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Certified Food Protection Managers and Christmas

Certified Food Protection Manager and Christmas Service

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We like to pay attention to growing trends in the foodservice community, and we’re noticing a lot more restaurants are advertising that they’ll be open on Christmas Day. While it’s not abnormal for large national chains to open on Christmas, we’re also hearing that certified food protection managers of many local restaurants may decide to open on Christmas Day as well.

Certified Food Protection Managers and Christmas
Image credit: Kirill Kedrinski

Certified Food Protection Manager Opening Your Restaurant on Christmas Day?

There seems to be growing demand among diners for Christmas service at local restaurants year after year, and we’re not just talking about breakfast and lunch. Many patrons have already hosted Christmas parties, entertained out of town guests and are looking for someone else to do the cooking and cleaning up on this festive holiday. But how should restauranteurs decide whether or not to open on the 25th of December?

The first thing you should consider is demand. Will there be a demand for your cuisine on Christmas Day? While there are many cultures that do not celebrate Christmas and certain types of restaurants already have a built-in clientele, you’re certified food protection manager will have to decide if your restaurant fits into that category. If not, then you may wish to promote a special Christmas menu should you feel the need to open on Christmas Day.

The second thing you should consider is your staff. Many families have Christmas traditions, and you may not have enough staff willing to work on Christmas Day itself. You could suddenly become a very unpopular certified food protection manager should you force your staff to work both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

A happy staff is a hard-working staff, so we suggest you poll your staff or maybe look for volunteers to work on the holidays, or allow staff to work either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to fill out empty stations should you not have enough staff willing to work. It’s also a great idea to offer the incentive of holiday pay or some sort of bonus for spending their Christmas at work.

How do you feel about opening your restaurant on Christmas Day>

Shutdown Creates Food Safety Challenges

How the Government Shutdown Creates Food Safety Challenges

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It’s been one of the biggest news stories of the past couple of weeks. The government has been shut down while the President and Congress try to hammer out a budget deal. As a result of this shutdown, thousands of government employees have been furloughed and certain agencies no longer have the funding to operate. At Food Safety Training, we usually keep our noses out of politics, but in this case, the shutdown has created challenges to keeping the food we serve safe.

Shutdown Creates Food Safety Challenges

Image Credit: Picryl

Food Safety Challenges During a Government Shutdown

According to several reports, the FDA has lost funding due to the current shutdown. This means that many of the routine inspections that occur on a daily basis have ceased, and products from uninspected facilities are making their way onto grocery shelves and into the food supply used by restaurants and other industrial kitchens.

The FDA employs in the neighborhood of 5,000 inspectors and runs nearly 160 inspections per month. Those are inspections that are currently not happening. So what can certified food managers do to ensure their product is safe?

  • Inspect all ingredients for potential food safety hazards
  • Wash all produce
  • Cook all meats to the proper temperature
  • Take steps to train all staff on proper food handling procedures

The news isn’t all doom and gloom, however. While the FDA inspection process may have halted, there is still some measure of food safety control. USDA inspections of meat and some egg producers are still occurring as scheduled, the CDC is still funded in the event an agency needs to step in during a food-borne illness outbreak and foreign food inspections on products that are imported to the United States has continued. There is also speculation that the FDA may be preparing to resume inspections on facilities that produce high-risk products.

Besides governmental oversight, many of the largest food manufacturers employ their own inspectors to keep the food that leaves their facilities safe. It’s always in a company’s best interest to make sure their product will not sicken their customers, and while some food hazards slip through the cracks, many food producers have their own checks outside of government inspection.

Are there any food safety challenges that you see as a result of the government shutdown?

Food Safety Classes and Food Safety Month

Food Safety Classes and Food Safety Month

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September is National Food Safety Month, and this makes for the perfect time to brush up on what you have learned in your food safety classes and go out of your way to make sure your facility is in top shape. It can also provide an opportunity to enlighten your guests to the steps you take to keep pathogens from reaching their plate.

Food Safety Classes and Food Safety Month

Promoting Food Safety Month During September

While we should remain vigilant throughout the year, setting aside one month to assess and address food safety in your facility is a great idea. This could be the perfect time to perform a mock health inspection so you can see if there are any gaps in your staff knowledge and performance. If you find any issues, conducting a few group food safety classes with your employees will get everyone on the same page and increase food safety awareness.

This also provides you with an opportunity to clue your guests in on some food safety procedures. A detailed handwashing sign in your public washroom, a card on the table informing them of your table sanitation process or even an extra sheet in your menu with a daily food safety tip they can apply at home in honor of food safety month can impress upon your clientele how much you value their health.

You should also take the time to identify key members of your team that are ready for the responsibilities of a certified food manager. It never hurts to have multiple employees certified in the event of the absence of your current certified manager.

ServSafe has provided tools and worksheets for you and your staff to review over the coming month to improve your food handling practices. Do you participate in Food Safety Month?

MN Certified Food Managers and Black Friday

How MN Certified Food Managers Take Advantage of Black Friday

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Black Friday arrives at the end of the month, with the shopping frenzy approaching, we decided that it would be beneficial to discuss how MN Certified Food Managers at local restaurants and food producers can take advantage of the millions of potential guests that are out and about the day after Thanksgiving.

MN Food Safety Managers and Black Friday

Image credit: Powhusku via Wikimedia Commons

 

MN Food Safety Managers and Black Friday

We think that this day is a prime opportunity for MN Certified Food Managers to show what they can do and build their customer base. Here are a few ideas that we think can attract customers who have finished their shopping or are looking for a quick meal on the go.

  • Run easy to serve take-out specials
  • Offer free items with any order
  • Offer promotions based on the time of day

Many of the shoppers on Black Friday will be in a hurry and won’t want to take the time to sit down to eat breakfast or lunch. If your restaurant has hot food ready to go that your guests can order and receive without a long wait, it may attract customers who are looking for grab-and-go dining options.

Everyone loves free stuff, even if they have to buy something else to get it. We suggest offering something that is easy and affordable. Many shoppers will have already been out since midnight, and something as inexpensive as a free cup of coffee or espresso with every order will look attractive to guests looking for that extra boost to finish off their search for the best deal.

Last year, we noticed that one restaurant changed their promotions every hour. We think this is a great idea to let your guests see what is coming up, and, if they don’t have time to stop right away, it may give them an incentive to return later in the day.

Finally, don’t forget to advertise your restaurant in the days leading up to Black Friday. Social media is a great way to get the word out there. With outlets like Twitter and Facebook, MN food safety managers can plug their restaurants for free with a few creative hashtags.

Over the past few years, we’ve seen different strategies when it comes to making the most out of Black Friday. What will your business be doing to attract customers?