Food safety is the one of the top priorities in the food service industry. Nothing can destroy a restaurant faster than food borne illness as a result of poor food safety techniques. Here at Serv-U, we strive to not only supply our customers with top quality restaurant equipment, bar supplies, restaurant supplies, and bar equipment, but we also recognize the importance of sharing food industry information. Today we present the eleven rules for improving food safety in your restaurant. You’ve seen them before, but they are well worth repeating:

1. Educate all employees in the technique of proper hand washing. Provide a soft nailbrush to clean fingertips and instill the importance of washing hands for twenty seconds. Keep track of your employees’ hand washing techniques and encourage proper hand washing practices.
2. Require strict personal hygiene practices. Every employee should have a clean uniform and proper hair covers. Items such as jewelry and false nails should not be worn in the work area and any crew member that is ill should be removed from any task that would require them to handle foods.
3. Encourage a policy of not using bare hands when in contact with prepared food. Instead invest in restaurant supplies that will promote this policy; such as disposable gloves, clean utensils or paper wraps to handle all ready-to-eat foods.
4. Obtain food and restaurant supplies from reputable approved sources. Food should be inspected for spoilage and temperatures should be checked during all stages of preparation. This includes when food is received from the supplier, is placed in cold storage and is being prepared on the prep tables. If there is any question that food or restaurant supplies have been contaminated, properly dispose of them immediately.
5. Identify all potentially hazardous foods on your menu and keep them as cold as possible during storage and preparation. An internal food temperature ranging from 35 to 38°F is optimal; never higher than 41°F. Keep frozen food at a temperature of 0°F. Safely thaw foods a day in advance under refrigeration.
6. To prevent cross-contamination observe time & temperature guidelines when storing and handling prepared food. Label prepared foods with product, preparation date and time, and optimal temperature.
7. Keep foods out of the danger zone (41° to 140°F). Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold! Teach all restaurant employees to use temperature charts and a stem thermometer. Check food temperature in two places -- the thickest portion and the center. Sanitize the thermometer stem before and after each use with the proper restaurant supplies such as an alcohol swab.
8. Cook and heat-process food to above recommended minimum temperatures (usually 145°F, 155°F or165°F depending on the food). Memorize your minimum cooking temperatures. Post a chart in an easy to locate place for all your restaurant employees.
9. Rapidly chill hot food to below 41°F within 4-6 hours! Techniques to reduce cooling time include using an ice bath or shallow pans, cutting or reducing food, stirring food and keeping food uncovered. Be sure to check local regulations.
10. Reheat food to 165°F + within 2 hours and hold at this temperature for 15 seconds. Hold hot foods at 140°F.
11. Avoid cross-contamination of raw and ready-to-eat foods by hands, utensils and restaurant equipment. Wash, rinse and sanitize all food that comes in contact with restaurant equipment. Keep raw products separate from ready-to-eat foods.

If you would like to learn more about how Serv-U can help you improve your restaurants food safety techniques, please call us at 1-800-797-3788 or chat with us online by clicking the “live chat” icon in the upper left hand corner of each page.

If you’re in the market for new commercial restaurant equipment, there are lots of calculations to make. One of the most important is life-cycle costs. Life cycle costs on your commercial restaurant equipment include purchase price, annual energy costs and long-term investments such as maintenance and repair. The smartest purchase in terms of life cycle costs is buying Energy Star qualified appliances.

Energy Star appliances have incentives beyond the significant amount of utility bill savings. Serv-U has collected a state-by-state list of incentives offered for purchasing energy efficient restaurant equipment. These offers can make a big difference on the bottom line of your equipment costs. Contact a Serv-U sales representative and check with your utility company and local government for additional details on the offers.

A recent release by Supply and Equipment Food Service Alliance shows that restaurants use about 2.5 times more energy per square foot than other commercial buildings. Energy costs have been increasing at a rate of 6 to 8 percent per year. Investing in Energy Star qualified equipment is the best way to protect your business against rising energy prices!

Simple maintenance and cleaning procedures can greatly extend the life and efficiency of the commercial refrigerator in your kitchen. Learn what you need to do to keep your fridge serving you and your customers for years to come.

1. Clean the condenser fin and coils regularly to remove the dust and grease build-up that inhibits heat transfer. Dusty condenser coils cause a refrigerator to work harder; which translates into bigger energy bills and a shorter life expectancy for one of the biggest investments in your kitchen. To prevent this from happening, use a vacuum or broom to remove dust build up from the coils every three months. Coil cleaning chemicals, such as ProMagic Coil Cleaner, make the job easier by removing dirt without wiping. Keep refrigerators at least 4" from walls so that air can circulate freely around the condenser coils.

