Tips to Prepare Your Stainless Steel Equipment for the Holidays
Halloween is over (much to the dismay of many). The date on the calendar reads November 1. It’s officially time to kick off the holiday season (much to the delight of many!) This marks the beginning of the busiest season for many restaurants in the industry. With 2+ months of surging activity, this is the best time to spruce up your current stainless steel equipment to manage the upcoming chaos. What should you look out for?
In this article, we will go over 4 tips to prepare you for the upcoming holiday season restaurant rush. We’ll be including general & maintenance suggestions to guide you. For the sake of length, we’ll only be focusing on stainless steel equipment in this article. Without further delay, let’s jump right into it.
Tip #1 – Clean!
The fundamental rule, of course. Nothing ruins the vibe more for employees or patrons than dirty, unsanitary equipment. Not only is it not aesthetically pleasing, but it can also slow down your productivity dramatically. If you have an open kitchen, this is even more important.
It’s time to take a cleaning day & get into those nooks & crannies. Remember to use only a soft microfiber towel – no wool or metal brushes allowed. Use a non-harsh cleanser like baking soda as well – don’t think about using any cleansers with chlorine or bleach in them.
Cleaning should be a daily chore, but with the holiday season it’s a good idea to give it a little extra effort to ensure your equipment looks top notch.
Tip #2 – Layout Changes
A busy season means more activity in your commercial kitchen. Does your current layout make the most sense in terms of accessibility & efficiency? It might be time to shift some equipment. For example, prep work can take up a large amount of space. Try shifting some of your worktables around so that prep is sped up. This could also mean more use of utensils, so we suggest keeping your knife/accessory cabinets within arm’s reach.
Obviously, each kitchen is different, but it doesn’t hurt to take a step back & assess your current arrangement.
Tip #3 – Is Everything Functioning?
That cold or hot food counter you’ve kept hidden away might get its time in the sun during the busy season. However, these items are no use to you if they do not work! Take some time & check all the dials, knobs, wiring, etc. to see if there are any faults. This goes with any stainless steel equipment that requires electricity to operate. This may also include portable hand sinks, sterilizer cabinets, cashier counters & so on.
If a problem is found, do not delay getting it fixed. The faster you alleviate the problem, the quicker you can put that item back into your rotation.
Tip #4 – Consider a Training Refresher
The holiday season means hiring more staff. Some of which may not be too familiar with all of the stainless steel equipment currently in place. This is the perfect opportunity to show your new hires how to properly use each item to the fullest.
For example, you may have to show your fresh staff the proper way of using a mop sink cabinet or the fastest way of using a mop sink with faucet in place. This doesn’t just apply to new staff; this can be a great way of educating current employees on equipment in case a need arises. Training is important & it’s better to get a jump start on this sooner than later to avoid any delays.
With all of that said, welcome to the 2024 holiday season! We hope the above tips will help you to get through the demanding season unscathed. Wishing you much success & harmony in the coming months. For some more maintenance tips, click here.