You may think that running a restaurant is just about cooking tasty food and playing good music, but there’s much more to it. You have to ensure it’s clean, the indoor temperature is at a comfortable level, you have documents for your commercial real estate, and the plumbing is operating at peak efficiency, among many other things. Here are the quality restaurant solutions you’ll need to help you take care of the different aspects of successfully running a restaurant.
1. Diligent Temperature Monitoring
One thing you can expect when you start your restaurant is you’ll be dealing with a lot of raw materials. These are sensitive, and not storing them at the right temperature will lead to bacteria growth, making it harder to maintain food consistency. That’s why temperature control is extremely important for your restaurant.
Continuous temperature monitoring is one of the quality restaurant solutions that’ll help retain the freshness of foods and minimize wastage. Consider investing in storage devices that feature temperature sensors to automate the process of temperature checks. Doing this will ensure you’re not serving customers substandard food, as the sensors will alert staff about system failures so you can address them before it’s too late.
2. Professional Cleaning Service
Running a restaurant is one of the most challenging undertakings. Besides ensuring the food you offer is delicious enough for customers to keep coming back, you also have to maintain a clean and organized space. This is easier said than done, especially if you have limited time and resources to do it yourself. Luckily, you can turn to a professional cleaning service as part of the quality restaurant solutions you use to keep things sparkling clean so that you can focus on cooking.
These professionals will remove the dust, grime, grease, and stubborn stains typical in restaurants to ensure your establishment looks spotless and feels fresh. They’ll get behind the ovens, tables, and kitchen stoves, perform kitchen hood cleaning services, and even clean exterior doors. Professional restaurant cleaning services also have the machinery to get to hard-to-reach spots such as the canopy.
The type and size of your establishment, cleaning solutions used, and the employees on staff will determine how much you’ll need to pay for a cleaning service. According to Mill City Cleaning, the cost ranges between $50-$500 monthly. Most cleaning companies offer free consultations, during which you can obtain an estimate for the cost of having your restaurant professionally cleaned.
Be sure to research multiple cleaning companies and compare their prices to make an informed decision. This approach will ensure you get the best deal in town.
3. Fire Safety Measures
Restaurant fire codes dictate that all restaurants must have some fire safety solutions. These codes vary with the location and size of your establishment, meaning you may be legally required to have more fire safety measures than a neighboring, smaller business. Double-check your state and local laws to ensure your restaurant’s fire safety systems are up to code.
A fire alarm system is one of the most important quality restaurant solutions. They’re equipped with a voice announcement feature or visible signs which alert occupants in the event of a fire. A fire alarm system can either be activated manually using a lever or automatically with the help of a smoke and heat detector.
Another common fire safety solution is a fire sprinkler system, which features a water supply and distribution system and sprinkler heads to facilitate discharge. Sprinkler systems come in four different types, with wet pipe sprinklers being the most common choice for restaurant kitchens. Note that water isn’t the most effective in dealing with chemical and grease fires that are common in kitchens, so experts recommend complementing your sprinkler system with another form of the suppression system.
Unlike sprinkler systems, suppression systems use various chemical agents in place of water. They’re designed to detect fires through smoke and heat and discharge the chemicals automatically to mitigate the fire. Restaurant fire suppression systems typically use wet chemicals to put out common kitchen fires such as class K and grease fires.
Fire extinguishers are the most common safety measure in business establishments. However, before you head out to buy some for your restaurant, you should first understand what kind of fire extinguisher will meet your needs. Commercial kitchen fires are classified as Class K fires as they typically involve combustible cooking ingredients like vegetable oils. For such fires, your restaurant needs Class K Fire Extinguishers. However, there are other classes of fire extinguishers, such as A, B, and C; you can use.
4. Website
When you don’t feel like cooking at home and want ready-made food, your first move is likely to take your phone out and open the browser. Whether that’s to check out your favorite restaurant’s website or find a new exotic one to try out with your friends, most people begin the process of finding a restaurant online. This was true before COVID-19, but opening a restaurant’s website to look at the menu, takeout and delivery options, and placing orders is now even a more common part of the ‘eating out’ process. You’ll end up missing out on lots of potential customers by not having a website for your restaurant.
For any business, most consumers view websites as a sign of an established and trustworthy business. In contrast, the absence of one may make you seem sketchy or amateur. A professional website that provides accurate information is typical of a reputable business. In the case of restaurants, where the consequences of eating bad food, such as food poisoning, can be severe, showing potential customers you’re serious about running your restaurant is important.
When someone types ‘breakfast sandwich near me’ into their laptop or phone, they’ll only see results of businesses with an online presence. While you don’t necessarily need a website to show up in Google searches, a Google business listing should be enough; having a website makes it easier for customers to find you online. Google’s algorithms consider your website authority to decide if it should show up on page one. You can’t build authority without a website, meaning your restaurant will appear less often in searches.
Before deciding to try out a specific restaurant, potential customers want to have a rough idea of what they’ll be getting. When they can access your menu online, you make it easier for them to review their options and decide what they want to order. Making your menu available online is especially useful for picky eaters or those with food allergies.
