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Dave Steck

Successful Restaurants: How to Survive 100 Years

August 28, 2021 by Dave Steck

Original article by Kelly Killian for Restaurant Business Online

Last spring, a rash of closings struck the Washington, D.C., restaurant scene, causing the Eater DC blog to dub the period “30 days of Terror.” In the five weeks between May 21 and June 20, 14 restaurants closed or were rumored to close soon, including Buddha Bar’s two-year-old high-profile D.C. outpost. The next spring, D.C. rebounded, racking up an astonishing 50-plus new restaurants, a phenomenon Eater DC called “the craziest spring restaurant season.”

Above that tsunami of activity, the District’s legendary Old Ebbitt Grill stands firm—and it has for 157 years. Through Presidential Administrations dating back to Andrew Johnson, World Wars and new ownership, it has done what so many of its neighboring concepts only wish they had—survive. Moreover, Old Ebbitt Grill has positioned itself at the top of the D.C. restaurant scene—and beyond, having ranked repeatedly among the top-grossing independent restaurants in the country. Part business smarts, part do-whatever-it-takes resilience and a heavy dose of passion is the stuff that fuels businesses like Old Ebbitt to serve and compete year after year, decade after decade.

In the new book “A Century of Restaurants” author Rick Browne points out a number of “truths” shared by restaurants that have enjoyed long-term success—truths he discovered during his literary quest to visit 100 of the U.S.’ oldest eateries. We’ve shared some of those here and built on them by asking operators of some of America’s most seasoned restaurants to share their secrets. Here’s what they know that all restaurateurs should.

Secret No. 1: Do the same thing well every time

There are tons of reasons restaurants fail: Many are undercapitalized. Some reside in a location that’s doomed. Others are launched by people who simply don’t have the business chops.

Ask why restaurants succeed, however, and “there’s one thing that holds true,” says Alex Susskind, associate professor of Food and Beverage Management at Cornell University School of Hotel Administration in Ithaca, N.Y. “It’s consistency—doing the same thing day in and day out for your customers, growing and developing with them. It’s not giving into trends and fads, but knowing who they are and why they’re coming.” Whether it’s a restaurant that’s been doing well for 100 years or for 25, the key is doing the same thing well every time. “That’s what people come back for,” Susskind says. And that consistency directly impacts the bottom line.

Consistency in service, quality, the menu—the whole experience—is what keeps people coming back. “Guests will want to come back because something you did for them is worth coming back for,” says Susskind. “It may be a single dish. It may be for the [unique] cocktail program, or that the staff is so attentive. Whatever it is, if you do it different next time, you run the risk of them not coming back.”

Veteran operators are quick to note, however, that consistency isn’t complacency. Things change, and menu items, policies and even decor can and must evolve over time.

At the Berghoff, a 115-year-old full-service restaurant in Chicago, fourth-generation owner Carlyn Berghoff embraced the idea of transforming the German-American menu to include gluten-free options. “I saw the effects celiac [disease] had on my daughter when she’d go out to eat,” Berghoff says. “I wanted to create a place that was safe to eat for people with allergies.” Bringing her personal campaign to the menu at the restaurant has paid off. Now one-third of the hits on The Berghoff’s website are for ‘gluten-free dining,’ and she plans to expand her efforts. “This has been a segment of the business to grow, and it’s a market no one expected us to be in,” says Berghoff who also has written a cookbook with gluten-free recipes and wants to tackle more allergens next. “It has been a good way for me to continue to grow new customers and bring new people to the restaurant.”

Still, she’s careful not to change too much. “You don’t change the top 10 favorite things people eat here,” she says. At the Berghoff, that means Weiner Schnitzel, Sauerbraten and German Chocolate Cake are here to stay.

Secret No. 2: It’s the customer, stupid

At long-successful restaurants, the relationship with the customer is at the heart of everything. “These restaurants all make customers feel at home—literally, like they’re coming back home,” says Browne.

Ina Pinkney, the “Breakfast Queen of Chicago” who will retire this month after 33 years in the business and close her beloved spot Ina’s, has kept the personal touch at the center of her business, even as technology has shifted the way people interact with restaurants. “We have a customer who comes in every morning,” she says. “When we see the car pull up, a couple things happen: The server puts his order in because the man eats the same thing every day. We take the second place setting away at the table. We put a pen down. He walks in and picks up the New York Times Arts section and opens it to the crossword … And he [sits down], picks up the pen and does the crossword. When his food comes out he gets the check presenter because he likes to leave when he likes to leave, and he doesn’t like to talk at all in the morning. Then he opens it up, he puts the money in and closes it. He stands up, refolds the paper, puts it back at the front and leaves.” Says Ina, “Now, you show me an algorithm that can take care of Bruce.”

