Anyone who has ever owned a restaurant can tell you that it is one of the most stressful jobs out there. Not only is being a restaurant owner time-consuming, but it is also incredibly expensive to maintain. Whether you’re buying new food, ordering new plates and silverware, or hiring staff, there is never a moment to relax when running a restaurant.
Pests are something that every restaurant owner will have to deal with at some point. Whenever you’re serving food or drinks, pests are bound to make their way in one way or another. However, it becomes an issue when the odd pest here and there turns into a full-blown infestation, compromising the health and safety of your customers and staff.
At The Pest Rangers, our pest control quality inspectors help guide restaurant owners on the latest practices developed under the Food Safety Modernization Act. Using the highest standards of cleanliness and general pest prevention, we can keep your kitchen and your commercial space free from harmful pests.
If you’re a restaurant owner currently dealing with a pest infestation or simply wondering how to prevent one from forming, here is everything you need to know about restaurant pest control.
What Is Restaurant Pest Control?
Restaurant pest control is the practice of treating and preventing pest infestations in restaurants.
Quality restaurant pest control will identify your restaurant’s vulnerabilities and the types of pests that are more likely to enter your building, while also creating a unique plan of action to target and prevent these pests in your kitchen.
Common Pests in Restaurants
It’s no secret that restaurants, in particular, hold the three key things all pests need to thrive in abundance: food, shelter, and water.
Therefore, you may come across many pests lingering outside of restaurants, near dumpsters, and in other areas where food waste is present. However, it’s once they come inside that they become a problem. Here are a few types of pests that are more commonly found in restaurants:
- Cockroaches
- Rodents
- Ants
- Flies
- Spiders
If you spot any of these pests lingering inside your kitchen–especially in excess–then it’s time to call a pest control company.
5 Harmful Consequences of Pests for Restaurants
Unfortunately, the consequences of a pest infestation are felt even more acutely by restaurant owners who rely on their reputation for their business.
Some of the consequences of pest infestation inside your restaurant could lead to:
1. Food Safety Concerns
Due to the number of diseases and bacteria pests like roaches and rodents can carry, having a pest infestation in your restaurant can pose a serious risk to customers and staff who get sick after eating there.
2. Property Damage
Pests like termites and other wood-destroying organisms can damage the physical structure of your restaurant, leading to several code violations. In addition, rodents like rats and squirrels can chew chew materials and damage goods, such as storage containers, physical equipment, wiring, and even food you have stored.
3. Failed Health Inspection Report
The mere sighting of a pest is enough to completely fail a health inspection report and get your restaurant shut down.
4. Damaged Reputation
Having pests in your restaurant can seriously damage your reputation, especially if you receive a negative Google review or word-of-mouth gossip. Your restaurant can quickly become known as an unclean place to eat, which is the last thing you want as a restaurant owner.
5. Expensive Pest Control
Pest control can be expensive, especially if you’re treating a larger, more serious infestation in a restaurant. You can easily end up spending thousands of dollars treating a pest infestation instead of being proactive.
Restaurant Pest Control Solutions
If you are a restaurant owner who is curious about your options for pest control, you have several options.
Preventing pests starts with keeping an impeccably clean interior and kitchen area. Tables should be wiped down after every customer, floors should be regularly swept and mopped, and garbage cans should be emptied and taken outside to the dumpster after every shift. It is also important to ensure that food is being properly stored at the correct temperature and kept on shelves off the floor.
For the outside of your building, you should regularly sweep the sidewalks and clear trash from the parking lot. Having a sealed dumpster far enough away from the building can also prevent pests from entering your restaurant.
However, if you need additional help keeping pests at bay, then we highly recommend working with a pest control company. The Pest Rangers offers preventative commercial pest control plans guaranteed to thwart over a dozen common pests that enter restaurants. For more information, contact us for a quote and see how else we can assist you!
FAQs
What health risks do pests pose in a restaurant?
The presence of pests in a restaurant is extremely dangerous for a number of reasons, the most obvious being that pests are dirty and carry a variety of diseases and bacteria. Pests can compromise the food being served if they come in contact with the ingredients or even the surfaces the food is being prepared on.
How do pests impact a restaurant’s reputation?
Whether a restaurant relies on Google reviews or word-of-mouth referrals, a good reputation is crucial for any restaurant to thrive. Even just one customer seeing a cockroach or rodent in your restaurant can seriously damage your reputation, as it may make other people less likely to want to eat there. Your restaurant may also get written up by the health department and the reports made available to the public can be damaging.
What are the financial consequences of a pest infestation?
Taking care of a pest infestation can be expensive, especially for restaurants. Because cleanliness is so important for establishments that serve food or drinks, there is no room for error. Even the presence of one singular pest or dropping can lead to a bad health inspection report, and you will be forced to spend money to remedy the problem. Additionally, keeping up with future pest prevention can be costly and will vary depending on the severity of the infestation and the size of your restaurant.