Monthly Maintenance Checklist

Use a calibrated probe thermometer at three points on the flat top and confirm oven temps at 350°F against setpoint. Fryer oil should hold within ±5°F of setpoint; if drift is wider than 10°F, flag the unit for service.

NFPA 96 requires semiannual inspection of the Ansul hood suppression system by a licensed contractor. Check the tag on the cylinder; if the next service date falls within the coming month, schedule it now.

Run the line knives through the in-house sharpener or send to the rotation service. Replace cutting boards with deep grooves — knife channels harbor bacteria and fail health-inspector visual checks.

Pull every deuce and four-top off the floor; wipe table bases and chair stretchers where the bus tubs miss. Banquette seams accumulate crumbs that attract pests within a week.

Match bulb color temperature across the room — a single 4000K bulb mixed into a 2700K dining room reads as broken to guests even when the bulb works.

Burn gel, finger cots, and blue metal-detectable bandages are the items that get used and never replaced. Check expiration dates on burn gel — expired product is a citation under OSHA's general duty clause.

NFPA 10 requires monthly visual inspection (initial the tag) and annual professional service. The Class K extinguisher must be within 30 feet of the cooking line. ABC extinguishers cover the rest of the building.

Walk to the back-of-house license board: business license, liquor license, food handler manager certs (ServSafe), allergen-aware cert (PCFP/AllerTrain in MA, IL, MI, NY, RI), and the most recent health inspection placard. ABC inspectors will not warn you on an expired liquor license — it is immediate suspension.

Open the renewal application with the issuing agency and add the expiration date to the GM's compliance calendar. ServSafe Manager renewals require a proctored exam — book a slot at least three weeks before expiration.

Run each fixture for 30 seconds and check the supply line and trap. A slow drip on a three-bay sink supply line will fail a health inspection because standing water sits below the food-prep zone.

Use a fresh test strip — quat at 200-400 ppm or chlorine at 50-100 ppm depending on your dispenser. Replace the test strip jar if strips are discolored; expired strips read low and mask undersanitized water.

Pull the toilet bowls and base seal; grout lines around urinals are the source of most restroom-odor complaints. Confirm ADA grab bars are tight to the wall — loose hardware is a liability exposure.

Walk the property after dark with the lights on. Burnt letters in the channel sign read as closed to drive-by traffic. Photograph the lit sign for the monthly facilities report.

Grease drips from the to-go bag handoff zone become slip hazards within a few weeks. Pressure wash the entry mat area, patio, and the path from the back door to the dumpster.

Pull pallets and shelving units away from the wall. Look for droppings, gnaw marks on bag corners, and grease tracks along baseboards. Photograph anything you find for the pest log — the inspector will ask.

Use only a licensed PCO — health code prohibits employees from applying restricted-use pesticides. Confirm treatment is documented on a service ticket and filed in the pest log binder kept on-site.

Empty each shelving unit, wipe with sanitizer, and re-shelve oldest-date forward. Bagged dry goods (flour, rice, sugar) should sit in lidded bins, never in the original bag — a pest favorite.