From our partners at the National Restaurant Association
The secret to managing food safety across multiple sites
For week three of National Food Safety Month, we explore how restaurant managers overseeing multiple locations can standardize food safety across the entire workforce. Multi-unit managers must be able to manage day-to-day logistics, provide guidance for team leaders, and handle problems as they arise. Additionally, restaurant managers are responsible for promoting and maintaining safe food handling practices among all employees. So, how can multi-unit managers juggle these responsibilities and lead their teams to food safety success? By systemizing food safety management.
The Role of Multi-Unit Restaurant Managers in Food Safety
Multi-unit managers have many roles to fulfill. The most important one is keeping customers safe. Food safety must be at the forefront of every decision multi-unit restaurant managers make. This includes systemizing food safety management for consistency across all locations, keeping up to date on local regulations, and making sure every team member feels empowered by food safety knowledge.
Strengthening Your Food Safety Management System
Chances are, as a restaurant manager you already follow some sort of Food Safety Management System (FSMS). But how can you be sure your efforts to promote food safety are enough?
When workplace practices are rooted in strong, research backed policies and procedures, foodborne illness risk factors are significantly reduced, customer satisfaction is increased, and employees are more empowered to make smart food safety decisions.
A strong FSMS is rooted in active managerial control (AMC) principles. You can implement these principles into your restaurant operations through:
- Training programs
- Standardized procedures
- Measures to gauge success
Learn more about strengthening your FSMS and leading your workforce to success in our eBook: Developing a Culture of Food Safety – Restaurant Manager’s Edition.
Know Your Local Regulations
Knowing the rules and regulations of your jurisdictional area is critical for staying on top of ever-changing retail food safety requirements. You should be familiar with your state food code and make sure you keep abreast of changes or updates. Use this map created by the National Association of County Health Officials to find your local department.
As you’re probably aware, different areas in the US have varying requirements for food safety certification and training for restaurant employees. The ServSafe Regulatory Map is an interactive, up-to-date map that allows you to see your employee food safety training requirements. Visit the link below to view the Food Safety Management and Food Handling requirements specific to your operating jurisdiction now.
See national regulator map here.
Empower Your Team
Developing a culture of food safety throughout your operations starts with empowering employees. Employees who are informed of food safety best practices and have access to valuable information are more likely to develop winning habits.
ServSafe Ops is a restaurant operations management platform that drives operational efficiency through task verification, access to information, ongoing training, issue identification, employee engagement, and more. With customizable checklists and reporting, ServSafe Ops provides verification of tasks completed and acts as both a measure of employee performance and a method for engagement with your brand.