Summer is upon us and this means barbeque season is swinging into full gear. With that comes the necessity to ensure that your commercial kitchens grilling tools are up to the challenge. If you are like me, you dread this cleaning process. It’s arduous and dirty. With that in mind let’s have a look at some maintenance tips that could save you time, money, and elbow grease this summer.

Tip 1: Keep It Hot

The first rule to cleaning your grill is to do it while it’s still hot. Much of the crud that accumulates on your grill can be scrapped of if it’s done before the grill cools. By keeping the grill hot you keep the food and char molecules loose. This means less painful scrubbing at the end of the night. Set a standard of cleaning the grill right away if you want to save yourself a host of complaints from the one who had to do it a couple hours later at the end of the night.

Tip 2: Remove It if Possible

Many commercial grade grills won’t have much that you can remove, but some will. Secondary trays, bowls, or other ceramic hardware used with the grill should be taken off and cleaned in a sink system. Not only will this get those items the cleanest, removing them helps to clean the rest of the grill that will not be removed.

Tip 3: Carbonated Water and Lemon Juice

When it comes to getting your grill clean, scrapping it isn’t enough. I have often heard of using dish soap and water, but I think this method is even better. Carbonated water and lemon juice provides an excellent natural cleaning product that does a great job on a grill. Simply pour it over as you lightly scrub the grill. It’s really as simple as that.

Tip 4: Scrapers and Bricks

Some of these work better than others. Plastic is the best material for either a brick or a scrapper because it will not scratch the grill. Scratches or nicks in the grill can cause it to rust. This is obviously not something you can afford to keep replacing so using the right type of tools to clean it is important.

Tip 5: Tough Cleaning

If you have hard suck on grease on your grill – a common side effect of commercial grill use – then try this method of removing it. Take some baking soda and apple cider vinegar to it. First make a paste with the baking soda and a bit of water and apply it to the affected area. After 20 to 30 minutes, wipe down with a cloth until the surface is an opaque white color. Now apply the vinegar over the area generously. Once the surface bubbles you can wipe it down clean.

It doesn’t matter whether you own a swanky martini bar or draft beer watering hole; everyone’s bar gets busy from time to time. One of the easiest ways to help improve efficiency during these times is by having a back bar cooler for all your cold beverages. There are a lot of other reasons to think about adding a cooler to the back of your bar. Let’s have a look at some of them today:

1. Bar Cabinets are Little Used, Coolers Are Well Used

Having cabinets at the back of your bar isn’t doing much to increase sales or bar service speed. In fact, if things are hidden away in cabinets someone could be looking for them for a long time. If you want storage space on your bar, under the counter shelving makes more sense. At the back of the bar however, it make seven more sense to put a cooler. Two long in counter coolers will hold more than any bar fridge and can make drinks accessible from either side of the bar. By taking up space that wasn’t being used well in the first place, they also free up space at one end of the bar. The biggest advantage of back bar coolers is that they can make unused space a hotspot.

2. Back Bar Coolers Can be an Added Display Case

If you already have counters installed behind your bar then a counter top cooler with a glass face and sliding doors is a perfect choice. Not only do you add quick access for bartenders to the most popular beverages, you also give yourself an opportunity to advertise. In fact, glass faced coolers are actually more popular in dance clubs than they are in bars. The reason is simple; it’s more efficient for everyone and gives them a chance to advertise all their bottled beverage options.

3. Back Bar Coolers Add Counter Top Space

If you are thinking of buying a cooler for behind the bar, many come with an added counter top. The cooling system for the cooler mounts on the side, which makes them longer, but the ability to have more space for other bar equipment and supplies can be vital. Since these tend to be larger coolers, it is recommended to have swinging doors. If have a large variety of beverages in your cooler, it is usually easier to have glass doors.

Back Bar Cooling Just Makes Sense

Back bar cooling isn’t something that every bar does, but in my opinion, they should. Whether you want to advertise more, increase counter space, or just make your bar more useful, back bar cooling just makes sense.

