Food service is a very important industry. People eat out at least once every day, and they are trusting you to serve them the best possible food. Unfortunately, many people don’t understand how important cleanliness is when it comes to this business. When your establishment isn’t well-maintained and sanitary, customers will get sick from eating there or just decide not to go back again because of the lack of cleanliness in your place.
The food service industry is a fast-paced environment that relies on cleanliness to keep customers coming back. When cleanliness is neglected, the food business establishments become more vulnerable to health code violations and other problems. In this blog post, we will discuss why cleanliness is essential for the food business industry and how it can be incorporated into daily operations.
The Importance of Cleanliness
People who work in the food industry know how important cleanliness is. However, if you are a business owner that has never worked in this industry before, then you may not understand why cleanliness is so important.
Cleanliness can make or break your business and it’s easy to see why when you take a look at some statistics on this subject. For example, according to one study conducted by Food Safety Net Services (FSNS), nearly 80% of people will not eat from a dirty table and more than half of all customers have left food service establishments due to poor sanitary conditions. Another statistic shows that almost 60% of consumers said they would stop buying from companies with poor hygiene standards after seeing unsanitary practices firsthand.
Therefore, if you want your food service business to thrive, you need to focus on cleanliness. Below are tips on how you can successfully keep your establishment clean and welcoming all the time.
Essential Tips to Maintain Cleanliness
If you want to attract more customers and retain old ones, you need to take these tips to heart:
- Make sure that your establishment is well-lit: A well-lit food service establishment will help customers see how clean and organized your premises are. In addition to this, a well-lit establishment will make your food, utensils, and dishes more visible.
- Keep the clean and dirty areas separate: Make sure that you have a designated area for dishwashing, food preparation, clean dishes storage, and anything else related to cleanliness. It is important to keep these away from your customers’ view so that they don’t feel uneasy while dining in your establishment.
- Always wash your hands before preparing food: This is one of the most important things to do when cleanliness is a top priority. You need to always wash your hands before preparing food because clean hands go a long way in preventing food-borne illnesses.
- Always clean your food prep area before preparing food: One of the most undervalued steps in keeping cleanliness a top priority is making sure that you have clean surfaces to work with when you are cooking or baking. This can be done by running soap and water over the surface prior to use, wiping down with disinfecting wipes, or using clean cloths with soap and water to wipe down your cooking area’s surfaces.
- Remove any clutter from your establishment: Cleanliness is essential for the food business industry, so clean what you can see. This includes anything that could harbor bacteria such as food debris or dirt. This will not only make it cleaner but also discourage pests and other disease-carrying creatures to enter.
- Make sure there’s a sufficient amount of clean food-service items: Clean plates, clean silverware, clean cups, and clean dish towels should always be just within reach so that clean items are always ready to be served to customers. You can also pay for a professional restaurant linen service to customize clean tablecloths and napkins especially if you are running a restaurant.
- Make sure cleanliness is maintained: Cleaning schedules should be set and followed, with cleaners cleaning different areas at different times to avoid cross-contamination of food-borne illnesses such as Salmonella or E. coli.
Maintaining Cleanliness Should Always be Prioritized
Cleanliness should always be prioritized because cleanliness is essential for the food business industry. When cleanliness is not guaranteed, people can suffer from food-borne illnesses and even food poisoning which can be prevented if cleanliness is prioritized and maintained.
If you are running a food service business, you need to make sure that cleanliness is always prioritized so that you can keep your customers happy. Customers will trust your business more if they see how meticulous you are when it comes to maintaining the cleanliness of your premises.
