Writing as an experienced hotel manager and previous owner of a hotel, I want to remind my peers out there, especially those working out of older hotels (buildings from the 20th century or older) to double check that their drains are unclogged and that their drainage systems are working properly before the winter of 2023 hits the northern hemisphere. Why do I say this? I say this because one of the buildings I used to manage, a historical hotel in Western Canada originally built in the 1940s, has succumbed to severe basement flooding after rainfall swamped the yard in mid-September.
The summer of 2023 has a been a dry one for Western Canada, with forest fires raging in British Columbia and parts of Alberta. So, with this dry summer still fresh in the backs of our minds, it can be easy to forget that dry summers are usually followed with harsh winters, and just a few years ago British Columbia was faced with harsh floods in November, 2021, and the same thing could easily happen again in 2023.
When the drains in your hotel parking lots and indeed the drainage systems under your buildings which protect against flooding get clogged by years of neglect, all it takes is one sever cloudburst and you’ll wish you got your drains inspected earlier. Trust me, a drain inspection which may result in some maintenance costs is much more affordable to get now than basement water damage restoration after the fact. And a large part of me says this because old buildings are my passion and it’s always a shame to see such beloved historical sites succumb to water damage.
If I’m getting through to you and you want to consider getting your drains inspected, the process is simple. All you have to do is look for a well-reviewed drainage company near you. For example, this Victoria drainage company has done wonders for many friends of mine around Vancouver Island. But no matter where you live in the northern hemisphere there’s bound to be a reputable company of drain experts near you.
All the best to managers and owners of old hotels out there! May the winter of 2023 be kind to us all.
A lot of us have more free time than we might want, especially those of us with empty restaurants to manage and operate. But, here’s another tip and piece of advice for us business owners in the restaurant industry to stay one step ahead of all the others who decide to waste this precious time. If you haven’t already innovated in the regard of offering take-out and food delivery like many restaurants I know have done, you can use this idle time to upgrade and repair your appliances.
How much time would your kitchen save if all your appliances were of the latest technology?
Now, I know what many of you will say right off the bat: “How can I afford to repair and replace my commercial appliances if I can’t even afford to keep my staff employed?” And, the truth is, I can’t answer that for you because government funding and loan services are different from state to state and province to province. I’m hoping this post will be a resource for restaurant owners for many years after the pandemic is over, because in a bit I’ll be talking about the importance of upgrading and repairing your appliances when it comes to beating the competition and staying ahead of the times.
If do, however, have a previous post where I go more into depth about how a restaurant can deal with this pandemic more easily. Now, let’s shift to our main topic.
Preparing for Post-Pandemic Restaurant Business Success by Fixing & Upgrading Appliances
When business is back to normal, there’s no doubt that the restaurants who have used their time wisely during the lock-down will have a major advantage in the economy. Whether you’ve been planning a marketing campaign, have upgraded your tables and chairs, etc, you will attract more customers than the older restaurants who refuse to move with the times. And, so, if you’re expecting a flood of business after restaurants reopen because you planned wisely and carefully, then you must make sure the equipment you have in your kitchen is working in optimal condition and can handle the rush and abuse that a busy restaurant requires. After all, life isn’t an epic fantasy adventure, even though a serial killer might say it is. This is reality, and if you’re stuck using old appliances from the 1980s when young adults are entering the business and drubbing the competition because they have the latest industrial dishwasher that can wash every dish in their inventory in less than 20 minutes while you have to pay someone hourly to wash 20 dishes every ten minutes then sorry but you deserve to lose. Unless, of course, your food is better!
How optimized is your restaurant kitchen?
To help explain the importance of having the latest appliances and how this will give you a significant advantage in the kitchen, let’s take a look at a domestic kitchen in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. There, I know someone who, for their whole life, had washed dishes by hand. The sad part was that they had a dishwasher in their inherited house the whole time; they just never bothered to repair it. Well, after I berated them over the phone some years ago, they finally got around to calling Appliance Repair Windsor and everything in their life changed. Just like how a restaurant would be able to operate much moire efficiently if they had a sophisticated dish washing machine, my friend in Windsor found himself with much more free time. Not only is he less sparing in the kitchen when it comes to cooking meals because he knows a machine will clean all this dishes for him, he uses all the free time that comes from not having to clean dishes by hand to do other things like take the dog out for a walk or check emails. Life for him has improved noticeably just from repairing one appliance and I know this effect will work wonders in your restaurant if you do the same.
So, if you have an oven that doesn’t heat up fast enough, a freezer that has a warm spot, a fridge that leaks water on the floor or simply an outdated appliance that’s wasting precious time for your busy kitchen, then seriously consider spending this precious time to handle the situation because the benefits will give you that special edge once the economy is on the rise.
And, there’s no doubt about it, the restaurant industry will be on the rise after the pandemic is over because so many people are sick of staying home. Just think of it. Now’s the time to innovate. Success is yours, and upgrading your appliances is just one way to get there.
Even small hotels should have their own laundry room. After all, even Bates Motel did their own laundry. I only say this because I know a lot of hotels, motels and inns that pay for mobile laundry services and they could save a lot of time by installing some commercial laundry machines.
Washing all the bedding that a hotel goes through on a daily basis means lots of work. Hiring a staff member that cleans rooms could also do laundry. Even hiring someone who just does laundry is cheaper than hiring pick up and drop off laundry services.
I recommend that if you choose to install a laundry room that you make a good relationship with a local appliance repair company. This is something you should do even if you don’t have your own autonomous laundry system because all the mini fridges and other appliances in your hotel might break down and you want to get it repaired as soon as possible for the sake of your guests. Nothing ruins a hotel’s reputation and gives you bad reviews faster than having a broken ice machine!
So take this advice and use it well. I wish you the best of luck with your hotel business success! Don’t forget to stay tuned and bookmark http://hotel-restaurant-tilleuls.com/ because we have a lot more content on the way!
