Category: Facilities Management

How to Design a Better Dining Space for your Restaurant

Designing a restaurant from space is a truly exciting endeavor. If you’re a small business owner, you have the opportunity to create a space that reflects your personal taste and the ambiance you want to create for your customers. In some ways, it is an extension of your life and personality, which is why it’s crucial to get the design right from the beginning.

Your dining area is arguably the most important space to design, as it creates the customer experience. Your dining space design should:

  • Facilitate your workflow
  • Create an inviting atmosphere that reflects your marketing plan
  • Be spacious enough to allow for easy foot traffic while maximizing space to fill capacity

If you want to create the best atmosphere for both customers and staff, follow these four tips for designing your dining area:

Choose décor wisely.

People will choose your restaurant over others in the area not only because of the food you serve but because of the atmosphere you create that they can identify with. A speakeasy has a very different customer base than a sports bar and grill, and the décor you choose will play a big part in who feels “at home” in your space versus who feels out of place.

Avoid bad seating areas. 

Space near the doors, kitchen and bathrooms are typically considered bad seats in a restaurant because they are noisier and have temperature fluctuations that other seating areas do not. You can utilize this space for other things instead of seating, such as a waiting area or server stations to ensure everyone in the house has a great place to dine.

Balance comfort with capacity. 

While it may be tempting to fit as much seating into your restaurant as possible, this creates an uncomfortable experience for your patrons. Instead of trying to accommodate everyone, make an effort to create a comfortable experience for the customers you have by spacing out tables far enough that you can’t hear the conversation from one to the next.

Invest in outdoor space

Almost every restaurant can benefit from having outdoor seating, whether that is for dining, the bar, or simply outdoor waiting areas when you’re over capacity. Outdoor seating provides a beautiful ambiance on a nice day, and opens opportunities for you to add live music or private events within your space.

MaintenX can help you configure your dining space with renovations and preventative care services to ensure your business is always running smoothly. For more tips and information on restaurant design and maintenance, visit our Resource Center.

How to Design a Better Retail Experience for Your Customers

For boutiques and small retailers who don’t have the support of a franchise or corporation, retail design can be a very tricky process. You must capture brand image, proper inventory, and an overall pleasant customer experience within a very small space. The more carefully you craft the customer journey, the better your retail space has a chance of surviving in your market. However, this is a difficult challenge to overcome, especially for local shops and first-time business owners.

The storefront and interior design of your retail store must be both aesthetically pleasing and functional for employees and customers. Overall, the design of the space should:

  • Maximize inventory capacity within displays
  • Reduce expenses by streamlining retail operations
  • Improve the overall customer experience while building brand image

However, in order to achieve these goals, you must think carefully about the way in which you display, order, and store your products to ensure your customer journey is well-articulated. Below are just a few ways you can transform your retail space and make it the best possible for your industry:

Use a cross-merchandising strategy

When choosing display orders and product placement, be sure to group similar items in a logical manner. For example, if you own a small clothing boutique, group by brand, clothing item, and by items that will complement each other well in an outfit. Or, if you own a music store, place your accessories near top-selling instruments to ensure each player can find exactly what they need for their instrument of choice.

Choose the right product quantity for displays. 

Product quantity should be determined not only by space but by volume of sales and aesthetics of product displays. You want your retail space to look full without being overcrowded. It’s also important to display smaller, affordable products in larger quantities to make them appealing as impromptu purchases.

Invest in lighting and daily maintenance.

Regardless of how you design them, your displays will look much better with ample lighting in a clean, sanitized space. Dirty floors or flickering, old lights will make your retail space seem outdated even if the products you sell are high-quality. By presenting a clean and inviting space, you’ll make customers feel more at home.

MaintenX helps make retail spaces even better with our preventative care and cleaning services available in 20+ states. We ensure your business is running smoothly so you can focus on what matters – your customers. To learn more about our retail maintenance services, contact your local MaintenX team today!

