The summer holidays are here and we’re all taking time out of whatever we do for a living and are spending much of that time eating out. That means that restaurants will get busy due to the high demand. No time out for the restaurant industry during the summer season. How do you ensure that your restaurant is able to cope with the many customers that are coming its way?

· First of all, prepare your staff. Inform your chef and waiters of what is expected of them. Explain to them what is acceptable behaviour towards customers, show them where all the catering equipment is so that they can assist when they need to, explain the importance of promptness and communication, and inform your staff of the season’s specials so that they can promote it.

· Add a few summer dishes to your menu to spice it up. Decide on a few interesting summer dishes that are exclusive for the summer season. Make them colourful and eye catching to entice customers.

· Keep your restaurant in tip-top shape. Ensure that you have processes and procedures in place to keep your restaurant clean every day. Keep all the cleaning equipment in one section so that everyone knows where to get it. If anything is damaged, ensure that your staff know that it needs to be reported and replace it as soon as possible.

· Keep a stock list and check list of all food items. You need to keep track of all the food items entering and leaving your kitchen. Keep track of the dates it arrived and ensure you check how long it has been in stock. Never serve expired food to your customers. This could be detrimental to your restaurant’s reputation.

· Keep your restaurant cool. Summer days can be very hot and that means that people are trying to escape their homes for the hope of a cooler atmosphere. Ensure that you have air conditioning in place to keep your customers cool while they dine.

· Find catering equipment that makes your kitchen run more efficiently. If you are going to get more customers during the summer, then you need to have catering equipment that speeds up your kitchen’s processes. Food Processors, Ice Machines, Juice Dispensers, and Commercial Dishwashers are great time savers.

Summer is a busy period for restaurants and it is essential that your restaurant is able to handle the demand. If you can succeed at good customer service and great tasting meals this summer, it will ensure returning customers all year long.

CaterWeb stocks a full range of commercial kitchen products and we even offer free demonstrations as well as hands on training if necessary. Visit our website to access our online store or alternatively we welcome you to visit our new showroom.