From menu innovation to organizational tweaks, savvy restaurateurs seize this season to make strategic changes. Fresh ingredients find their way onto revamped menus, and outdoor seating areas come alive with the chatter of diners. Whether you’re a seasoned restaurateur or a fresh-faced foodpreneur, there’s something here for everyone.

Throughout this article, you’ll find hyperlinks to resources, product recommendations, and expert advice. Click away to explore in-depth guides and practical tips.

Ways to get organized and recalibrate your businesses 

Spring Cleaning-Cleaning tips and tricks

All our seafood links-in one place

Everything Dessert

How to appeal to everyone

From Lysol, we added Citrus Disinfecting Wipes, the ultimate solution for operators dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene. Specially formulated with a refreshing citrus scent, these wipes not only disinfect but also leave behind a pleasant aroma. Lysol wipes are EPA-approved and proven to kill 99.9% of germs and bacteria, making them an indispensable tool in your food preparation and service areas. With their convenient pre-moistened design, Lysol Disinfecting Wipes offer quick and efficient cleaning, ensuring that your establishment remains safe and sanitized. Each case comes with six, 80-count containers for added convenience and cost-effectiveness. Trust in Lysol to keep your kitchen, table, and high-touch surfaces pristine, providing peace of mind to both your staff and valued patrons.

From Jimmy Dean®, we added Sausage Tots. These are the ultimate on-the-go snack that is destined to become a favorite among your customers. These tots are designed to cater to operators looking to elevate their menu offerings with convenience and quality. Served with your customers’ choice of sides or a house-made specialty dipping sauce, Jimmy Dean® Sausage Tots promise a unique and irresistible culinary experience. Packed with protein and crafted with the trusted Jimmy Dean® brand quality, these tots are a go-to option for a filling and protein-packed breakfast or snack, perfect for any time of day. With multiple heating methods available, including microwaves, convection, or conventional ovens, you have the flexibility to prepare them with ease.

And from Furlani’s, we added Garlic Texas Toast. Crafted in true Texan style, this thick-sliced toast strikes the perfect balance between a crispy exterior and a soft, inviting interior. Each slice is generously adorned with Furlani’s rich and flavorful garlic spread, expertly garnished with fresh parsley for a gourmet touch. As it bakes, the aroma of this garlicky delight permeates the kitchen, creating an irresistible pull for diners. What sets Furlandi’s Garlic Texas Toast apart is not just its exceptional taste but also its ease of preparation, making it the star of any operation, from restaurants to catering events, offering both quality and efficiency to impress customers to keep them coming back for more.

New Item Details:

Dennis Food Service delivers thousands of foodservice products and supplies to restaurants and food operations in Maine and New Hampshire. If you have a question or are interested in becoming a customer contact us or call 1-800-439-2727

In episode 71, Luke LaBree talks with Christine Schindler about her invention PathSpot, which scans hands and detects for harmful contaminants on employee hands.

Christine is an entrepreneur, engineer, and inventor who focuses on using technology to protect businesses and their customers from the threat of illnesses and outbreaks. Her creation, PathSpot, is a Hand Hygiene System used at thousands of restaurants, airports, schools, offices, and manufacturing facilities worldwide. In just two seconds, PathSpot scans hands and detects harmful contaminants that spread common illnesses. Simply wash, dry, and scan hands to determine your team’s handwashing frequency and effectiveness. PathSpot lands right at the intersection of technology and food service.

To learn more about PathSpot, and the work that Christine and her team are doing to improve hygiene practices and processes, check out their website: www.pathspot.com

Dennis Knows Food Podcast   podcast@dennisexpress.com

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The Dixie Ultra Surface System can retain proper sanitation levels significantly longer than open-bucket systems with cloth towels. Fill the dispenser with your favorite sanitizer or disinfectant. The wipes are disposable, so they never re-enter the dispenser and contaminate the solution. Simply discard used wipes into the handy dispenser trash attachment, sold separately.

• Maintains Quat-Sanitizer Concentration
• Portable & Safe for Intended Use
• Sanitizer Compatible
• Sanitary Closed-System Dispenser

The dispenser’s tight-fitting lid virtually eliminates the risk of spills, splash or vapors associated with open buckets, which your patrons will appreciate. And with the ergonomic handle, it’s easy to move from table to table in the front of house, and from station to station in the back of house.

