How to Keep Cool in the Restaurant Kitchen
August 15Being 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 best tips for keeping cool in the hottest area of the restaurant.
Air Conditioning in your Restaurant Kitchen
A lot of restaurants have air conditioning units in the seating part of their establishment but not in the kitchen. Many restaurant owners and managers believe AC is more important in the dining area because without it, less customers would want to dine there. However, AC is important in staff areas too – perhaps more important than many managers realize. Not having a proper air conditioning unit is a quick way to lose team members. Hot restaurant kitchens may also lead to on-the-job injuries, such as heat stroke.
Good Ventilation in your Restaurant Kitchen
Having your restaurant kitchen properly ventilated will help to dissipate the heat created by your kitchen appliances. Make sure that all stoves and ovens have ventilation units and that they are regularly maintained. That includes cleaning and inspecting. General heat vents can also help to get rid of some of the heat that you might be experiencing in the kitchen.
Hydrate Regularly
When working in a hot environment, your body is going to need to use fluids more quickly in order to keep your body functioning well. That includes your body being able to cool itself. Aim to drink between two to four glasses for every hour that you are working in a hot restaurant kitchen. This will help to maintain the proper temperature for your body.
Take Turns in The Walk-In
Taking turns getting supplies from and cleaning the walk-in fridge. This will give you the chance to quickly cool down. Try to take turns with the whole team so that it is distributed fairly. When you walk in to grab something, spend an extra minute in the walk-in and let your body temperature lower. Putting a chair in there allows employees to take a cool break, as long as they are clean about it.
Restaurants that take up this practice find that their walk-ins are cleaner, treated well, and even become a place cherished by the team members.
Moist Towels
Many restaurants have started to store moist hand towels in the fridge or freezer. These towels are then pulled out by staff members to put on their necks. The cold temperature on their neck helps to chill down the rest of their body. They can then swap out towels whenever their towel is no longer cold. Practices like these are best when picked up by the restaurant, so that employees don’t need to bring towels from home. This way, the towels can be cleaned on site and reused by every staff member once cleaned.
Keeping cool in a restaurant kitchen is critical. It can raise efficiency and protect employees from heat-related health problems. Talk to your team members to see if they have any further ideas to help keep the kitchen cooler. They will often see areas that can be improved more than owners or managers, simply due to the fact they are in the kitchen more often.
4 Money-Saving Strategies You Can Use in Your Restaurant NOW
Running a restaurant is one of the most interesting and lucrative businesses one can engage in with the right money-saving strategies. However, it also poses to be one of the most difficult. Many factors have to be put into consideration in order to make sure that...
Businesses that Should be Selling Frozen Beverages in 2017
Adding a frozen beverage machine to your slate of money-making channels is great way to drum up additional sales. Since there is low overhead cost associated with selling frozen beverages, whether it is an FCB (Frozen Carbonated Beverage) or FUB (Frozen Uncarbonated...
Start Preparing Your Restaurant for Summer!
As a restaurant owner, you may have noticed that weather has affects the number of customers that walk through your door. It is widely understood, for example, that rain drives customers indoors as they seek shelter from the storm. Snowstorms, of course, discourage...
Create a Memorable Dining Experience with the Right Flatware
According to Will Rogers, “you will never get a second chance to make a first impression.” In a restaurant, flatware is a small but essential part of making a great impression. Flatware is a particularly important design element because customers won’t just look it;...
Cleaning Your Commercial Deep Fryer Made Easy
A commercial deep fryer requires daily cleaning to keep the appliance in perfect working condition. However, cleaning the restaurant’s deep fryer is one of the most dreaded tasks for many restaurant workers. Who could blame them? The process of cleaning a deep fryer...
The Top Chefs Use Cast Iron. Do You?
From pots to pans, restaurant cookware has been made out of all kinds of materials. What kind do you use? It’s time for you to use cast iron. Cast iron cookware has many benefits. Let’s take a look at why you need to be using cast iron in your professional kitchen....
How to Crash the Dine and Dash
Any business that sells physical products is subject to the occasional theft. So do restaurants, but it's just called dine and dash. Those who dine and dash take advantage of the fact that they receive their purchase before they pay, rather than after. In many...
Preparing for Your Restaurant’s Grand Opening
Starting a restaurant is an adventure, especially with the Grand Opening. There will have been months of planning, preparation, purchasing and hiring for your grand opening. When you finally have everything ready, your grand opening is a big deal. If everything is...
Guide to Buying the Perfect Knives
Knives are arguably one of the most important tools in any kitchen. Your chefs are the heartbeat of your restaurant and they deserve quality knives that ease the task of cooking great food. When buying the perfect knives for your chefs, keep in mind that the most...
Equipment Buying Tips for Restaurant Owners
If you own a restaurant or you’re starting a new one, you will need the right equipment. It is important to choose quality equipment that will not only get the job done well but also cost you less in the long run. However, it can be hard to know where to start. Here...
5 Decor Ideas for an Inviting Restaurant Feel
Great food and customer service are important parts of the equation that keeps customers coming, but the restaurant experience is not just about the food. The best restaurants cater to every aspect of a customer’s experience. The right ambiance is a must. This means...
5 Tips for an Ergonomically Sound Restaurant
The physical environment of your restaurant should not only be appealing to customers but also be comfortable and safe for your employees. Due to the repetitive motions that characterize the job description of restaurant employees, there is a potential for...
How to Make Your Silverware Sparkle and Shine
No one wants to eat off of dirty or tarnished silverware. While it’s easy to clean silverware of leftover food, the tarnishing will still linger unless you take steps to make your silverware shine. To make the best impression on your guests, your silverware should not...
Top 6 Movies for Restaurant Owners
The movies that connect with us on a personal level are the ones that linger in our memories forever, especially when it deals with food and the drama in a commercial kitchen. Achieving that level of intimacy in the fictional world of movies is easier said than done....