One way you can try out new pieces of commercial kitchen equipment or make changes to your kitchen without having to buy and store seasonal appliances is to lease them. This isn’t something that a lot of commercial kitchen owners have dealt with. The process can be somewhat overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Let’s have a look at some of the things you will need to know in order to get the most out of a commercial kitchen lease.

Finding your Product

If you want to lease commercial kitchen equipment, the first step is finding a lease company that has what you are looking for. Not all commercial kitchen sellers allow you to lease their products, but many do. Once you’ve found a company that has what you’re looking for you will be able to move forward and fill out their lease application form.

The Lease Application

Once you’ve found a dealer that meets your needs, you will have to apply for the lease. These forms are generally easy to fill out. One part of these forms that you will notice is that you can apply for lease funding and financing in a variety of ways. Speak with your chosen dealer about which options are available and which might be best for your situation. There are many different options that could be presented to you. Just like leasing a vehicle it is important to know them all if you want to make the right choice.

Waiting for Approval

Once you’ve submitted your application to the dealer, expect some wait time before you are given a lease contract to look over. Like you did, the leasing company wants to make sure that they are making a good decision as well as look over any financing options you applied for. Once they have made their decisions they will let you know. Today this is done through phone or email. Smaller dealers may be able to process your lease transaction more quickly. The only way you will know how long the review process takes is by asking your dealer when you submit your application.

Financing and Contracts

The final stage in the lease process is signing the appropriate contracts. These contracts state the terms of the lease as far as the length, price per day/week/month, and so forth. Look over your lease contract before you sign it. If there is anything that is unclear to you, ask about it. The last thing you want to do is lease an item for a year, when you only wanted it for four months.

After all the paperwork is signed and all parties have their copies, you can pick-up your equipment. In many cases your appliance can be delivered to your business. If you have a choice between several different leasing companies, look for those that offer things like free delivery and pick up of the commercial kitchen equipment. These companies usually do more leasing that the others. This is how they are able offer the service for free.

One of the easiest ways to spice up an old favorite is to serve it in a new way. This could mean a new garnish, new color, or even more simple than that, a new glass. With summer already upon us, let’s have a look at some of the funky glasses that might help you sell your favorites on the patio and bring onlookers in.

Got Beer? Go Tall

If you are a beer serving establishment and want to create a special patio atmosphere a great way to do it is a tall beer glass. They scream drink me and allow for the color of any beer to really show. There is elegance to a taller narrow glass and that is why they are really taking off today. I like them because they look like there is a lot more beer in the glass than there actually is. All these reasons make the choice for your next round of beer glasses to be tall, slender, and sexy.

Textured Cooler Glasses Add Elegance

The typical glass for a cooler or carbonated drink is pretty lame. They are a couple inches wide, straight, and bland. Add some spice to the traditional cooler glass with a textured glass. These drinks are the choice of many women in the summer time. Give them a little something extra with a funky wrapped or colored texture on your glass. This adds the special touch to a beverage area that has long needed it. There is no need to add umbrellas and fruit if you have a great looking glass.

Outturned or Lipped Shot Glasses Coming Back

For a while the shot glass became a narrow and tall affair. Unlike beer glasses however, this summer is going to host the return of the short and stout shot glass. One of my favorite designs for this summer is the lipped shot glass. Easy to rim and great to look at this is a great choice for tequilas and a variety of other popular shots. The best part about a lipped shot glass is that you can attach the lemon or lime directly too it without having to bring them in a separate bowl or pass them after. This makes them easier to serve which can come in handy on a busy evening.

Big Bowl Drinks Get the Nod

Though I’m not a big fan it must be said. This summer marks the resurgence of those big bowled frosty beverages. There really is only one glass to serve them in, but this summer it would be a good idea to consider adding one to you drink list. One drink that is going to make a particularly big smash this season is the Mexican Bulldog. This slushy beverage is served with a Corona upside down in the bowl. It looks great on the table, gets people talking and tastes pretty good too. Whether it’s another type of margarita or punchy cocktail, having something big in your menu this summer is going to attract business.

