WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON CAUSES OF CATERING EQUIPMENT FAILURE?

Basic equipment for a catering establishment is expensive, and the number of machines and equipment in good restaurants can be considerable. Wherever a varied menu is served, machines for thermal processing, chopping, cooling or specialized equipment such as a grill or pizza oven are essential.

The failure of one such piece of equipment does not have the same consequences as the failure of an oven in a pizzeria or an espresso machine in a coffee shop. Despite this, any downtime generates unnecessary costs and causes customers to lose confidence in the establishment.

Breakdowns of catering equipment are a normal occurrence. They result from the normal wear and tear of machinery due to intensive use. Many such failures can be avoided with slightly different handling. Reasons for man-made failures include the following:

• Improper use of equipment, resulting from lack of responsibility, haste, willingness to take shortcuts,
• Lack of staff training in the use of specialized equipment,
• Use of improper cleaning products,
• Skipping mandatory maintenance and inspections,
• Downplaying minor defects.

The failure of a single piece of equipment in a restaurant kitchen or catering company can contribute to serious financial losses.

Many catering business owners find it necessary to invest in new, often very expensive equipment. Usually in such situations there is a drop in turnover, as some customers come to the establishment for specific dishes. They are also discouraged by the reduced standard of service, especially the longer wait for a meal.

DOES FAILURE MEAN REPLACEMENT WITH A NEW ONE?

Although the failure of a stove or dishwasher is associated with the need to purchase a new appliance, in reality this is not the only option. Companies such as SPERTO offer catering service, which includes both periodic maintenance and repair of defects. Therefore, before looking for a distributor of catering machinery, a business owner should contact the service.

Of course, not every repair is feasible, but it is always a good idea to start with diagnostics. After all, it may turn out that replacing a single part or section of the electrical system is enough to restore efficiency.

SPERTO catering service has access to original spare parts from Convotherm, Welbilt, Rational, Meiko and other brands. Thanks to them, the repair of catering equipment is fast, and its performance is the same as before the breakdown.

HOW TO PREVENT FAILURES?

Although it is possible to rectify the failure of a catering machine and there is not always a need to buy new equipment, it is worth trying to ensure that there are as few such failures as possible.

To this end, the equipment must be taken care of, proceeding in such a way as to eliminate the circumstances mentioned earlier. In practice, this means mandatory training of every new employee in the use of the equipment in the kitchen. Veterans must also be trained if they are given new equipment.

Preventing malfunctions also involves using machinery according to its intended use. The most common mistake is to use the equipment for longer than the allowed time or to process larger portions than the manufacturer’s instructions allow. Such situations result in overheated motors, broken blades or other serious malfunctions.

It is also necessary to take care of the cleanliness of the equipment with the use of appropriate preparations (available, among others, in the SPERTO offer) and regular servicing and maintenance.