More than Minimum Wage

Recent findings indicate that it takes more than money to retain restaurant employees. QSR magazine writer, Jordan Melnick, recently published an article on employee retention in the restaurant industry. While the restaurant industry may be of the largest employers in the country, it also has a reputation for high employee turnover.

Melnick cites successful restaurant owners as saying that the key to employee retention goes beyond money and benefits. Employees want to know that advancement is an option, and they want to be able to see a clearly defined path on how to get to the top. Restaurants that invest money in employee retention and advancement will end up with an increasingly loyal workforce.

Sometimes it is easy to forget that the employee who applied for the dishwashing job, does not necessarily want to wash dishes for the rest of their life. As an employer, anything you can do to encourage employees to move up within your business will benefit both of you in the long run.

Top Four Restaurant Injuries

Cintas Corporation recently published a report of the top four restaurant injuries. From cuts and burns to slips and falls, restaurants can present numerous dangers to an often inexperienced workforce. The article cites that all too often, restaurants take a reactive approach to safety. However by identifying the top injuries, restaurants can make sure they have the proper products and programs in place to prevent and proactively deal with injury situations.

The top injuries include:

1. Lacerations and punctures
2. Burns
3. Sprains and strains
4. Eye injury

By implementing a first aid program, restaurants can help protect their workers and reduce expenses. Below are a few ideas that can help prepare foodservice operations for common injuries.

• Install and onsite first-aid cabinet and make sure it is easily accessible to employees
• Stock the cabinet with a wide selection of supplies to treat common foodservice injuries
• Ensure that the cabinet is restocked on a regular basis, by performing regular inventory checks
• Train and educate employees on proper use of the first-aid items and how to handle emergency situations
• Complement first aid initiatives with other safety programs

For more information and statistics on the most common types of restaurant injuries, read the full article published by Cintas Corporation.

Lessons Learned from the Health Inspection

September is National Food Safety Education Month, and this year’s theme is “Lessons Learned from the Health Inspection”. The National Restaurant Association is kicking off a month-long initiative to encourage restaurant and foodservice operators to renew their commitment to food safety by raising awareness of the importance of education and training.

National Food Safety Education Month was created in 1994 to heighten awareness about the importance of food safety education. Each year a new theme and free training activities and posters are created for the restaurant and foodservice industry to help reinforce proper food safety practices and procedures. Visit the NFSEM website for more information on how you can implement this year’s activities and materials in your foodservice establishment.

Recruit Employees More Efficiently, Even for Free

If you haven’t discovered WyckWyre yet, you may want to check it out. WyckWyre aims to make their website the go-to site for restaurant- and hospitality-related jobs. The free version will allow an employer to post a job, which, in addition to being shown on WyckWyre.com, may also be found on Indeed.com, SimplyHired.com, and other job boards across the Internet.

WyckWyre, a Web-based recruiting solution, launched its website in 2010 and allows you to find the most qualified restaurant job candidates in a fraction of the time, and for a fraction of the cost of traditional hiring methods. The cost-effective system takes hiring to a new level, by eliminating unqualified applicants and allowing employers to focus on applicants who are qualified for the positions.

Do You Practice Proper Wine Service?

Executing proper wine service can be intimidating for some servers. However, you don’t have to be a wine connoisseur yourself to properly serve a bottle of wine. Below is a general overview on how to properly serve a bottle of wine.

1. When someone at your table orders a bottle of wine, that individual is considered to be the host of the table. While taking the wine order, be sure to make eye contact with the host and repeat the wine choice, vintage, and vineyard to clarify their order.

2. Once you have the order, make sure you have an accurate count of wine glasses. If they are not already on the table, make sure they are completely polished and ready for service prior to bringing them to the table.

3. Prior to approaching the table with the wine, double-check the name of the wine, vintage, and vineyard to ensure your have the correct bottle. Also make sure that you have a folded napkin and a waiter’s corkscrew.

4. As you approach the table with the host’s selection, make sure the bottle of wine is lying on the folded napkin, with the label facing up towards your host. Position yourself to the right of the host and repeat the name of the wine, vintage, and vineyard to the host.

5. Once the host approves of the bottle, take the folded napkin and place it on the forearm of the hand in which you are holding the bottle. While holding the bottle by its neck, take your corkscrew knife and cut the foil off the top of the bottle just underneath the lip on the bottle neck. Use the folded napkin to wipe any debris or dust from the lip of the bottle before beginning to extract the cork. Place your corkscrew into the cork and turn clockwise while applying pressure. Once you have gotten down to about 3/4 of the depth of the corkscrew, stop, and hold the neck of the bottle with one hand, while pulling up the corkscrew with the other. Make sure the label is always facing the host.

