Tag: food safety

How to Show Your Customers You Care During the Corona Crisis

Get tips on how to provide customer service despite the corona crisis.

The restaurant industry as we know it has come to unprecedented stand still due to the global crisis of the coronavirus. Otherwise known as COVID-19 or ‘corona,’ it will surely be infamously recorded in the annuls of time as one of the most epic and devastating pandemics the world has ever experienced. Yet, although it is affecting every continent, country, and industry, everyone is doing their best to not only survive but to thrive in spite of the odds with the hope and prayer that the crisis will soon end and that order and prosperity will be restored.

Cater to Your Customers

So, what can you do, as a foodservice professional, to keep your business alive despite corona? And more importantly: Is there a way to continue to connect with your customers and even foster relationships while your brick-and-mortar eatery is shut down? The answer, fortunately, is a resounding YES.

Ironically, during this very time of imposed isolation that restricts the public from traveling, interacting, and eating out, there has never been a more opportune time to show customers that you care by making concerted efforts to connect with them and even cater to their needs. You were granted time now, time you never thought you would have, to tap into your creative juices and take your restaurant’s customer service level to new heights and earn some major, long-lasting loyalty points in return.

Read on as we share some of our suggestions to help you stir your own creative culinary juices.

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How to Cater for Gluten-Free Customers

Advice for Catering for Your Gluten-Free Clients

Gluten-Free Catering Cuisines

Dining out in restaurants or eating at a catered affair can be a risky proposition for anyone who is restricted to a gluten-free diet. While many restaurants and caterers offer gluten-free options – along with other offerings that take into account various food intolerances and allergies – not all take the time to train staff about the dangers of food sensitivities and to ensure that those “free-from” items are also free from cross-contamination.

These days, however, given how many gluten-free products are available – including vegetables, meat, legumes, and flour alternatives, such as cornmeal and rice flour – chefs can offer menus that are entirely gluten free, making life for a caterer whose client has gluten-free demands much easier. Caterers can offer a wide range of gluten-free cuisines, many of which we’ll discuss here, such as Mexican, Thai, and Indian.

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How to Reduce Food Waste in Commercial Kitchens

Tips for Reducing Food Waste in the Food-Service Business

Food waste has long been an unfortunate byproduct of commercial kitchens, including both restaurant and catering kitchens. Organizations such as the Food Waste Reduction Alliance (FWRA),continue working toward reducing food waste with the dual goal of shrinking our environmental footprint and helping feed those in need. So, what can you do to reduce waste in your commercial kitchen? Read on.

What is Food Waste?

The sources of food waste are many and varied. Food waste is generated by consumers and the foodservice industry, including restaurants, catering companies, cafeterias, and institutional kitchens, but it can also occur during manufacturing and distribution. In commercial kitchens, food waste often includes ingredients that spoil before they are used, food prepared incorrectly, leftovers from customers’ plates, and excess trimmings during food preparation. Even small amounts of waste can quickly add up in a busy kitchen, leading to unnecessary food costs and larger environmental concerns.

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Know How to Handle Restaurant Health Inspections

What to Do During and After a Health Inspection

Restaurant Health Department Inspections

Restaurant owners generally view a visit from the health inspector as an inconvenience – or worse – as opposed to an opportunity to learn. Most restaurant owners dread health inspections; however, as we previously discussed, preparing for these inspections means that there is no reason to fear the inspector’s visit. Proper food storage, careful personal hygiene, meticulous attention to cleanliness, ongoing training, and self-inspections are all part of the “before.” Now, we’ll talk about how you should act during, and after, the health-inspection process.

Frequency of Health Inspections

The more complex the food-service operation, the more often the health department will visit. A restaurant where meat and fish are prepared and served could be visited two or three times a year, whereas a coffee house or a small bakery will require inspections just once annually. However, other factors can affect the frequency of an inspector’s visit. If, for instance, you regularly receive low inspection scores, you can expect to be inspected up to four times a year. Similarly, if someone reports your establishment for a foodborne illness, or for substandard operating procedures, the health department is authorized to come out and inspect based on that complaint.

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Train Staff to Always be Ready for a Health Inspection

How to Prepare Your Restaurant for a Health Inspection

How to Work with Health Inspectors

How you interact with health inspectors can go a long way to securing the health of your customers and the reliability of your license to do business. If, as a restaurant owner or caterer, you view your local health inspector as a nemesis, the time has come for you to rethink this position. Health inspectors are not your enemy; if anything, they are your partners, and the goal is to work together to prevent foodborne illness and ensure your customers’ wellbeing.

Why Restaurant Inspections Are Important

Health inspections are not designed to cause stress to restaurant owners and caterers; rather, their goal is to ensure safety for your customers. According to Food Services of America, more than half of all foodborne illnesses are acquired from eating at restaurants. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that half of all produce has chemical contamination. Faced with these challenges, it makes sense that the food in restaurants and catering facilities should be stored, thawed, and cooked according to strict regulations, and that the kitchen, freezers, and storage areas kept sanitary and sterile.

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