Best Practices
Make a Statement: The Importance of Clean and Inviting Restrooms
Few things can turn off your guests as quickly or as permanently as a disgusting bathroom. On the other hand, clean, attractive, and even entertaining restrooms can make a strong statement about an establishment's personality and commitment to quality customer service.
A survey of 2,175 adults by Harris Interactive found that 88 percent of restaurant patrons say that restroom cleanliness reflects a restaurant's overall hygiene, including sanitary standards in the kitchen and prep areas. Here are some pointers to help you ensure your restroom reflects the quality of your concept.
Men’s restrooms should be clean and functional, while special touches in women’s restrooms can enhance the guest experience. Clean and functional, at the very least, means a pleasant smell, or no smell at all; a lack of debris/stains on the floor; and a well-stocked supply of toilet paper, hand towels, and hand soap. As noted by one operator who remodeled their concept’s ladies' room, “We went and got some nice artwork for it. We tried to give it a more comfortable, subdued, home-type feel to it. We place fresh flowers in the ladies’ room all the time."
Another pleasant touch is soft hand towels for hand drying. "We also have the air-blow machine for sanitary reasons. In case somebody feels that's a better way for them to go they have that option. We put a little hand cream in there for the ladies, so it has a very nice feminine feel when they go in there."
Every time I go into a vinyl-floored bathroom I feel I'm in a hospital, care home, or weird institution. Or a really cheap hostel somewhere.
– George Clarke
Make the restroom part of the guest experience. As an example, Stephani Robson, Ph.D., lecturer emeritus at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration points to her experience at a unit of Stan Romano's Macaroni Grill concept. "When you go into the restroom there is an audio of Italian lessons, and there are flowers in there. That organization has tried to make the restroom an extension of the dining experience, and I don't mean that in an elementary way. What that says to the guests is that ‘you are paying attention.’”
A common mistake restaurant operators make is using the same cleaning materials for both the toilet and other parts of the restroom. The result is spreading the dirty aspects of the toilet to other areas of the restroom." To avoid the potential for cross-contamination, many operators use color-coded tools. Operators can pick one color tool for the restroom and a different color for the kitchen, front of house, and outside. The risk of cross-contaminating other areas of the restroom or the restaurant is eliminated, and the restrooms are ultimately much cleaner and safer for the guests.
Restrooms account for an average of 35% of the water use in restaurants, according to the Green Restaurant Association.Make your accountant happy as well as your guests. A leaky toilet can waste up to 200 gallons per day. GRA recommends standard maintenance to ensure leaks don't occur. Faucets that use as much as 2.5 gallons per minute can be replaced with newer models that use only 1.5. In most cases, low-volume faucet aerators can be installed when the entire faucet does not need replacing.
Looking for more tips and best practices to make your restaurant operation a true stand out? Check out our front of house training video The Importance of a Clean Restroom and download our Restroom Cleaning Checklist to make your restaurant's restroom a priority.
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Training Video
The Importance of a Clean Restroom
Maintaining a clean restroom is crucial for a positive dining experience at your restaurant. Beyond just hygiene, it directly impacts customer satisfaction and perception. Guests will often judge a restaurant's standards by the cleanliness of its restroom, which will affect their confidence and how ...
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Download
Cleaning Checklist (Restrooms)
Dirty restrooms are one of the main reasons customers don't return to restaurants. To maintain consistently clean and odor-free restrooms you need a documented system with an inspection log and checklists so you know that what needs to be done, gets done every time it should.
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Article
Restaurant Cleanup Checklist
In the restaurant business, cleanliness, or lack thereof, can mean the difference between success and failure. This often overlooked aspect has a profound effect on guest perception. Properly implemented checklists can produce positive guest opinions.
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Article
Using Bathrooms as a Design Feature in Your Restaurant
Restaurant restrooms are increasingly reviewed and talked about almost as much as the food. It's not enough anymore just being clean; see the latest in bathroom design features to stand out and dazzle your customers.
