Kitchen Equipment You Need: Wellness Mats
May 20, 2018When it comes to serving customers, you leave no stone unturned.
You choose the best kitchen equipment, test your recipes, buy the best ingredients, and hire excellent staff. Unfortunately, there’s something that even the savviest restaurant owner often forgets – taking care of their employees’ health and wellness. Your employees are the reason you are able to serve your customers at a top level. They deserve to be safe and comfortable – and you can provide that, quickly and easily. The best place to start is with wellness mats.
What Are Wellness Mats?
Designed to reduce the fatigue and pain of standing for long periods of time, wellness mats are kitchen equipment that keep your employees feeling good and moving quickly. If your staff are standing for long periods of time – either at the hostess stand, a stove, or other location – they can develop foot and leg disorders. Not only does this decrease their effectiveness at work, but they can miss time and cost your company money. Wellness mats are an ergonomic solution that cushions your employees’ legs and feet as they stand. They absorb shock from walking as well, helping protect workers as they move from station to station. High-quality wellness mats are an investment in your employees and your business.
The Cost of Employee Injury
Workplace injuries cost money in health insurance and worker’s compensation, of course, but they hurt your business in other ways as well. Workplace injuries can cause:
- Absenteeism that has to be covered by other staff
- Lower morale in the workplace due to overwork or gossip
- Additional paperwork and frustration for management
- Having to hire and train a new employee in case of an extended absence
By taking precautions with your kitchen equipment, including using wellness mats, you can reduce instances of injury, keep employees safe and happy, and protect your restaurant.
Choosing the Best Wellness Mat
How do you choose the right wellness mat? The first step is to realize that a wellness mat and a non-slip mat are not the same. A proper anti-fatigue mat will have cushioning, although it may well be non-slip as well. From there, consider the following:
- What thickness will create the most comfort but the least disruption? Too thick of a mat may be uncomfortable or difficult to use.
- Choose mats with sloped edges to reduce tripping.
- Because you’re in a food preparation area, be sure the mats are easy to clean and keep sanitary.
Your employees can also weigh in on what they would like in anti-fatigue mats. You may want to try a couple of different kinds before making your final decision.
Other Steps to Take
Wellness mats aren’t the only way to keep your employees light on their feet. You can also encourage proper non-slip and shock-absorbing shoes. Shoes should also have proper arch support and heel cushioning. It’s also important to encourage some movement, even among stations as they use kitchen equipment. If your staff have an opportunity to move around, shift their position, or even sit for a time during work, it can make a big difference in their overall wellness. Finally, work to improve the overall floor surface in your kitchen and restaurant. A softer but still sanitary flooring can have a big influence on employee health and wellness.
Get the Kitchen Equipment You Need!
Overall, your kitchen equipment works together with your policies and procedures to help keep your staff safe and effective. We’d love to help you find exactly what you need. We have a variety of wellness mats and other equipment your restaurant needs. Contact us today for more information!
Kitchen Supplies: Should You Go Local With Ingredients?
If you own a restaurant in Little Rock, you’ve certainly heard of the trend toward going local. Local kitchen supplies, local ingredients, even local art as décor. There are a lot of great reasons to buy local – your money will stay in and support your community, for...
Commercial Kitchen Fun: Why Salty & Sweet?
All cooks who consider making desserts know that salty and sweet is a winning combination. Salted caramel shows up in hundreds of recipes. Candy bars combine salted nuts with chocolate. We dip French fries in ice cream. We put pineapple on pizza. People even put salt...
Restaurant Equipment Spotlight: Ensuring Safety in Your Restaurant
A lot happens in your restaurant every day. You have people coming and going all the time. Your employees are constantly moving around, and customers are entering and leaving throughout the day. Unfortunately, with all that activity, there’s also a lot that can go...
Questions to Ask Before You Invest in Kitchen Equipment
When you invest in kitchen equipment, you want to make sure you’re getting exactly what you need and that it will last you a long time. It can be overwhelming to think about everything you need when you’re starting a restaurant. Even if you’re just trying to add or...
Uh Oh. Handling Restaurant Disaster Recovery
No one wants to think about a major disaster hitting their restaurant. Unfortunately, it can happen at any time. In Arkansas, large areas (including Little Rock) were declared disaster areas as recently as last summer. Severe flooding, wind damage, and tornados are...
Restaurant Supplies You Need: Technology in Your Business
Every business is impacted by technology, and restaurants are no exception. There are dozens of ways to use technology to build your business, improve your efficiency, and serve customers better. Sometimes restaurant owners feel like they’re too busy to implement new...
Key Restaurant Equipment for a Fast-Casual Restaurant
Fast-casual dining has changed how America eats and has impacted what people expect in terms of convenience, price, and food quality. Generally, fast-casual food is affordable and higher-quality than pure fast food. It’s a step above a McDonald’s, without the price or...
Equipment for Your Restaurant: Choosing a Restaurant Concept
Some people who start a restaurant know exactly what they want. They either buy an existing restaurant with a concept, or they create the menu based on their family traditions or ethnic flair. However, not everyone who wants to start a restaurant knows exactly what...
Restaurant Supplies: Using Herbs to Add Flavor to Your Dishes
If you’re looking for new ways to attract people to your restaurant, consider the ways you can add flavor without adding fat or calories. Consumers are more and more concerned about the quality of what they eat, both at home and in a restaurant. Home cooks generally...
Commercial Kitchen Debate: Stainless Steel vs. Non-Stick Pans
If you run a commercial kitchen, you probably have a lot of ways of doing things that just seem right to you. For whatever reason, you decided between a gas and electric stove. You made decisions about dishware. And you probably have a position on the stainless steel...
Restaurant Equipment: How to Handle Gluten Allergies
In the last five years, you’ve probably seen a dramatic increase in the number of restaurant customers you have that are avoiding gluten. Some of them simply don’t like it, and others have a life-threatening reaction if they eat it. As a restaurant owner, you want to...
Reduce Food Waste: Proper Kitchen Equipment and More
Food waste is a reality in any commercial restaurant, but it doesn’t have to be accepted blindly. Too many restaurant owners or head chefs feel as though there is nothing they can do about this waste. Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do to reduce food waste in your...
Restaurant Supplies: Furnishing an Outdoor Sitting Area
Outdoor dining is a very enjoyable experience for many people. In Little Rock the weather is generally pleasant, although humidity may make it hard to eat outside on the hottest summer days. Adding an outdoor sitting area to your restaurant can be a great way to...
Commercial Kitchen Fun: The Wonder of Chocolate
If there’s anything that almost everyone loves as much as coffee, it’s chocolate. In fact, there are multiple celebrations of chocolate each year. Chocolate Day is on July 7th, because historically that’s when chocolate was first brought to Europe in 1550. Don’t miss...
Cooking Equipment Spotlight: Safe Indoor Grilling
Indoor grilling is a great way for your restaurant to delight customers without having to run a big charcoal operation out back. There’s nothing like grilled meat and vegetables to put a great aroma in the air and encourage hungry diners to dig in. There are two...