Uh Oh. Handling Restaurant Disaster Recovery

September 11, 2018

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 part of life here.

And that doesn’t even take into account things that can happen inside your restaurant, including fire, theft, vandalism, chemical spills, and other major events.

While disaster isn’t guaranteed, it’s common enough that you need to have a plan. Here’s how to get your commercial kitchen back in order after this kind of event.

 

Have a Contingency Plan for Big and Small Problems

Before anything terrible every happens to your restaurant or commercial kitchen, think about what you would do if there was a disaster and create a contingency plan.

Don’t just think of big things like grease fires or tornados. Go through this process for small but vital problems, like power outages, an unruly or violent customer, a walk-in cooler breaking, or your key cooking equipment failing to work.

For each problem, list the steps to take:

  • Who needs to be notified, and who’s in charge of that communication?
  • What do the employees and customers need to do?
  • Who is in charge of making sure everyone follows though?
  • Who is the next in command if the primary leader can’t perform duties?
  • What key names and phone numbers are needed in each situation?

Your plan should be simple and straightforward. Ideally, a greeter on his or her first day should be able to execute them. Keep your contingency plans in an easy-to-find location, preferably in a binder, and review the steps with employees regularly.

 

Handling a Fire

Fires are one of the most common causes of destruction in any building, whether a home or a restaurant. Restaurants are especially susceptible because of the high heat, gas fixtures, and high levels of activity.

Recovering from a large fire can mean being closed for days or even months. The first thing you’ll have to do is clean every surface and throw out any food or beverages that were near the fire. Even a surface that looks clean, or food that looks ok, can be tainted with dust, ash, and chemicals from fire extinguishers.

If the fire was large, calling a professional restoration company can be your best option. It will give you a chance to think through your next steps and determine what new equipment you need for your commercial kitchen.

 

After a Flood

As you may know from living in the Little Rock area, flooding is about much more than water. Floodwaters contain a ton of mud, bugs, and refuse – and sometimes, animals as well. And even once all of that is out of your commercial kitchen, there’s the threat of mold and mildew.

Floods are another time you’ll want a professional clean-up crew. You’ll have to disinfect every surface in both the front and back of the house. Carpet will have to be replaced, as well as furniture, equipment, and much more.

Once your equipment is cleaned and sterilized, replace all filters. You will probably also want your electrical systems, HVAC, and plumbing cleaned and checked.

 

Get the Equipment Your Commercial Kitchen Needs

After a disaster, you may not be in a position to buy brand new equipment for every station. Fortunately, high-quality used equipment is available as well.

If you’re recovering from a disaster, you have enough on your plate. Contact us for help sourcing the right equipment at the right price. We’re here to serve you!

Kitchen Equipment in Little Rock

Kitchen Equipment in Little Rock

Tipton Equipment Restaurant Supply has a selection of kitchen equipment in Little Rock that will help enhance the menu of any restaurant, deli, or supermarket. Our span of kitchen equipment will help you keep up with growing consumer demand for fresh, high-quality...

read more
Commercial Ice Cream Freezer: Keeping it Clean

Commercial Ice Cream Freezer: Keeping it Clean

To many, cleaning an ice cream freezer merely means pulling out all the food and allowing the appliance to defrost. Defrosting is a vital step, but it is not the only thing that needs to happen to maintain a clean freezer. To ensure optimal performance and keep your...

read more
Getting Your Commercial Kitchen Up and Running

Getting Your Commercial Kitchen Up and Running

Getting your commercial kitchen up and running. Serving Ware   If there's nothing to serve the food on, there's no restaurant. You'll need tons of cutlery, plate ware, bowls, ramekins, cups, and glasses. Consider the number of tables you can fit in your restaurant and...

read more
Safety Tips for Your Commercial Kitchen

Safety Tips for Your Commercial Kitchen

Safety tips for your commercial kitchen to keep it running smoothly and keep disease out. A well-run commercial kitchen means maintaining the utmost cleanliness and safe conditions for your food preparation. If you were to contaminate an area with Salmonella or other...

read more
Cooking Equipment You Need Today!

Cooking Equipment You Need Today!

If you've ever attempted to purchase cooking equipment for a new kitchen or tried to improve the quality of tools in your current kitchen you've found that stocking up on high-quality kitchen essentials is much more complicated than it should be. Nowadays everywhere...

read more
Cooking Equipment Disasters You Can Avoid

Cooking Equipment Disasters You Can Avoid

Cooking equipment disasters you can avoid through proper safety procedure and careful proceeding. Kitchens are the heart of the home, but they’re also home to a lot of cooking equipment that can pose safety hazards. Cooking fires top the list of things that can go...

read more
Why You Should Maintain Restaurant Supplies Religiously

Why You Should Maintain Restaurant Supplies Religiously

Excellent quality and well-functioning restaurant supplies are the backbones of a restaurant’s success. While you may be able to operate a restaurant without regular equipment maintenance in the short run, the long-term effects will add up. Decreasing equipment...

read more
What Restaurant Supplies Does Your Café Need?

What Restaurant Supplies Does Your Café Need?

What restaurant supplies does your café need? Our Pro's Do It All: Provide, Install & Maintain From soda fountains to most any frozen beverage machine, we offer a fantastic variety of beverage equipment and restaurant supplies. Tipton Equipment is one of the few...

read more
Three Benefits of Using Used Kitchen Equipment

Three Benefits of Using Used Kitchen Equipment

Three benefits of using used kitchen equipment are more straightforward than you would think. SavingsUsed kitchen equipment will save you thousands in, starting a restaurant. High restaurant failure rate leads to restaurant kitchen equipment only being in service for...

read more
How to Run a Successful Event & Party Room

How to Run a Successful Event & Party Room

Do you have a large space in your restaurant set aside for special events and parties? Does it get reserved as often as you wished?If you’re like most restaurant owners or managers, the answers are yes and no. You probably have a space – almost everyone is expected to...

read more
Philadelphia Outlaws Cashless: What it Means to You

Philadelphia Outlaws Cashless: What it Means to You

In early March, Philadelphia became the first city in the U.S. to forbid restaurants from refusing cash payments. As of July 1, all Philadelphia restaurants will have to accept cash payments and cannot charge cash-paying customers more than non-cash ones. Several...

read more
Types of Insurance Your Restaurant Needs

Types of Insurance Your Restaurant Needs

No one gets into the restaurant business thinking about insurance and paperwork, but it’s still an important part of doing business. Insurance helps protect you from natural disaster, theft, employee injuries, and liability. Many times you can get insurance discounts...

read more
Control COGS in Your Restaurant

Control COGS in Your Restaurant

Restaurants are known for having razor-thin margins, but you can improve your profits if you have a good handle on your costs. That doesn’t mean you have to skimp on restaurant supplies, but it does mean you can be strategic about what you spend. Do you know your cost...

read more