{"id":9243,"date":"2023-12-04T19:18:02","date_gmt":"2023-12-04T12:18:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=9243"},"modified":"2023-12-04T19:18:02","modified_gmt":"2023-12-04T12:18:02","slug":"3-restaurant-cleanliness-red-flags-to-avoid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=9243","title":{"rendered":"3 Restaurant Cleanliness Red Flags To Avoid"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">T<\/span>hey say first impressions are everything\u2014which might be the reason why one negative experience at a restaurant can quickly turn into the first and last time you ever go back there again. <em>Maybe it was the roach scurrying past your feet? Or, perhaps the dirty silverware?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In truth, running a safe and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/restaurant-etiquette\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/restaurant-etiquette\/\">smooth restaurant operation<\/a> is no small feat\u2014and, yes, life happens. But what should you <em>really<\/em> be looking for in a restaurant when it comes to cleanliness to ultimately determine whether or not it\u2019s up to health standards? We caught up with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ice.edu\/about\/faculty-profiles\/rick-camac\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.ice.edu\/about\/faculty-profiles\/rick-camac\">Rick Camac<\/a>, the director of industry relations at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ice.edu\/campus-programs\/restaurant-culinary-management\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.ice.edu\/campus-programs\/restaurant-culinary-management\">Institute of Culinary Education<\/a> (and a restaurant industry expert with over 20 years of experience) to learn more about the red and green flags he looks out for when dining in a new establishment.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What should you look for when dining at a new restaurant?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Over the last two decades, Camac has had a fruitful career in the hospitality industry. Between assisting in the opening of 12 restaurants in the U.S. and abroad to owning two of his own for over 10 years in New York City, it\u2019s safe to say that this industry veteran knows a thing or two about how to successful, safely, <em>and<\/em> sanitarily run a restaurant.<\/p>\n<p>But having worked so closely to the biz can also be a curse: Camac virtually can\u2019t go to a restaurant without at least subconsciously taking note of how the operation is being run. Indeed, some things can fall under-the-radar, but here are a few restaurant cleanliness red flags that warrant an immediate no in Camac\u2019s purview.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline pr-6 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/restaurant-red-flags\/\" current-title=\"\u2018I\u2019ve Been in the Restaurant Industry for 23 Years\u2014These are the Biggest Cleanliness Red Flags To Look For When Walking Into a Restaurant\u2019\" current-image=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/restaurant-red-flags-425x285_418x278_true_70.webp\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2023-06-04\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/restaurant-red-flags\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/restaurant-red-flags\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/restaurant-red-flags\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><strong>3 restaurant cleanliness red flags, according to an industry expert<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3>1. Hats and gloves aren\u2019t worn in the kitchen at all times<\/h3>\n<p>At the top of Camac\u2019s list of cleanliness red flags is noticing that hats and disposable gloves <em>aren\u2019t<\/em> being worn in the kitchen at all times by those handling the food. These kitchen essentials act as a barrier between ready-to-eat food and bare skin or hair contact which can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantbusinessonline.com\/advice-guy\/when-should-kitchen-staff-wear-gloves\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantbusinessonline.com\/advice-guy\/when-should-kitchen-staff-wear-gloves\">easily contaminate food<\/a>. What\u2019s more, gloves help <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/five-second-rule\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/five-second-rule\/\">prevent cross-contamination<\/a> and the spread of foodborne illnesses.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Bathrooms are not clean and neat<\/h3>\n<p>Walking into a dirty restroom can easily put a damper on your dining experience. What\u2019s more, Camac says that cleanliness in the \u201cfront of the house,\u201d aka the customer-facing side of a restaurant, is just as important as the \u201cback of the house,\u201d aka the kitchen. In fact, he notes that one often is a reflection of the other. In other words, a dirty bathroom usually equates to a dirty kitchen. <em>Big sigh.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cA sure sign that your kitchen is dirty and in disarray is if you see similar signs in the front of the house or bathroom. I will not return to a venue that has a dirty bathroom. It should be maintained often in a busy venue,\u201d Camac says.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cA sure sign that your kitchen is dirty and in disarray is if you see similar signs in the front of the house or bathroom. I will not return to a venue that has a dirty bathroom.&#8221;<br \/>\u2014Rick Camac, director of industry relations at the Institute of Culinary Education<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>3. Server, runner, and busser\u2019s uniforms are not neat and well-maintained<\/h3>\n<p>According to Camac, restaurant employees should also maintain a high level of personal cleanliness due to the obvious fact that they have direct contact with what you\u2019ll be eating. As such, uniforms should be clean and staff members should be washing their hands repeatedly throughout the day. Any effort to avoid the spread of germs or contamination of food when in close proximity to it is critical in Camac\u2019s book. If that\u2019s not the case, it\u2019s a no-go for him.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>3 restaurant cleanliness green flags<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3>1. Neat, clean, and sanitized work areas<\/h3>\n<p>This may sound obvious, but Camac\u2019s number one cleanliness rule is, well, staying consistently clean. \u201cClean and sanitize work stations and utensils after each task or periodically\u2014no less than two to three times per day,\u201d he says. (Otherwise known in the industry as \u201ccleaning as you go.\u201d) He also recommends doing a deep-clean of a kitchen at least once per month.<\/p>\n<p>That said, a restaurant kitchen isn\u2019t the only kitchen that should be kept pristinely cleaned. Camac also recommends <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/clean-your-kitchen-bounty\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/clean-your-kitchen-bounty\/\">holding your <em>own<\/em> kitchen to the same standards<\/a> you\u2019d expect from a restaurant. To do so, he recommends using a clean cutting board and using a separate one for handling raw foods. He also says it\u2019s important to clean the cutting board when switching between ingredients and using clean dish rags during each cooking session\u2014all of which are simple steps to ensure your kitchen stays germ-free.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Camac says it\u2019s important to ensure menus are clean, well-maintained, and are consistently up-to-date with what\u2019s being served, as they serve as a reflection and representation of the care a restaurant staff is putting into what they serve.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>2. Clean, well-maintained, and up-to-date menus<\/h3>\n<p>Menus tend to get a lot of exposure and hands-on time. That\u2019s to say, lots of folks will handle and flip through them in a day. As such, Camac says it\u2019s important to pay attention to these small details and ensure menus are clean, well-maintained, and are consistently up-to-date with what\u2019s being served, as they serve as a reflection and representation of the care a restaurant staff is putting into what they serve.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Clean flatware, dishes, and glasses<\/h3>\n<p>Lipstick-stained glassware and flatware with leftover food remnants can be a quick giveaway when it comes to restaurant cleanliness. So, the next time you\u2019re at a restaurant, it may behoove you to take a peek at how clean your eating tools are before digging right into your meal. The cleaner they are, the cleaner the back of the house is likely to be.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>They say first impressions are everything\u2014which might be the reason why one negative experience at a restaurant can quickly turn into the first and last time you ever go back there again. Maybe it was the roach scurrying past your feet? Or, perhaps the dirty silverware?\u00a0 In truth, running a safe and smooth restaurant operation &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":9244,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9243","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9243","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9243"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9243\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9244"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9243"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9243"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9243"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}