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What is your nightly cleaning routine in the concession area?

Thanks for bringing this up Burney. I was just about to post asking for ideas, but I usually don't get any back...

So, let's here 'em please!

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"Would you like fries with that?"

I have a triple. After last show goes off, the lobby is cleaned immediately. Then first popcorn warmer and popper is done. All the time the counters are cleaned as well as one soda machine. 15 minutes after last show starts, the second station is started, the bathrooms are checked and cleaned up, the water fountains and finally the remainder of the concession. No one goes home until the manager has completely checked every aspect of the stand that it is spotless, and restocked. The sink is spotless and all the ice is filled in the soda machines. Floor is swept and then they go home.
We actually are a bit fussy, OK so we are extremely picky about the condition of the concession stand.
lance

I don't know how in depth of an answer you are looking for here, but here goes mine. Throughout the night your concession attendants should be working -so when you finally tell them to close up, there aren't tons of things that need to be done. Throughout the night: Candy should be restocked, ice filled, soda checked, seed, oil, salt, candy, nachos, pretzels,cups, tubs, bags-All supply items, saleable and non-saleable should be restocked. Counters should be continuously cleaned, floor should be kept clean. Depending on what you use to hold your popcorn this may change. If you pop popcorn in a popper, then move it to a warmer for sales, then you can prepop enough for the last set of shows, then clean the popper. IF you pop popcorn and keep it in the popper for sale, you will have to hold that for a little later.
SO, basically, since you've kept up on the stocking and cleaning all night, all they have to do is clean the popper/warmer when you are closed,clean the soda machine, do a final sweeping and counter wipe off, and their done.

The concession stands that are the worst, are the ones whose employees must constantly be told to do everything, those who wait till the last minute to sweep the floor, or clean the counters, or restock.

If they work AHEAD of the GAME they will be fine. I always tell mine, pretend like every show is going to be busy.Fill napkins, straws, stock, soda, seed, oil, candy, and clean, clean, clean...

Curious as to how the popper and soda machine are cleaned on a nightly/weekly basis. I just bought a used, but refurbished popper and I'd like to keep it all shiny and pretty. Do you use the Cretor's powder &/or slimmy cleaner or something similar? If so, how often?

The popper is cleaned nightly. We use the Cretors inside kettle cleaner on that and boil the inside out. We remove the top, and take it to the 4-compartment sink and clean that in there.
The soda machines are wiped down nightly. Water is poured down the drains nightly, etc. We have many soda machines, so our routine of cleaning the soda heads is more complex than you may need. The soda heads should be taken off and cleaned (soaked in bleach)scrubbed with a tooth brush at least once a week though.

FYI, according to a Cretors rep at ShoWest a couple of years ago, the Cretors kettle cleaner for outside the kettle is essentially soft scrub and SoftScrub is much cheaper, so that's what we use.

We clean the popper, warmers, butter dispensers, and soda fountains nightly. Usually getting the big things done isn't the problem. It's getting the little things attended to like wiping down the straw and napkin dispensers before they are put away. Putting the swastika (which is what my staff calls it) or stirrer thingy back in the kettle once you've cleaned it and please don't lose the damn pin.

We've instituted a check list which includes a spot for those who do each task to initial. It helps a great deal, but we still have the manager check them out each night.

Rialto-

Can you share the checklist?

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"Would you like fries with that?"

· Condiment Dispensers Refilled
· Condiment Trays Cleaned
· Straws and Napkin Dispensers Refilled
· Straw and Napkin Dispensers Cleaned and Shiny
· Popcorn Scoops washed, dried and put away
· Cookie plates cleaned
· Popper Cleaned, Glass Free of Streaks
· Warmers Cleaned, Glass Free of Streaks, Inside and Out
· Butter Pumps Emptied, Cleaned, Top, Sides and Counter
· Bubbler Machine wiped down, Trays emptied
· Soda Dispensers Cleaned, Machine wiped down front and back
· Refrigerator Stocked with Water & Bagel Dogs
· Back Room sinks organized and clean, everything put away
· Popper Supplies restocked – Corn & Salt
· Bags and Cups restocked
· Counters wiped down (Front & Back)
· Floors swept and mopped (including back room)
· Sweep lobby, hallway and front of concessions
· Clean café area – sweep and wipe down tables
· Refill multipurpose cleaner bottles and degreaser bottles
· Take out cardboard
· Check list and turn in phone, please notify manager when you are ready to leave

Rialto Cinemas Lakeside
Pre-Rush Preparedness Checklist

Task Performed By
All Three Water Pitchers Filled
1 or 2 Gallon Pitchers Filled with Water and Under the Counter
Blue Popcorn Bin filled with bags of raw corn
Popcorn bin in popper filled with raw corn
Salt Container in Popcorn bin filled
Popper Oil checked, Back-up Box of oil in place and ready for use
Butter Warmers filled
At least 1/2 gallon of butter melting in hot water in the back room
Courtesy Boxes stocked in cabinet and at microwave
Soda Cups and Lids stocked with back-up sleeves in the cabinet under Conc 1
Coffee and Bagel Dog condiments restocked including forks, knives, stir sticks.
Creamer bowl filled with creamers and stainless steel dish filled with fresh ice
Condiment trash container emptied and wiped down.
All popcorn condiments filled
Napkin Dispensers filled, wiped down and spotless
Straw dispensers filled and dispensing properly, wiped down and spotless
Lemonade Cups and lids stocked with back-up sleeves in the cabinet under the ice cream display freezer
Coffee Cups, Coffee Lids, Espresso Cups, Java Jackets stocked with back-up sleeves in the cabinet under the ice cream display freezer
Cookie trays stocked and attractively displayed
Bottled Water stocked in both display and undercounter fridge
Bagel Dog container in fridge stocked with defrosted bagel dogs
Popcorn bags stocked in bag racks and in the cabinet under the bubbler
Lemonade and Ice Tea bubblers full
Ice Bins filled
Soda heads on far soda tower
Cups and Lids stocked at far soda tower
Napkin and Straw dispensers out, filled and properly functioning at Conc 3
Candy display out at Conc 3
All bag and cup displays neat and tidy and correctly faced
Ice Cream Display Freezer Stocked
On Fri and Sat nights, fill a bin in the back room with ice and pre-chill extra bottles of water
Both Warmers set-up and set to their most full capacity
Flyer and Café Tables clean, neat, organized and chairs neatly placed around café tables
Ticket Stock checked and back-up stacks available if running low
All counters clean and neat and all employee cups neatly stored or eliminatedAnd all reading material put away

Checked by Manager____________________________________________Date_____________

I run a 16 plex.

I once had a guy who was never the best at customer service, but he always had the snack bar spottless, (and I do mean spotless) and he was punched out at 10:59 pm. (we closed at 11)

The guy is now in Okinawa, or Kuwait awaiting orders. I sure do miss him, I wish all of my employees were him.

Swapman.

So if a guest wanted popcorn at 10:55 he was SOL because he had already emptied the bin? You are correct this gentleman was not the best at customer service.

The Box Office and Concession Stand close 15 minutes after the last film starts.

If you want something thats available like cookies, candy and coffee and have exact change or close to it, I will be happy to sell it to you. But if the popcorn is in the trash and the popper cleaned, your out of luck.

swapman,

I'm not clear - when you say you close at 11:00pm - is that the time the staff is expected to be done or is that when the box office and stand close? We close the box office and stand 15 min after the last show starts, though we'll sell you stuff while we are cleaning the stand after the doors are locked. We expect that staff to be finished about 10:30, which is 45 minutes after close and 1 hour after the last movie starts.