Health code regulations and standards can vary from state to state, but regardless of where your bar or foodservice operation is located, health code violations can be catastrophic to your establishment. Bars and restaurants that continue to violate inspections can lose business, get a bad reputation, or even be shut down for extended periods of time.
There are many checklists that bars, restaurants, and nightclubs can use to help them pass health inspections. The best preparation, though, is to have and maintain the proper equipment in your bar. Let's take a look at two of the most common issues that health inspectors look for when inspecting a bar, as well as how they can be resolved with one section of the Tobin Ellis Signature Cocktail Station.
FRONT BAR GLASS RINSERS
The more bartenders and mixologists incorporate fresh herbs into drinks like mojitos, caipirinhas, and juleps, the more bar owners are retrofitting their drink and peanut rails with makeshift, high-pressure glass rinsers. The reason is cocktails that combine leafy herbs and simple syrups tend to make shakers and glasses a nightmare to clean. Bartenders are getting sick of digging out mint or basil with their hands, so they're starting to convert beer glass rinsers into high-pressure glass rinsers to clean their shakers.
The problem is these retrofitted rinsers are not being consistently installed. Many are outside of health or building codes, and as a result, makeshift glass rinsers are the number one, hot button issue that health inspectors are looking for in bars across the United States. And what are they doing when they find them? They're ripping them out.
TOOL CADDIES
As bartenders use more and more pieces of equipment in drinks that are becoming more and more complex, best practices must be followed to make sure the work space is sanitary and in compliance with codes and regulations. Some bars might use large beakers of water on the bar top where spoons and stirrers can be placed. The problem is the water becomes dirty and mucky, which can decrease cocktail quality and make inspectors mad.
Another problem with these makeshift "cleaning" jars is they are typically all the same depth. If you have a short spoon or utensil, it will likely sink to the bottom requiring bartenders to dig it out during the middle of a busy rush. This is neither sanitary nor efficient.
HOW THE TOBIN ELLIS SIGNATURE COCKTAIL STATION FIXES BOTH
The Tobin Ellis Signature Cocktail Station was designed by a bartender for bartenders. This "bartender's cockpit" comes standard with a pre sink and tool caddy combo, which sits to the far right of the station. It contains a health-code compliant tool caddy. The caddy is segmented at varying depths so all equipment and bar utensils are easily and quickly accessible, and it is drained with constantly circulating water. Each tool is exactly where you need it, and it's clean every time.
The section also contains a high-pressure glass rinser, which is integrated right into the unit. Unlike makeshift varieties built into drink rails, it is NSF-approved. Bartenders will not be disappointed with this inspector-friendly addition.
Learn more about the Tobin Ellis Signature Cocktail Station
This cutting edge piece of equipment does much more than just help a bar operator pass health inspections. It was designed to facilitate one-step bartending methodologies that will increase efficiencies, the quality of the product, and the overall experience of the guest. Basically, it was designed to help bar owners and foodservice operators – and the people they hire – make more money.
See the Bartender's Dream come to life with Tobin Ellis Signature Cocktail Station today!
