Whether you’re running a small diner, a large banquet operation, or something in between, you depend on your kitchen equipment to keep your guests served and satisfied. Whether you’re talking about your oven, your refrigerator, your ice maker machine, or your fryer, every appliance in your kitchen is important. If something doesn’t work, serving your customers becomes much more difficult.

The good news is that most equipment breakdowns are predictable and preventable. If your staff is trained properly on how to use and maintain the equipment, as well as detect certain warning signs, you can stop many problems before they happen. Here are a few specific recommendations:

1. Buy quality equipment-When it comes to the equipment in your kitchen, you usually get what you pay for. This doesn’t mean that you always have to buy the most expensive equipment, but be sure that you understand the difference between inexpensive and cheap. You’re going to be using your equipment a lot, so buy something that can handle the workload.
2. Train your employees in proper use of equipment-Many maintenance issues arise from equipment being used in a manner inconsistent with its intended purpose. Be sure that your kitchen staff knows what they can and can’t do with every piece of equipment that they touch.
3. Keep your equipment clean-In the restaurant business, there’s no such thing as too clean. Develop a cleaning schedule for every shift, as well as a regular deep cleaning schedule.
4. Develop a preventative maintenance schedule-Preventative maintenance is an important way to detect small problems before they become big ones, and deal with them proactively.
5. Leave major repairs to the pros-Be sure to understand the difference between maintenance that you can and can’t do yourself. Unauthorized repairs often lead to larger problems, and can also void your equipments’ warranties.

If you have any questions, call us anytime. In addition to being Arkansas’s leading commercial kitchen supply store, we also service most of what we sell. If you’re having any issues with your refrigerator, oven, stove top, or automatic ice machine, Give us a call at (501) 568-1872. We’ll help you get your equipment back in operation, so that you can keep servicing your customers!