Whether you’re managing a small establishment or a large business organization, logistics and proper storage of resources are important to achieve better operations. This is especially true for dine-in restaurants and traditional retail stores that rely on face-to-face interactions with customers.
But to ensure that customers will have the best experience and service in the establishment, the organization will need to ensure that their products are in good condition. In contrast, services are quick on their feet in catering to the needs of customers. This is why storage spaces are integral for many food establishments and businesses. Not only will food storage spaces help extend the shelf life of many perishable products and resources, but this can also improve the logistics of many businesses.
Fortunately, there have been many technological innovations in the past few years that have streamlined.In the past year, many establishments have been dealing with the public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of health and safety precautions that businesses will need to abide by, many industries are forced to make changes towards their daily operations. For many food establishments, the pandemic has given them extra time to organize their inventory and optimize their food storage area for better logistics.
So what are some essential ways of improving your business’s storage area? Here’s what you need to know:
Controlling The Temperature, Moisture, and Lightning
Some of the most important aspects and major influencers for food storage are temperature and moisture. If you’re planning on investing in equipment for your storage space, these factors should be your basis in controlling the room’s atmosphere. Here’s what you’ll need to know.
Temperature
When it comes to decreasing the likelihood and risk of food spoilage, the temperature will play an integral role in storage. Ideally, you’ll want your storeroom designated for dry goods to have a temperature of around 10 degrees celsius to around 21 degrees celsius since these temperatures are just right enough to preserve and extend the shelf life of products.
In general, the hotter the storage space is, the faster it’s going to spoil, especially when it comes to canned goods. Most experts would suggest keeping a thermometer since this can help you monitor the goods.
It’s important to keep in mind that food establishments and stores should use commercial refrigeration equipment to keep produce and perishable goods in pristine condition. Fortunately, some companies are known for selling reciprocating compressor refrigeration equipment that can provide sufficient horsepower for a highly efficient cooling system. Not only does this help with extending the shelf life of many products, but the reliability and durability of this equipment mean that you’ll only require little to no maintenance.
Moisture
Another major factor that you’ll need to consider is moisture. The amount of humidity suspended in the air can create conditions where molds and bacteria can easily proliferate. These biological growths can often lead to many ingredients and goods spoiling while causing health problems. Since these can be harmful to your body, you should consider keeping the moisture levels of your storage room under control through dehumidifying systems.
First One In, Last One Out
Another important aspect to consider when it comes to food storage is reducing food waste. This is especially important for many businesses since food waste can have a significant impact on inventory. It goes without saying that ingredients will always be an important part of a restaurant’s inventory. Using these ingredients and perishable goods right before it expires is known for being one of the more challenging aspects of the kitchen.
When it comes to effective inventory management, the general rule of thumb is that goods that have a shorter shelf life than those that have longer ones should be readily available in the storage room. To ensure that these ingredients don’t go bad, you’ll need to arrange your food with the first in and first out rule in mind. This means that every time you get fresh ingredients and supplies, you’ll need to place them right behind older items that are still fresh for use.
In addition to this, employees should be instructed to pick up the older stock in the room since it’s known for being readily accessible in this situation. That said, this can help reduce food being wasted due to spoilage. Although this might be tedious at first glance, this is a good way of cutting down on your monthly costs.
Training Your Employees
Last but not least, one of the best ways of keeping your storage room in order is by giving your employees the necessary skills that they need to manage the inventory effectively. For many food establishments and restaurants, this is especially useful when cooking up dishes since many untrained employees will use up too much of the recommended resources for food products.
If this is the case, training employees in terms of cooking, managing the storage area, and delivering goods will increase customer satisfaction and experience and help reduce the number of materials used for daily operations.
There are a variety of ways in improving your business’s food storage area. Although it might seem like a trivial matter at first glance, improving this aspect of your business is one of the best ways of cutting down on maintenance costs, buying perishable foods and materials, and can help with the logistics of your organization. When hundreds of businesses are looking for an advantage over their competitors, having a highly functional food storage room is one of the best ways of getting an edge over other establishments.
