Keep Pests Out of Your Commercial Kitchen
July 8, 2018Having pests in your kitchen is already a nightmare, but if health inspectors find them it gets even worse. Keep your guests safe and your restaurant operating safely.
Your commercial kitchen is automatically a target of a variety of bugs and other pests. It has everything they want – food, heat, shelter, and moisture. You have to fight hard to keep them out!
Here are steps you can take to keep your commercial kitchen clean and clear of unwanted visitors.
Plug Any Possible Entry Points
How do pests get in your kitchen? Because you’re not a bug, it can be hard to understand why they always find a way in. However, when you think small enough, you can start to see it.
Every crack and crevice is a way that pests can get into your commercial kitchen. Ensure that drain covers are tightly secured. Look for holes in walls, gaps in caulking, and any other gaps.
The most important entry points are those that lead directly outside. How secure is the seal around the doors? What cracks could there be in other external walls? Are pipes entry points properly sealed?
Finally, don’t limit your efforts to only the kitchen. Pests can come in through the dining room or staff areas as well, and make their way to the abundant food in the back. Make sure window seals, door seals, and walls are secure and don’t offer any points of entry.
Check for Pests Near Stored Food
Finding larvae around the edge of an unopened can is not only frightening, it’s a good sign that you need to contact a professional right away.
Other places you might find evidence of pests during your workday include:
- In grain-based foods such as flour, cereal, and pasta
- Shelving or the floor may have droppings that let you know you have unwanted visitors
- Trash bags and trashcans are common places pests hide
Water is another attractant for pests. Leaking pipes, standing water, or dripping faucets are issues that should be fixed – both to save you money and to keep pests away.
Keep Things Clean – Very Clean!
You may not think a crumb or a single piece of pasta on the floor of your commercial kitchen is a very big deal. Bur remember, for the right pests, that’s a feast!
If you have kitchen equipment that’s difficult to move, put it on rollers so that your staff can clean around it. Sweeping and mopping should happen throughout the day, not just at the end. Otherwise, things pile up so much it’s hard to get everything.
Wiping counters is vital, and so it wiping down shelves and storage cabinets. Any spillage will give pests a perfect buffet and they will not miss the opportunity to take advantage!
Keep Your Commercial Kitchen in Top Shape
You invested a lot of money and time into setting up the right commercial kitchen. There’s no reason for your food operation to be stopped short by mice, bugs, and other pests.
Instead, take the steps needed to keep your kitchen in top shape. If you need a key piece of new or used equipment to round out your operation, we’re here to help. Contact us for a quote today!
Don’t Buy a Commercial Refrigerator Before Considering These 4 Things
A commercial refrigerator is an equipment staple of every restaurant. There are several things to consider when acquiring a commercial refrigerator for your kitchen. When searching for the correct type of unit, here are four things to consider to help you choose the...
5 Ways to Get the Most out of Your Dishwasher
Dishwashers are an incredibly helpful timesaver, and in the fast-paced restaurant industry, staff and managers are desperate for even a small amount of extra time. Although simply putting dishes into a machine seems simple, if your dishwasher is not well-maintained...
How to Keep Having Fun while Running your Restaurant
Restaurant owners typically have a passion for cuisine. Opening and running a restaurant is exciting, providing the opportunity to fully explore and develop your vision. However, if you have been in the restaurant business for any length of time, you know that it is...
3 Great Reasons to Maintain Your Restaurant Equipment
As the owner of a restaurant, you want a healthy and clean business. In the hustle of everyday restaurant management, it can be easy to forget to take care of issues that don’t seem as pressing as the customer complaining that they got the wrong order or that their...
Avoid Surprises During an Appraisal of Your Restaurant Equipment
When it comes to time for your restaurant equipment to be appraised, confusion can set in. For the purpose of the appraisal, personal goods are given value, but goods that are classified as ‘real goods’ are considered part of the real estate or the building structure...
Essentials of Cleaning and Preventative Maintenance for Your Restaurant Equipment
When it comes to your restaurant equipment, regular cleaning and maintenance is essential for making sure your equipment lasts for years to come. And it isn’t simply a matter of making your food processors and commercial mixers more efficient. There are considerable...
3 Tips for Maintaining Your Commercial Oven
As a restaurant owner, buying a commercial oven is an enormous investment. You will desperately want this oven to work properly and you need to make sure it does. You are responsible for your restaurant business. But what if your commercial oven stops working on the...
5 Steps to Cutting Food Waste from Your Kitchen
Food waste is a problem around the world. Taking steps to prevent food waste in your kitchen doesn’t just make your restaurant more morally strong; it can also help you save money on ingredients and attract more customers. Here are some steps you can take to reduce...
Planning Your Equipment Needs When Your Restaurant is Expanding
Your restaurant is doing great, guests are coming in, and they’re spreading the word about the culinary masterpieces your restaurant offers, as well as the exceptional service that is provided by the kitchen equipment and staff. But with all the new business, you’ve...
How to Keep Cool in the Restaurant Kitchen
Being in the kitchen, it’s hard not to feel overheated, especially during the summer. The heat of the stoves and ovens will quickly make the restaurant kitchen somewhere you don’t want to be. How do you keep cool in the kitchen? We have brought together some of the...
How and Why to Make Your Restaurant Lead-Free
If you own a restaurant, then you already know how important water is to your operations, and that poor water quality can adversely impact the success of your business. That is why you should ensure a restaurant lead-free environment. Water is an integral part of all...
Can You Handle These 5 Types of Difficult Restaurant Customers?
No matter how much you love it, running a restaurant certainly has its challenges. It is time-consuming, hectic, labor-intensive and competitive. And to cap it all, there are the difficult restaurant customers you often have to deal with. It’s impossible to please...
5 Unique Restaurant Concepts Guaranteed to Thrill Diners
With restaurants on almost every block, having a unique restaurant concept can help set you apart, making your establishment stand out. These concepts may have taken a bit to catch on, but they have quickly become popular sellers. Here are 5 unique restaurant concepts...
How to Run an Energy-Efficient Restaurant
You probably don’t need to be reminded of the high cost of electricity in running a restaurant compared to an energy-efficient restaurant. Right now, many establishments, including restaurants, are going green and adopting eco-friendly strategies to conserve...
Tipping: A Restaurant Controversy
When it comes to tipping or no-tipping policies in restaurants, there are strong feelings on both sides. While many restaurants have implemented no tipping policies, others are strong proponents for tipping. Still others aren’t sure which policy is right for their...