Dixie Ultra Surface System wipes can be used with sanitizers containing: quaternary ammonium compounds (quat), peroxide, peroxide with peracetic acid, isopropyl alcohol (70% solution), bleach and phenolic. Quat (or quaternary ammonium chloride) is the active ingredient in most sanitizers and disinfectants. Testing measured quat sanitizer loss as a function of time for Dixie Ultra Surface System wipes, cotton bar mops and microfiber cloths.

Dixie Ultra Surface System: Dennis Item #25175

Disposable Surface System Refills: Dennis Item #25176

Dispenser Trash attachment: Dennis Item #54027

Chemical Options (Quat): Dennis Item #s 13334/2526/3594/2565

View Surface System Flyer Dennis Chemical Products  Coronavirus Priority Products

As in every back-of-the-house task, cleaning requires methodology and organization to be effective and efficient. Consider what has to be done where. Restaurants are composed of a variety of surface materials. These can range from painted walls to carpeted floors, ceramic tile and stainless steel counters, tables, sinks, and hoods. Each surface requires a slightly different approach to cleaning. Organizing together tasks that use similar tools, chemicals and procedures is generally the most efficient and productive method of assigning cleaning tasks as it reduces the time it takes to do the work.

You should also organize your cleaning process by “zones.” If we were referring to the whole restaurant, you might break down the house by the front of the establishment, storage areas, the exterior areas (grease, glass, trash and recycle), the parking lots, etc. In the kitchen, there are separate zones and different surfaces. Organize the kitchen in that manner, and you will find the job of cleaning to be faster and more effective.

Cooking Equipment Checklist

Stoves, ovens, grills, and fryers get heavy use and can become heavily soiled. To prevent a fire hazard or a sanitation issue from developing, they must be thoroughly cleaned at the end of each work shift or at least once every 24 hours. Like for other areas, the most efficient approach is to clean all hot equipment at one time in the entire kitchen or in each section.

This is messy work. The most appropriate clothing for the job is dark coveralls, safety glasses and waterproof rubber gloves, apron, and boots. Next, you’ll need plenty of hot water, a strong degreaser, a putty knife, a wire brush plus green scrubbing pads and rags. (See Cleaning Equipment and Supplies Checklist below.)

Each piece of cooking equipment is unique. The best source of cleaning instructions is the manufacturer. If the manufacturer is unavailable, you may wish to develop your own instructions using the following basic procedures as a starting place:

• Turn off heat/power, and let the surfaces cool slightly for at least 10-15 minutes.
• While surfaces are still warm, wire brush and/or scrape to remove food residue from grills, ovens, and griddles.
• Apply detergent/degreaser solutions with a spray bottle, and allow to soak for two to five minutes.
• Removable grills, grates, and stovetop sections can be placed in a deep sink or tank of hot detergent/degreaser solution for soaking; allow 10-20 minutes while you attend to other tasks.
• After soaking, scrub with a wire brush, stainless steel sponge, or a black/green scrubbing pad to remove food residue from all surfaces, grooves, and crevices. Inspect parts for cleanliness; re-clean if visibly soiled.
• Rinse parts with hot clean water and allow to air-dry.
• Before reinstallation, use a small wire brush to remove food residue from surrounding stove surfaces and grooves, wipe clean and inspect.
• Wipe dry and reassemble.
• Some chefs suggest a light coat of cooking oil be applied to all black iron or bare metal surfaces after cleaning to add a shine and protect against rust.

Food Preparation Surfaces Checklist

Sanitizing food equipment and preparation surfaces should be the last step in cleaning the kitchen. Kitchen cleaning is a multi-step process, and this is the most critical cleaning in the foodservice area. It is normally accomplished in several passes. Always start with the highest surface you will be cleaning. This way if soil, dust, or crumbs are knocked loose and fall to the next lower surface, they will be removed as you clean the lower surface. If you are cleaning above items that you won’t be cleaning, they should be covered with plastic to protect and prevent them from becoming soiled during the cleaning of nearby or overhead surfaces.

• First pass. Using a clean white towel moistened with an approved detergent and hot water, wipe food particles and soil to the floor or onto a rag, into a box or trash bag. Use a putty knife and/or a white scrubbing pad to loosen adhered material as you proceed over the surface and around the area in a circle. Be careful not to scratch or mark surfaces. If the surface is heavily soiled, apply solution liberally and allow it to soak for five to 10 minutes before scrubbing. Several wash/scrub/rinse cycles may be needed on heavily soiled surfaces. Do not allow surfaces to dry before the second pass.
• Second pass. Rinse/wipe clean all surfaces with hot water using a clean white towel. Inspect all surfaces as you proceed to see that no soil, food residue or grease remains. You cannot sanitize a surface that is dirty or contaminated with soil, food, or other foreign matter, since many of these contaminants will deactivate sanitizers.
• Third pass. Wipe/sanitize all food contact surfaces with a clean white towel liberally wet with an approved sanitizing solution. Do not rinse; allow to air-dry.

