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Tips to Prepare Your Restaurant Kitchen Equipment for Winter

Tips to Prepare Your Restaurant Kitchen Equipment for Winter

With 2022 close to over, the winter months are coming upon us. That means it’s time to winterize your restaurant. Whether you continue to seat guests outside or shut down outside dining until the heat returns, it is crucial that you properly prepare your restaurant so it can handle the changes. From Restaurant City, here’s how to prepare your restaurant for the winter.


Clean Your Equipment

Although you should be routinely cleaning your commercial kitchen equipment year-round, you must do so in wintertime. With the increase in guest demand in the colder months, you might be heavily using certain restaurant appliances such as holding cabinets, ranges, combi/steamer ovens, and more. That means that you should be wiping down this equipment more often to ensure a clean kitchen and discourage pests.

Outdoor Dining

 

Preventative Maintenance

Just like cleaning, preventative maintenance should be done routinely. You could be out hundreds of dollars should your refrigerator or range break down during a busy winter night. Preventative maintenance on your restaurant kitchen equipment ensures they’ll be able to handle the extra load while being safe to operate. Restaurant City suggests you schedule maintenance at least a few weeks in advance of winter dining.


Adopt Green Methods

Keeping your restaurant nice and cozy during winter usually means higher utility bills. To prevent this, consider adopting green methods in your kitchen. Following a startup/shutdown schedule reduces energy usage and lower utility costs in the colder months. You can also purchase energy-efficient commercial appliances. If equipment has the blue ENERGY STAR® label printed on it or the package, it has met the enhanced energy usage requirements set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).


Keep the Outside Space Heated

We’ve talked about indoor dining, but what about your outside space? If you plan on keeping it open, it needs to be suitable and hospitable for guests. Along with removing snow, constructing covered areas, and making it comfortable, consider heaters. Portable and patio heaters will remove the chill and allow diners to focus on the delicious food, not the cold weather. If you already have heaters and you’re pulling them from storage, inspect them before using them and, if needed, have maintenance done.


Prepare the HVAC

If your heat goes out during wintertime, it’s game over. That’s why before the cold comes in, conduct an audit of your HVAC system. Either with a vendor or by yourself, assess your thermostat’s functionality and your filters’ cleanliness. It might have been months since you last turned the heat on, so before you potentially damage your HVAC make sure there aren’t any problems that need fixing.

Winterizing your restaurant is vital if you want to survive the cold season. Ensure everything is working properly and ready for the increased hustle and bustle. If you need new kitchen equipment, visit your local Restaurant City showroom. Our expert staff will happily help you find the right appliances that fit your needs.

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