Having a close connection to guests means veteran operators also are skilled at reading guests’ cues and what they mean for business. “Customers give you feedback every single day, by the smiles or frowns on their faces,” says Susskind. “It’s about noticing how they react to things. If you ignore what is keeping your guests excited, you’re probably missing crucial information.”

Berghoff agrees. “There are economic indicators in all of our businesses that we just need to pay attention to,” she says. “On the Monday after Thanksgiving, I look at how many people come in with a lot of bags and what they eat,” she says. “If they’re ordering entrees, it’s going to be a good holiday season. If they’re buying sandwiches, you’re going to have a harder time meeting your numbers. If they’re ordering dessert or appetizers, you’re going to have a great holiday.” 

Secret No. 3: Empower the staff

If the guest is No. 1, a close No. 2 is your staff, says Brad Rosenstein, president and owner of Jack’s Oyster House in Albany, N.Y., which just celebrated its 100th anniversary. “Making the staff feel appreciated, empowering each individual to take ownership of their position and allowing them to make mistakes (as long as they didn’t do it on purpose) is so important,” he says.

John Laytham, CEO of Clyde’s Restaurant Group, owner of Old Ebbitt Grill and other concepts in the Washington, D.C., area says that aside from having good food, focusing on employees is what helped Clyde’s restaurant get through challenging early years in the 60s and 70s. “We developed our own training program—no one had done much before that,” Laytham says. The program, which trained managers how to tailor their management style to the level of the employee they’re dealing with, resulted in less turnover among the staff. “We had employees who really enjoyed what they were doing and went to work every day trying to do a good job. It made a difference in the relationship between the staff and the customers.”

The focus on training and arming the staff with the freedom to make things right with customers still is a priority at all the restaurants in the Clyde’s group. At Old Ebbitt Grill, Managing Director David Moran relies on the servers and managers to be that link to the guests. “We have nine front-of-house managers, including the general manager, and every one of them is on the floor,” he says. “There’s nothing that replaces touching your tables.” Moran’s team also makes a practice of sharing what they hear from guests with the rest of the staff. “If you’re not listening to your customers, you’re not going to be in business,” he says.

Secret No. 4: Be a business family, not a family business

In his book, Browne points out the most common thread that runs through America’s oldest restaurants is a continuation of ownership within a family. “Even when ownership has been transferred to outsiders,” Browne writes, “there is usually a familial tie, or the new owners are personal or business acquaintances of the previous owners or customers.”

According to the U.S. Census, 41 percent of businesses operating in the accommodation and food services space were family-owned. That includes many of the country’s oldest restaurants—such as The Berghoff, Antoine’s in New Orleans (originator of Oysters Rockefeller) run by the Alciatore family and San Francisco’s The Tadich Grill, which the Buich family bought in 1928 and has operated ever since.

The obvious advantage of a family business is that successors—having grown up in and around the business—come in with first-hand knowledge of the operation, its culture, its history, its challenges and its core customer base. But family businesses also come with their own set of unique circumstances that can just as easily lead to their demise as their success.

The ongoing family drama that has plagued Brennan’s restaurant in New Orleans for decades appears to be to blame for the untimely closing of the 67-year-old, pink-hued institution this past June. Over the years, descendants of original owner Owen Edward Brennan have expanded the brand (later closing some outposts), divided it and wrestled over its control. According to The Times-Picayune, the original Brennan’s now is in the hands of Ralph Brennan, a cousin with no prior direct involvement, who has new plans for its future.

Successful family businesses are those united around a common vision for where the restaurant’s going to be in 10 or 20 years, says Wayne Rivers, president of the Family Business Institute in Raleigh, N.C. A family in business together also must decide, “Are we going to be a family business or a business family,” says Rivers. “It’s a critical distinction: The family business makes decisions in the best interest of the family. Or are you going to make decisions in the best interest of the business?”

Despite a long, rich history, family-owned businesses must be focused on the future and not the past, says Rivers. That doesn’t mean abandoning what got them there. “They keep the things that make them unique or contribute to being part of their culture,” he says. But smart successors are looking ahead and asking “what can I do tomorrow to get my business to be a success.” One real-world example of this philosphy is the Melmans of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises restaurant group in Chicago where the children of founder Richard Melman have found success launching their own new ventures under the LEYE umbrella and bringing in a new, younger crowd. 