What is “SafetyX” at MaintenX?

MaintenX emphasizes safety above all of our other corporate values, and for good reason. The work we do is often dangerous even for trained professionals, so we believe that safety should always take first priority.

This is part of the reason why we employ a self-performing facility maintenance crew. We want our technicians to put their own safety first, without a middleman breathing down their neck for the sake of increased productivity. For when a job is well done and done safely, our customers and employees can both reap the benefits. We also want our technicians to be able to have full careers in their specialties, which isn’t possible if they experience worksite and repetitive injuries due to lax safety measures.

That is why we’ve employed SafetyX, a program dedicated to safety training and the instilling of workplace cultural values that prioritize worker safety above all else. The SafetyX program includes the following elements that help us maintain a positive work environment and a high level of performance for our clients:

Equipment Safety – MaintenX technicians are always ideally equipped to maximize their safety and protect the customer.

Training Safety – Consistent training and safety exams are required, and safety bonuses awarded by the company to all eligible field technician employees.

Standards of Safety – All contractors are held to the same level of safety standards and scrutiny.

Culture of Safety – We encourage our technicians to take their time on service calls and use all safety measures and tools at their disposal. By prioritizing safety over speed, we cultivate a culture of excellence where a job well done is possible every time.

SafetyX isn’t just important for our staff; it’s important to yours as well. When maintenance service is performed with the highest safety standards, there are fewer risks and liabilities for your facility and staff that come into contact with the job site. We also ensure that service requests are addressed at the root the first time so you don’t have to worry about repeat requests every year,

If you’d like to learn more about the MaintenX SafetyX program or our standards of service, contact us today!

How To Keep Your Grass Green in The Summertime

In Florida, where MaintenX is headquartered, many of our clients struggle to keep grass green in the hottest summer months. This can also be true for those throughout the Southern United States, where high temperatures and sporadic rainfall can make grass either dry out or drown rather than thrive. It can be difficult even at home, let alone at your business where you don’t have the time to put in the yard work on your own.

While it’s best to hire a landscaping company to manage the grass for your facility, if you are a small business there are many ways you can improve the look of your grass without a professional. Below are just a few ways we help our clients keep a green lawn all year long:

Let it grow out.

One of the biggest mistakes property owners make is cutting the grass too short when they mow it. While it may look nice and clean-cut immediately after mowing, you’re likely tearing the grass out at its root in many areas. This will lead to patches of dead grass across the lawn in a few days. If you raise your mower blades by just a few inches you can help maintain healthier grass.

Install a sprinkler system.

In Florida, we experience sporadic downpours followed by days of intense heat and humidity in the summertime. If you want to avoid the drowning/dry-out cycle for your grass, install a sprinkler system to ensure your grass is watered every day. We recommend opting for a manual one to ensure you’re not overwatering on rainy days.

Water in the morning.

If you water our grass in the morning, the water is less likely to evaporate in the heat and can sink down into the soil where it needs to be. The earlier you can water, the better. In areas of intense summer heat, we recommend as early as sunrise to ensure the water soaks in and can provide for your grass all day.

Aerate the grass.

As people walk over your grass and the elements solidify the soil, it becomes more difficult for oxygen to penetrate the ground and reach the roots. Aeration is the process of loosening up the soil so that oxygen can reach the roots and provide a healthier environment for your plants. Aeration every few weeks or months can help maintain a healthy environment and doesn’t take any special equipment other than a garden rake.

MaintenX can help you with landscaping and exterior maintenance services throughout the summer. If you’re interested in what we have to offer in your area, contact your local MaintenX team today!

Trending Colors and Decor for Office Buildings 2022

2022 has arguably been the best year of the decade for most Americans thus far. As we turn out of the pandemic and into a brighter future, many small business owners are rethinking how they utilize their office space. With a thriving economy and a changing perspective of what “business as usual” means for the workforce, there is no reason why you can’t embrace the modern era in office interior design.

