The winter holidays can be one of the busiest times for restaurants and catering businesses. While most people start thinking about the holidays in November, restaurants must start strategizing in the summer in order to meet the increase in demand. Owners, chefs, and managers must start planning menus, procuring stock, and adding extra hands to make sure everything gets done. If you’re starting to think about the holidays, here are four essential actions you should take in order to prep your commercial kitchen for the increased output.
1. Conduct an in-depth inventory check.
Even if
your team is excellent
about unloading and tracking inventory, some things get missed in the busy shuffle of the restaurant industry. The months leading up to the holidays are the right time for an in-depth evaluation of inventory and storage in your commercial walk-in cooler, freezer, and dry goods storage. In early fall, the summer vacation traffic has died down and school is starting. Most restaurants have a chance to catch their breath and plan for the onslaught in November, December, and January.
2. Stock up on any goods you’ll need.
While it can be hard to predict consumer demand, most established restaurants have a sense of their most popular items. Take a look at your records from last year and calculate how much demand increased over the holiday season. Are there any special seasonal items you want to be able to offer more of? Fall is the time for calculating what additional stock you need to bank in preparation for the rush. If you’ve performed a thorough inventory check, you’ll be able to fill holes in your backstock and plan appropriately.
3. Start to plan for holiday orders.
Planning for high-demand times isn’t just about ingredients and staffing. Your commercial kitchen equipment must be able to handle increased orders as well. This means you need to calculate how many burners or ovens could be in use at one time, the capacity your dishwasher can hold, and even how much backstock you can store. Before orders increase, you may want to consider adding an additional range, or repairing that spare deep fryer. Having the right commercial kitchen equipment can make churning out orders even easier.
4. Have all industrial kitchen equipment inspected in advance.
A commercial kitchen can only increase its output if everything in the kitchen is in good working order. Additional orders and longer hours can take a toll on your commercial kitchen equipment. To ensure you don’t lose valuable time during the holidays, it’s best to get all equipment in your kitchen
inspected in the fall, before the winter rush. A qualified technician can clean and inspect your equipment,
review a tailored maintenance checklist, replace any compromised parts, run temperature calibrations, and prep the equipment for the busy season.
Let ATECH Help You Plan Ahead
If you’re planning for the holiday rush, you need a repair service that can prepare your commercial kitchen equipment for increased demand. Reach out to ATECH today to
set up a planned maintenance schedule
for your equipment. We’re an Authorized Service Agent for over 123 manufacturers, and we’re proud of our
90-day parts and labor warranty, backed by our 100% customer satisfaction guarantee. Let us show you why so many Tennessee businesses trust ATECH for commercial equipment repair. With our help, you can count on your equipment to perform well every day, just like you do.
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