Whether you are a new manager, a first time restaurant owner, or simply never had to replace a large piece of commercial kitchen equipment, I thought it would be handy to compile a few tips that can help anyone who hasn’t had to do this. You may think that purchasing commercial kitchen equipment is something like buying a car or new television, but the reality is far from it. Let’s have a look at some of the things to keep in mind when buying commercial kitchen equipment.

Tip 1: Know What Equipment You Need and What You Don’t

From a range to a toaster oven, all commercial kitchen equipment can be made to work together. This means that it is very important to know everything you want (and conversely what you don’t) when you are looking to buy. Choosing between a combi-oven and range or range and hot plate are the types of choices you have to make all over the commercial kitchen. By knowing what you need and what you don’t you won’t get wrapped into buying something that you won’t use or worse, something that doesn’t do the job.

Tip 2: Understand Your Space

Commercial kitchen equipment isn’t a small matter. In fact, appliances made for the commercial industry are typically 25% larger than those made for home use. For this reason an important first step of purchasing commercial kitchen equipment is to know what space you have to work with.

The other side of understanding you space means knowing its limitations. Buying an electric oven when you have gas fittings is going to make your cheaper purchase more expensive in the end if you aren’t prepared for it. Electrical requires of commercial kitchen equipment are also a factor so understand what you have and what your potential purchase requires before you make it.

Tip 3: On Buying Used

One of the easiest ways to replace a piece of commercial equipment is by looking at used equipment. Honestly, there are some really great pieces to be had. The trouble is that they are mixed into a sea of duds just waiting to be bought by an unsuspecting buyer. I would not recommend buying any used piece of commercial kitchen equipment unless you have a good history of where and how it was used as well as an inspection. In some cases experienced commercial kitchen owner and buyers will be able to do a rough inspection and capitalize on a great deal, but newcomers should be wary of buying used unless they have an expert evaluate the machine.

Tip 4: Online Buying

The only tip I have for new buyers of commercial kitchen equipment in the online market is that you have to know exactly what you want if you hope to get a good deal. If you’ve researched a product and have a specific model in mind, try looking it up online to see what sort of prices you find. In some cases you will find that it is available at a reduced cost online, but in others you will realize a local dealer has the best price. It’s a good place to check once you know what you want, but a bad place to start your commercial kitchen shopping.

I like to promote sustainability in food service.  This is because I believe that it is a duty of all food service providers. We serve food; therefore we should promote and nurture it where we can. One way that you can seriously lower the bottom line of your kitchen and ultimately save you money is by reducing food waste. It makes sense, but how? Let’s have a look at some of the most innovative ways to reduce food waste in your commercial kitchen and save you money.

Are you serving too much?

One of the biggest wastes of food is the waste that is thrown out from the plates of patrons. I understand that larger portions are a part of society, but that doesn’t mean excess is ok. In fact, if you are serving too much, you are not only wasting money, you are encouraging your customers to gorge. This could mean less appetizers or desserts ordered because they know that the entrée is going to be too much.

The easiest way to manage your portions is to monitor the plates as they come back to your kitchen. Teaching your servers or wait staff to watch for excess food coming back or dishes that constantly get packed up in a to go bag (which is another expenditure) will help you to flag menu items that are too large. The fix is simple, reduce the portion size. If this is a problem when it comes to presenting the dish, using a smaller plate or re-arranging the portions is usually an option.

Use the Specials Menu to Minimize Waste

Good managers will recognize when they have too much of something. Great managers will turn this potential problem into a sales pitch. By offering what you have the most of in your kitchen at a discount, you are sure to get more of it out your door and minimize they stuff you throw away. Many people who walk into restaurants today have no idea what they want when they walk in. They are hoping to be directed to it through some signage, your staff, or the menu. Capitalize on this group by offering them an easy choice and you will find that you aren’t throwing out as much of your overstocked items. This goes for everything from seafood to salad.

Training Staff to Reduce Food Waste

The last way you can reduce food waste in your restaurant’s kitchen is by training those who work in it not to. This means showing them how to cut around bruising in fruits or vegetables to still make it presentable and how to minimize waste when slicing, peeling, or chopping them too. The truth is that minimizing food waste should always start in the kitchen. If you set a good example, it is likely that the rest will follow.

