What’s the big deal with santoku knives? A santoku knife is a more versatile version of a cook’s knife, with a thinner blade that allows for finer slicing and mincing. Some chefs swear by the santoku, claiming it has better balance. In general, a cook’s knife is going to be …
Read More »Dirty Restaurant Restrooms Say Dirty Kitchen To Many Customers
A recent poll conducted by Harris Interactive reveals that 88% of people who encounter a dirty restroom at a restaurant think this reflects poorly on the sanitation of the rest of the establishment, including the kitchen and food preparation areas. Of those, a full 29% said they would never come …
Read More »When, Where, And What To Expect From A Health Inspection
I sometimes hear employees say that health inspections occur only between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm on weekdays. Well…that is when they usually DO occur, but they CAN occur just about anytime. When Inspections Occur The Colorado Retail Food Establishment Rules and Regulations state, “Agents of the Department, after proper …
Read More »How To Use Google To Manage Your Restaurant’s Reputation
We’ve talked about the importance of reputation management on The Back Burner in the past, and as review sites like Yelp and discount sites like Groupon continue to influence the way consumers make their dining decisions it becomes even more important for restaurants to make sure they are engaged with …
Read More »Identify Commercial Faucet Parts
There are many different brands of faucets on the market. Some of the most common faucet brands are: T & S Brass CHG/Encore Fisher Krowne Some faucets are easily identified and sometimes it is more difficult. The best way to identify the faucet you have is by the manufacturer’s name …
Read More »How To Get A Liquor License
Getting a liquor license for your restaurant all comes down to two words: it depends. Determining how much it’s going to cost, how long it will take, and how easy it’s going to be all depend on where you’re located. That’s because liquor licensing varies from state to state and …
Read More »4 Tips To Keep Inventory Shrink From Making Profits Smaller
Every month your restaurant spends thousands of dollars buying food. More than likely, it’s the second largest expense on your balance sheet after labor. And every month, that inventory of food products might be “shrinking,” meaning a percentage of it is disappearing due to either unintentional waste or very intentional …
Read More »Replacing Refrigeration Door Latches & Hinges
There are many different styles of hinges and latches for refrigeration equipment. Both the hinges and latches have a number on the back. In addition, they may say “flush” or have the offset size, e.g. 1 1/8, 1 ½, etc. It is important to have that number on the back …
Read More »How to Recruit, Train, and Keep Top-Notch Restaurant Staff
High turnover rates are a perennial challenge in the restaurant industry, with many contributing factors. But while many restaurant owners and managers shrug their shoulders and dismiss the problem as something they can do nothing about, there are in fact several practical things you can do to recruit, train and …
Read More »Portion Control: Are You Losing Money To Food Waste?
Imagine for a second that you run Coca-Cola instead of your restaurant. You sell millions of cans of soda every day, and you’re making a decent profit. Now imagine that as the founder and owner of Coke, you never bothered to standardize the size of each can, so some cans …
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