Cleaning Restaurant Tables
Cleanliness is something that customers should never have to compromise with. A neat and clean restaurant assures the customers that they are going to dine out in a safe environment. If the tables, glasses, kitchen, restroom area, etc. are unhygienic the customers will not be pleased with all, even if the food is great. An unhygienic environment is a breeding ground for germs, bacteria, etc. which affect the health of us, the customers, and their employees. Customers prefer restaurants with clean tables and extraordinary health standards only. Clean tables not only provide a pleasing atmosphere but also assure the customers that the place is infection-free.
Dirty table tops are also one of the most disgusting sites and a pet peeve of mine. I’m going to describe an incident which I experienced while on a recent trip back to my hometown. I went to a local pancake place, the tabletops there appeared clean at a glance however were in dirty condition. Sticky syrup solution was spilled on the table and along its sides. I placed my hands on it unknowingly and it was gross. After that I didn’t feel like sitting at that table, I didn’t want to have pancakes even though I knew that they were going to taste great. I called the waitress and reviewed the problem with her. She apologized for the inconvenience caused and yelled at the bus person to come over with a rag and clean it up. The subsequent problem was that he came back with a little red bucket which symbolized a sanitizer with a rag in it, however, the bucket just contained bleach water and a dirty rag. He then used it to wipe the table off and offered it to me to wipe my hands off as well. Seriously the last thing I want is to is smell bleach in the morning, before having my first cup of coffee.
Read Also; Proper Washing of Vegetables
A better way to do this is to use a Quat based solution which normally has no smell or at least a little fragrance. For example Cleanse Tec’s TTS
Steps to Remember
- After the customer leaves, clean all dishes and silverware off into a buss pan.
- Then wipe off all foods soils, spills, and crumbs onto a rag, remove the dishes and carry them directly to the kitchen’s dish machine area or waitress station.
- Never wipe the food soil onto the floor. I have recently observed this bad practice at a chain restaurant.
- Next, pick up a spray bottle of tabletop sanitizer, use a clean rag and spray bottle to clean the complete table including the sides.
- The final step is to leave the table to get dried in the air. Although this step seems trivial, it is the most important step of sanitizing.
Cross-contamination is also reduced if the surface is air-dried instead of towel-dried. Never let a customer sit at a wettable.
After the table is cleaned and dried, it should be sanitized. The sanitizer should stay in contact with the surface for a specific amount of time, only then it can work properly.
Some restaurants like the Diners, located here on Long Island use paper placemats on the table which sometimes help in the process of cleaning and reassuring that the tables are clean under your plate.
There is too much competition out there for restaurants not to take this seriously. There is no reason to settle down for anything else when dining out.
If you need further assistance from me or my company, please reach out to us. Also please visit my company’s web site Cleanse, Tec
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