Safety, sanitation and hygiene have always been important elements in foodservice, but since the pandemic, they are even more at the forefront of the customer’s mind. Purchasing and dining behavior reflect those thoughts, and consumers are more likely to buy products (especially food) when effective safety protocols are in place. So how can you ensure your foodservice equipment puts customer health front and center?
Start with the basics
Training employees with proper food handling is a top factor in limiting the spread of foodborne illness. Handwashing is the number one defense. To do it right, you need a nice lather, hot water and 20 seconds of scrubbing. Good hand hygiene is also a strategy to help mitigate the spread of other germs like the common cold or flu. One way to ensure that your staff is ready to tackle food safety practices like proper food handling and handwashing is to require employees to complete a ServSafe course (eight-hour food safety class). With hygiene basics down, your operation is ready to move to other ways to protect your customers.
More food safety fundamentals
Washing and sanitizing food-contact surfaces is another basic food safety necessity. Some operations even use equipment that is coated with the added protection of anti-microbial paint. This paint stops microorganisms in their tracks by releasing silver ions, which attach to microbes and inhibit their growth (more on that here). But operations can’t just stop at food-contact surfaces, dishes also need to be clean and sanitized. Most dishmachines need to reach a specific wash and rinse temperature to complete the sanitizing process. Incorporating the help of a trusty booster heater is one of the best ways to hike your water temp to sanitizing levels (and lengthen the life of your dishmachine’s heating elements by decreasing their workload).
Consumers want more
Even though safety basics are vital, they aren’t enough in a post-pandemic environment. Consumers want more measures in place. A recent Coca-Cola study found that 40% of customers feel safer if pre-wrapped items are available. As a solution, consider incorporating cold or hot food merchandisers and place pre-wrapped menu items in the display unit for purchase. The same study stated that a little over one-third of consumers expressed apprehension about touching handles or other surfaces when buying food. To remedy this, try purchasing doorless display equipment, such as an air curtain cabinet, to eliminate the added step and safety concern of high-touch equipment handles. You could also consider utilizing heated well covers and turn your hot wells into a convenient no-touch, grab-and-go area.
Contactless convenience
There are many things restaurants can do to create an environment that supports customer’s health. Providing contactless ordering, service and payment is one increasingly popular way to do it. Some operations are even introducing customer-friendly apps that work both at home and in-house. OhWaiter is one app that allows diners to contact their server and communicate back and forth via text. The app gives a more traditional interactive dining experience — without high-contact communication.
Curbside and other food pickup options continue to please consumers looking for safe and health-focused service. One way to do it right is with the convenience of food holding lockers. This equipment works by providing a temperature-controlled, secure space for to-go orders. Hatco’s food holding lockers, for example, work via a touchscreen display with the customer’s name. The customer simply finds their name, punches their order code into the touchscreen, and retrieves their tasty meal (at the perfect temperature) from the illuminated locker. It’s a great way for operations and third-party delivery companies to serve up contactless service at its best.
No better time for change.
As a foodservice professional, your job has always been to provide a safe and clean environment, but the current climate has upped the stakes. There’s no better time to integrate important health-focused protocols and equipment into your operation. Interested in other changes happening in the foodservice industry, take a look at our blog post: Urban to Suburban: What You Need To Know When Exploring Each Market.