Secret No. 5: Don’t fumble the hand-off

Most operators don’t necessarily build their business with a 50- or 100-year plan at the outset. “I’m not thinking I’ll be here for 50 years. But I wouldn’t want to build a restaurant that’s not going to be around in 50 years,” says Laytham, whose restaurant group launched its newest venture, The Hamilton—a restaurant and live-music venue—a year ago.

How a business is passed to the next generation can make or break it’s future. “You have to have a succession plan,” says Susskind. “When I was working in restaurants, I learned this rule: as a restaurant executive, you want to have two people directly underneath you who you’re grooming to do your work and two more people underneath them,” he says. “Whether its family or not, you’re always growing leaders. By training people at all levels, you’re never short-handed with leadership.” 

The next 100 years: reinventing historical restaurants

When Tavern on the Green was shuttered in 2010, the uproar was so boisterous it rumbled through the tunnels of the New York subway line. What followed was a years-long processional of suitors traipsing through the former gilded palace, considering a bid for the place that had been the go-to destination for tourists and special-occasion diners since 1934.

In the end, it was the owners of French creperie Beau Monde in Philadelphia, Jim Caiola and David Salama, who inherited the historic space—and the responsibility of restoring it to some semblance of its former glory. With a grand reopening slated around the end of the year, the new Tavern on the Green promises to be a “casual and elegant” restaurant in less than half the space of the original, The New York Times reports. The owners may, in part, be banking on the restaurant’s prior success; in the years before it was shuttered it ranked among the five top independent restaurants in the country. The Times reports that Caiola’s initial projections expect Tavern to pull in “more than $17 million next year, serving 600 meals on week days and 1,200 on weekends with an average check of $50 per person.” Whether it will, remains to be seen.

Tavern on the Green isn’t the only legendary New York City restaurant being resurrected. In September, Tishman Speyer, the company that operates Rockefeller Center, announced that it will partner with restaurant development firm Blau + Associates to recast and reopen The Rainbow Room as a restaurant, cocktail lounge and event space next fall. “It’s such an iconic location in New York City,” says Keith Douglas, managing director of Rockefeller Center. “It’s an important destination for people around the world.”

The new Rainbow Room will add an outdoor terrace, but will keep many of its landmark elements—the dome ceiling, revolving dance floor, brass railings and chandeliers—and possibly, says Elizabeth Blau, some of its original signature dishes alongside classic American fine dining fare. “What’s extraordinary when you revitalize a historic restaurant and space, is that the education and awareness of its history and past is so critical, she says. “New Yorkers want that. They want a piece of their history back.”

Why will the new iteration succeed where the original did not (it closed in 2009). Says Blau, “Its closing wasn’t about a lack of success. It was ready for a change. It needed to be brought back to its former glory. It needed a new chapter.” The pair are sure it’s a chapter New York is ready for once again.

Another secret to success?

Need one more secret to success? It’s our ServSafe training classes! We have everything you need for certification training & exams.  We award CPFM Certificates that satisfy Fl. Statute 509.039. We offer 6-hour food safety training classes.

Filed Under: Featured

Small Businesses Should Keep Niceties, Lose ‘No Problem’

August 21, 2021 by Dave Steck

By Ned Smith, BusinessNewsDaily Senior Writer

“No problem” may become a problem when that’s how your waitstaff responds to customer requests, a new restaurant study shows. Though the study confined its investigation to the food world, the insights it offers about the effects that service niceties have on a business are relevant to any small business that serves the public.

What restaurant consultant Aaron Allen’s audit, “80 Most Common Restaurant Mistakes,” demonstrated is that the fine points of customer service are relentlessly egalitarian, as important to large operations as they are to small shops. Whether you’re running a mom-and-pop corner bistro pulling in $250,000 a year or a strip-mall chain clothing boutique, the way your staff interacts with your customers can have a big effect on your bottom line. Excessive familiarity or lack of respect doesn’t play well with customers, the audit showed. Using overly friendly names such as “dude,” “buddy” and “pal” turn customers off, the study found. So do the overuse of perfumes and colognes, or gossiping or talking about improper subjects within earshot of customers.  Customers like to be treated as individuals, not numbers. The audit said that a proper greeting delivered with warmth by a host creates a much better first impression than an impersonal conversation that centers on “how many?” or “where do you want to sit — dining room or bar?”  And the above-mentioned “no problem” should never slip through the staff’s lips. Allen suggested that a more appropriate response to an order or request is “my pleasure.”  Product knowledge is equally as important as courtesy, the audit showed.  Whether serving food or frocks, your staff should know what they’re talking about. Failing to recommend a favorite or popular item or being unfamiliar with the cuisine they’re serving is not acceptable. Diners don’t want to hear a waiter say, “I don’t eat seafood.”