Food prep surfaces and equipment that are used with potentially hazardous foods such as raw poultry, seafood, and meats must be cleaned throughout the day at least every four hours and more frequently under specific use conditions. This is usually a cooking staff responsibility.

Final Checklist

At the end of every cleaning session, the responsible person needs to run down a final checklist to ensure that nothing was overlooked and that he or she is leaving the kitchen safe, secure, and ready for the next shift. Visually inspect your work. Make sure you:

• Rinse pails and damp mops.
• Empty wet/dry vacuums and wipe clean inside and out.
• Restock cleaning supplies.
• Wipe clean shelves.
• Refill spray bottles and verify labels.
• Inspect area for trash and debris, including cleaning materials such as towels.
• Scrub the sink if soiled or stained.
• Sweep and damp-mop floor.
• Flush floor drain at least weekly.
• Clean and return all cleaning equipment, products, and chemicals to storage.
• Return all kitchen equipment that was moved during cleaning to its proper position.
• Inspect area one more time and secure doors.
• Report in writing items needing repair or more aggressive or professional cleaning.
• Turn off unneeded lights.

Cleaning Equipment and Supplies Checklist

As they say, you need the right tools to do the job. Your local janitorial/sanitary supplier is a good source of information regarding the tools, equipment, and chemicals needed to keep kitchens, food preparation, office and public areas clean and sanitary. Many of the items needed are the same used in other facilities. However, when it comes to cleaning food preparation and cooking areas, some specialized equipment, chemicals, and procedures are required.

Besides the normal items such as rags, pails, brooms, and dustpans, you will also need:

• Deck scrub brush. This should have a plastic block, not wood, and be 10 or 12 inches wide, with a mixture of nylon grit for scrubbing and flagged bristles to hold water. This is used to clean under equipment, in corners, and around edges. Using a deck brush on a once-a-week basis will prevent soil buildup and reduce the frequency of deep scrubbing with a floor machine or auto-scrubber.
• Floor squeegee. Use a 14- to 18-inch size, with a soft rubber blade. This is used to reach under tables and equipment, which are often overlooked because workers don’t like to get down on their hands and knees to get under things. The squeegee is also used to direct water to floor drains, which is faster than picking up spent solution with a wet mop or vacuum.
• Wet vacuum. This is used to pick up spills and mop water from floor surfaces. A professional 15- to 20-gallon size is needed. Purchase a commercial stainless steel model; a plastic one may not be as durable. Using a wet vacuum does a much better job of picking up water than a mop, and is also faster, which saves labor dollars.
• Putty knife. This is used to scrape food from floor surfaces. It can be attached to a handle, making the task faster and safer than bending over.
• Razor scraper. This is used to remove food and contaminants from smooth surfaces such as highly polished hard countertops, tables, and glass. Use on a wet surface only, and scrape in one direction only, to avoid scratching.
• White scrubbing pads. These are used to remove food from counters, stainless steel, doors, and other surfaces. White pads will not damage most surfaces.
• Green pads. These are for heavy-duty scrubbing only, such as table legs, stove grates, floors, and other surfaces that will not show damage. Green pads will scratch and permanently damage stainless steel, glass, and plastics; do not use them on these surfaces. Supervise green pad use closely. Using the right pad saves time and prevents permanent damage to costly surfaces.
• Use clean rags, change, and launder frequently. Avoid sponges as they hold bacteria and cannot be properly sanitized.
• ‘Wet floor’ signs. Use them whenever floors are wet. Better yet, use yellow or red “CAUTION TAPE” to barricade areas that are wet or unsafe to enter. This will help prevent slip, trip, and fall injuries and lawsuits by employees and customers.
• Mop buckets, wringers, handles, and mop heads. These items should be color-coded and labeled for use in specific areas only, to prevent cross-contamination, which can lead to odors, illness, and slippery surfaces. One approach is to use red for restrooms, green for lobbies, and blue for food areas. Mop heads should have an antimicrobial treatment built in to prevent bacteria growth that can cause odors. The safest approach is to change all mop heads and rags after each day’s use. Both can be laundered and reused, which is much cheaper than replacement.
• Vacuum cleaner. A lightweight backpack with a high-efficiency filter is twice as productive as the standard upright with a beater bar. Plus, it captures soil instead of spreading it around, and this keeps the air clean and helps reduce the need for frequent dusting of flat surfaces. This reduces the cost and time it takes to do the work. Backpack vacuum cleaners make getting around and under chairs, tables, and into booths much easier and less time-consuming.
• Other specialized equipment. Depending on the size of the facility, these may include a floor buffing/scrubbing machine, auto-scrubber, carpet extractor, pressure washer, and a steam vapor machine.