There are a lot of reasons to own a good commercial blender in your food service business. I think we can all agree on that. The question I want to try and answer is which manufacturer makes the best blender? Names like Vita-Mix, Blendtec, Waring, and Hamilton Beach come to mind when I think the best blender manufacturers. Let’s see if there isn’t a champion among these kings of spin.

The easiest and most effective way of comparing the best manufacturers is to rate them in areas of quality, price, and performance:

Blender Quality

Two companies far surpass the others in this category. They are Blendtec and Vita-Mix. Both have a long history of providing high quality, long lasting blenders to the commercial kitchen community. It actually boasts on the spec sheets for Vita-Mix that their food prep series known as Vita-Prep outlasts the competition 3 to 1. That’s a pretty big statement for any company. Blendtec has some of the best advancements in programmable blenders and this gives them an edge all to their own. Blendtec also offers one of the largest selections of commercial grade blenders in the business. These are stats that Hamilton Beach and Waring cannot compete with.

Blender Price

When you look at the initial costs of getting a blender for the commercial or industrial kitchen, Waring has some of the most affordable units. Vita-Mix models are also fairly inexpensive at the initial price points, but increase rapidly. Hamilton Beach, who also makes home use models, has a high starting point for their commercial grade blenders, but a low top end. The highest volume Hamilton Beach blender shouldn’t run you more than a $1000. Because of the computer advancements and higher level of technology that Blendtec employs in their blenders, they are likely going to be the most expensive.

Blender Performance

While Waring, Hamilton Beach, and Vita-Mix all share similar performance levels, Blendtec commercial blenders are in a league of their own. Advanced functionality and a huge variety of blending options, such as the Space Saver and Q-Series models cannot be matched by any competitor. If you are looking to re-invent the way you blend, there is no other company. For this reason Blendtec wins hands down for commercial blending performance.

So, who makes the best commercial blender?

If you are looking for a standard blender that is going to last, you can’t go wrong with Vita-Mix. If you are just getting into blending and want to save money on a low capacity commercial grade blender, Waring has several inexpensive starters. Hamilton Beach holds the most weight in high capacity blending at a discounted price and Blendtec blenders are for those that need their blender to be a the star of their small appliance arsenal. The only thing you have to do now is decide which blender is best for your business.

This has always been a long standing question with restaurant owners. The reason is because the policy you choose will enable you to attract patrons in different ways. Obviously having a kid friendly establishment is going to allow families to enjoy a meal together, but there is a lot more to this decision than that. Consider the following list of pros and cons if you are thinking of changing policies. There may be something you haven’t thought of that could have a big impact on your business.

Why go Kid Friendly?

The advantages of going kid friendly are numerous. It allows you to open your doors to all types of family affairs. When you have a kid friendly restaurant, expect birthday parties and special events to be the focus. You want to fill the seats with large groups of people rather than just a few.

The biggest drawback to having a kid friendly restaurant is the fact that you need to offer a lot of special services. High chairs, a special kid menu, and even offering some entertainment for the children become factors you have to consider. This can significantly increase the cost of serving a table. It also puts the onus on your dining room staff to accommodate a broader range of needs.

Why go Kid Free?

The biggest advantage to not serving children is that it allows you to simplify your menu and market to a niche. It also sets your establishment up to host professional gatherings rather than family ones. Specializing in adult fare and atmosphere can bring a new feel to dining out that kid friendly restaurants won’t be able to capture. Maximize on this setting if you want to get the most out of your child free space.

The biggest disadvantage that you create for yourself by being child free is that you close your doors to a large spectrum of society. The truth is that you have the harder job of appealing to a smaller group of people when you have a child free establishment. This means that marketing to a specific niche and offering an excellent dining experience are going to make the difference between one time patrons and clientele.

Make the Right Decision

If you enjoy serving good food to all types of people and would rather worry about the taste of your food than the atmosphere you serve it, kid friendly is likely the best option for you. If you are trying to create a special place to eat and enjoy time out, child free makes the most sense. The real question becomes not what you are serving, but how you want to serve it that will determine whether kid friendly or child free is right for you.

