·  Dale Moore, CRFP, of CAVA

·  Michael Hess, from 1-2-3 Equipment Solutions

Wells House's mission is to improve the quality of life of individuals, families and communities by providing effective, compassionate, respectful, and culturally competent substance use disorder services. They aspire to provide a setting where individuals receive care that will empower them to develop hope and healing in a supportive, recovery focused environment while fostering independence and self-sufficiency. Learn more about Wells House by clicking here. 

The following potential projects and items needed for RFMA Gives 2024 are listed below.

Please review and let us know what you can provide for required equipment, labor, and/or financial donation.
Sign-ups are now being accepted for any of these projects.

Please contact me if you are interested in donating any of the above items/services, other donations or with questions at jeff@rfmaonline.com or at (972) 805-0905, x-3.

Also, please note the policy for multiple donors for the same product and/or service:

• Once the potential items and projects have been established and formally communicated to the membership, there will be a two (2) week time period for receiving initial donations of products and services.

• If multiple companies within the same product category submit a request to donate a product or service, there will be a drawing or possibly a splitting of the product or service between the competing vendors.

• The project managers have the right to make exceptions, such as if one product better meets the scope of work than the others, or if one offer exceeds the total commitment of the others such as including installation plus equipment.

• If the same two companies submit to provide a product or service in consecutive years, the company that wasn’t chosen in the prior year will be selected for the subsequent year. If more than those two companies submit and there will be a drawing.

• Any company that is not selected to donate their own product or service, is still invited and encouraged to donate funds to underwrite a different part of the project and participate in the volunteer work day.
  
  
• Once the submission window has closed, all subsequent submissions will be taken on a first come first served basis.

Our RFMA Gives 2024 Volunteer Day is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 16^th and registration is open. Click here or visit RFMA's Event Calendar for details.

Also make sure to keep up to date with RFMA Gives by subscribing to our RFMA Gives Blog. Receive notifications when a new post is made. Login to RFMAonline.com and click "Subscribe."

Thank you so much for your continued support!!

Dover and out

It’s almost conference time!! Our boxes of supplies are scheduled to be picked up Tuesday and we all will be departing to San Antonio shortly after that. This is always the most exciting week of the year for RFMA and, hopefully, all our members. We are prepared for a great conference with continued education, networking, and of course, fun. Like most things, “You only get as much out of life as you put into it” so get engaged with all the activities and I guarantee you will have several great takeaways. Looking forward to seeing you soon. Safe travels!

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

There’s still time to study, test, and get certified before our conference in San Antonio. Today’s restaurant facility professional has to understand a vast amount of information in numerous areas to complete their job duties. It can be quite a challenge at times. Going thru the training modules and obtaining a CRFP is a huge step in increasing your facilities management development and elevating yourself within our industry. The prerequisite, in general, for taking the exam for the designation requires 3-5 years of restaurant facility experience, knowledge of all aspects of facility management, and a commitment to advancement of the restaurant facility management industry. To prepare for the exam, take advantage of the CRFP Prep course on the RFMA website consisting of fourteen (14) topic areas (modules) to review. They are:

- Site Work

- Building

- Kitchen Equipment

 - HVAC

- Electrical Systems

- Plumbing Systems

- Preventative Maintenance

- Disaster Management

- Energy Management

- Financial Planning

- Financial Management

- Project Management

- Property Management

- Codes & Guidelines

The modules are free to RFMA members and are online for self-training with no time constraints. Each has a pre-test, the learning material, and a post-test. They take anywhere from 15-45 minutes to complete and will prepare you for the CRFP exam. The modules provide valuable information that will benefit you in your day to day decision making activities. I highly recommend this great learning tool as it will only help in your professional development.

So, are you up for it? Are your ready to elevate yourself in our industry? Challenge yourself. You will be better qualified in restaurant facility maintenance

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

We are now accepting article submissions on Best Practices for the 2023 Aug/Sept. printing of our magazine. The next set of topics are:

- Supply Chain Issues

- Hiring & Retention

- Engagement

- Remote Work

- Spotting and Developing Talent

- Construction to Facilities Turnover

If you are interested in submitting an article on any of the above topics, feel free to click on the following: http://rfmaonline.site-ym.com/page/BestPractices. Submissions are accepted thru April 7th, 2023. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at (972) 805-0905, x-3.

