In this article I would like to talk about the refrigerators and freezer units commonly found in a commercial kitchen and restaurant. The average unit will give long service with minimal maintenance; however there are a few things you should know that could possibly prevent breakdowns. You should also read …

Unlike the tips previously offered in this series, recycling probably won’t save your restaurant or commercial kitchen money.  And recycling will probably add work to your schedule and headaches to your day. So why recycle?  Well, there are a few very compelling reasons, and not all of them altruistic, for …

The planetary mixer is a mainstay chunk of equipment in many commercial kitchens.  Whenever your restaurant or bakery needs a large project done, and done well, more than likely you’re turning to the mixer taking up a whole corner of the kitchen.  The tasks you can perform with a well …

After three months and 124 posts, The Back Burner is fast becoming a wealth of information for anyone involved in the restaurant industry.  The downside of putting up so much content, however, is that some really good posts kind of get lost in the mix and are quickly buried in …

Everyone’s got an opinion.  And in the internet age, everyone can and does voice their opinion online.  A short search online will bring back at least one person’s opinion about every kind of business under the sun, from eye doctors to painters.  Restaurants are particularly targeted by the masses of …

Restaurants use a lot of water.  Between cooking, washing dishes, cleaning up, and serving guests, your water bill takes a good chunk out of your monthly budget on a consistent basis.  Commercial water conservation is also a big concern of a majority of your customers, especially if you operate in …

Through constant research as well as attending many industry programs, I have learned a great deal on what can be done in the “greening” of new restaurants.  Here’s a list of top ways your restaurant can go green: The most obvious is to use high efficiency refrigeration, but there are …

The concept of the “third place” was first developed by Starbucks, and anyone who has been in a Starbucks immediately understands the principle: make your business feel like a home-away-from-home. Unfortunately for Starbucks they made way too many homes just as the economy turned south – tripling the number of …

Beyond recommendations about food & beverage, there are many other questions that locals and tourists ask. Use this list to build your ‘fact file’ for staff, and quiz them regularly to check they’re offering correct answers. #1 issue for most managers is ‘staff motivation and attitude’. The interesting thing is, …

The National Restaurant Association (NRA) has announced the 2009 winners of their annual Kitchen Innovations award, which recognizes cutting edge advancements in improving the efficiency of commercial kitchen appliances and tools. Some highlights from this year’s list include: Advanced Composite Materials’ Silar Microwave Flatstone. This composite ceramic insert is designed …