrub the spillage and waste
- Wash and dry the removable parts
- Maintain the valve handles
Dishwashers
- Remove all food particles and leftovers before every cycle
- Clean leftover debris after wash
- Clean the interior and exterior
- Keep the door open to dry overnight
Waste
- Change the waste bag every day
- Clean the waste bins every day
These are some of the many tasks that are supposed to be done every day. You can customize your template based on this sample for efficient cleaning and ultimate maintenance of your restaurant.
To Sum Up
Maintenance might ask you for more time and funds and that is why people often overlook this important task. But remember, a little investment in maintenance will save you tons of money that you might have to spend when a probable major outbreak takes place in your restaurant. The bottom line is, it is wise for you to take preventive maintenance, succumb to a network of service providers and create a checklist of tasks to be performed every day to have a smooth running restaurant business.
