Restaurants are among the most routinely cleaned public areas globally, thanks to stringent industry standards and regulations. A restaurant cleaning checklist is an excellent place to begin.
For each section of your institution, our restaurant cleaning schedule checklist template contains:
- A daily restaurant cleaning checklist.
- A weekly restaurant cleaning checklist.
- A monthly restaurant cleaning checklist.
Examine the sample checklist below, make any necessary changes to fit your restaurant’s demands, and educate your employees to follow your cleaning list. Your whole restaurant will be clean, and your hard work will be rewarded, assuring the safety of your employees and customers as well as the health of your bottom line.
Front of House Cleaning Checklist
The first impression customers will get when they arrive at your restaurant is the front of the house. It must be a welcoming environment that will make them feel at ease throughout their dining experience, especially these days. This is one of those situations where the look is important. Make sure your visitors can see how thorough you’ve been with the cleaning.
Cleaning Supplies Needed:
- Spray cleaners for surfaces and windows.
- Clean clothes.
- Broom.
- A mop and a pail of hot, soapy water are required.
- Vacuum carpeted areas and nooks that are difficult to reach.
- Toilet brush and bathroom cleaner
- Toilet paper, paper towels, and napkins are examples of paper supplies.
Daily
During the Shift:
- As needed, spray and wipe clean high-traffic areas such as doorknobs, handrails, chairs, and tabletops. Have a staff worker do this considerably more frequently than normal during a health crisis.
- During a health emergency, it’s also worth thinking about removing any shared condiments from tables, such as ketchup bottles, and only supplying them when asked — and washing them down after each use.
- Smudges and streaks should be removed from windows and glass doors.
- Make sure that each table is clean and well-stocked.
- Check the restrooms for cleanliness on a regular basis.
When Closing Out:
- For the following shift, prepare silverware and napkins.
- Menus should be sprayed and wiped off.
- All tabletops should be sprayed and wiped off.
- Clean and sterilise all bathroom surfaces thoroughly.
- Floors should be swept and mopped.
- Any visible crumbs or dirt from rugs should be vacuumed away.
Weekly
- Vacuum places that are difficult to reach.
- All fixtures and secondary surfaces should be dusted.
- All glass and mirror surfaces should be sprayed and wiped clean.
- Toilets should be sanitised and scrubbed.
- Any living plants should be cared for.
Monthly
- Check for damage to carpets, drapes, chairs, and other upholstered objects.
- The bathrooms should be thoroughly cleaned.
- Dust ceiling fans and vacuum cobwebs.
Focus on Preventing Foodborne Illness
Many restaurants’ reputations and long-term performance have been harmed by outbreaks of foodborne illnesses such as E. coli and Norovirus, notably Chipotle, which is still trying to clean its name years after a massive E. coli incident.
Make careful to encourage appropriate handwashing. Even amid the rush, and even if they’re concerned a steak may overcook in the interim, all employees must wash their hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds – that’s two complete “Happy Birthday” songs. The number one goal is to prevent the spread of viruses.
Foodborne disease is caused by bacteria, which grow fast when food is stored at a hazardous temperature: over 41 degrees Fahrenheit and below 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Bacteria can also generate poisons, rendering food hazardous to eat.
Check the Health Department’s Guidelines
The prospect of a health and safety inspection makes many restaurants cringe. If your restaurant obtains a poor inspection score, it may be forced to close temporarily or show a “B” or “C” grade in its window, both of which might result in thousands of dollars in lost revenue.
Don’t wait for your restaurant to have a poor health rating before raising the bar on food safety. Instead, utilise the health department’s requirements as a reference to educate your restaurant’s food safety and cleaning procedures. After all, the standards are in place to assist companies in providing excellent service and maintaining safe and hygienic eating and drinking environment.
Get a comprehensive list of what an inspector is looking for while examining your front- and back-of-house from your city’s health department or whatever department performs health inspections. Also, as previously stated, follow the CDC’s instructions to avoid the spread of diseases during a health emergency.
If the health code requires that salad bar containers be cleaned at least once every 24 hours, make it a daily habit to remove and clean all salad bar containers at the end of each shift. Cleaning will become second nature to your crew, and you’ll never have to worry about your restaurant kitchen being compliant.
If your restaurant obtains a poor inspection grade, reply positively and completely collaborate with authorities to discover what procedures your restaurant needs to comply with and maintain a safe facility. A Grade A sign in the window may help bring new customers in the door in places like New York, Milwaukee, and Toronto, where Department of Health ratings must be on public display, so make sure you’re crossing all your T’s and dotting your I’s when it comes to health and safety inspections.
How to Make Restaurant Cleaning Second Nature
Health standards are the absolute minimum when it comes to cleanliness. You’ll provide an experience that will delight all of the senses and earn the thumbs up from food safety inspectors and guests alike if you consider the cleanliness and ambiance of your restaurant from front to back and from floor to ceiling.
Great staff training is the foundation of restaurant hygiene. When developing server-side work checklists and closing checklists, refer to the above front-of-house and restaurant kitchen cleaning checklist. In this manner, you can ensure that your restaurant is clean and hygienic during dinner service, after closing, and the next morning when you open your doors.