Keeping pesky pests out of your restaurant

By Brandon Thorsell As restaurants maintain safety standards and practices by checking temperatures, cleaning up spills, and sanitizing stations, there may be weak spots in your building that allow pests to enter and nest as they look for accessible food sources. Without a grasp on how and why these animals enter your commercial kitchen, you […]

4 reasons to consider electric detection technology for kitchen fire protection

By Adam Walker Whether a result of the global pandemic, supply chain shortages, inflation, or simply competitive pressures, restaurants are facing challenges never before seen in the industry. Many owners and operators have been forced to change how their businesses are run and to look for new efficiencies to stay afloat. One area that is […]

5 tips for reopening your restaurant in 2022

By Megan Prevost Over the past two years, sustaining a profitable restaurant has proven difficult. Even some of the best, well-off local shops closed because of the changes in the restaurant industry. With coronavirus restrictions lifting and more people going out to eat, 2022 might be the perfect time for reopening your restaurant.  Many business […]

Testing high-touch surfaces in grocery stores for COVID-19

By Maleeka Singh, Lawrence Goodridge, Maria G. Corradini, Robert Hanner, and Steven Newmaster As the COVID-19 pandemic wears on, and the virus continues to circulate, the transmission risks of everyday interactions may become an ongoing concern. A recent study at the University of Guelph looked at the risk of COVID-19 exposure from high-touch surfaces within […]

New handbook proposes designs for safe outdoor dining

Researchers at Carleton University’s Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism have developed a design handbook that proposes new ways to enjoy safe outdoor dining in Ottawa during and after pandemic restrictions. Titled Dinner in the Street: Dining Safely and Socially in the Pandemic City and Beyond, the project aims to help the restaurant industry and enhance public life […]

Restaurant cleaning for post-pandemic challenges

As the world continues to re-emerge from COVID-19 restrictions, operators must be sure to prepare for the increase in foot traffic and restaurant cleaning expectations while also addressing hiring challenges. In particular, the increased hygiene and safety demands of consumers in the pandemic age mean more focus than ever before must be placed on maintaining […]

ORHMA offering COVID-19 safety webinar

The Ontario Restaurant, Hotel, and Motel Association (ORHMA) is offering a free COVID-19 safety webinar to foodservice and hospitality operators. As the industry continues to reopen back up for the summer and Ontario becomes the final province to relaunch indoor dining, doing so in a safe and controlled manner will be vital. Staying in compliance […]

Three steps to avoiding washroom pests

Washroom pests should be the last thing on your guests’ minds. That’s only possible if pest management remains a focus. By Alice Sinia Washroom care is critical to creating a favourable impression. Patrons expect facilities to be in sanitary and working order, which means routine vigilance must be taken in these delicate areas. Hopefully, washroom […]

Assessing pandemic workplace safety within foodservice

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a variety of new workplace safety challenges in foodservice, and they just keep coming with the spread of new, more transmissible variants of the virus. The Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (MLTSD) has reached out to the Ontario Restaurant, Hotel, and Motel Association (ORHMA) to ask for help […]