And Finally, an Attitude Checklist

Cleaning is as much a management and worker attitude as it is using equipment and procedures properly and at the right time. This “right” attitude is developed over time through employee training and recognition, and the expectations of and the example set by management.

• People make the difference.
• Management must provide the leadership needed to make a program work.
• Employees must be convinced that sanitation, safety, and health make good sense, are important, and are everyone’s responsibility.
• A commitment to excellence in all aspects of foodservice is required for long-term growth and success.
• Professional cleaning plays a key role in achieving success in the foodservice industry.

Your Kitchen Cleaning Schedule Has Two Day Parts: After-Hours and During Hours

Cleaning isn’t a daily event, but something that needs to continue throughout the day. That said, major cleaning cannot be accomplished during busy shifts, or in many cases, when the restaurant is open for business. Make a list of the cleaning functions by day part — in this case, after-hours and during business.

After-hours. The frequency and scheduling of cleaning duties will depend on the amount of business and the hours of operation. Normally most cleaning is accomplished after the kitchen has stopped preparing and the dining area has finished serving food. In a 24-hour operation, cleaning must be scheduled around peak service periods, such as after 1 p.m. and before 4:30 p.m., or after 8 p.m. and before midnight, and again after 3 a.m. and before 5:30 a.m. These are periods when cleaning will not unreasonably interfere with food preparation or service and exposes the least number of employees or customers to the cleaning process.

During hours. In all operations, one key to maintaining a clean and safe working environment in an efficient manner is to provide ongoing cleaning support throughout the workday. Trash cans should be dumped before they overflow and spills cleaned up so they aren’t tracked throughout the entire facility.

And most importantly, all workers should be expected and required to keep their workspace clean and organized as they go about their duties. This means putting trash in cans and not on the floor, wiping up spills they create or find, and doing their work in a way that minimizes the mess that is being made. The real secret to efficient and cost-effective cleaning is to reduce the amount of soil that needs to be removed. Prevention is always less costly than cleaning, restoration, remodeling, or replacement.

State Your Cleaning Protocol in Your Business Operations Manual

We have reviewed some of the key points to the cleaning processes that you should be using in the kitchen and foodservice areas. To ensure that processes are always up to date, they should be reviewed several times each year to get rid of what no longer works.

Success is an ongoing process that involves a lot of trial and error, a positive attitude, and hard work. An organized management control program is your only chance and hope for success. The alternative is recurring problems and frustration.

Maintaining a clean, safe, and sanitary facility is literally a battle you cannot win without an ongoing management control program that contains some or all of the components already outlined. To help you stay organized, we recommend developing a Business Operations Manual in a three-ring binder so the materials, procedures, and information about your cleaning program are kept in one place for easy reference.

Tabbed sections include the following information:

1. Standard Daily Procedures
2. Employee Assignment Schedules
3. Building and Area Diagrams
4. Periodic Maintenance Schedules
5. Departmental Policies
6. Daily Communications Log
7. Inspection Guidelines and Documentation
8. Equipment, Supply and Chemical Information

Source: RestaurantOwner.com

1. Know the symptoms of the flu.

The flu can become pretty serious. You need to be able to recognize the symptoms so you know what you’re up against – there’s a difference between being sick or having a cold and having the flu. The flu is a contagious respiratory illness that comes on very suddenly.

Symptoms to watch out for are:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny nose
• Muscle aches
• Headaches
• Fatigue

The flu and cold have similar symptoms because they’re both respiratory illnesses (although caused by different viruses.) This can make it hard to figure out which one ails you. A doctor may have to do tests to figure out which it is. Generally, cold symptoms are less severe than the flu. The flu can lead to serious health complications, and that’s why it’s important to do all you can to prevent the spread of it.

2. Stay home if you feel sick.

If you start to feel sick with some flu-like symptoms, stay home. You might want to tough it out and work through it, but it’s in everyone’s best interest for you to stay home so you don’t get anyone else sick. Really, it’s a courtesy to your co-workers to take a sick day, plus it’ll help you get the rest you need to recover. It’s important to get lots of rest and sleep if you’re sick. It helps you recover faster because your body can focus its strength on fighting off the illness.