In all domains, customer-facing staff needs to walk a fine line between hovering and pulling a disappearing act. Like children, they should be seen and not heard (until they’re needed, that is). Failing to offer to replenish beverages in a timely fashion — especially when it is that second $11 glass of wine that a customer would have ordered if it was offered at the right time — directly affects a company’s bottom line.


Serve It Up Safe! is the first and only boutique ServSafe food safety training provider that specializes in efficiently re-certifying Florida’s most experienced food, beverage and hospitality professionals. We award CPFM certificates that satisfy FL. Statute 509.039. And we offer 6- hour food safety training classes.

Our mission is to serve as a premium provider of education and training services, specifically certifying Florida Food Managers and Food Handlers. We mitigate liability, so food providers can run safe, effective businesses

Filed Under: Featured

Had a Bad Health Inspection? Jump Into Action. Now!

August 14, 2021 by Dave Steck

food inspection

The “Regulatory Authority”, commonly known as the health inspector regularly visits twice a year, depending on several variables. When they visit, you first demand a photo ID. They then demand a permit and your CPFM (Certified Prof. Food Manager) certification. Then, the actual inspection commences. The health inspector will look at 55 different things during their routine inspection that you should expect to last about 45 minutes. But this time it didn’t go so well. Although the average number of violations during a routine inspection is 6.2, you had more than 6.2. It didn’t go well at all. What can you do?

Cooperate with your inspector. 

Take all the action that is required.  Complete corrective action(s) on time, and notify the Regulatory Authority (the “health inspector”) when the required corrections are completed, and communicate thoroughly and regularly. Ask good thoughtful questions.

Seek professional help. 

Find a trained, experienced professional to speak with, preferably someone that is extensively knowledgeable in restaurant operations and/or food safety and sanitation. 

Be fully transparent.

With the owners, the staff and the customers, and do so immediately. Full disclosure removes the appearance of hiding something.

Fully re-train the entire staff immediately.   

This re-training should be mandatory and pre-establish several follow-up training meeting to be sure staff is fully knowledgeable on their roles & responsibilities.

Instill those core values that are critical to your success.  

Then repeat, repeat and repeat. Things like cleanliness, general food safety practices, and intensely thorough sanitation procedures must be part of the establishment’s core values!  

Institute weekly self-inspections.  

Make certain that the person in charge (PIC) performs regular weekly self-inspections of the entire establishment, both inside and out.  Pay particular attention to employee’s personal hygiene including hand-washing, cooking temperatures, hot/cold holding temperatures and the prevention of cross-contamination.  Your self-inspection should closely mirror the inspection that the health department performs.  Serve It Up Safe!  can provide that inspection form if you need it, as well as ServSafe food safety training.

Set forth an immediate plan of pro-activity; you’ve got to be proactive!  There are a lot of situations where you can “COS” (correct on spot), so never leave the inspector’s side.  Shadow them through the entire inspection.  Besides, it’s a good learning opportunity!  In 2012, there were over 500,000 violations in the sunshine state accounting for $2.2 million in fines.  You need to bounce back quickly and not be a repeat offender.  You have to shift your thinking from focusing exclusively on the two things every F & B manager laser’s in on- the P & L and customer service- to thinking more proactively about food safety and sanitation.  You have to focus more specifically on cleanliness and sanitation, both of which will directly impact the P & L and customer service.  And that’s a win-win!

Filed Under: Featured

Fact Sheet #2A: Child Labor Rules for Employing Youth in Restaurants and Quick-Service Establishments Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

June 24, 2021 by Dave Steck

This fact sheet provides general information concerning the application of the federal child labor provisions to restaurants and quick-service establishments that employ workers who are less than 18 years of age. For detailed information about the federal youth provisions, please read Regulations, 29 CFR Part 570.

The Department of Labor is committed to helping young workers find positive, appropriate, and safe employment experiences. The child labor provisions of the FLSA were enacted to ensure that when young people work, the work does not jeopardize their health, well-being, or educational opportunities. Working youth are generally entitled to the same minimum wage and overtime protections as older adults. For information about the minimum wage and overtime requirements in the restaurant and quick-service industries, please see Fact Sheet# 2 in this series, Restaurants and Quick Service Establishment under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Minimum Age Standards for Employment

The FLSA and the child labor regulations, issued at 29 CFR Part 570, establish both hours and occupational standards for youth. Youth of any age are generally permitted to work for businesses entirely owned by their parents, except those under 16 may not be employed in mining or manufacturing and no one under 18 may be employed in any occupation the Secretary of Labor has declared to be hazardous.