2. Keep the refrigerator level. This helps the doors to fit correctly. If your refrigerator isn't level the doors may not seal as tightly as they're supposed to, providing yet another opportunity for energy loss. Check to see if your fridge is level by placing a carpenter's level on top of your unit. Then, if necessary, adjust the casters by hand or with a wrench until you achieve level. If damaged casters are causing a tilt, call a Serv-U sales representative and ask about ordering a new set.

3. Feel the outside of the refrigerator for cold spots. Cold spots indicate that the insulation has either shifted or is waterlogged and should be adjusted or replaced.

4. Check the gaskets regularly. Clean the gasket with an all-purpose cleaner, and wipe dry. If a piece of paper inserted between the door and frame can be pulled out easily, the gasket is not sealing properly and should be replaced. The gaskets on the refrigerator and freezer doors are designed to seal the cool air in and to keep the warm air out – vital to the efficiency of your operation. So, it's important to make sure that seal is as strong as it should be. Look over the gaskets for spots that are cracked or otherwise damaged. Then, shut a piece of paper in the door, and see if you can pull it out easily (the seal should create resistance). If either test turns up problems, consider ordering replacement gasket from Serv-U.

5. Check the evaporator for frost. Ice build-up robs the evaporator of its effectiveness. Most units have automatic defrosters. They can be reset to defrost after operating hours. Defrost whenever ice buildup exceeds 1/4".

With some instruction, your staff can play a significant role in taking care of your valuable equipment. These simple maintenance tips can save a great deal of money in energy and service bills, help to avoid costly breakdowns during peak business hours, and extend the life of commercial refrigeration units.

 Running an efficient kitchen is key to achieving high profits for your foodservice operation. Figuring out the equation for peak efficiency saves you considerable amounts of money by producing less waste and providing your customers with consistent results. Certain kitchen equipment can make all of your profit goals add up. One of the simplest ways to create a more efficient kitchen is investing in quality slicers and prep machines.

Portion control tools are crucial to efficiency, and the function of a commercial slicer. Ordering from Serv-U guarantees a wide variety of models to choose from including manual and automatic varieties. When using a manual model, the operator must move the food carriage back and forth to slice the product. Some incorporate a gravity feed design for convenience. Automatic slicers move the carriage with an electric motor, saving the operator time and labor. You also have the option of turning off the automatic function and slicing manually, making the slicer one of the most versatile pieces of food preparation equipment on the market.

Slashing the labor costs involved in food preparation is another part of the equation for efficiency. Certain food preparation machines are designed to target the tasks that take the most time and energy such as fry cutting, onion slicing, lettuce chopping, tomato dicing and citrus wedging. These machines guarantee consistent results. Using a meat or cheese cutting machine in a deli or sandwich shop cuts down on waste and saves time.

Finally, completing the equation for efficiency has implicit safety benefits. When machines are properly cleaned and sanitized you ensure a pure product. Employee morale is boosted by decreasing prep work and safety concerns. Contact the knowledgeable sales representatives at Serv-U for more tips on creating an efficient kitchen.

Infants and restaurants don’t always mix, but by making your restaurant baby-friendly, you can please parents and their little ones. Having appropriate seating for the children visiting your establishment is crucial. In today’s economic environment, many families are less inclined to foot the bill for a babysitter, but you can still encourage customers to dine out. Increase your profits by being accommodating to patrons who are parents.

Whether it is a high chair, infant carrier stands, or booster seat, making your youngest customers comfortable will put parents at ease. Keeping the kids happy in their seats also has an added benefit—preventing them from roaming around the restaurant. Parents and other diners are sure to enjoy their visit more if children stay in their seats. Proper seating also benefits the wait staff, by allowing them to service a table more efficiently.

Without the availability of youth seating, parents are forced to place car seats on the floor which can block access to the table or aisle areas. One unsafe solution seen in some restaurants is placing infant carriers in overturned high chairs—this places your youngest customers in great danger! Instead, consider purchasing an infant carrier stand. Parents can place their infant seat on the secure base, rather than risking a wobbly high chair or cluttering the floor. The possibility of customers and staff tripping is eliminated.

Beyond efficiency and customer satisfaction, appropriate child seating also has the advantage of making the environment safer. Children are protected when strapped into suitable chairs, rather than balanced on adult seats.

Investing in a range of child seating will pay off when your customers come to recognize your restaurant as a kid-friendly environment. Families are sure to frequent any location that has a seat at the table for their toddler.

Durability is one of the biggest issues in the food service industry. Whether catering, bartending or serving, the goal is an attractive presentation for your customer that can’t be broken in transport or storage. The solution to your durability dilemma? Stock up on plastic restaurant supplies.

