Morning, folks! Welcome to another edition of “The Fix,” a bi-weekly newsletter chock full of need-to-know industry news and tips for improving your restaurant operations.

You already know that skipping regular oil changes will shorten your car’s life span. The same rule applies to preventative maintenance for your restaurant equipment.

While it might not sound like a sexy subject, preventative maintenance is a crucial key to a smooth, successful operation.

(Why did you get this email? You've engaged with ResQ in the past, and we’re betting you’ll get value out of this totally not boring, juicy newsletter. If you hate the news, you can unsubscribe at the bottom. No hard feelings. 🙏)

What’s on tap in this issue:

• Starbucks’s grease trap domino effect
• McDonald’s latest flex — a global digital highway
• Master your maintenance

​​​​​Industry news

What’s cookin’ in the industry?

These bite-sized bits of restaurant industry news will help you crush your R&M game. 🥇

Starbucks’s Grease Trap Domino Effect

Brother ewww, what’s that…

A failing grease trap led to a high-volume Starbucks permanently closing in Ithaca, NY. Here’s the tea that ensued (think of these points like dominos):

• This location’s grease trap was a problem for years…. Although they'd seal it up, it was never properly fixed.
• One morning, while the shop was bustling with customers, the grease trap overflowed, spreading a disgusting cocktail of congealed kitchen grease, oil, and runoff across the floor.
• Starbucks closed down the store for maintenance. Workers took that opportunity to go on strike over unsafe conditions.

Either way, the store was “permanently closed”.

Don’t let this happen to you. Stay up to date on cleaning your grease trap before the dominoes fall and your employees take a hike. The Timely Tips below can help you avoid a disaster like above.

McDonald’s paves a digital super highway

McDonald’s "Digitizing the Arches" project is unifying its digital platforms and using AI to keep things sizzling behind the scenes — with the help of a Google partnership.

The goals? Speed up efficiency, improve decision-making, and enhance crew & customer experiences. Here’s how…

• Automated texts sent to managers will catch equipment issues before they cause a stir. Some McDonald’s franchisees have turned to ResQ to automatically schedule maintenance work orders (even for the notorious ice cream machines).
• Kitchen systems will automatically optimize product routing based on staffing levels so crews can focus more on customers instead of admin tasks.

Give your equipment some McLovin'. Use tech to stay on top of R&M. Automating your preventive maintenance schedule is simple and more efficient, saving you brainpower for customer and employee care.

​​​​​​Timely tips ​​​​​

🔥 Let’s talk grease traps:

Grease traps should be cleaned and maintained frequently to prevent clogs and avoid potential hazards. A full grease trap can catch fire and explode, causing extensive damage and injury.

• Regular cleaning helps keep the kitchen running smoothly and prevents gross odors. Most should be cleaned every 1–3 months or when they reach a quarter of their capacity.

✅ Schedule your maintenance.

It’s just good business — your equipment will last longer and you’ll be able to deliver a better customer experience.

• Regularly inspect all kitchen equipment, change filters when needed, and look for signs of wear and tear. Address any issues on the double to avoid unexpected breakdowns.
• Put your preventative maintenance on autopilot by pre-scheduling vendors.

Check out our comprehensive guide to commercial preventative maintenance for more tips on keeping your equipment up to snuff.

From the community

From chaos to clarity: Kerbey Lane Cafe’s preventative maintenance triumph

Kerbey Lane Cafe is a beloved local eatery in Austin, Texas, known for its warm atmosphere, delicious comfort food, and community commitment. With 10 stores and counting, they needed to handle preventative maintenance for a BUNCH of equipment.

HVAC, vent hoods, water filters, espresso machines, we’re talking LOADS… monthly and quarterly.

Managing work orders and vendors across multiple locations was clunky and chaotic. There was no way to view all scheduled preventative maintenance, so they spent hours playing daily phone tag to track down work orders and vendors.

ResQ helped them transform chaos into clarity.

Now, the Kerbey operations team has one calendar with all preventative maintenance schedules across locations. Viewing and managing work orders is now a breeze. 💨

Break time

Snoop’s face says it all

Quote for the day: “Nothing is more memorable than a smell.” Make that your mantra.

— ResQ team

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Shameless plug

What does ResQ do?

ResQ is the ONLY facilities management platform that streamlines restaurant R&M operations and enhances oversight. Operators can efficiently track assets, create work orders quickly, and choose from a network of quality vendors to work with.

Love free samples? We do, too. Schedule a FREE demo to see how ResQ can help you kick R&M chaos to the curb.