Disclaimer - this story is NOT an official reference sheet to the codes and regulations of the state sanitary inspection. These are simple tips of what I saw, with which the inspectors are focused. They are also written with some humor, although I need to record and say that dirty restaurants are not funny.
There is one thing that can sometimes lead to the fact that some managers can go into panic attack mode.
You are in your restaurant, and you see someone coming through your door with a briefcase. They begin their journey to the kitchen. You will recognize them from somewhere when it suddenly strikes you.
Local health inspector!
As a rule, they will be B-line straight for the kitchen, hardly recognizing anyone. What do you do?
No, he does not invite them to BOH to start a fire, to put kitchen towels in a disinfectant, to run your can opener through the dishwasher, to check dates and to scare all your staff ... you come and greet them politely.
So you're too busy? Do not have the time? Don't they even have a PURPOSE? Too bad, my restaurant manager ... Now you spend the next hour or more walking in your building with a career and reputation on the line: Literally.
Now the short answer on how to get excellent inspection is to always treat your restaurant as if it should be today. Follow the instructions of Servsafe in the letter and get 100% of your crew on board with WHY getting a great report is so important ... And this is not for regional bluster rights.
I have compiled a short list of “hot buttons” that I hope will not allow your inspector to write a book. (See My Disclaimer)
I mentioned a can opener - this is usually one of the first places where they look. Look right now. Even if it is “clean”, if the gears are removed, and chrome exfoliates, it’s time to get a new one. I guess that maybe there is a mixture of applesauce and ketchup. Oh, and the plastic guide that forms the square that includes the opener shaft? They are removable and designed for cleaning.
The lid of the basket - I had a mark in my report before the inspector even went inside. They should be closed all the time. If your back dock looks like a pig, then it sends not only a bad message to inspectors, but also to suppliers and other visitors ... Consider it as your kitchen.
Kitchen towels. If the inspector is in a good mood, they can ask if they get hot pots if they are in the oven. However, if you have 20 of them, fil filyy and without disinfecting buckets in sight, then you clearly cover the bacteria and spread them around your restaurant.
Thermometers. They should be everywhere, and they need to be calibrated. If your entry doesn't have one, how do you really know, is it less than 41 degrees?
The fastest way to critical violation is hot and cold tempos. If your hot food and chilled food live in a danger zone, you are in a long day ... Get into the habit of forcing food through the shift and have a temporary journal to prove that you have it all.
Dates, labels, rotation, oh my! - All stored products must be identified by looking at the container. He must tell you when it was done, what it is and who did it. Shelf life depends on the state, but I know how long you can store food before it becomes an employee's food.
Fans - they are located in your coolers on the compressor, in the ceiling, and sometimes they are free to support the movement of air in the kitchen. Dust accumulates over several days. This is just trash, waiting for a break and wander through the air until it lands on your food. Again, this is what, if it does not fall on PM, it can be missed.
Food on the floor - There are 6 inches from the floor rule, which is fairly universal ... It seems that the boxes on the cardboard seem to live on the floor. Most inspectors also do not like milk crates.
Hygiene. This is perhaps the most observable behavior of the inspectors and the most disturbed by the staff. I saw how the kitchen staff put 5 gloves on their hands so that they could be quickly torn off after processing raw chicken and going to the sandwich station ... Do not intend to fly, and you will be critical to this. Constant trips to hand-held sinks and fresh gloves changes are what it is. Not less. When your inspector just stands there, watching, he is looking for behavior. Cross-contamination from dirty hands is dangerous, and the sooner your teams are in good habits, the safer everyone will be.
Ice Machine -Mold grows where escape spills. Easy to see and detect, and this is bad! You need some kind of preventative maintenance to make sure that you burn and clean the machine 3 or 4 times a year. (preventive maintenance programs are REALLY important)
The hierarchy of the cooler. If your raw chicken is stored above your apple pie, you probably should find another job, since nothing will save you.
Unmarked chemical bottles are another thing that will make the inspector continue to dig your grave. Various colored spray bottles without indicators are dangerous. MSDS and the following rules are the only way to go here. Bleach and water look the same.
YOUR focus is what it is. Your participation in this process should be focused on lasers. The BEST things you can do are follow closely and take notes. The law is interested. Pretend you're there to find out. The more you pay attention, the better. The inspector is a teacher and you are a student. It would be easier for me if your management experience was greater than the age of the inspector.
If necessary, make corrections. Choose trivia (help employee) that does not interfere with your focus. Does this mean that you will not see this in the report? No, they will usually be there; however, it indicates your willingness to make corrections.
Your relationship with your inspector. If you have been in a unit for several years, you will most likely see the same person over and over again. I conducted the last 4 of 5 checks when the only tank was a dirty fan in an employee’s restroom. Is my restaurant perfect? Damn, far from him. This is due to the complete emotional bank account and the relationship and ATTENTION that the inspector has in me and my building. Most of the visits we chat about regs and codes, and sometimes in other restaurants. All the time he does the basics (pace and cleanliness), and moves pretty quickly. So invest time and create trust. I sometimes send him questions about health codes. It helps me, and he digs it.
In general, I hope you enjoyed my inspection of the health inspection. Please use it as an easy guide for a very important process. Serve as many people as possible in your state, and always have a course tutorial to refer to recommendations. If you really want to see where you never want to be, find ratings and rule violations in restaurants in your city. This will make you LIVE for a bad replica instead of 6 critical document violations.
Now clean your can opener!
