Creating Healthy Kid’s Meals

Healthy children’s faire seems to be on everyone’s minds these days, from meals prepared at home to school cafeterias to restaurants. Kids are notorious for being picky eaters, making it difficult to tempt their tiny palates with simply a plate of vegetables. However with a little creativity many meals can be made-over to be lower in calories and fat, without skimping too much on the tastes kids crave.

Did you know that Serv-U has an entire department on their website dedicated to school supplies? Visit our school supplies department to find everything you need to create healthy, fresh and flavorful meals in your school’s cafeteria.

What is your school or restaurant doing to ensure that children receive meals that encourage dietary variety and balance?

Five Steps to Keeping Floors Clean in Bad Weather

In an article by Cintas Corp, five simple steps are provided for cleaning and maintaining restaurant floors during the cold and inclement months.

A recent Harris Poll indicated that 68% of restaurant patrons would not return to a restaurant with dirty floors.

"From ice melt to gravel, patrons track several different types of soil into a restaurant," said Brian Garry, Senior Director of Foodservice, Cintas. "This can result in unsightly residue lines, scratches to floor finish and other issues that shorten the life of the floor. By taking steps to protect, maintain and deep clean floor surfaces, restaurants can limit permanent damage and keep floors looking good throughout the winter."

To protect floors from the assault of winter weather, Cintas suggests restaurants take the following steps:

1. Roll out the traffic mats. Stop dirt and debris from entering the building at the door. With a dual floor mat system in place, a rubber scraper mat outside your facility effectively removes soil from the shoe surface, while carpet mats in the entryway capture any residual dirt or soil.

During winter, a restaurant should also increase the number of traffic mats used. Place traffic mats in high traffic areas, such as in the walkway from the kitchen to front of house, throughout corridors leading to restrooms, and in front of the order counter or bar. This will help reduce wear patterns, limit the potential for slips and falls and prevent puddles of water from forming.

2. Dedicate a staff member to mop frequently. Dedicate one staff member each shift to the task of regularly wet mopping entryway areas and other floor surfaces throughout the restaurant. This can help reduce the accumulation of water and remove salt lines from ice melt. Determine cleaning frequency by traffic flow and weather severity. For example, heavy snow will likely result in increased water accumulation, so floors should be mopped more often during this period.

3. Regularly replace cleaning tools and cleaning solutions. As floors become dirtier, so will the cleaning tools. To keep floors looking their best during the winter, change out the solutions in mop buckets and rinse and launder mop heads more frequently.

The type of cleaning chemicals used will also have an impact on the soil removal and efficacy of the floor care program. Make sure chemicals will effectively remove salt residue while also cleaning the floor surface.

4. Schedule regular deep cleanings. In the winter it is very important to increase deep cleaning frequency to prevent harmful substances from corroding hard floor surfaces or discolored carpet surfaces. According to ISSA, one square yard of commercial carpeting captures one pound of dirt per week - twice as much in inclement weather. By effectively flushing out dirt and debris tracked into the facility, restaurants can substantially improve the appearance of floors with a regular deep cleaning program.

5. Ensure staff members are onboard. To keep staff aware of potential floor care issues, make sure each staff member is properly trained and understands the correct processes for cleaning floors. In addition to providing education on the proper technique, it is equally important to educate staff as to why keeping floors clean in the winter is important. If necessary, engage assistance with incentive programs. This increases the opportunity for full participation.

Does Your Restaurant Compost?

A recent article in the Washing Post discussed restaurants’ latest efforts at becoming increasingly green. Many restaurants nationwide are no longer discarding food scraps into the trash, but instead they are going green by composting. The restaurants dispose of food scraps into separate food waste containers or bins, and then dump the scraps into a compost pile on their property.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, food scraps account for some 13 percent, or 32 million tons, of the total garbage generated nationwide. Of that 32 million tons, less than 3 percent is composted, with the remainder discarded in incinerators and landfills. The food waste that languishes in landfills produces methane, a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

Although beneficial to the environment, composting does bring on its own set of challenges. For starters it may be difficult to find a compost hauler in your area. Not to mention your neighbors may not appreciate the odors produced by your compost, nor the rodents and bugs it may attract.