Below are the top three trends that are changing the way office spaces are utilized and designed in 2022. If you’re looking to make a change, any of these ideas can help you make your office a more enjoyable and productive place for employees:

Spring colors

Pantone’s color of the year was a vibrant lavender shade dubbed “very Peri,” with complementing colors resembling the bright and joyous colors of spring flowers and greenery. Cool aloe greens and warm pastel pinks were suggested to counteract the boldness of Very Peri which suggests that people desire vibrancy and color rather than subtle shades of beige found in many office buildings today.

Wood furnishing and natural decor

For years, the definition of “modern” was sleek, cold, unnatural materials and shapes in interior design. However, after a decade of us growing apart as a society through the influx of social media and the last two years of social isolation, people are craving warmth, connection, and natural elements in their office spaces. Wood furnishings are seeing a resurgence in style, as are office spaces with greenery incorporated. Sustainable building architecture is utilizing plant life to bring back a connection to the outside world amidst the ever-growing concrete jungles of urban life.

Resimmercial office design

The term “resimmercial” in interior design simply means the merging of residential and commercial design principles. This hybrid of home living and office design was popularized after the pandemic sent millions of Americans home to work for months. Even though most of us have returned, employees are craving the comforts of home even more.

Incorporating these trends can help your office space transition into the 2020s with ease. If you are interested in more than an interior redesign, however, contact MaintenX to learn about commercial remodeling services available in your area.

Do I Still Need COVID-19 Protections In My Building?

It has been over two years since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, and things have changed dramatically since then. Because of the months of a forced economic slow-down, many businesses are trying to catch up in 2022. Stores are returning to regular hours and operational models, but many of us still have questions about the safety of shopping and its impacts on national health.

If you are a business owner, you have likely had your doors open for some time, and may feel safe enough to lessen or eliminate COVID-19 safety measures entirely. However, it’s important to understand that the COVID-19 illness is still widespread and that not all customers will feel safe in a completely unprotected environment.

The question remains: If things are going “back to normal” in your local area, do you forgo COVID-19 precautions or keep them around to ensure customers feel safer? This question comes down to the expense of the COVID-19 precautions you have in place, the local culture and attitudes surrounding COVID-19, and your business’ personal risk of spreading the virus within its four walls.

If you answer “yes” to any of the following questions, you should still be investing in COVID-19 preventative measures such as hand sanitization and complimentary mask stations at your facility:

  • Do you operate a medical facility of any kind?
  • Does your facility have high levels of foot traffic with few options for social distancing? (Examples include malls, indoor concert venues, and shopping centers)
  • Do you cater to children, college students, seniors, or other at-risk populations?
  • Does your state still provide strict mask or social distancing guidelines?
  • Does the local community still wear masks and social distance as a rule of thumb?
  • Is the cost of COVID-19 precautions less than the cost of losing one of your employees for more than two weeks?

COVID-19 is coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth investing in preventative measures if it makes your staff and clientele feel safe. To learn more about ways you can cost-effectively help stop the spread of COVID-19 at your facility, visit our Resource Center.

What To Do If Your Rental Property Owner Doesn’t Respond To Maintenance Requests

As a small business owner or manager, you have 100 things constantly up in the air. With any luck, most of them don’t drop, but even the most organized business has emergencies from time to time. However, it can be very frustrating when one of those emergencies is a maintenance repair.

Tenants and landlords typically share responsibility for repairs to a leased space. Minor repairs that are caused by normal wear and tear are typically the tenant’s responsibility. However, your landlord may want to control major repairs involving the structure or major systems of the building, such as HVAC, plumbing, roofing, or electrical work.

If you believe your landlord is responsible or will want to oversee repair work, always submit a service request before paying for the repairs yourself, But, what if you submit the request and don’t hear back? Your business needs a functioning building, and you can’t wait forever. So, what are your options when your landlord is silent after a service request?

Check the lease.

