Weekly cleaning tasks are crucial to keep your restaurant's front of house (FOH) looking sharp and hygienic. These tasks should include deep vacuuming of carpets, scrubbing hard floors, dusting light fittings, cleaning skirting boards, and wiping down furniture. It's also important to clean high-touch areas like chair legs and bar stools.
Common misunderstanding: Weekly tasks only focus on visible areas.
While it's important to clean areas that guests frequently see, weekly cleaning should also address less visible places that accumulate dirt and grime, such as under furniture and around the edges of rooms.
Common misunderstanding: Weekly cleaning can be done any time during the week.
It's best to schedule weekly cleaning tasks during quieter periods or when the restaurant is closed, to ensure thorough cleaning without disrupting service.
Deep cleaning upholstery and chair legs is vital because these areas can harbour dirt, food particles, and allergens, which can affect guest comfort and hygiene. Regular deep cleaning prevents the buildup of grime and maintains the appearance and longevity of your furniture.
Common misunderstanding: Upholstery doesn't need regular cleaning if there are no visible stains.
Even without visible stains, upholstery can accumulate dust and allergens that are not immediately apparent but can affect air quality and guest comfort.
Common misunderstanding: Cleaning chair legs is purely cosmetic.
Beyond aesthetics, cleaning chair legs can remove harmful bacteria and residues from countless guest interactions, contributing significantly to the overall cleanliness of the dining area.
Assign weekly FOH cleaning tasks by clearly defining responsibilities within the team. Use a digital platform like Pilla or a detailed paper checklist to assign tasks to specific roles or individuals. Ensure each task includes what needs to be cleaned, how to clean it, and who is responsible. Regularly review task completion and provide feedback.
Common misunderstanding: Assigning tasks to anyone available is efficient.
Randomly assigning cleaning tasks can lead to confusion and uneven standards. Assign tasks to specific roles to ensure consistency and accountability.
Common misunderstanding: Once assigned, no follow-up is needed.
Regular follow-ups and checks are necessary to ensure tasks are completed to standard. Use daily or weekly meetings to review task completion and address any issues.
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Monthly cleaning tasks in a restaurant's front of house are important for maintaining a professional appearance and ensuring long-term cleanliness.
After each guest, it is important to reset the area promptly to ensure cleanliness.
A comprehensive daily FOH cleaning checklist should include: wiping down the host stand and resetting menus, cleaning POS equipment, polishing door glass and handles, checking and cleaning toilets with necessary supplies, restocking napkins, condiments, and tabletop items, vacuuming or mopping key walkways and under tables, emptying bins and cleaning bin lids, and spot-cleaning walls, door frames, and baseboards. This ensures the front of house is welcoming and hygienic for guests.
To encourage a culture of pride in front-of-house cleaning, it's crucial to make staff feel valued and show how their efforts contribute to the restaurant's success.
If your front of house appears clean but customers or staff report issues, this may suggest a problem with your cleaning schedule.
Assigning cleaning tasks to specific roles is crucial to ensure all tasks are completed consistently and efficiently.
To clearly write FOH cleaning tasks, it's important to provide specific and detailed instructions to avoid confusion and ensure consistency in cleaning standards.
To prioritise Front of House (FOH) cleaning tasks effectively, begin by identifying areas most visible to guests or those that could pose hygiene risks.