Crew members in the New York region of the White Castle burger chain have started playing a bigger role in food safety and sanitation.
As part of a stepped-up internal safety program, the 48-unit region now requires a twice-daily restaurant inspection by designated crew members.
The idea is to make all employees feel involved in maintaining strict standards, and not just management, said Tom Bray, regional assistant director of restaurant operations for the Columbus, Ohio-based company, which owns and operates all 400 of its stores. The reports are then initialed by the restaurant's manager.
The daily "Quick Inspection" is a simple checklist for the restroom, kitchen, storage area and basement. The list, a single sheet of paper, also includes guidelines, such as to check whether the manager on duty has a thermometer, and whether "sporks" are stored in a closed container.
Reaction has been positive. "Team members like being actively involved and having their opinions count," Bray said. "We have done really well with this."
The move comes amid a new aggressiveness from the New York City Department of Health, which drew ridicule after rats were videotaped inside a Greenwich Village Taco Bell/KFC combo unit right after passing a city health inspection.
The White Castle inspections supplement long-established weekly inspections by district supervisors. Those evaluate everything that impacts food quality and safety, including equipment, the physical plant, temperature settings, cleanliness and rodent activity.
Separately, White Castle has added a new oil tank system to most of its 400 restaurants, which has cut down on risk of injuries from handling oil. The oil is now delivered to fryers via a hose system from the tanks.
Before, crew would lug 35-pound barrels, leaving them prone to injuries from improper lifting. There was also a risk of burns from discarding used oil before it had sufficiently cooled. The new tanks have virtually eliminated these risks, said John Vogt, New York regional director of restaurant operations.
