It’s holiday season again, which means that kitchens and restaurants are going to be in crazy mode. As the influx of customers begins so does the hectic, crazy situations that will occur in the kitchen and restaurants. Any down time - for whatever reason - could be catastrophic. With all the chaos you want a smooth running kitchen to ensure all orders are fulfilled quickly and to the best quality, and nothing can ruin the smoothness of a restaurant kitchen than a fire. Here are some quick tips to get you prepped and ready for the holiday season.

• Schedule a hood cleaning with a local certified company before the holiday rush. Regular cleanings will help to get rid of grease and other debris buildups that could put your kitchen at risk for a fire.
• Check grease filters for any buildup, and clean or replace if necessary.
• Ensure you have the proper equipment set up. If you’re cooking with grease then your kitchen should be fitted with a Type 1 Hood System, designed to pull grease and other particles out of the air the prevent buildup and keep the kitchen space clean.
• If you have the time and resources you should look into a fire suppression system. Most kitchens are required by the National Fire Protection Association - NFPA - the be equipped with one, so if you already have one than you can schedule a maintenance to be sure it’s running correctly.
• Keep your kitchen space clean! Review with your kitchen staff the cleaning schedule and make sure they stick to it. A clean kitchen is a safe kitchen!
• Make sure you have a Class K Fire Extinguisher on the ready. Class K are designed specifically for kitchen fires and for putting out high temperature fires such as grease fires.

Review the notes above with your kitchen staff, and be sure to review any safety protocols that are in place before the holiday madness begins. Preparing before the holidays helps to ensure that your kitchen space will run smoothly and the restaurant customers will be happy, and that’s all that you could ask for. Good luck this holiday season with all of your restaurant endeavors!

HoodMart provides our customers with a wide range of exhaust hood systems - from Compensating (Short Cycle) to Perforated Supply Plenum PSP - as well as all exhaust hood accessories such as no weld Grease Duct, hood filters, canopy hood lights, and curbs. If you still have questions regarding the purchase of your hood system, please feel free to contact one of our experts today by calling us at 1.800.715.1014 or by contacting us through our live chat system.