18 Years of AgeOnce a youth reaches 18 years of age, he or she is no longer subject to the federal child labor provisions.
16 & 17 Years of Age Sixteen- and 17-year-olds may be employed for unlimited hours in any occupation other than those declared hazardous by the Secretary of Labor. Examples of equipment declared hazardous in food service establishments include:

Power-driven meat processing machines (meat slicers, meat saws, patty forming machines, meat grinders, and meat choppers), commercial mixers and certain power-driven bakery machines. Employees under 18 years of age are not permitted to operate, feed, set-up, adjust, repair, or clean any of these machines or their disassembled parts.

Motor Vehicles. Generally, no employee under 18 years of age may drive on the job or serve as an outside helper on a motor vehicle on a public road, but 17-year-olds who meet certain specific requirements may drive automobiles and trucks that do not exceed 6,000 pounds gross vehicle weight for limited amounts of time as part of their job. Such minors are, however, prohibited from making time sensitive deliveries (such as pizza deliveries or other trips where time is of the essence) and from driving at night. (See Fact Sheet# 34: Child Labor Provisions and the Driving of Automobiles and Trucks under the Fair Labor Standard Act.)

Balers and Compactors. Minors under 18 years of age may not load, operate, or unload balers or compactors. Sixteen- and 17-year-olds may load, but not operate or unload, certain scrap paper balers and paper box compactors under certain specific circumstances. (See Fact Sheet #57: in this series, Hazardous Occupations Order No. 12. Hazardous Occupations Order No. 12, Rules for Employing Youth and the Loading, Operating, and Loading of Power-Driven Balers and Compactors under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)).
14 & 15 Years of AgeFourteen- and 15- year-olds may be employed in restaurants and quick-service establishments outside school hours in a variety of jobs for limited periods of time and under specified conditions. Child Labor Regulations No. 3, 29 C.F.R. 570, Subpart C limits both the time of day and number of hours this age group may be employed as well as the types of jobs they may perform.
Hours and times of day standards for the employment of 14- and 15-vear-olds:Occupation standards for the employment of 14-and 15-year-olds:
• outside school hours;
• no more than 3 hours on a school day, including Fridays;
• no more than 8 hours on a nonschool day;
• no more than 18 hours during a week when school is in session;
• no more than 40 hours during a week when school is not in session;
• between 7 a.m. and 7 p. m. – except between June 1 and Labor day when the evening hour is extended to 9 p.m.

School hours are determined by the local public school in the area the minor is residing while employed.
• They may perform cashiering, table service and “busing,” and clean up work, including the use of vacuum cleaners and floor waxers.
• They may perform kitchen work and other work involved in preparing food and beverages, including the operation of devices used in such work, such as dish-washers, toasters, milk shake blenders, warming lamps, and coffee grinders.
• They may perform limited cooking duties involving electric or gas grills that do not entail cooking over an open flame. They may also cook with deep fat fryers that are equipped with and utilize devices that automatically raise and lower the “baskets” into and out of the hot grease of oil. They may not operate NEICO broilers, rotisseries, pressure cookers, fryolators, high­speed ovens, or rapid toasters.
• They may not perform any baking activities.
• They may dispense food from cafeteria lines and steam tables and heat food in microwave ovens that do not have the capacity to heat food over 140° F.
• They may not operate, clean, set up, adjust, repair or oil power driven machines including food slicers, grinders, processors, or mixers.
• They may clean kitchen surfaces and non-power- driven equipment, and filter, transport and dispose of cooking oil, but only when the temperature of the surface and oils do not exceed 100° F.
• They may not operate power-driven lawn mowers or cutters, or load or unload goods to or from trucks or conveyors.
• They may not work in freezers or meat coolers, but they may occasionally enter a freezer momentarily to retrieve items.
• They are prohibited from working in any of the Hazardous Orders (discussed above for 16- and
17- year-olds).
Under 14 Years of AgeChildren under 14 years of age may not be employed in non-agricultural occupations covered by the FLSA, including food service establishments. Permissible employment for such children is limited to work that is exempt from the FLSA (such as delivering newspapers to the consumer and acting). Children may also perform work not covered by the FLSA such as completing minor chores around private homes or casual baby-sitting.