Thanks for your support!

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

It may be cold now in January but it will be warming up before you know it. Bout time to schedule and start the process of spring startups/PM’s on HVAC’s, roofs, parking lots, and irrigation systems. There are several tasks where inspections and actions are needed to prolong the life of equipment and to ensure the restaurants are ready to switch from cold to hot mode. Following are items to consider with your service providers and Operations team:

- HVAC's: All units need to be professionally PM'd. Coils need to be cleaned for maximum performance and energy efficiency. Depending on the coil condition, chemical cleaning may be necessary as dirty coils will use up to 40% more energy. This is also the time to change the filters. Go with a pleated type or mesh that can handle the local environment and don't need to be changed every month. In harsh climates, these may need to be changed every 2 months. This is not an area to skimp on as it's relatively inexpensive to replace rather than having the a/c run longer and harder. Changing filters regularly provides a great ROI on maintenance costs, saving energy, and prolonging the life of the equipment. Check with your service agency (or internal techs) on filter conditions and possibly adjust the change frequency as needed. Also, if not done already, may want to look into going with the highest rated MERV filters that will potentially remove air borne virus particles. Check with your a/c service provider or manufacturer rep on what type of filter can be used without minimizing the performance of the unit. Refrigeration pressures need to be checked to ensure they was no leakage over the cold months. Have all electrical connections and amps/volt usages checked for the compressors, condenser and blower motors. Check with your contractor on their checklist of PM services. Lastly have the condensate drain lines blown out to be clean and free of debris. For a complete a/c maintenance list inspection report, visit the RFMA website under "Resources" and "Facilities Toolkit".

- Roofs: A thorough inspection needs to take place to clean out roof drains and pick up any items laying around and check all roof penetrations for any gaps. Reseal as necessary. Check all areas where the roofing membrane and flashing meet to ensure there are no splits or gaps. Reseal as required. Due to the importance of a sound roof to protect the restaurant interior, it's recommended an inspection takes place every few months. Again, check out the "Roofing Care & Maintenance" report under Resources on the RFMA website. This is one of the most expensive assets and is commonly overlooked on periodic maintenance.

- Irrigation Systems: Check to correct times and dates and the programmed start/stop times as there may have been a power outage that will require resetting. Turn on operation and check for any broken sprinkler heads. Replace as necessary. Communicate with your irrigation vendor on specifics.

- Parking Lots: In some areas of the country the lots have deteriorated from the long, cold winter. Check for any potholes, cracks, and alligatoring that may cause vehicle damage or pose a safety risk (trip & fall). Repair asap to minimize liability. Check for worn discolored sealer and reseal/restripe as necessary. Having a nice looking lot is one of the first impressions on a potential customer and also reduces liability when the lot is striped properly.

- Other: Check for proper time clock settings for all exterior lighting and ensure all bulbs are working. The long winter months enabled all exterior lights to be on longer periods of time. Check t-stat settings for proper on/off times, temperature, and night setback functions.

These actions will ensure your restaurants will be saving utility dollars and keep your customers and employees safe and comfortable. It also greatly minimizes your Brand liabilities. If I missed anything, feel free to let me know.

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

Happy Pre-New Years!! I hope you are able to sit back and enjoy some time off during the holidays. This is a time of year for reflection and thankfulness for another year lived. I hope you are able to spend time with family & friends and enjoy them as that is the most important priority in anyone’s life. I am in the middle of taking a few days off but not going anywhere. I'm looking forward to a great 2023 and seeing everyone in San Antonio at our National Conference in March. I hope you can join all of our RFMA family then!

RFMA wishes you and your loved ones a very happy New Year. We appreciate all you do for our association and your companies. Stay safe in 2023 and have a great year!

