Reopening A Commercial Kitchen After Covid-19 Closures

The COVID-19 virus pandemic has affected nearly every type of business and this is especially true for the restaurant and food service industry. While some establishments have been able to remain open for carry out only, others have been forced to close their doors completely.

As restrictions on society are starting to loosen up a bit with regard to the virus outbreak, many restaurants and other commercial kitchens are eager to get back to the business of serving their customers. However, getting a kitchen fully up and running again after a partial or total closure is not as easy as it sounds.

After a kitchen has been shut down or run at minimal capacity for months, there are quite a few things to take care of and check on before it can be fully operational again.

Here are some great tips on how to get your commercial kitchen functioning again.

Start With A Deep Cleaning

As you begin the processing of opening up again, start with a complete and deep cleaning of everything in the kitchen. Clean all of your equipment and use disinfectant on all surfaces. Check your refrigerator and freezer for any food that should be discarded. Starting out with a super clean kitchen will be the foundation of a successful reopening.

Call Your Service Provider

Before you officially open your doors again for business, have your trusted service provider come out to inspect the fire system, hood fans and ducts. They can also check the coils, blowers and other components of your rooftop equipment. Lastly, ask your technician to make sure that all refrigerators and freezers are operating properly.

Checking Pilot Lights

If you turned off the gas to your stoves and convection ovens before you closed up, their pilot lights will have to be relit again. Be extremely cautious as you do this and follow the manufacture’s directions very carefully. Do not take any chances if you detect that something could be wrong during the relighting process. Turn the gas off and call your service provider for assistance.

Water Pipes & Ice Machines

Before your grand reopening, turn on all of your faucets to get water flowing again. This will flush out any rust or sediment that might have built up.  In addition, replace the filter in your ice machine and wash any internal components to make sure that no mildew, mold or an alga has formed. All ice bins should be sanitized, along with scoops and buckets. Before you serve any ice to guests, the machine should go through several cycles over a period of 24 hours and those batches of ice discarded. Lastly, run the ice maker through any sanitizing procedures recommended by the manufacturer.

Ready To Get Back In Business?

 

Contact Us Today

For more than three decades, the dedicated team at Quick Servant has provided the best commercial kitchen repair, replacement and maintenance services in the industry. We know what a huge, negative impact COVID-19 has had on the food service industry and we want to assist our local businesses in every way we can. Should you encounter any problems with your kitchen’s equipment, we are standing by ready to help. Everyone at Quick Servant sincerely wishes all of the restaurants and food service companies in our area the best of luck and success during the reopening process.