Installing a new Cooler? How to develop a plan of action.
Running a restaurant is full of hidden costs. A restaurant manager knows their business’ labor costs, food costs, etc. But how much money is being spent on the power bill? Is the business losing money from spoiled food because the walk-in cooler isn’t working properly? Here are a couple of ways a faulty unit can hurt a company’s bank account.
Food Spoilage
In a full-service restaurant, around three percent of food spoils in a walk-in cooler. In fast food restaurants, close to ten percent of food ends up going bad. If a unit is running but it’s not maintaining the proper temperature, there will be even higher levels of spoilage. If a kitchen manager isn’t paying close attention, they may never notice the difference between three percent spoilage and five percent spoilage. However, that increased cost can add up to thousands of dollars per year.
Frosting
Frosting occurs when a freezer door is left open or when a refrigeration unit isn’t maintaining a constant temperature. Food partially thaws and refreezes, leaving ice crystals all over everything. If it’s bad enough, the entire unit has to be defrosted. When raw meat warms up past 40 degrees Fahrenheit, bacteria has a chance to multiply. Re-freezing doesn’t kill all of that bacteria. While the meat might not be technically spoiled, it is still unsafe and must be thrown out.
Constantly Running Machine
A machine might be maintaining the proper temperature, so it is assumed that everything is just fine. However, if the seals around the door are bad or the fan is faulty, a unit could be running constantly to maintain its set temperature. Properly functioning walk-in freezers cost upwards of $244 per month to operate. If your machine is running 50 percent more than it should, you could be wasting $1440 or more per year.
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