Kitchen rules and regulations are a part of the hospitality industry and while they may be inconvenient at times are incredibly important. They determine how we maintain a healthy and clean space to serve guests, how to cut food waste and finetune labor costs, and more — but they don’t just pop up out of nowhere. Rules at a restaurant are something that take time in tandem with trial and tribulation. We did the trials and dealt with the tribulation so you don’t have to — so let’s dive in.
Why Kitchen Rules and Regulations Matter
Kitchen rules and regulations matter for one simple reason — they ensure that things happen safely for everyone involved. Without them, we’d be certain to get people sick, hurt coworkers, and more.
Health and Safety Regulations
The first section of restaurant rules and regulations that we’ll discuss today revolve around basic health and safety. Some may be familiar to you, and that’s okay — we’re repeating them for those who don’t already know. If you find that you do know this, feel free to skip to the next section.
Always Wash Hands Before Handling Food or Equipment
Washing your hands before handling food is the most basic of tasks in kitchens, and one that’s incredibly important. It ensures that all food is handled without the possibility of cross-contamination. While there’s more to it than cross-contamination, the act of washing your hands is crucial to keeping all food that you cook free and clear of any nasty bacteria.
Store Raw and Cooked Foods Separately to Avoid Cross-Contamination
Speaking of cross-contamination, storage is crucial when it comes to rules at a restaurant. Ideally, cooked and raw foods should be stored in entirely separate areas. However, that’s not entirely realistic for the space that most restaurants have.
The easiest way is to organize verticality. The higher you go, the more you should have ready-to-eat items; fruit, greens, and prepped items like desserts should be stored in the highest space possible. Below that should be cooked produce, followed by cooked meat. Only once you reach the lowest shelves should you be getting to raw meat — and importantly, you should ensure that you’re not storing meat over other meat (i.e., raw poultry over raw beef).
Sanitize Work Surfaces and Utensils After Each Use
Proper kitchen rules and regulations ensure that all food preparation surfaces and tools are fully sanitized between uses. For tables, this means a thorough wipe and reset, and for tools it means either a hand wash and sanitization or a run through the dishwasher.
Wear Protective Gear, Including Gloves and Hairnets, When Required
Food safety gear exists to ensure that we’re able to do our jobs to the best of our abilities. It allows us to prevent cross contamination through the use of gloves, remove the risk of hair in food with hairnets, and even helps guard against that mandoline with a cut glove. Put simply, use the tools that we have and you’ll be safer for it.
Know the Location of Fire Extinguishers and Emergency Exits
Part of working in a kitchen is being around open flame and extremely flammable materials at most points in the day. As such, it’s crucial that you know where all fire extinguishers and emergency exits are, as well as being aware of how to properly handle various fires. For example, knowing to smother a grease fire vs drown a wood fire is an incredibly useful life skill and something that should be introduced into every kitchen employee system.
Workflow and Operational Rules
These rules are more intended to keep your kitchen at its peak operational state. They’ll center around cleanliness, communication, and organization.
Keep Your Station Clean and Organized at All Times
Cleaning as you go is one of the first things that most chefs learn. While it may seem a bit over the top, it has two functions (both of which are vital) — cleanliness and efficiency. By cleaning as you go, you create a space that’s far more clean than it would be otherwise while simultaneously ensuring that you don’t have a massive cleaning task on your hands at the end of the day.
Label and Date All Food Items for Efficient Use and Safety
Always label and date all food items in your kitchen. It doesn’t matter where they’re going or how quickly you’ll blow through them — label them with the item’s name, the date it was prepared, and its last safe day to serve.
Communicate Clearly During Service to Avoid Misunderstandings
Chefs must use clear, concise language to ensure that all of their coworkers can understand what needs to be communicated. Tone down on large flowery words and over-the-top so everyone can understand. While it’s not easy, working to cut down on idle chatter and overexaggerated expressions will allow you to communicate more effectively during service.
Follow Standard Operating Procedures for Food Preparation and Cooking
Creating a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for food prep and service is crucial. Generally, it’s best to outline all recipes clearly, along with giving clear instructions for how to prepare each dish for service. Check out our guide to training manuals for more on this topic!