6. Once the cork has been extracted from the bottle set the cork to the right of your host for their approval. Before you begin to pour a 1-2 oz. taste for your host, use the folded napkin to again wipe the lip of the bottle from any cork debris or residue.

7. Once the host approves of the wine, begin to pour each of the guests starting with the ladies and then the men going clockwise around the table from the left of the host. Always finish with the host regardless of their sex.

Fine china dinnerware leaves a lasting impression on your customers. Serving your patrons on china tableware gives the impression of quality and class—unless your china plates are chipped, your china mugs are cracked and the surfaces of your china serving dishes are worn.  If your china dinnerware sets are in poor condition, you are sending your customers a different message. Here are some common problems and solutions to care for your fine china tableware.

If you notice many rim chips on your china:

• Do not stack china mugs

• Check that china tableware is being dried on proper dish racks

• Line your soak sink

• Watch for overlapped china plates in dishwashing machine

• Be careful about mixing heavyweight and lightweight bodied china in dishroom

• Look for improper bus tub loading

If you notice a lot of surface wear:

• Minimize use of metal sponges

• Never use metal sponges on china. 

• White plastic sponges are made for ceramic dinnerware

• Unload china dinnerware from the dishwashing machine one piece at a time

• A quiet dishroom is evidence of longer dinnerware life

If you notice too much breakage:

• Avoid roughly placing china dishes in soaking tubs

• Always hold item using handle

• Check for improper rack height

• Use compartment racks for storage

• Be sure trays, not hands or arms, are carrying plates to the table

• Avoid thermal shock conditions, such as taking dinnerware from the freezer to oven to a cold surface. 

• Do not heat dinnerware over an open flame

Most importantly, invest in quality china dinnerware and replace as necessary. Your customers will appreciate the high quality experience.  

If you are looking for dinnerware that is inexpensive, durable and has a classy appearance, look no further than Serv-U’s melamine dinnerware selection. Melamine tableware is the premium choice for high-traffic operations. Restaurants, schools, cafeterias and hospitals all benefit from the durability of melamine dinnerware.

Melamine is a natural insulator, but lighter weight than stainless steel or ceramic. Melamine serveware will survive the trip from kitchen to table, while keeping your cuisine hot. In fact, melamine dinnerware can withstand temperatures up to 212°F, making it dishwasher safe—though it cannot be used in the microwave or oven!

Melamine plate sets are available in a wide variety of styles and colors. White melamine dinnerware gives the illusion of china for a lower price tag. Melamine is available in a wide range of colors from bright melamine bowls to pastel melamine mugs, and even popular black melamine plates. If your melamine does chip, rest assured that the color is solid through the entire piece.

Because melamine dinnerware isn’t produced with a petrochemical base as raw material, it is a more affordable option than other plastics, such as SAN and Polycarbonate. Melamine tableware also requires less energy to manufacture than china or glass. It requires less packing material, meaning more melamine dining sets can be shipped per box and delivered to you!

Dirty ice has become a big problem. At one time it might have been acceptable to believe that bacteria couldn’t survive the frigid temperatures of your ice merchandiser, but cold won’t kill all germs. It’s important to follow food safety protocol with ice in your restaurant. After all, ice is food! Some guidelines from the National Restaurant Association’s ServSafe guide will help keep your ice cuber square with the health inspector.

Ice that will be consumed or used to chill food must be made from drinking water.  Ice used to chill food or beverages should never be used as an ingredient. Transporting ice is an important task. Ice transport equipment varies greatly in size and scope. There are small, ice buckets that are typically used in bars for chilling beer, wine or champagne. These come in a variety of different styles to match the theme of your décor. There are also larger, 6 gallon ice transport buckets, which have both a swinging top handle and a side handle, allowing you to easily carry the ice, but never forcing you to touch it with your hands.

Lastly, there are 125 lb. and 200 lb. wheeled ice transports, which are constructed without any metal to ensure that there is no contamination from rust or corrosion. They feature self-storing lids that allow for greater access to ice bin contents while preventing contamination.

