To be successful, a restaurant requires a large amount of equipment. While some of this equipment needs to be unique in order to set one restaurant apart from other establishments, other equipment is better when it’s standardized across the industry. When properly implemented, standardized equipment can have multiple positive effects for both patrons and restaurateurs.
It can be difficult for smaller restaurants to keep up with standardization practices, and if you are just starting out, using more expensive, standardized equipment may not be high on your list of priorities. However, once you start gaining business, getting the right equipment can make or break your restaurant. Here are some ways standardizing equipment positively impacts the restaurant industry.
It Keeps It Cleaner
Cleanliness is one of the most important parts of any restaurant. In order to make cleaning processes easy and effective, standardization is key. By using common chemicals, equipment, and procedures for keeping restaurants clean, more people will be able to do it properly, ensuring that customers and foodservice staff stay safe from foodborne illnesses. Standardized equipment keeps employees and customers healthier and safer.
It Makes for Equal Portions
When serving guests, it’s important to offer each guest an equal portion when they order a particular menu item. If you don’t take time to take care of this step, then customers may become upset because of inconsistent experiences. That’s why portion control machines, such as hamburger moulder equipment, is crucial to help you save money, ensure customer satisfaction, and help prevent waste.
It Prevents Waste
In addition to being bad for your bottom line, food waste poses a major problem for the environment. Fortunately, there is plenty of standardized equipment that can help your restaurant avoid wasting food. Equipment such as walk-in freezers and package sealers can help to protect and preserve leftover food so that you can use it again on another day. Just be sure to follow all applicable foodservice laws when keeping food from day-to-day.
It Makes Training Easier
Although each restaurant will operate differently, there are some core practices that every foodservice worker needs to know. By standardizing your training equipment, you can make this basic training easier and more accurate. Rather than expecting someone to learn on the job, you can ensure that they have the basic knowledge they’ll need before they hit the line. Although investing in training modules and the technology to deliver those modules can be a big expense, it’s worth it in terms of time saved down the road.
For Restaurants of All Types
Standardizing equipment in a restaurant isn’t just for large restaurants. In fact, many of the benefits of standardized equipment and procedures will have a bigger positive impact when implemented in smaller restaurants than in large chain restaurants. Therefore, if you want to take charge of increasing efficiency and improving operations in your restaurant, it’s a great idea to look into ways to standardize your operations as soon as possible.
"Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most her time hiking, biking and gardening. For more information contact Brooke via Twitter @BrookeChaplan."