If your restaurant’s kitchen fan system has outdated or damaged equipment, your chefs will not be able to prepare food as well as they could if they had properly working equipment. The guide below walks you through a few of the issues that may arise if you do not stock your restaurant’s kitchen with the proper equipment.
May Create Hazardous Working Conditions
There is certain equipment that is needed in a commercial kitchen in order for it to operate safely. While some issues are easy to see with your naked eye, such as damaged stove burners or leaking hoses, others may not be as obvious to you.
It’s important to have a well-working ventilation fan and make-up air unit in your restaurant if you want to ensure that smoke is able to easily travel into the vent hood without creating a vacuum effect. An efficient make-up air unit ensures clean air space for employees and will improve the patron’s experience, as well. That’s because make-up air units pull clean, fresh air into the space while the smoky air is displaced through the hood vent. This is what maintains the proper air pressure in restaurants between the kitchen and the dining room. You need to have an expert assess the type of make-up air unit you want to use based on the size and layout of your restaurant.
If your restaurant is located in an area that sees below-freezing temperatures in the winter, be sure to look for a tempered make-up air unit. This type heats the air to avoid drafts and to make your HVAC system more efficient.
Poor Equipment Can Cause Down Time in the Kitchen
When you have equipment that does not work properly in your restaurant’s kitchen, the cooking staff will not be able to cook food efficiently. Having to work with only one or two working burners or a dishwasher that only works marginally well will impact how long it takes for food to come out to customers.
Customers do not want to have to wait a long time to get their food. Having equipment that works as well as it can will ensure that your cooks are able to get food out quickly and efficiently.
Poor Equipment Can Create a Health Hazard
If equipment is not working properly, it could create a health hazard because food could spoil or not be cooked thoroughly. You need a refrigerator that is able to maintain a specific temperature so that there is no chance of bacteria developing on the food while it is being stored. Likewise, you need an oven that can cook food to the proper temperatures so that you do not risk anyone getting sick from the food that your restaurant serves.
Improper or Damaged Equipment Can Cause Your Restaurant to be Shut Down
If your equipment is not working properly, it could cause you to fail health and safety inspections. If you fail one of these inspections, your business could be shut down until you get everything up to code. It will look very bad for your business if it is shut down for a few days or a few weeks because people in the community will quickly get word about the reasons why your restaurant is not open and they may choose not to come back to it.
It is best to invest the money in new equipment for your restaurant as soon as you can. It will take away a lot of stress that comes with running a business and better the chances of your business thriving. When people are able to get great meals quickly and easily, word will get around in the community and your business should quickly start to boom.