Well-functioning equipment is important in order for a restaurant to be successful. Your equipment determines and guides the operations of the entire business. Lack of maintenance can lead to equipment malfunction in the long run. This, in turn, reduces your profit margins, decreases equipment performance and increases wastage. You can also incur huge losses, especially if the equipment breaks down during peak hours or right before you open.
To avoid these problems, it is important to ensure that your restaurant equipment is regularly maintained at all times. How is restaurant equipment maintenance beneficial to your business? Let’s get into the benefits of maintaining your restaurant equipment and how this can be done in the best way possible.
Benefits of Commercial Kitchen Equipment Maintenance
Save Money
For a restaurant to be successful, there must be a cost-effective approach to running it. Restaurant equipment is extremely expensive, and you cannot afford to ignore maintenance. In most cases, larger repairs are not covered under warranty, so you will end up having to spend your own money on repairs. Regular maintenance ensures your equipment is working well and any issues are sorted out early enough to prevent major damages.
In the long run, maintaining your restaurant equipment on a regular basis will save you money and will save you from having to deal large repairs. In addition, poorly maintained restaurant equipment tends to consume more energy which raises your energy bills. When you maintain your restaurant equipment, it lasts longer. Meaning you don't have to regularly spend your income on purchasing new equipment.
Boost and Maintain Food Quality
The condition of your restaurant equipment also determines the quality of food. Even if you have hired the best chefs but use poorly upheld equipment, your food quality will fail to meet the required standards. This can have a negative impact on your business as badly prepared food leads to loss of customers.
To survive in this industry, you have to do everything possible to ensure the quality of your food remains superior compared to your competitors. With well-maintained equipment, you can be assured your food is safe for your customers.
Improve Speed of Operations
A restaurant kitchen is a busy place. It must have rapid turn times in order to keep up with customers and orders. Poorly upheld equipment significantly slows down the operations of your kitchen. Depreciated equipment slows down the preparation of food.
The quality of your restaurant subsequently also slows down and can make you lose customers, which translates into the loss of revenue. To ensure that this doesn't happen, make sure your restaurant equipment is looked after to improve efficiency in operations.
ROI on Old Kitchen Equipment
Each machine in your restaurant is supposed to serve you adequately and help you get the required revenue for your business. A time comes when you have to get rid of your old machinery and replace it with new equipment. When equipment is well maintained, it will not only serve you for a long period but will fetch a good price on the market as compared to damaged machinery.
Extended Equipment Service
When equipment is used on a daily basis, wear and tear is bound to happen. But with regular maintenance, commercial kitchen equipment can be kept in good condition. It helps prevent premature damage.
Maintenance lengthens the lifespan of your restaurant equipment and slows down the depreciation rate. Regular care of minor damages helps to prevent a major breakdown, which will end up costing you a lot of money to fix. In addition, regular maintenance takes care of minor damages which help to avert damages that can cause hazards.
Improved Health and Hygiene
Without proper hygiene and cleanliness, a restaurant may get shut down. Regular restaurant equipment maintenance requires frequent sanitization. This ensures food hygiene remains at the highest standard. Additionally, regular restaurant equipment maintenance helps your business comply and abide by health codes set by regulatory authorities that emphasize restaurant cleanup and maintenance.
Reduced Fire Risk
A commercial kitchen restaurant is always exposed to the risk of catching fire, especially when routine equipment maintenance is not carried out. When checked regularly, equipment remains in the right condition which helps to safeguard the kitchen against fire hazards.
Restaurant Equipment Maintenance Checklist
After understanding the importance of regularly maintaining your kitchen equipment, the following are handy tips of where you should focus on when carrying out maintenance practices.
1. Cleaning of the Vent, Hood, and Duct
The hood, vent, and duct should be cleaned regularly to get rid of grease from various parts of the structures. For excellent results, the cleanup should be carried out by a qualified contractor at least twice per year. In between, restaurant staff can be trained to clean the visible parts to prevent dirt from accumulating.
2. Cleaning of Grease Filters
Grease filters collect grease from vapors that travel through the duct. Even though grease filters simplify cleaning of the duct, they need to be cleaned regularly to prevent the risk of fires. It is recommended to clean grease filters at least once every week especially for commercial kitchens that prepare greasy foods.
3. Inspection of the Deep Fat Fryer
The deep fat fryer must be regularly maintained to safeguard against any fire hazards. Regular maintenance as per the manufacturer’s instructions recommends daily cleaning. In addition, a qualified contractor should come in to examine the deep fryer as there are sections that can't be accessed by unqualified staff.
4. Automatic Extinguishing Systems Service
For safety purposes, an automatic extinguishing system should always be in good condition. For this reason, the system should be regularly inspected by qualified personnel at least twice a year.
What to Know When Maintaining Restaurant Equipment
- Refer to the manual in order to understand maintenance procedures.
- Find out the details of the warrant including the period the warrant is valid
- Train your employees on how to properly use restaurant equipment and carry out simple tasks such as cleaning and basic maintenance.
- Maintain a regular restaurant equipment cleaning schedule
- Avoid doing it yourself unless you know what you're doing. You are better off calling an expert.
Maintaining your restaurant equipment is one of the best ways of keeping your restaurant profitable, safe, and attractive to clients. Try to organize a maintenance schedule to keep on top of your equipment.