Tag: Easter egg hunt

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Easter Is Looming- Easy Tips To Prevent Food-borne Illness

prevent Food-Borne Disease at Your Easter Egg Hunt

Although the weather in the Midwest may feel like winter again, springtime has arrived, according to the calendar. This also means that Easter is fast approaching. While the Easter Bunny is busy taking an online course to become a certified food protection manager, we would like to provide you with some helpful tips to ensure the safety of your guests and avoid any food-borne illness outbreaks during your event.

Keeping Your Easter Festivities Safe from Food-Borne Illness

Easy Tips To Prevent Food-borne Illness
Image credit: kaew6566 via 123rf

The annual Easter egg hunt is one of the most exciting Easter events for the youngest enjoying the festivities. Just seeing a field full of brightly colored plastic eggs filled with candy and prizes makes every single youngster’s eyes widen with anticipation. With so many different hunts happening all across the world, the Easter Bunny is going to need some help setting them up. It is important to individually wrap every candy packed into plastic eggs to prevent the spread of food-borne illness.

Managing Outdoor Buffets And Food Stands

Serving food away from your main kitchen is common during spring and Easter events. However, it is important to remember that Minnesota’s standard food safety rules still apply even in such cases. Moreover, additional precautions and obtaining special permits may be necessary. If your restaurant or food preparation facility plans to set up a booth at an Easter festival or offer samples at a spring parade, it is advisable to consult with your local health department to determine if any special permits are necessary.

Another popular Easter tradition is attending brunch after morning church services. These brunches and buffets can attract an incredible number of guests, so it may be wise to refer back to your food manager training when planning your food production to prevent food-borne illnesses and ensure that every item you serve is safe for your guests.

Even though Easter can be a hectic time for food-service professionals, it is also a time to remember family and tradition. Outside of coordinating work events, what is your favorite Easter event or tradition now, or what special event does your family associate with the season?

Happy Easter/Passover!

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The Certified Food Manager and Springtime Promotions

The Certified Food Manager and Springtime Promotions

Many local businesses look to increase the number of guests visiting their establishment the weekend of Easter by providing activities that are fun for families. Whether you plan on having an Easter egg hunt or other spring related activity, we have a few tips for the certified food manager to create fun activities that will hopefully draw potential patrons.

The Certified Food Manager and Springtime Promotions
Image credit: 123RF – 7287966

Easter Promotions and the Certified Food Manager

Children and families love Easter egg hunts, especially if your business provides this activity without cost to your guests. This is a good opportunity to offer some promotional specials, such as discounted lunch or breakfast items, affordable beverages or grab-and-go snacks. You’ll often find that families who would not spend a few bucks on an Easter egg hunt will be more than willing to shell out spending money on small food items.

If you do attempt to have an egg hunt at your restaurant, we have a couple of suggestions that will make it fun for all.

  • Only use wrapped candies
  • Contain your hunt to a specific area of your facility
  • Limit the amount of prizes per participant
  • Provide a quiet zone for guests not participating in your activity

Remember that not every customer who comes to your establishment wishes to participate in your spring activities. If you have a popular restaurant that locals frequent, take the time to set up an area away from the activities so that your regulars have the opportunity for an enjoyable experience.

We recently saw an advertisement for an event that featured live animals. We’d like to remind you that if you operate a food service facility and plan on incorporating livestock into your event that live animals need to be separated from food production and service areas. It seems like a cute idea to have baby chicks, rabbits and goats roaming your restaurant, but they create a number of food born-illness hazards.

Springtime offers ample opportunity to draw new clientele to your restaurant. Do you have any events that you find brings customers to your door?