The foodservice industry has made huge advances in plastic serveware—specifically Melamine, SAN and Polycarbonate. All three materials have unique pros and cons, but the most distinct is cost. Both SAN and Polycarbonate have a petrochemical base, Melamine does not. All three varieties are completely dishwasher safe, but won’t stand up to liquid chlorine bleach or abrasive scouring pads. Regular commercial dishwashing detergent or sanitizer easily cleans your plastic restaurant supplies.

The trend towards plastic drinkware is popular in pool, lake and beach settings, but equally appealing for your average bar or nightclub. Plastic is less of a liability than glass. Plastic pitchers, for instance, are just as attractive as their glass counterpart, but more durable. When your customers are pouring from plastic pitchers, you increase your profits by cutting your overhead equipment costs.

When it comes to storage of your plastic restaurant supplies, plastic tumblers can be stacked without worrying about chips or cracks. A rack of plastic plates won’t weigh you down the way that china, ceramic or glass will.

Plastic restaurant supplies aren’t limited to dinner and drinkware. Crocks and larger serving pieces are also available in Polycarbonate and Melamine. Plastic is a natural insulator for cold foods and also has excellent thermal properties. Though no plastic material can withstand an oven, most varieties are safe for the microwave.

When you need something completely unbreakable, cost effective and attractive, plastic restaurant supplies are the perfect option.

When it comes to saving energy in a restaurant, how your restaurant uses and maintains its restaurant equipment and restaurant supplies can be just as important as what type of restaurant equipment you use. Buying and using an energy-efficient oven, for example, is undoubtedly a good starting point and could trim hundreds of dollars from your annual utility bills—but saving the most energy and money will require energy efficient restaurant equipment along with good energy practices.

1. Cut idle time. Do you really need to leave all of your restaurant equipment on, or on standby, all of the time? Leaving appliances on standby costs you money, so implement a startup/ shutdown plan to make sure you’re using only the equipment that you need, when you need it. The savings can be substantial.

2. Cook wisely. Ovens tend to be more efficient than rotisseries; griddles tend to be more efficient than broilers. Review your menu and cooking methods to find ways to rely on your more efficient pieces of restaurant equipment.

3. Maintain and repair. Everyday wear and tear can quickly drive up your energy bills. A leaky gasket, clogged burner or loose oven-door hinge may not waste much energy on their own, but combine all three together and suddenly the waste is significant. Stop waste by staying on top of repairs.

4. Recalibrate to stay efficient. Over time and use the performance of your restaurant equipment will degrade. Thermostats and control systems can fail or fall out of calibration. Take the time to do an occasional thermostat check and recalibrate as necessary to ensure that you’re cooking at the right temperature. Repair or replace broken control panels on ovens, steamers, and other pieces of restaurant equipment that feature control systems.

5. Check pilot lights. Older gas-burning restaurant equipment typically feature pilot lights, which require a constant stream of gas to stay lit. Check pilot flames occasionally to make sure you’re using only as much gas as you need. A quick visual inspection is enough to tell if your pilot lights are over-fired. An over-fired pilot will have a tall yellow flame instead of a blue bullet shaped flame. If you do find that you’re pilot light is over-fired, you’ll want to adjust the pilot light back to a blue bullet shaped flame.

6. Buy energy-efficient restaurant equipment. Inefficient appliances increase your energy expenses in two different ways by having higher operating costs along generating more heat. This additional heat generated by an inefficient appliance forces the air-conditioning system of a restaurant work harder to maintain proper air temperature.

7. Buy with capacity in mind. Evaluate your food production needs and try to buy restaurant equipment that matches your needs on a pounds-per-hour basis. Oversized appliances can quickly cut a restaurant’s profits via higher capital costs as well as increased operating costs. An oversized appliance may be energy efficient but still cost additional money as you are basically paying to heat up the extra production capacity of the unit that you’ll never use.

Want to learn more about how Serv-U can help make your restaurant more energy-efficient? Be sure to visit the Energy Star section of our website or feel free to contact us via phone at 800-797-3788 or click the picture of the customer service representative at the top left corner of each page of the site to launch a live chat.

Crush, cubed or shaved, ice is a crucial part of any foodservice operation. Commercial ice machines work overtime to produce the best results, keeping your customers’ glasses chilled and fresh food iced. The best thing you can do to ensure reliable performance is to pay attention to the maintenance needs of your ice machine.

Controlling the temperature of the water flowing into ice-making equipment is crucial. The lower the water temperature, the greater the ice-making capacity of your machine will be. Generally, temperatures should never exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Remember that drinking water must be used when making ice for consumption or food chilling and ice that is used to chill food or beverages should never be used as an ingredient.