Tenants are responsible for repairs that are caused by regular wear and tear or caused by employee or customer accidents. The repairs you’re requesting may not be covered by the landlord, in which case you should make arrangements to repair it yourself.

Contact their maintenance partner.

If your landlord works with a specific commercial contractor for repairs, you may try calling them to see if they will do the work and bill the owner instead of you. This may prompt your landlord to respond to you sooner and will ensure you are going through all the proper steps to get the repair done.

Repair and deduct.

If the landlord specifies that they will handle certain repairs in the lease, you are entitled to that service in a timely fashion. If you can’t get your landlord to respond, you can sometimes make the repairs yourself and send the bill to them to deduct from your rent. Before you do this, make sure you’ve contacted the landlord several times and given them ample time to respond. You may even consult with a lawyer to ensure you won’t end up paying out of pocket for expensive repairs you can’t afford without the deduction.

If you can’t wait for a landlord’s response anymore, contact MaintenX for help. We offer affordable repairs and will work with you on solutions that won’t break the bank or disrupt your tenant-landlord relationship. To learn more about maintenance and repair options in your area, contact MaintenX today!

What To Do If Your Rental Property Owner Doesn’t Have a Preferred Maintenance Service

As a tenant, handling commercial repairs must be done with care and consideration. You don’t want to handle repairs on your own that are the owner’s responsibility; however, these repairs are often a more pressing concern to you than they are to the owner. Things become even more complex when the property owner does not have a preferred maintenance service you can call for preventative and emergency repairs.

If you are in need of repairs and aren’t sure who to call, these are the steps you should take to ensure you handle the maintenance service properly:

Contact the owner first.

Some landlords want control over property repairs and maintenance to ensure the work done is up to their standards of quality. It is their building’s property value that is at stake, and they will likely want to at least oversee repairs that affect the structure of the building in any major way. They may also have preferred contractors that they simply haven’t shared with you yet that you can call for quality and affordable repairs.

Review your lease.

Most commercial leases will specify what repairs are the landlord’s explicit responsibility. If your repair is not covered in this list, it is likely your responsibility to fix it yourself. If the landlord does not give you instructions for handling the repairs, you can assume responsibility and begin contacting local maintenance teams for help.

Find a commercial contractor.

You may have connections to local contractors in your area, but it’s crucial to choose someone who specializes in commercial repairs and maintenance rather than residential. Not only can you cause issues within the building, but you can also create problems with your permits or lease for certain building types. If you don’t know a commercial contractor in your area, contact MaintenX for help.

MaintenX offers commercial plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and roofing service for businesses in 13 states across the U.S. We help small businesses like yours thrive and are consistently top-rated in our local service areas for retail, restaurant, medical, and industrial facility maintenance. If you are looking for a trustworthy contractor you can call for preventative maintenance and emergency repairs, contact us today!

The Ultimate Restaurant Cleaning Checklist

Improve efficiency, provide accountability to team members, and help you avoid distractions as you’re cleaning. Useful for both daily cleaning before opening and closing, and for annual deep cleans and maintenance service. 

Below is your ultimate cleaning checklist for commercial kitchens and food service facilities: 

Daily

  • Wipe down walls of kitchen and buffets for splashes and stuck-on food
  • Clean all cooking appliances and equipment used daily
  • Disinfect prep areas and tables/bars
  • Clean beverage dispenser heads and soda guns
  • Replace foil lining on cooking surfaces
  • Clean sinks
  • Wash aprons, cloths, napkins, and other fabrics in washing machine
  • Refill soap dispensers and replace toilet paper/paper towels in bathrooms
  • Sweep walk-in fridge, storage, and front of house
  • Mop floors
  • Take out trash and disinfect all trash cans
  • Wash utensils and glassware to let dry overnight before closing

Weekly

  • Clean ovens, fridge, and walk-in freezers
  • Boil out deep fryers
  • Deep clean and de-lime sinks and dishwashers
  • Clean out pantries 
  • Clean mirrors
  • Clean baseboards and welcome mats
  • Polish windows/glass