Plus, there would be the extra costs associated with having someone remove the compost material from your restaurant. However you may be able to offset these additional costs by renegotiating with your existing/traditional waste removal service, as the overall amount of waste they remove should decrease.

Last week, the Restaurant Guru blog addressed fryer oil and its important role in your commercial fryer. Whether your operation uses a single fryer, double fryer, or counter top fryer, all restaurant fryers have the same maintenance needs. You can maximize service life with regular and thorough cleaning. There are tasks to be performed on an hourly, daily and weekly basis in order to keep your commercial fryer producing golden fries, poppers and onion rings.

Hourly: Battered and spiced foods may taste delicious when fried, but they can leave behind sediment in your fry baskets. When you notice sediment particles floating, probably on an hourly basis, depending on the frequency of operation, you should use a fryer skimmer to remove the particles. Simply skim the floating debris off the surface of the fryer oil to prevent it from degrading your oil. Crumb scoops are another option for a deep fryer.

Daily: Filtering is another key to removing sediment. Some fryers have built-in filtration systems. Others require portable fryer filtration systems which remove the oil from the fryer, automatically filters it, and pumps clean oil back in. With the rising costs of oil, filtering is a great option that can save costs for your restaurant. Filters should be changed regularly for optimum effectiveness. Oil purifiers can also be added to your fryer to maintain food quality, extend oil life, and reduce oil costs by up to 50 percent.

Weekly: Boiling out your commercial fryer is the best way to eliminate acidic or caustic oil buildup on the metal. Commercial fryer detergents should be added to the water before boiling to help loosen deposits. After boiling the fryer, add a small amount of vinegar to your rinse to neutralize any soap residue. Dry the frypot thoroughly to avoid contaminating your fryer oil!

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!

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.

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!

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!

Proper care and maintenance of your bar equipment is an important part of any bar area, be it in a restaurant, free standing pub, or hotel. Today we’ll cover helpful tips on making your bar equipment maintenance simple and easy. So why should you keep your bar equipment clean? The main reason is to keep on-tap beers tasting their best and pouring smoothly. Beer lines, line other bar equipment, can build up sediment the longer they are in use. In addition to causing your bar equipment to become contaminated, it will also increase foaming in your beer.

Depending on the line length on your bar equipment the process of flushing your beer lines can be a time consuming but important process, but with the right selection of bar supplies the task becomes a snap. Choose a good beer line cleaner that is non-abrasive when flushing your bar equipment. While non-abrasive is pretty much standard it is still good to double check. Abrasive cleaners can scratch the inside of your beer lines causing your beer to become increasingly foamy as it passes over the scratches and nicks.

Once the process of flushing your beer lines with beer line cleaner has been completed, it is time to sanitize your beer lines. The beer line cleaner will flush out the sediment from your beer lines and the sanitizer is the process that will kill all the bacteria inside your bar equipment, so both steps are needed to maintain maximum beer taste in your bar equipment. It is also recommended that once you have completed the sanitizer process that the entire system is flushed again with clean water. This final flushing of the system with water will help remove any lingering sanitizer that could taint the taste of the beer.

There is more to maintenance of your bar equipment than just the beer lines however. It is equally important to keep outside of your bar equipment in top shape. Generally, it is a good idea to clean the keg tap and beer faucet on the same schedule as the cleaning of the beer line since that piece of bar equipment will be out of service for the duration of its cleaning anyway. The keg tap and beer faucet are perhaps the easiest places for contamination and bacteria to enter your bar equipment but with regular cleaning the chances of contamination from these two pieces of bar equipment is drastically reduced. Unlike the beer faucet and keg tap, the spill tray requires much more attention. Empty the spill tray as needed during bar operation and make sure to give it a thorough cleaning at night when wiping down the rest of the bar equipment.

If you have questions on which bar supplies are right for cleaning your bar equipment, 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.