Keeping Your Kitchen Clean Throughout the Year

The adage “cleanliness is next to godliness” has been around for years for good reason, and this rings doubly true for those of us in the restaurant business. A clean restaurant makes for happy customers, which makes for a happy staff, which makes for a happy owner.

We’ve gathered some of our best tips to help streamline the cleaning process and keep your place of business running smoothly.

Take a Walkabout

Restaurants are famous for their fast-paced environment - but the constant hustle and bustle can make it hard to keep track of who’s in charge of what. Skip the stress and take the time to create detailed lists that will be accessible to every member of the staff.

Start by outlining what needs to be done before each cooking shift, daily, weekly, monthly, seasonally and annually. For instance, while cleaning the grills and fryers may need to be done multiple times a day, cleaning the hoods only needs to be done a couple of times a year. Take a walk through your entire restaurant and write down everything you notice.

Divide and Conquer

Once you have the list of what needs to be done and when, start dividing and assigning the tasks between your staff. While some tasks will clearly be done by those in the kitchen, others can be delegated to your front of house staff. Dividing duties gives everyone a sense of responsibility, while keeping things fair.

Go one step farther by making a list of the cleaning supplies you use for each task, and take inventory on how much of each you have. Post the list in a public place to allow your employees to make a note when supplies are running low.

Embrace Spring Cleaning

Now that you have a plan, set yourself up to succeed. Many restaurants are closed on their least busy day. While most of us would rather not think of work on our day off, it can be a good chance to start the year (or the rest of the year) off on the right foot with a complete cleaning. Either incentivize your employees to volunteer to come in for a few hours to help out, or hire a professional team for a deep cleaning.

Foster the Right Environment

When all's said and done, the success of your restaurant depends on your staff. Encourage your employees to care about your business as if it’s their very own, and reward those who do. Creating a team-centric atmosphere lays the groundwork to help employees to feel as if they’re working for something bigger than their paycheck. Instilling a “if we succeed, you’ll succeed” philosophy ensures everyone is happy and on the same page.