Use a clean, sanitized container and ice scoop to transfer ice from an ice machine to other containers. Ice scoops protect against ice-borne illnesses and, when placed on a visible ice merchandiser, show the public that you and your business are dedicated to proper sanitation. Commercial-dishwasher-safe ice scoops come in 6 ounce,  16 ounce, 32 ounce, 64 ounce, and 85 ounce varieties. Plastic and aluminum varieties are available.  Scoops should be stored outside of the ice machine in a sanitary, protected location. Ice scoop holders, mounted near the ice machine, are the best way to ensure that everyone follows sanitary ice scoop storage procedures.

Since childhood we have been warned, “Wash your hands before dinner!” The importance of this age-old advice is magnified for professional foodhandlers. Although handwashing may seem obvious and straightforward, it is often done improperly. Any food safety training program should include the following handwashing tips from the National Restaurant Association.

-Run water that is at least 100 degrees Farenheit. Use water as hot as you can comfortably stand.

-Use an adequate amount of hand soap. Soap dispensers should be well stocked. Employees should aim for a quarter-sized amount of liquid soap.

-Vigorously scrub hands and arms for 10 to 15 seconds. Clean under fingernails and between fingers. Apply lots of friction.

-Rinse thoroughly under running water.

-Dry hands and arms with a single-use paper towel or warm-air hand dryer. Use paper towel to turn off the faucet. When in a restroom, use paper towel to open the door.

-Enforce the rule of no bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods and the practice of hand washing by hanging up signs to remind your employees.  

The entire process should take about 20 seconds. Employees should wash their hands before starting each shift and after using the restroom, handling raw meat or chemicals that might affect the safety of food, bussing tables, and touching clothing or aprons. Remember that handwashing is the most critical aspect of personal hygiene and should never be taken for granted!

If the dishes in your restaurant aren’t spotless, it doesn’t matter how good your food may taste or how brilliant the service you offer may be. People are not interested in dining on dirty plates, sipping from soiled glasses, or cutting with grimy forks and knives.

Commercial dishwashers are essential restaurant equipment to lower your labor costs, increase the capacity of your operation, improve consistency and efficiency and reduce breakage, making them a key component to the flow of every kitchen. Many options are available to suit your warewashing needs and with some careful consideration, you should be ready to supply your kitchen!

Dishwashers sanitize by using either hot water or a chemical sanitizing solution—commonly referred to as high temperature or low temperature dishwashers, respectively. The temperature of the final sanitizing rinse in a high temperature machine must be at least 180 degrees. Depending on the incoming water temperature a 40 degree rise (for 140 degree water) or a 70 degree rise (for 110 degree water) from a  booster heater is required to reach the high temperature dishwasher’s 180 degree rinse cycle.

Low temperature models have a lower upfront cost but they require the operator to buy sanitizing chemicals regularly for the rinse. Although low temperature dishwashers use less energy, operating costs tend to be about the same because of the continued purchase of the required chemical. Both low and high temperature models use detergent, but the sanitizing rinse chemicals are used only for low temperature models.

The energy efficiency of your restaurant equipment is an important consideration as energy and water costs continue to rise. Most commercial dishwashers employ automatic fill and idle pump shutoff features. Energy Star, a government run agency, now rates commercial dishwashers for their energy efficiency. Energy Star rated units will operate more efficiently than non-rated ones, so look for the Energy Star label when you're buying a commercial dishwasher. Serv-U is an Energy Star partner. Call our sales representatives to find out more about energy efficiency options.

Serv-U offers all types of dishwashers, including the most popular undercounter and pass-though style dishwashers. Pass-through designs, as the name suggests, allow racks to be passed through the unit. This enables one rack to be prepared and waiting while another is being washed. Once washed, the clean rack is slid out of the dishwasher from a side opening and the other rack can be inserted in the opposite opening. When purchasing racks be aware of the size of your glasses and the intended purpose of the rack. Do you plan on using the racks for storage as well as the sanitizing process?

Another important consideration in dishwasher capacity is your water usage. Most commercial dishwashers use less than 2 gallons of water per cycle. Some use less than 1 gallon per cycle. Depending upon the model, it’s possible to clean between 24 and 60 loads per hour. Determining the number of racks you will need is also important. An equation that may help is: number of pieces per person, multiplied by the number of customers expected per hour and divided by 20 pieces per rack. This tells you the number of racks required per hour.

Finally, when it comes time to place your dishwasher in the kitchen, make to check local codes and energy rebates. Some locations have condensate hood requirements, water discharge requirements and considerable energy efficiency rebates.

Overall, a dishwasher is an important investment. Check with your health inspector to find out if there are any local codes to be complied with. Next, call one of Serv-U’s knowledgeable sales representatives to help you navigate the shopping process and ensure spotless results!