Though all restaurants face repair and maintenance (R&M) woes, few foodservice operations do much preparation to mitigate maintenance issues. Yet despite being one of the toughest work environments—particularly for kitchens—the International Facility Management Association reports the hospitality and restaurant industry has the lowest spend on maintenance per square foot of twelve industries, including retail, health care, banking, insurance, utilities, transportation, and more.
The National Restaurant Association reports only 1.5 percent of restaurant budgets are allocated to R&M. However, in many ways, restaurants have more to lose than other sectors when faced with equipment downtime and unusable facilities. Failing to conduct preventative R&M tasks can create significant costs for brands financially, operationally, and reputationally.
It comes at no surprise to restaurant leaders that diners want clean, comfortable dining rooms, drive thrus, and restrooms, yet allowing maintenance issues to compound can lead to an unpleasant—and even off-putting—environment for guests. Similarly, failing to maintain facilities can create an uncomfortable working environment for crew members, leading to increased turnover in the most challenging labor market the foodservice industry has ever seen.
Facilities, however, are not the only risk. Failing to conduct regular preventative maintenance on equipment can be even more damaging to a brand’s budget and reputation. When equipment downtime means a restaurant is unable to serve menu items, this can lead to lost sales both in the moment and later, when that downtime causes bad reviews and faltering guest loyalty.
Additionally, if a core piece of equipment breaks down and restaurants can’t serve the bulk of their menu, or if crucial infrastructure, such as plumbing, electricity, or HVAC, fails, a restaurant might even have to close its doors altogether until repairs are completed.
Restaurants simply cannot afford the risks associated with not having a solid preventative maintenance plan, yet for brands that don’t already have one, creating one from scratch can be time consuming and challenging.
In order to help restaurants build out their own preventative plans and take control of R&M, the editorial staff of QSR and FSR has created an in-depth report on the state of facilities management in the foodservice industry, The Restaurant Guide to Repairs and Maintenance. Inside, you will find key insights about how much R&M really costs restaurants, key R&M challenges, and ways restaurants can improve preventative maintenance to bolster the bottom line.
Best of all, this report is totally free thanks to the support of 86 Repairs. Download it now to get instant access and start improving your R&M program today.
Download your free copy of The Restaurant Guide to Repairs and Maintenance today.