Monthly

  • Clean the condenser coil on the refrigerator
  • Clean walk-in fridge and freezers
  • Clean grease traps
  • Clean exhaust vents
  • Clean drain covers

Front of House

  • Sweep entryway and outside 
  • Clean outdoor welcome mats
  • Clean windows and front door
  • Schedule landscaping services
  • Wipe down seating and walls in lobby area
  • Vacuum rugs and all carpeting
  • Dust lobby area fixtures
  • Clean menus and tabletop condiments
  • Refill/replace tabletop condiments, sugars, salt and pepper shakers, etc. 
  • Clean bar countertop and all tables
  • Wipe down bar stools and chairs
  • Clean reach-in coolers 
  • Clean bathroom including door knobs, light switches, etc.
  • Restock bathroom items, mints, toothpicks, etc. 
  • Sweep/mop floors
  • Empty trash cans inside and outside

Bathroom

  • Put out wet floor signs
  • Clean/disinfect toilets and sinks
  • Refill soap/paper towel dispensers
  • Clean stall partitions, doors, and walls
  • Mop floors and scrub grout 
  • Clean floor drains
  • Clean backsplash and mirrors

Sanitization & Deep Cleaning

  • Clean booster seats and high chairs
  • Disinfect door knobs/handles
  • Disinfect pens and non-disposable menus
  • Disinfect all counters, tables, bars, and food prep areas
  • Disinfect all bar equipment including ice scoops, beer tap handles, keg lines, soga guns, etc.
  • Wipe down phones and cash registers
  • Clean all serving trays, trolleys, etc.
  • Clean host counter
  • Clean light fixtures
  • Clean drains with drain cleaner/snaking service
  • Schedule pest control service
  • Vacuum/clean hard-to-reach places
  • Schedule preventative maintenance for HVAC, electrical, plumbing, etc. 

With this checklist and MaintenX by your side, you can run a kitchen that is in tip-top shape! For more information and commercial cleaning and maintenance, visit our Resource Center. 

How To Better Manage a Multi-Tenant Facility

Multi-tenant commercial properties such as strip malls and major office buildings can be very lucrative for owners, but they do come with unique management challenges. Keeping tenants satisfied requires a consistent flow of communication and a staff that is quick to aid in any issue from rent to maintenance and everything in between. 

At MaintenX, we help you keep tenants happy with reliable, affordable maintenance service. Below are just five ways you can make your multi-tenant property easy to manage with a MaintenX preventative care program in place: 

Offer an easy maintenance request form or process.

Requesting maintenance service is often a guessing game for commercial tenants. By making the process easier, you can ensure everyone has access to maintenance service and doesn’t hold resentments about unfinished tasks because they don’t know who to ask. MaintenX’s work order management system makes it simple for you to keep track of maintenance requests and ensure a technician is dispatched at your tenant’s earliest convenience. 

Schedule regular maintenance well in advance.

Some maintenance tasks need to be done no matter what, like hydro-jetting for your plumbing system or routine HVAC cleaning and maintenance. If you stick to a schedule, you can make it easier for your tenants to plan around these maintenance days. This also prevents future issues because preventative care can help improve systems performance and reduce unexpected breakdowns. 

Check-in with tenants one-on-one.

The businesses within your commercial space may not have time to fill out maintenance requests for every little thing they need, which is why it’s important to check in periodically to discuss their needs in a more personal manner. Maybe they don’t have time to fix the faucet themselves, or they’re 100 more important things than cleaning out the air ducts but it still needs to get done. If you and your MaintenX crew schedule time for onsite consultations, your tenants can better communicate with you and won’t have hidden complaints causing tension in your professional relationship. 

MaintenX can make management of your multi-tenant facility that much easier with a reliable, responsive maintenance service. To learn more about setting up a preventative maintenance program at your facility, contact us today!