Opening and running a successful restaurant requires juggling many moving parts. From ensuring high quality food and service to managing staff and inventory, restaurant owners have a lot on their plate. One area that is often overlooked is laundry. While it may not seem as pressing as other aspects of the business, having a good laundry strategy is critical for any restaurant’s operations and profitability. So when is the right time to invest in commercial laundry services Gold Coast? Here are some key considerations.
Assessing Your Current Laundry Situation
Before deciding on commercial laundry services, take stock of your current laundry set-up. How are you cleaning linens, towels, staff uniforms and other laundry items now? Are you washing them in-house or using a residential laundromat? Look at how much time and effort your current process takes. Are staff wasting valuable time doing loads of laundry when they could be serving customers? Does the quality meet your standards? Doing laundry in a residential machine with improper chemicals can lead to dingy, damaged textiles over time. Make sure your current solution is still working for your business needs.
Evaluating Growth Plans
Look at your expected business growth. Do you plan to expand your seating capacity or open another location soon? Even gradual increased covers per night will up your laundry needs. More customers means more soiled napkins, tablecloths and aprons. Working with a professional commercial laundry service helps ensure you always have clean linens ready to go as demand increases. They specialise in large scale restaurant laundry and can easily accommodate growth.
Considering Labor Shortages
Many restaurants face staffing challenges, especially in the current post-COVID landscape. It has become harder than ever to fully staff a kitchen. Ask yourself if you can afford to allocate precious staff hours to laundry when skilled cooks and chefs are already in short supply. Sending laundry out frees up their time for revenue-generating tasks. It also removes an undesirable chore that makes hiring and retention even harder. Investing in commercial laundry helps ease the labor crunch’s impact on day-to-day operations.
Looking at Equipment Needs
Doing restaurant laundry in-house requires purchasing and maintaining special equipment. Commercial washing machines, dryers, ironers and detergents all represent significant upfront costs. They also take up valuable kitchen or storage space better used for food prep and inventory. Commercial kitchens are high output environments not ideally suited for doing laundry on site. The industrial machines at professional laundries are far better equipped for the heavy use, bleaches and high heat restaurant laundry requires.
Considering Cost Savings
While it may seem cheaper to do laundry in-house, factoring in all real costs often tells a different story. The machines, staff hours, detergents and other items needed can make in-house laundry more expensive than outsourcing in the long run. Look at how much you currently spend on related costs compared to quotes from commercial laundry services. Many restaurants find savings by switching and taking laundry off their plate. The efficiencies of scale and specialist equipment give laundries an edge over DIY laundry costs.
Prioritising Hygiene and Presentation
Clean, pressed table linens make a strong impression on customers as soon as they sit down. Yet improperly washed items quickly lose their crisp, fresh appearance. Using a professional service guarantees your laundry is washed and finished at high temperatures using commercial grade detergents. This removes stains, odours, allergens and bacteria more effectively than a home or apartment washer can. Letting the experts handle your laundry means your diners always encounter neat, hygienic settings.
Considering Convenience and Reliability
Doing your own laundry takes time and effort restaurant teams often don’t have to spare. Commercial laundry services provide convenient pick-up and delivery on a set schedule. so you can focus on your core business. They handle all aspects of washing, drying, pressing and folding. With an in-house laundry operation, one broken machine can throw the whole process into disarray. With outsourced laundry, you avoid unreliable equipment and variables disrupting operations. The convenience and consistency bring peace of mind.
Weighing the Benefits for Your Business
Consider the key factors your restaurant faces when deciding the right time to bring in commercial laundry help. How much time and money could outsourcing save you? What value do the increased convenience, reliability and quality bring? Address laundry pain points now to boost profitability and set your business up for success as you grow. Investing in commercial laundry services lets you focus on great food and service, while the laundry experts handle the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of items do commercial laundry services handle?
Commercial laundry services handle all the textiles a restaurant needs cleaned, including table linens, napkins, kitchen towels, aprons, mop heads, staff uniforms and more. They can launder any fabric items your business uses regularly.
How often do they pick up and deliver laundry?
You can arrange regular pick-up and delivery on whatever schedule meets your needs, such as 2-3 times per week. Soiled items are exchanged for freshly laundered ones each service. Many restaurants schedule more frequent service on weekends or busy nights when laundry volume is higher.
Do they supply the linens and uniforms too?
Many commercial laundries can provide full-service rental programs. Along with washing items, they supply clean chef coats, server uniforms, napkins, tablecloths and other linens. These programs provide access to as much clean inventory as needed.
How much does commercial laundry service cost?
Prices vary based on the types and volume of items laundered. On average, commercial laundry services cost between $.25-$.50 per pound. This compares very favourably to in-house laundry costs when factoring in labour, supplies and equipment.
Investing in commercial laundry services like Holy Cross Laundry is an excellent way for restaurants to improve operations. Their skilled staff and commercial equipment can handle large restaurant volumes while saving time, money and hassle. Consider the benefits of outsourcing your laundry to take this task off your plate so you can focus on your patrons. With an experienced commercial laundry partner, you can ensure your business always puts its best linen forward.