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It also calls for client-specific research and evaluation. "You have to do a survey," DiCristofano says. "What's going on in the facility? Look at the procedures the people in the kitchen are following."
On a basic level, a kitchen using a lot of grease will need a different mix of dishwashing chemicals and washing processes than one using starches. That's part of what you need to know to set up a warewashing program for a new customer.
Training the facility employees who will be running the dishwashing machine and processes is another and equally important part of the service needed in warewashing. Generally, as long as the dish machine is functioning correctly and the detergent amounts and temperatures are correct, there should not be problems.
Chances are you'll need a separate truck, equipped with warewashing products and spare parts for repairs, along with being ready to provide 24-hour/7-day service 365 days a year, Robinson says.
The programs set up for individual customers involve a guarantee you'll be there in the middle of the night to service or repair a machine or even deliver a case of detergent or more sanitizer.
Types of Warewashing Equipment
Door-type Machines: designed for small to medium-size operations serving 50 to 100 people per meal. They can wash 810 to 1,350 dishes per hour. Door-Type washers are equipped with revolving spray arms above and below the dishes. They have automatically timed wash, dwell and rinse cycles, and doors slide upward for loading. For energy savings, chemical sanitizing rinse models are recommended over high temperature rinse models. Glass washers are door-type machines that are ideal for bars and bistros because they double as small warewashers.
Rack Conveyor Washers: move racked dishes either by a chain or pawl. Pawl action uses a single rod to pull racks through. These units come in one-tank models for medium-sized operations (serving 150 people per meal), and two-tank models for high-volume operations (where space often restricts the use of a big belt-conveyor machine). Rack conveyors can handle 4,500 to 5,624 dishes per hour. The dish rack is conveyed through a spray pattern directed from upper and lower stationary spray arms at a prescribed gpm flow rate. After the rack has passed through the wash spray, it moves on to activate the fresh-water final rinse.
Flight-type (Rackless Conveyor) Washers: large-capacity rackless conveyors are also called belt conveyors and flight-type machines. They are manufactured for high-volume operations catering to more than 1,000 people per meal (washing 6,750 to 20,000 dishes per hour). The belt conveyors have adjustable speeds and are ideally suited for cafeteria-type operations with heavy tray traffic.
Carousel (Circular Conveyor) Systems: offers the most complete, customized machine for the scullery. Integral scrapping, loading and unloading stations provide the space for high-volume applications while allowing flexibility of labor for nonpeak times.
Tray Accumulators: specifically designed to convey trays either on a conventional flat belt conveyor or as "tray accumulators" which use the same amount of space as a flat belt conveyor system, yet handle five times as many trays by utilizing the vertical space above the belt. Tray Accumulators are customizable to fit the space requirements of any operation.
Pot, Pan and Utensil Washers: kitchen workhorses, tailor-made for the messy, bulky ware it is designed to clean. Special features offer increased clearance and powerful wash patterns via revolving wash arms. Stainless steel jets spray turbulence to penetrate baked-on food and grease and soften food residue. A combination of high pressure and hot water effectively sanitizes all types of ware, including sheet pans and mixing bowls.
Information provided by Stero. Stero specializes in heavy-duty, commercial warewashing systems and design and is part of the ITW Food Equipment Group.
Getting to warewash
Jan/san distributors would most likely hire an experienced warewash specialist who knows the business, the products and the processes.
"Jan/san distributors thinking about warewash should bring in experienced people, people from the business," says DiCristofano. "That person you hire would be your warewashing specialist."
Once hired, the specialist can work with the jan/san distributorship's salespeople already servicing accounts to build on their relationships to sell the warewash program, DiCristofano suggests.
It's a good idea, Dickerson says, to work with an equipment company that provides you with full-service training.
"Then you have to be prepared to provide 24-hour, 7-day service," says DiCristofano. "You have to be able to do what the customer's current supplier is doing. The service is intensive, and you have to be ready to provide it."
Those willing to go that extra mile and are knowledgeable can reap the benefits. The profit is clear. "The dish machine uses the most chemicals in a kitchen," DiCristofano says.
Lisa Harbatkin is a freelance writer based in New York City.
