Healthy Hospitality: 7 Things to Keep Clean in your Restaurant
With all that’s in the news about the various viruses going around, it’s important that we all remain as healthy and safe as possible. Our job in hospitality is to take care of our guests and one another. That expression of kindness and care extends from a warm “hello” all the way to the daily maintenance of our operations.
We all know that the “germiest” things in a restaurant are the chairs, menus and salt and pepper shakers so please make sure these are on your daily cleaning list. In addition, here’s my list of the 7 things you need to keep clean in your restaurant in order to prevent the spread of germs and maintain a healthy and safe environment for your team and guests, year round:
Trays: In my experience trays are cleaned at the end of each day but sometimes they are rarely cleaned at all. But a tray is utilized by most every FOH team member on every single shift! I recommend putting them through the dishwasher frequently and remembering that if you are using a tray then please remember not to touch your face, nose or eyes to avoid the spread of germs.
Computer Screens: Check with your POS and reservations company but most computer screens can endure sanitation. Remember, they are touch screens so that whatever you just touched will end up on it. And the computer is also often used as a time clock, so this means that everyone on your team, when they arrive to work (and off the subway) will touch this important hub in your business. I would put sanitizing the POS screens part of your opening and closing sidework for each shift in your operation.
Coat Check Tags: Who here has ever washed their plastic coat check tags? I have never seen anyone clean their tags but these little plastic numbers are touched and reused again and again by both staff and guests. The best answer: use paper tags that can be tossed out after one use.
Credit Cards: Same as above, who has ever washed their credit card? (A study reports that a credit card has a higher “germ score” than a urinal in Grand Central.) If you’re touching stuff that people touch, remember to wash your hands frequently during service. I once had a famous musician pull a credit card out of his underpants (yup, the hand went straight down his pants, not into his pocket) so you never know what that poor credit card has been through. Just know, you gotta wash or sanitize your hands after running a few cards (and while you’re at it, sanitize your check presenter too!).
Door Handles: We know that we must clean the glass on our front doors but please, please, please, make sure you sanitize the handles, push pads, locks and doorknobs of all the doors you come in contact with. This means:
The front door: sanitize the push pad, pull handle, emergency bar….anyplace that people push or pull your door open or closed (and don’t forget the storm door in the winter!)
Bathroom doors: make sure you clean the doorhandle itself as well as the individual stall locks and “occupied” locks too
Kitchen doors: this might mean sanitizing the whole thing since we push it from every angle and from both sides
Backdoors or receiving doors: a ton of people go through this busy exit and entrance; you gotta keep it clean
Refrigerator doors: in the kitchen, bar and service stations, refrigerators get a lot of action so make sure you keep those handles sanitized on each shift
Changing room doors: this is where our teams enter their workspace, it’s important to keep it germ free
Coatcheck door (if you have one): don’t forget the coatcheck!
Soda Guns and Coffee Machines: We know that the soda gun is popular with fruit flies because it dispenses sugary drinks but do remember that the gun is handled again and again by everyone in the operation. And so are your espresso and coffee makers! Definitely conduct daily cleaning of your soda and coffee machines as part of your closing sidework but also make sure to sanitize the handles and buttons a few times during your shift in order to minimize the spread of germs in your restaurant.
The Phone: We all know that our mobile phones are disgusting because we touch it regularly (25,127 Bacteria per Square Inch!) but now imagine that you put it on your face. This ensures that any nasties on your phone are now that much closer to your mouth, nose, and eyes which makes you more susceptible to picking up a virus. This is true of your restaurant phone as well: these phones are shared so wipe them down with alcohol wipes before, during and after your shift.
To ensure that you’re keeping your team - and operation - clean, safe and healthy it’s important to make sure you have plenty of the basics in place to do so. Hot water, soap, sani solution, and paper towels are essential as well as alcohol wipes and bottles of hand sanitizer (your bartender might use the well vodka but this is too expensive to use as a sanitizing solution). Staying healthy takes a rigorous effort…so wash those hands, cover your coughs and sneezes and keep yourself, your colleagues and your valuable guests safe from the spread of germs. We all thank you!