Work Experience and Career Exploration Program (WECEP)

WECEP is a program designed to provide a carefully planned work experience and career exploration program for 14- and 15-year-old youths who can benefit from a career oriented educational program designed to meet the participants’ needs, interests and abilities. The program is aimed at helping youths to become reoriented and motivated toward education and to prepare them for the world of work.

State Departments of Education are granted approval to operate a WECEP by the Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division for a 2-year period. Certain provisions of child labor provisions are modified for 14- and 15-year-old participants during the school term.

Students enrolled in an authorized WECEP:

  • My work during school hours.
  • May work up to 3 hours on a school day; and as many as 23 hours in a school week.
  • May work in some occupations that would otherwise be prohibited under a variance issued by the Administrator, but they may not work in manufacturing, mining or any of the 17 Hazardous Occupations.

Individual employers may partner with participating local school districts in those states authorized to operate WECEPs.

Work-Study Program (WSP)

WSP is a program designed to help academically oriented students enrolled in a college preparatory high school curriculum pursue their college diplomas. Some of the hours standards provisions of Child Labor Regulation No. 3 are varied for certain 14- and 15- year-old students participating in a Department of Labor approved and school-supervised and administered WSP. Participating students must be enrolled in a college preparatory curriculum and identified by authoritative personnel of the school as being able to benefit from the WSP.

Students enrolled in an authorized WSP:

  • May work no more than 18 hours in any one week when school is in session, a portion of which may be during school hours, in accordance with the following formula that is based upon a continuous four-week cycle:
    • In three of the four weeks, the participant is permitted to work during school hours on only one day per week, and for no more than for eight hours on that day.
    • During the remaining week of the four-week cycle, such minor is permitted to work during school hours on no more than two days, and for no more than for eight hours on each of those two days.
    • The employment of such minors would still be subject to the remaining time of day and number of hours standards contained Child Labor Regulation No. 3 and discussed earlier in this fact sheet.
  • Are held to all the occupation standards established by Child Labor Regulation No.3.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Why It’s Important to Clean an Ice Machine

June 17, 2021 by Dave Steck

Ice is used in almost every food service setting, from restaurants, bars, cafeterias, and coffee shops, to nursing homes, hospitals, and healthcare facilities. Since ice is such an important part of food service, it’s important for professionals to know how to clean an ice machine. In fact, these machines are often some of the dirtiest pieces of equipment in the kitchen. While every ice machine has its own special maintenance requirements, most follow a basic overall process. This article will take you through a detailed, step-by-step explanation of the ice machine cleaning process. 

Cleaning Ice Machines

The FDA defines ice as a food, which means it must be handled and cared for in the same manner as other food products. No matter what type of ice machine your establishment operates, it’s imperative that you clean, sanitize, and maintain it. Any part of the unit that has contact with water can develop scale, slime, or mold at any time, which will contaminate your ice and potentially harm your customers. 

Your ice machine should be cleaned and sanitized at least once every six months for efficient operation. This maintenance process requires you to first perform a cleaning procedure to remove lime, scale, and mineral deposits, followed by a sanitizing procedure to disinfect the unit and remove algae and slime. If you don’t keep up on maintenance, scale buildup can cause ice to stick to the evaporator plates, which can impede heat transfer and result in freeze-ups, longer harvest times, reduction in capacity, and costly repairs. Not cleaning your machine can also lead to the formation of dangerous slime and mold.

If you experience some of the following issues, it may be time to clean your ice machine:

  • Ice machine does not release ice or is slow to harvest
  • Ice machine does not cycle into harvest mode
  • Ice quality is poor (soft or not clear)
  • Ice machine produces shallow or incomplete cubes
  • Low ice capacity

Now we’ll get into the proper ice machine cleaning and sanitizing procedures, but first, let’s go over a few guidelines and tips. 

  • Your ice machine should be cleaned every 6 months.
  • If you notice it’s requiring more frequent cleaning and sanitizing, consult a qualified service company to test your establishment’s water quality. Water treatment may be required.
  • Be sure to follow the proper instructions written out in your ice machine’s manual.
  • Some manufacturers require specific or approved cleaner and sanitizer solutions to be used with their machines.
  • All ice produced during the cleaning and sanitizing procedures must be discarded. It’s also highly suggested to throw out the first batch of ice made after cleaning.
  • Do not mix cleaner and sanitizer solutions together.
  • Wear rubber gloves and protective safety glasses when handling cleaner and sanitizer solutions.
  • Read and follow any instructions and cautions listed on the solution bottles.
  • To prevent damage to the water pump, do not leave the control switch in a service position for an extended period of time when the water tank is empty during cleaning.
  • Know your equipment. Nugget and flake machines typically have more moving parts that require additional attention. Also, know your machine’s material construction so you don’t use chemicals that will harm it.

