MaintenanceSuppliesMag.com |

Tough economic times have led distributors to look for more avenues for revenue sources. Products for foodservice facilities are often cited as an emerging opportunity for jan/san distributors.

The theory is that if you are a jan/san distributor already selling cleaning supplies to these foodservice locations, offering some products particular to this industry will generate more sales. More importantly, distributors need to know what some of these products are and what their value is to a foodservice facility.

Why bother? The nation’s 945,000 restaurants should hit $566 billion in sales in 2009, according to the National Restaurant Association’s 2009 Restaurant Industry Forecast. This doesn’t even include the hospital, school and other commercial foodservice locations that are prime targets for distributors.

From plastic cutlery to antimicrobial garbage bags, the foodservice industry buys products that jan/san distributors can provide. Like a restroom cleaner or marble floor buffer, understanding the product and providing training, if necessary, are indispensable to getting the sale.

FOG RELIEF

The meteorological definition of fog is a cloud that has its cloud base on or close to ground. In the foodservice industry, FOG stands for fat, oil and grease and is the bane of many kitchen drains and traps. These elements can cause backups; malodors as well are a breeding ground for drain flies and fruit flies. In general, they are not a good combination for passing the frequent inspections of foodservice kitchens.

“In the restaurant industry, there is a common misnomer that bleach cures all,” says Jonathan Rice, director of sales for Waterbury Companies Inc. “Simply pouring bleach down the drain is not the best advice for restaurants. Bleach is a caustic (capable of burning, corroding or destroying living tissue) and needs to be diluted with 1 gal. of water with each 12.8 oz. of bleach used.”

Rice explains that using bleach is a manual process, and there is no visual to aid the maintenance person or staff that it has been done correctly or that it is working. Waterbury provides a volumetric drain foam that eliminates FOGs and breeding sites for drain and fruit flies through a natural process called bioremediation or the use of biological organisms to rid unwanted organic substances from an area.

The foam uses live bacteria and provides an immediate protective shield that prevents any pest from exiting the drain. Pests get caught in the foam and trap, or are chased out of the pipe through the sewer or grease trap system and away from the foodservice facility.

“The foam is a great visual aid; you know the drain has been treated,” says Rice. “It also has a longer dwell time on the surface and attacks the outer area very quickly.