Running a business means working off a bottom line. This is the amount of money you will spend to run your business. Earning more that this bottom line is the key to success. One of the ways to increase your chances of doing this is by getting that line as low as possible. The easiest way to lower your bottom line is by cutting down on the cost of production. Here are a few tips that will keep your bottom line lower and profits higher.

Tip 1: Monitor Air Flow

Though you can’t see it, your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning costs are likely about a quarter of your daily overhead. By monitoring these systems to ensure they aren’t working overtime for no reason, you can cut over a thousand dollars from the energy bill of almost any restaurant.

Tip 2: Shut off Idle Equipment

When you aren’t using an appliance, shut it off. Making and sticking to a schedule for these machines will help you manage this process and provide staff with clear direction on when to turn off the big energy eaters. The result is a longer life for your equipment and lower energy costs once again.

Tip 3: Space out Cold and Hot Equipment

One of the easiest ways to organize a commercial kitchen for efficiency is to have the cold and hot equipment separated. If you have a freezer and fridge system, ensure they aren’t beside the grill. By separating these units you are able to better manage how hard they have to work. If it’s too cold your oven will be working overtime to get up to max temp. The same applies to your fridge and freezer. Make sure they don’t get overworked simply by having other hot equipment within a few feet.

Tip 4: Hot Water Can Cost You

If you want to run a more efficient commercial kitchen, you have to manage the hot water it uses. This means educating staff on which tasks require hot water and which don’t. It can also mean insulating hot water pipes to ensure that you aren’t loosing excess energy to get that hot water to the tap.

Tip 5: Maintain your Equipment Regularly

The last tip for keeping costs down in your commercial kitchen is to ensure you maintain your equipment. As commercial kitchen equipment ages, it becomes less efficient. Avoid this trend by keeping a tight schedule for equipment maintenance. Not only will you spend less on replacements, you will ensure that your equipment doesn’t suck energy while it’s in use.

Commercial Cabinets are one of the most useful tools you can have in any kitchen. They can keep food warm, proof dough, or transport large amounts of goods from one area to another. The industrial kitchen has been using these tools for a long time, but the commercial kitchen is still just flirting with the concept. If you are interested in improving the speed of your kitchen as well as the quality of the food it produces, you should certainly consider one of these types of commercial kitchen cabinets.

Holding and Transporting Cabinets

When it comes to serving a host of people at the same time, there is little better than using a transport cabinet to get the food to where it needs to go. Simply load up the trays and wheel it out. This also allows your staff to pre-prep for courses like dessert by loading these carts and then wheeling them into the fridge until needed. In fact, serving a cold treat in a cold bowl can improve the taste of the dish. Kill two birds with one stone by using a portable holding cabinet.  

Heated Cabinets

Like holding cabinets, heated cabinets typically come on wheels. The difference is that the cabinet is heated to keep food at a hot (140 F) temperature until it is served. These cabinets are more popular in the fast food and industrial food service industries, but can have some value in any commercial kitchen. The truth is that we all get our timing mixed up now and again. Having a storage facility for hot food (even a limited one) will allow to you store this food until the rest of the meal is ready. If you are concerned about the quality of the food that is held in the unit, I recommend trying it out. I think you will find that a few minutes in a heated cabinet does very little to the quality of almost any dish.

Proofing Cabinets

These specialized cabinets help bread makers in the final dough rising step. By controlling the internal temperature and humidity of the cabinet a proofing cabinet shortens the time for bread to rise. These units will run a little cooler than a heated cabinet and have a variable temperature to help maximize the rising process.

Buying a Cabinet

One of the most important things to consider about your cabinet is the type of shelving you want it to have. Basically you have a couple options. You can have fixed shelving or moveable. If you can get away without moving your shelving or plan on using the cabinet for a specific type of food, go with fixed shelving. It is easier to work with and has a longer life span than variable shelving. If on the other hand you are going to put a variety of things in your cabinet adjustable shelving will allow you to utilize the cabinet in many different situations.