Whether a service call is for planned maintenance or an emergency repair, having techs in a kitchen is a fact of life for foodservice operators. But for restaurants with open kitchens, the presence of these techs can be particularly disruptive.

“You obviously don't want anybody to see equipment being worked on while you are serving food,” says Joel Melton, Tech Advisor with Georgia-based SAM Service. “You don't want your customers to have any worries.”

The obvious way to prevent these worries is to schedule service calls for times when customers aren’t in the restaurants. For an operation with some sort of an open kitchen, these calls ideally will take place prior to opening, or during slow periods at least, Melton says.

Every operator, of course, wants preferential scheduling. To help get preferred appointment times, managers of restaurants with open kitchens should build a relationship with their service agency. This includes inking a planned maintenance agreement, but also talking to dispatchers and branch managers person to person, Melton says. These conversations can allow service agents to better understand and accommodate the needs of the operator.

Building a relationship with a service agent can also help prevent mistakes that lead to breakdowns, Melton adds.

For example, cleanliness represents an obvious priority in open kitchens. Some operators, then, hire cleaning crews to give their kitchen a deep cleaning. These crews, however, can make mistakes that damage equipment. A common culprit, Melton says, is the improper use of power washers. These washers get the area sparkling clean, but they also frequently damage electrical components, if the user is not careful.

A service agent, Melton says, can help operators and cleaning companies understand the problem of power washing and identify alternate solutions, such as steam cleaning. “It takes more time and you have to use a bit more elbow grease, but we should get away from pressure washing these really greasy sticky areas.”

Relationships can also help emergency service calls go more smoothly by letting the service agent understand the situation and possible solutions, as well as the operator’s practical requirements during a repair.

If a piece of equipment in a display kitchen is down, for example, the service agent may be able to pull that unit off the line and service it in the back, away from the eyes of customers. This could allow kitchen operations to continue relatively smoothly. Collaboration with the service technician, in fact, could help keep a line operational by using some stopgap measures. One such example could be putting ingredients on ice while the service tech repairs a small reach-in refrigerator in the back of the house.

If operators do want a repair to take place in the back of the house, Melton adds, they should clear a space for the technician to work. This includes giving the tech enough room to move around the equipment and ensuring the tech has access to power outlets. “There are even a few locations I’ve seen where they have a breaker panel and certain outlets [in the back] so you can do some service, but that’s few and far between,” Melton says.

Open kitchens are now found throughout the restaurant industry. They can showcase the cleanliness of an operation and the freshness of its food while also providing a bit of entertainment and energy to a space. Building a relationship with a service agency can help operators make the most of these benefits.