How to Clean an Ice Machine

  1. Open the front door to access the evaporator compartment. All ice must be removed from the evaporator during the cleaning and sanitizing cycles. 
  2. Remove all ice from the bin or dispenser. To remove the ice, follow one of the methods below:

Either press the power switch at the end of the a harvest cycle after ice falls from the evaporators, or press the power switch and allow the ice to completely melt.

  • Press the “clean” or “wash” button, depending on your machines labeling. Water will flow through the water dump valve and down the drain. Wait until the water trough refills and the display indicates to add chemicals. This typically takes at least 1 minute. Then add the proper amount of ice machine cleaner per your manual. 
  • Wait until the clean cycle is complete. This will typically take at least 20 minutes. After the cycle is complete, disconnect power to the ice machine and the dispenser. 
  • Remove parts for cleaning. For safe and proper removal, refer to your machine’s manual. Once all parts have been removed, continue to the next step. 
  • Mix a solution of cleaner and lukewarm water. Refer to your machine’s manual for an appropriate amount of solution. It should provide a chart that has the correct ratio for each product line. A general water to cleaner ratio is 1 gallon of water to 16 ounces of cleaner. Depending on the amount of mineral buildup, a larger quantity may be required.
  • Use half of the water and cleaner mixture to clean all components and parts you’ve removed. Most solutions will start to foam once they come in contact with lime, scale, and mineral deposits. Once the foaming stops, use a soft-bristle nylon brush, sponge, or cloth to carefully clean all parts. All parts except the ice thickness probe can be soaked when heavily scaled. Rinse all components with clean water.
  • While you wait for the components to soak, use the other half of the water and cleaner mixture to clean all food-zone surfaces of the ice machine, bin, and dispenser. Use a nylon brush or cloth to thoroughly clean the following ice machine areas: side walls, base (area above the trough), evaporator plastic parts (top, bottom, sides), and the bin or dispenser.
  • Rinse all areas with clean water. This will help remove chemicals to prevent ice from becoming contaminated. 

How to Sanitize an Ice Machine 

  1. Mix a solution of ice machine sanitizer and lukewarm water. Refer to your machine’s manual for an appropriate amount of solution. It should provide a chart that has the correct ratio for each item number.  A general water to cleaner ration is 3 gallons of water to 2 ounces of sanitizer. 
  2. Use half of the water and sanitizer mixture to sanitize all components and parts you’ve removed. You can use a spray bottle to liberally apply the solution to all surfaces of the removed parts, or you can soak the removed parts in the solution.

Note: Do not rinse parts with water after sanitizing.

  • While you wait for the components to soak, use the other half of the water and sanitizer mixture to clean all food-zone surfaces of the ice machine, bin, and dispenser. Use a spray bottle to liberally apply the solution. When sanitizing, pay attention to following: side walls, base (area above the trough), evaporator plastic parts (top, bottom, sides), and the bin or dispenser.
  • Replace all removed components. You may need to refer to your manual once more for proper restructuring.  
  • Wait 20 minutes. This allows the sanitizer to properly disinfect.
  • Reapply power to the ice machine. Press your unit’s “clean” or “wash” button.  
  • Wait until the water trough refills and the display indicates to add chemical. Add the proper amount of sanitizer to the water trough. 
  • Set your machine to automatically start making ice after the sanitizing cycle is complete. This will typically take at least 20 minutes.
  • Upon completion, it’s highly recommended to observe two cycles and monitor the freeze and harvest cycle times. Make sure you throw out the first batch of ice made after cleaning and sanitizing.

Exterior Cleaning 

  1. Clean the area around the ice machine as often as necessary. This will maintain cleanliness and efficient operation.
  2. Wipe surfaces down with a damp cloth rinsed in water to remove dust and dirt from the outside of the ice machine. Never use an abrasive pad or brush.
  3. If a greasy residue remains, use a damp cloth rinsed in a mild dish soap and water solution. See your machine’s manual for restrictions. Some nickel-plated machines require nickel-safe solutions. You will never want to use chlorinated, citrus-based, or abrasive cleaners on exterior panels and plastic trim.

Cleaning the Condenser and Its Filter 

The washable filter on a self-contained ice machine is necessary to trap dust, dirt, lint, and grease. To clean the filter, simply rinse it with mild soap and water.