You really should stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever goes away and stays away without medication. You can spread the flu for a full day after the symptoms resolve, so even if you’re feeling better it’s best to just take another day to make sure you won’t spread the flu.

3. Keep your distance from those who are sick.

Of course, you don’t want to be rude. But you also don’t want to get sick. Try to keep some space between you and anyone who’s showing flu-like symptoms. Coughs and sneezes travel a long way. According to the CDC, the flu virus spreads when those who are sick cough, sneeze, or talk and spray infected droplets onto unsuspecting innocents nearby.

4. Wash your hands frequently.

During flu season, it’s very important to wash your hands often. Use hot water and soap and scrub your hands for at least twenty seconds (you can sing the alphabet in your head to time yourself) to make sure that you’ve really cleaned your hands of germs. It’s especially important to wash your hands before you eat and after you cough or sneeze, or if you touch your nose, mouth, or eyes. Frequent hand-washing helps lower the amount of virus or germs that can spread through touching surfaces.

If it’s not possible to wash your hands with water and soap, use a hand sanitizer with a high alcohol content. Consider keeping a bottle somewhere at the workplace where it will be easily accessible. Clean hands are important, especially if you work in a place like a restaurant or retail store where there are a lot of people. (And if you work at a restaurant, hygiene is part of acing a health inspection.)

5. Cover your mouth and nose if you cough or sneeze.

If you cough or sneeze, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue, then toss it. This will help prevent the spread of germs through the air and on hands. Sneezes and coughs spray farther than we think, so employ tissues to contain them. Be sure to wash your hands after sneezing or coughing. You can spread the flu for one day before you start to show symptoms.

6. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

Basically, try not to touch your face. The eyes, nose, and mouth are easy ways for viruses and germs to enter your system – they can get transferred from your hands.

7. Keep your body’s defenses up.

Stay healthy. Being healthy will make it easier for your body to resist and fight off illness.

Some tips for keeping your body’s immune system strong:

• Sleep a lot. Sleep is crucial to strengthen your immune system.
• Eat healthily.
• Drink lots of fluids.
• Be active and get exercise.
• Disinfect frequently-touched surfaces, such as phones, keyboards, and doorknobs.
• Try to keep your stress level down – being stressed can negatively affect your immune system.

8. Consider getting a flu vaccine.

The CDC recommends getting a flu shot every year in order to get the most updated vaccine. Talk to your doctor about getting a flu shot to lower your chances of getting sick.

When there are a lot of people in a small area, such as an office or business, it’s all too easy for the flu to spread and wreak havoc. Do your part to help prevent the spread of the flu virus at your workplace. Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. Wash your hands frequently. And if you start feeling sick or experiencing flu-like symptoms, stay home and get some rest. Your body – and your coworkers – will appreciate it.

Source: Katelyn Betts for InsuranceHub
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/habits.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/nonpharmaceutical-interventions/workplace/employees.html

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RELATED: Cleaning a Flat-Iron Grill

Cleanliness throughout an entire operation is an extremely important part of foodservice management. For help with training new employees, or as a reminder to experienced staff, we’re sharing steps to help your team maintain an immaculate environment and reputation. Plus,17 year Dennis Paper & Food Service veteran Jesse Landry joins us for a discussion on chemical programs in foodservice.

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We’re taking inspiration for this week’s foodie fact from one of America’s favorite Independence Day foods. Hotdogs! This week’s foodie fact is brought to you by Kayem, New England’s premier hotdog manufacturer. According to TIME Magazine, Americans eat 20 billion hot dogs per year. We’re asking, in millions, how many hotdogs do Americans consume each year on the 4th of July?

Links and product information mentioned in this episode include our website: www.DennisExpress.com

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We look forward to your feedback, send an email to podcast@dennisexpress.com!

In this week’s episode we’ve got tips to help keep your outdoor dining space pest free, an update on our 2018 food show, this week’s new products and foodie headlines.

April 4th is National Cordon Bleu day and for this week’s foodie fact we’re asking — When did the term “chicken cordon bleu” first appear in print? Here’s a hint, in was after veal cordon bleu. The earliest American reference to veal cordon bleu was in The Los Angeles Times, in 1958, where it is listed among the trendy dishes served at a swank affair… “Veal cordon bleu will be the piece de resistance on the menu.

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Links and product information mentioned in this episode include our website: www.DennisExpress.com. Our food show registration form – here. The School Food & Art article from MaineBiz.com – here.

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We look forward to your feedback, send an email to podcast@dennisexpress.com!