Commercial ice machines require regular cleaning. You can save yourself some work by purchasing a model with Pure Ice antimicrobial protection built in to prevent bacteria and slime fungus growth. Frequently check your ice machine to make sure all wires are secure and keep the lines clean by purging them with water. A commercial ice machine cleaning solution will remove scale deposits from ice machines that use nickel or tin-plated evaporators.

Water filters that prevent mineral buildups, such as the Everpure water filter system, reduce the necessity for frequent cleanings. Taste can also be enhanced with the purchase of a filtration system that works to remove dirt, rust and sediment. The filter system also increases energy efficiency of your ice machine.

Ice should always be stored in a clean, sanitized bin. Over time the ice bin can absorb difficult-to-remove odors from the freezer. Serv-U recommends that you replace your ice bin whenever it seems to be transferring impurities to your cubes.

 Ice scoops can also be a culprit in making your ice impure. Store ice scoops outside of the ice machine in a protected holder. Serv-U offers a variety of ice scoops and scoop/holder combinations. Use the scoop to clear out your bin. Never let half frozen ice take up permanent residence in your ice bin!

Remember that cleaning out ice machines is a time-consuming task that requires the storage bin to be emptied. Foodservice operators should make sure a service agency will properly handle this. With these safeguarding tips you can make your ice machine more efficient, requiring less frequent service. Practice regular maintenance to keep this crucial piece of restaurant equipment producing quality cubes!

Super Bowl Sunday is a huge day for football fans and, according to USA Today, pizzerias. Sales of pizza on game day are some of the biggest of the year, jumping by up to 50 percent. Stocking up on pizza equipment and pizza prep supplies can help you suit-up for Super Bowl sales.

If your pizza operation is concerned with value and efficiency when cooking pies, it is important to invest in a conveyor oven. This piece of kitchen equipment is engineered to produce consistent results for your customers, with some models baking up to 19 fresh pizzas per hour. Impingement conveyor ovens are available in both full size and countertop models. When speed is important to your profits you can be confident that your impingement oven heats two to four times faster than a conventional oven.

Serv-U also sells pizza pans to slide through the oven, suited for pies of many sizes, including deep dish varieties. In order to give customers the most ideal crust, consider adding a pizza screen to your stock of kitchen equipment. A screen will create a crispy crust by cooking the bottom surface of the dough with convection and radiation.

The biggest sales on Super Bowl Sunday come from deliveries. Therefore, after you cook your pizza, it’s important to have the equipment to deliver hot and fresh pies. Serv-U offers specially constructed delivery bags, designed to help breathe moisture and steam out while keeping the heat inside. The Oven Hot brand bags come with a 100% satisfaction guaranteed return policy. For longer trips, models are available equipped with a heating element. To cater to the most ravenous crowds, we offer pizza carriers with multiple racks that can carry up to 10 of your jumbo 18” pizzas. 

Stocking up on your equipment needs is a good step as you prep for the big day. Don’t forget to knead the dough for your dough boxes, top off your containers of toppings, and sharpen the wheels of your pizza cutters so you are ready for the demands of Super Bowl Sunday!

Name your product--pizza, pretzels, pastries, bagels and more. When you can deliver these items to your customers at the perfect temperature and texture, you earn big sales for your deli, café, or concession stand. Heated display merchandisers are designed to deliver the profits. Serv-U offers a range of merchandisers to suit each product’s unique holding needs.

Pizza is a favorite product at sporting events, fairs and concerts for its alluring visual presentation and familiar taste. Appeal to all the customer’s senses by keeping your pies hot and delicious in a 1 or 2-door pizza merchandiser. For superior taste and texture, it’s important to invest in a humidified merchandiser. Slices stay soft and fresh for a longer shelf life because of the consistent heat. You can give your customers a piece of quality pizza, beyond the confines of the parlor.

Pretzels, pastries and other bread products are also best served by humidified display cabinets. Humidified warmers are designed for a more rapid rate of turnover, guaranteeing a fresh, soft pretzel always available for your customers to purchase. They allow you to control the temperature and humidity and are often illuminated for optimum display. The maximum capacity 3-tiered warmer can hold up to 72 pretzels, but if space in an issue compact models can save you money by not requiring too much additional room. Hanging racks can be replaced with flat ones to hold bagels, donuts, scones or sandwiches, depending upon your needs.

A state-of-the-art display case can set you apart from your competition. Tempered glass, digital thermostats, and bright lights are all available within Serv-U’s selection of merchandisers. Such features will assure your customers of professionalism and dedication to high standards.