Super Shine This Summer

Give Your Patrons Every Reason To Return

Texas Restaurant Supply believes most of you restaurant owners had to endure a lot of storms and bad weather over this last winter and stormy spring. Keeping that in mind, when was the last time you took a good hard look at how clean your facility is?  Is it beautiful and clean? If not, the good news is you have time then to get things in shape before warm weather crowds start showing up for breakfast,  lunch, and dinner.

This brutal weather nationwide in late 2014 and Spring of 2015 has likely taken it's toll on many parts of your restaurant both inside and out. Summer weather usually means longer days and hopefully more guest arrivals. It's time to remove the last remnants of winter grit, grime and lingering debris.

Extended rain storms, snow, and blowing winds may negatively impact the visual appearance and cleanliness of your facility. New eyes need to be looking for a deep clean of everything. Ceilings, surfaces, flooring, rest rooms, hallways, entry areas, and most especially windows are usually the worst for storm abuse. Decor may be dusty, or may need to be refreshed if the budget allows. How does your restaurant smell?  For sure, a complete spring clean will go a long way toward making your restaurant shine this summer. A fresh smell in every location means positive impact for each new diner who stops by for a great meal. Keeping an apple pie or a great smelling dessert baking will keep those diners returning. Remember to continue to clean and sanitize all surfaces, both in the front and back areas of the kitchen clean of dust will also help in the life of those counters and tables.

Texas Restaurant Supply has a  Cleaning Focus Checklist that will whip your staff, kitchen, service areas and dining areas into shape for the summer:

1. Inspect exterior doors. A building’s exterior bears the brunt of winter weather. This includes glass, screens, signage, harware and kick plates, threasholds and mats. Start at the ceiling and take a look at everything. Starting at the top, carefully inspect all parts of your exterior-facing doors, including the door handle. New paint to enhance brightness from the street, tightening any loose screws, and replace any worn parts. Check locks for proper use, and make sure they maintain the integrity of the building and current security measures in place.
2. Inspect all waiting areas, benches, interior reservations stands, and checkout counters. Everything should really be visibally clean, free of cobwebs, and it should smell wonderful as soon as you come inside. Make sure all mirrors shine.
3. Scrub and deep clean all floors. Whether you have hard floors or carpet, every restaurant staff should deep clean floors once the weather begins to warm. Studies have shown that deep cleaning, when combined with an ongoing maintenance program, can double the overall life of your floor. Unconscious subliminal negative items can directly affect your bottom line. You may be surprised at how much this means.
4. Clean all glass, interior signage and awnings. The windows into your restaurant are one of the first things that a customer sees before entering your business. Replace windows with cracks, and make sure all display cases are cleaned inside and out to put your best foot forward to each guest. Try coming in with the mindset of it being your first time to visit the restaurant. Objective is the keyword here.
5. Remove and declutter all unecessary decor. Keep all coat racks, closets, storage areas and restrooms spotless. Remove all brooms, sweepers, dusting items, and mop buckets out of sight. Remove all old or expired products, including cleaning chemicals, dirty mop heads, and broken equipment, hangers, and chairs with raggly upholstry. Consider using chemical dispensing systems with a weekly top-off service to help keep these areas clean in the future.
6. Replace carpets and floor mats regularily. Many businesses use a combination of scraper, entryway and walk-off matting to protect floors during each season, so spring and summer offers a great opportunity to check their condition. A matting provider can help manage your program. Laundering mats on a regular basis also protects the floors in your building.
7. Make sure a general handyman inspects the builiding facility from top to bottom. Painting touch ups, replacing damaged or stained ceiling tiles, change out burned out bulbs, and keep a sharp eye out for other unsightly areas that may need attention. Particularily rest room flooring, drains, and under sink areas. While these issues might not impact your day-to-day operations, they can affect how customers perceive your business. Believe us, patrons hate dirty restaurants.
8. Make sure your emergency contact list is current and well placed both up front, and in the kitchen. In many parts of the country, spring and summer will bring bad storms with heavy wind, rain and lightning. Review your emergency contact list to make sure all vendors are still in business and that all employees know what to do in an emergency situation. A fires safety plan needs to be readily available for emergency evacuation as well.

Make the most of this summer for your regular patrons, and see how far taking the steps above will enhance your business. Happy diners mean they will bring friends.  People love to eat, and when everything is clean, free of debris, and smells great, it's the food that sustains your success. Never forget that most people choose to eat out. Don't give them a negative reason not to join you for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

12922 Hempstead Hwy • Houston, Texas 77040 • 713-690-1231

1718 West Main Street Grand Prairie, Texas 75050 • 972-642-0513

Texas Restaurant Supply brings more than 35 years of combined experience in the restaurant, restaurant equipment, food service and related industries to the internet sales marketplace. Together we offer a wide variety of quality, new and used restaurant equipment, kitchen supplies, smalls, appliances, furniture and decor at auctions weekly. Texas Restaurant Supply  buys and sells restaurant equipment in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and nationwide for your convenience.

Remember that Texas Restaurant Supply provides auctions to the Used Restaurant Industry Community in Texas and the USA for your convenience: Dallas used restaurant equipment, Irving used restaurant equipment, and Houston used restaurant equipment are only a phone call away. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Call us here at Texas Restaurant Supply, together we can find options to secure your business for the future…Texas Restaurant Supply provides auctions to the Used Restaurant Industry Community in Texas for your convenience: Houston used restaurant equipment Dallas used restaurant equipment, and Irving used restaurant equipment.