For example, people who can’t eat gluten need to know whether you offer anything they can eat before showing up at your establishment. If such customers can’t look over your menu in advance, you risk having unhappy and hungry customers (the worst kind) who can’t or don’t want to eat what you have to offer.
Another benefit of having a website as part of your quality restaurant solutions is it offers a way to show off your best entrees and appetizers. Food appeals to more senses than taste. While your website won’t get people’s mouths watering from the yummy smells of your delicious meals, you can use it to appeal to their visual senses. For help creating a website, consult a reputable web designer.
5. Install Commercial Blinds
As you think of quality restaurant solutions for your establishment, consider installing commercial blinds. These additions offer several benefits. For example, you can use blinds as a way of advertising. To do this, you can choose colors that represent your brand or print your restaurant’s logo or branding on the outside of the blinds. They’ll serve as a way of reminding passers-by of what food options you offer. If your restaurant is located in an area with high traffic, commercial blinds are a great way of encouraging people to walk into your establishment.
Restaurants do everything possible to keep insects outside while customers enjoy their meals. However, there’s not much you can do about flies. Another notable advantage of installing commercial blinds is they’ll keep insects out of your outdoor sitting areas.
These additions are available in various designs and colors, so you can find something that best fits your style and taste. You can find transparent blinds that won’t detract from your outdoor view. Because they’re typically made from materials such as PVC, commercial blinds last long. Remember to hire professionals for your commercial blind installation.
6. HVAC Services
Restaurants do more than feed people. They also serve as a space for holding business meetings and events and a place of employment for some. Your restaurant’s indoor climate and temperature must be pleasant for employees and customers so they can keep coming back.
If your clients can smell the fish your chef is frying in the kitchen or shivering throughout their meal, they’ll think twice about eating from your establishment again. If the air quality in the back is poor, your cook may start looking for another job offering better working conditions for their staff. An HVAC system can make or break your restaurant’s reputation.
While one customer may praise your beef burgers, another may say they won’t be coming back because it was hot and musty inside. If people catch word that your restaurant always has a faulty air conditioning system or the indoor climate is inconsistent, it can cost you customers.
Keep up with your HVAC systems maintenance needs to ensure it delivers consistent temperatures at all times. Without proper ventilation, unwanted smells will fill your restaurant’s atmosphere. Customers don’t want to breathe in the smell of pork being roasted as they’re trying to enjoy their dessert.
A HVAC system affects not only a diner’s experience but also employees’ performance. You can expect lower worker productivity if your restaurant is extremely hot and humid. Carrying heavy plates around a hot restaurant will make your waiters dread every day they work for you.
Your kitchen should also meet ventilation requirements. Air quality is key to ensuring a healthy workplace for employees. Unhealthy working conditions can lead to employees falling ill, potentially resulting in lawsuits. To avoid running into HVAC system issues, consult a professional HVAC service and agree on a maintenance schedule as part of your quality restaurant solutions.
7. Plumbing Services
A restaurant’s plumbing plays a key role in its operations. It impacts how quickly you can prepare meals, wash dishes, and the length of the queues at the restroom. If one of these components isn’t operating at peak efficiency, you may have a significant inconvenience on your hands.
Whether expanding an existing restaurant or building a new one, you must install new plumbing and hook it up to the proper appliances. Note that there are stringent legal guidelines that you must adhere to while installing new equipment. That’s why you should rely on restaurant plumbing experts to ensure everything is done right the first time.
Plumbing issues, whether the dreaded clogged toilet, full septic tanks, or a slow-moving kitchen drain, are typical in restaurants. For this reason, it’s wise to have a reliable commercial contracting plumber you can count on. Don’t hold off until there’s an emergency. Find a trustworthy local plumber and add them to your speed dial.
Grease traps are used to keep used cooking oil and food scraps from contaminating municipal water supplies. To properly dispose of used grease, scheduling a routine visit from a restaurant plumbing specialist in your area is advisable. How often you need their services depends on the traffic of your restaurant.
8. Landscaping Services
Commercial landscaping services can benefit most businesses, including restaurants. Everyone’s initial impression of your establishment is its exterior. You’ll need to hire professional commercial landscaping services as part of your quality restaurant solutions to make your business’s facade look professional. There are several benefits to doing this.
Your restaurant’s landscape sets the tone for the rest of the establishment. People will be more interested in your services if you professionally present your business. When your business’s landscape is well-maintained, customers and staff will enjoy themselves more.
Commercial landscaping services can also save you time and money. From mulching to trimming trees, you can relax knowing that your landscape will receive routine maintenance. You’ll have more time to manage your business and concentrate on your clients and consumers since you don’t have to worry about maintaining your landscaping.
There’s a lot that goes into ensuring the success of a restaurant. To alleviate the burden, you’ll need to use quality restaurant solutions. Use this read as a guide for the quality restaurant solutions that’ll benefit your establishment.