Now, you can clean the condenser. If this condenser isn’t washed, airflow will be restricted, resulting in high operating temperatures, which can shorten your unit’s life and lead to reduced ice production. Like the other components of your ice machine, this filter should be cleaned once every six months. 

  1. Disconnect electric power to the ice machine head section and the remote condensing unit. There should be switches to turn these off. 
  2. Shine a flashlight through the condenser to check for dirt between the fins. These fins are sharp, so proceed with caution. 
  3. Blow compressed air through the condenser to remove dirt. You can also rinse it with water from the inside out. 
  4. Recheck for remaining dirt. If dirt still remains, we recommend that you contact a service agent. 

Whether you’re using ice for drink service, packaging it for retail purposes, or filling up salad bars to keep food chilled, it’s important to always use fresh, clean ice. By completing the cleaning and sanitizing procedures outlined above, you’ll be able to maintain your commercial ice machine’s efficiency, prevent increased energy costs, and keep clean and safe ice ready to use! Remember to clean and sanitize at least once every six months, and don’t forget to refer to your ice machine’s manual for special instructions!


Serve It Up Safe! is a ServSafe Certified Instructor. Our mission is to serve as a premium provider of education and training services, specifically certifying Florida Food Managers and Food Handlers. We mitigate liability, so food providers can run safe, effective businesses

Filed Under: Featured

Why Does Serve It Up Safe Go to Great Lengths to Do What We Do?

June 10, 2021 by Dave Steck

That’s the difference between ancillary and trifling. ©

There is a bevy of ways to navigate through life. You can take the easy path that those before you have cleared free of nuisance obstacles. That is the easiest way to go, and not many people will challenge you along the way. It’s the popular path, primarily because it’s easiest. You could also chose the path less traveled.  The path that’s a little bit harder and a bit more arduous. Because it takes a lot more work and a lot more effort. It’s the less popular path, because it’s harder. Some of the same principals apply to running a business, like restaurants, for example. There are many shortcuts you could take, and that would make you “ordinary”; your relegated to just another joint to grab a bite. On the other hand, you could take unordinary measures to be special; to do things spectacularly rather than ordinary. That makes you “extraordinary”. And that’s the only way to be, in our estimation. That brings us to the difference between “ancillary” and “trifling”.

Ancillary.  Adj.  : Auxiliary. Subordinate to one’s primary directive.

Trifling.  Adj.  : Irrelevant. Not capable of helping one meet critical objectives.

To the F & B professional, sweeping your floors is ancillary—it is important, but it’s not your number one objective. Florida Statute 509.039 requiring the CPFM/ServSafe certification is trifling—it’s just one of those things you have to do because some state law says you do. You would really prefer not to have to mess with the hassle, but you have to. Now we’re not saying that safe food handling practices isn’t important; it certainly is.  However, the training & exam requirement is more of an administrative burden to you, to be honest.

So why do you not design, manufacture and install your own dishwasher, formulate your own detergent and fabricate your own metal prep tables? You could buy 250 acres of land and raise your own chickens before sending them to slaughter so you can replenish your supply of chicken tenders for the busy upcoming weekend. But you don’t. Why? That’s the difference between “ancillary” and “trifling”. At Serve It Up Safe!, we don’t build our computers from scratch; we leave that to Dell. We don’t design and construct new buildings to hold our classes; we leave to Marriott, Hyatt and Hilton. We don’t manufacture our own writing instruments; we leave that to the professionals like Ticonderoga (the world’s finest pencil, so they say). And we don’t cook our own chicken wings (for example) at home; we, like many American’s, eat out a lot. 

Why? Because you’re a better preparer and presenter of food and entertainment that we are.  The same can be said for your training requirements. Sure, you could do it yourself, but if you do, you simultaneously concede that providing outstanding customer service, serving exceptionally great fresh food, offering unique drink combinations and controlling food & labor costs is suddenly less important. But it’s not! Those are the most important things in your world (besides your children!). You’re in effect saying that standing in front of your staff for 6-hours to conduct a state required training program is very, very important, and more so than world class customer service for example.  But the reality of it is that standing up in front of a classroom is trifling for you. It’s not your core competency and it’s taking time away from what really matters, like building sales and your customers, for example.  

That’s why we do what we do. To us, training food safety principals and proctoring the required exam is important to us; it’s one of our primary objectives. It’s what we do best. It’s not trifling to us; its mission critical to us. When you focus on what matters most, is the end result always better? Of course it is! That’s why you do what you do, and that’s why we do what we do! You go ahead and focus on what really matters most, and leave the trifling to us!

Filed Under: Featured

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