How to Create a Restaurant Disaster Recovery Plan
It's challenging enough to run a business, but a disaster like a flood or fire will complicate life even further. Whether your restaurant has been hit by flooding, fire, hurricane, tornado, or broken pipe, a disaster recovery plan is essential to getting back on your feet quickly.
However, you don't want to rush it because you need to know that your employees and customers will be returning to a safe environment.
If you cut corners, you are likely to run into even more problems later. Use these tips from a professional disaster recovery restaurant cleaning service to get your restaurant back quickly and safely to full capacity after a disaster.
Educate Your Staff and Create a Communication Strategy
If your employees aren't prepared for the worst, they will be inundating you with questions and waste valuable time. Prepare a communication strategy and let your employees know their roles in the event of a disaster.
Keep a list of all phone numbers and email addresses so you can communicate before, during, and after the event. It's more efficient to send a group SMS about what you expect from your employees than to field lots of phone calls when you would rather be focusing on something else.
Ensure everyone knows their role in the event of a disaster. Cross-train some of your staff so there will always be someone available if one member can't make it in or isn't rostered on during the disaster.
Keep your utility lines clearly labeled. Knowing what to turn off in an emergency can prevent a lot of damage. Create a waterproof hardcopy of all the emergency contacts, such as fire stations, paramedics, police, and other emergency services, and ensure everyone knows where it is kept.
Disaster recovery and restaurant cleaning services experienced in disaster cleanups are also good businesses to know. These companies get very busy after a flood or destructive storm, so knowing who to call in advance will put you at the head of the queue.
Update Your Customers
You won't be serving food while the restaurant cleaning service is dealing with the aftermath of a flood in the kitchen, so you should try to keep your customers in the loop.
Update your website and social media pages about the status of your business and when you can expect to reopen. You can also put physical posters at the entrance to let customers know about your current challenges. Having a designated spokesperson for the restaurant will help with media inquiries.
Take Stock
Insurance will play a large role in how quickly you can get your business rolling again. Create a record of your inventory and estimate the values. Include photos of the equipment and record the serial numbers.
A backup of your computer system is essential for the continuity of business. Consider keeping a copy of your records in the cloud as well as a physical copy off-premises that can’t get destroyed along with everything else.
Check Your Insurance and Make Sure You Are Covered
Always understand all the details of your insurance policy. There's nothing much more heartbreaking than thinking you are insured only to be told recovery costs will have to come from your own pocket.
Is there enough coverage to rebuild? For what disasters are you covered? Do you run a food truck in addition to your physical premises?
Even if your restaurant is outside of a flood zone, you should still consider flood insurance. A busted pipe can be just as damaging as a river breaking its banks. It may be an extra expense, but you should have it if the coverage is available for a reasonable price.
Begin contributing to your insurance plan as soon as possible because many will have a waiting period before coverage begins. It's most often around 30 days, but some may stipulate a few months before you can make a valid claim.
Stay Appraised and Prepare Your Property
With climate change making the weather ever more unpredictable, early warning systems are now a part of life. Make sure you are keyed into your local system, so you don't miss important updates about impending storms or floods.
A couple of days' notice to surround your property with sandbags will reduce your recovery time and give the restaurant cleaning service a lot less to do.
If you are expecting high winds, screw three-quarter-inch plywood over doors and windows and check that the head and foot bolts of your doors are functioning properly.
Remove all the patio and balcony furniture from the outside. Bring it inside rather than lashing it down. Don't store propane containers inside, as it's not safe. Return them or store them in a secure cage.
Check your food expiry dates and remove anything that's close to expiring. It could be a few days before you re-open, so this will reduce your workload and that of the restaurant cleaning service. A good quality wet/dry vacuum cleaner is also good to have as a standby.
It's always good to know who you can rely on before disaster strikes. Make sure you are ready for the worst by keeping Best Option Restoration's details in your little black book of disaster recovery contacts. The faster you can call, the quicker our professional restaurant cleaning service can help restore your restaurant to its pre-disaster condition and get it ready for business.
Restaurant Disaster Recovery Plan with Best Option Restoration
If you’re experiencing restaurant or business disaster in Denver, Arvada, Thornton, Broomfield, Boulder, or the surrounding areas, Best Option Restoration can help you. We are aware that restaurant or business disasters can leave you feeling overwhelmed, and our goal is to instill peace of mind throughout the project and restore your property in the most efficient way possible. We have many years of experience in restoration reconstruction and all our general contractors are licensed and insured. If your property has been damaged due to water, fire, or mold we will give you the personalized service and expert marksmanship needed to get the job done right. To learn more about our services, call us at (720) 620-3272 or contact us online to receive an estimate on your project.
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