Staff Conduct and Behavior Expectations
Part of creating rules at a restaurant is crafting a kitchen employee working system. Creating rules and regulations ensures service goes smoothly, and that’s the goal!
Arrive On Time and Ready for Your Shift
This concept is short and sweet — ensure that all staff know they’re expected to arrive when they’re scheduled and ready to work. It’s simple in practice, but may take work depending on your crew.
Wear the Proper Uniform
What your uniform is will be up to you; it could be a true uniform, or simply jeans, shoes, and a t-shirt — what matters is that you clearly communicate your expectations to your employees..
Work as a Team and Support Fellow Kitchen Staff Members
While we’re all individuals, at the end of the day, your restaurant crew needs to work together. Remind them that you’re there to support each other and do the same job, and do it regularly.
Address Conflicts Calmly and Professionally
No matter how well mannered your staff is, disagreements will happen between adults; it’s just part of life. Ensure you approach issues calmly and do your best to ease tensions.
Food Waste Management and Sustainability
Learning the ins and outs of waste management is vital in restaurants, while it may not always be top of mind, making sustainability a priority will be worth it in the long run.
Separate Organic Waste, Recyclables, and Trash Correctly
While this will vary based on where you live, many areas now have clearly distinguished trash, recyclable, and compost bins available for restaurants. When using them, be sure to properly separate compostables and recyclables from trash!
Use FIFO (First In, First Out) for Inventory Management
This concept is incredibly simple, but one that’s vital to a proper kitchen employee system — FIFO. Otherwise known as first in, first out, FIFO is the practice of using the oldest product first. This is why we rotate stock after prepping new food, and it’s also why we label and date things!
Repurpose Leftovers When Possible to Reduce Waste
If you find that you’re regularly throwing out meat or veggies that are prepped for a main menu item, that usually means that you need to get creative. Use scraps and leftover produce to make stocks, specials, and anything else you can think of to reduce food waste — it really does make a difference.
Equipment Use and Maintenance
Now it’s time to talk about maintenance and proper use of equipment.
Use Kitchen Equipment Only for Its Intended Purpose
Most tools in kitchens have a clearly defined use. Knives are for cutting things, can openers are for opening cans, the deli slicer is for slicing cooked meat. But no matter how clear you think each item’s intended use is, it’s common to find it being misused. Knives used to open cans, deli slicers used to prep raw meat, and can openers being used as meat tenderizers… Put simply, things can be misused.
By ensuring your staff knows how to properly use each tool in the kitchen and to how to maintain it, you’ll get a longer lifespan out of the tool. In short, take care of your equipment.
Clean and Maintain Equipment Daily to Prevent Malfunctions
A great habit to get into is keeping logs on all of your major equipment. Monitor temperatures in refrigerators and freezers, check gas lines for fryers and ovens, and regularly check your ventilation system. Beyond checklists, though, it’s important to keep things clean. Regular check-ins and cleaning can ensure that your equipment lasts longer and breaks down less — which is precisely what we want.
Report Broken or Malfunctioning Equipment Immediately
Keeping logs on all of your major equipment ensures that dead or dying refrigeration, ventilation, gas lines, or leaks don't get missed and cause more damage. Train your staff to immediately report any damages to management.
Compliance with Legal and Industry Standards
Industry standards exist due to legal restrictions, and for good reason. They ensure that restaurants are safe and healthy, so let’s cover a few to keep in mind going forward.
Adhere to Local Health and Safety Codes at All Times
While local health and safety codes will vary from area to area, there are basics that don’t change. Wash your hands between dishes and various foods, use gloves and hairnets, and follow proper sanitation guidelines. Most areas will require that your cleaning solution be changed out every four hours or so, for example. In short, know the rules and follow them to the letter.
Complete Required Training and Certifications Promptly
Most areas require that anyone in food service acquire a food handlers card along with, occasionally, a liquor/bartending license and keep them on-hand.
Participate in Regular Inspections and Compliance Checks
You should have your restaurant regularly inspected by your local health inspector, fire marshall, and liquor board (if you sell alcohol).
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