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

Restaurant facility professionals know they would not be successful if their vendors aren't successful. Vendor relationships is one of the most important responsibilities a FM has. They must have providers available for any emergencies 24/7, 365 days of the year. Costs definitely play a role in choosing the right partners but is not the driving force normally in setting up store service providers. Several times a year communication between FM's and contractor service managers need to take place to discuss what is working and what challenges there may be. A few thoughts on building and maintaining a good relationship are as follows:

- Establishing what a good business relationship means to both parties

- How to find and vet new vendors (RFMA and networking with your peers works best)

- Discussing and establishing fair contracts to both parties and what is included in the document. RFMA has PM service documents in the Resources Library, ‘Facilities Toolkit’ section)

- Proper timing for periodic communications to review relationship

- How store operators communicate with your providers

- Setting achievable expectations

- Formal vendor performance reviews (utilizing operations input)

- Conflict management communications (FM’s, vendors, operators)

These are just a few priority items to consider when talking with your providers. Sometimes Operations does not understand how vital the vendor's role is in the success of the restaurant and FM's. It's your job to teach and instruct them how to handle communications and performance issues and to react swiftly when a problems arise.

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

Are you registered yet for the conference in San Antonio in March? Have your hotel reservations? Started mapping out your learning activities? Here are a few of the main items that happen during the show.

• Invaluable networking and connection opportunities each day
• Education for all levels of restaurant facilities professionals
• The latest trends and efficient new solutions to help run your facilities better
• Conference events that expand your network…and did we mention fun!
• Vendors from coast-to-coast to help keep restaurants running

Make sure you download the free Conference App when it becomes available. What educational sessions are you registered for? There are many. Take advantage of them to learn what's new in specific areas and what could you bring back to your company. Do you have a plan for visiting the exhibitors? To be efficient, it makes sense to have one as there are over 300 booths. Do you need a new contractor? Check them out. Hopefully you also attend the Regional Restaurant RoundTable events as it provides a great opportunity to network with other local FM's in the same geographical area. This is the most exciting time of the year for RFMA and we are getting ready to go.

Lastly, have fun. There are no secrets in what we do. We are not sharing recipes, just facility best practices.

Stop by the RFMA booth to learn more. We're here to help.

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

Hope you enjoyed the August/September edition of the Facilitator Magazine which included our yearly Best Practices. We are now accepting article submissions on Best Practices for the late summer, 2023 printing of our magazine. The next set of topics are:

- Supply Chain Issues

- Hiring & Retention

- Engagement

- Remote Work

- Spotting and Developing Talent

- Construction to Facilities Turnover

If you are interested in submitting an article on any of the above topics, feel free to click on the following: http://rfmaonline.site-ym.com/page/BestPractices. Submissions are accepted thru February 24th, 2023. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at (972) 805-0905, x-3.

Thanks for your support!

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

It's time to change the clocks again this weekend. This year, the time change takes place early on Sunday, Nov. 6th. This also may be a good time to send a message to your restaurants reminding them to turn their clocks back one (1) hour and take care of a few housekeeping items as they prepare for shorter days and colder weather. Following is a list of items to consider:

- Adjust/program time clocks for all interior/exterior lighting. Also check for any burned out bulbs (especially exterior) and replace as it will be darker substantially earlier. This is a must to protect customers, employees and your brand.

- Change/program times for exterior signage on/off times, if not controlled by a photocell.

- Clean photocell lenses for exterior building and parking lot lights.

- Change/program thermostat settings for proper times and temperatures. Do not program under 60 degrees in extreme cold climates.

- Adjust irrigation controls to correct time and ensure they are properly winterized for the cold season, where geographically applicable. Contact your lawn service provider where necessary.

- Change/program times for the security systems, i.e., burglar, fire, POS, and CCTV, if not done automatically.

- Have roof drains cleaned out as they may be clogged from summer/ fall storms.

- Check all exterior door sweeps for good conditions. Replace as needed as this will save energy and keep pests out as the weather turns.

- Ensure HVAC/R fall PM's have been completed or are scheduled.

On your personal residence, now is a good time for:

- Change batteries in all smoke/CO2 detectors.

- Change filter on HVAC unit.

- Clean out dryer vent.

- Clean refrigerator coil.

- Check windows for drafts, caulk where necessary.

- Check all exterior door sweeps to ensure they are in good condition.

- In the northern, colder climates, unhook all exterior hoses from their spigots and cover with insulation caps.

What did I miss? Always looking for feedback.

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

Want to continue your professional development or do some networking? RFMA has more educational and member meet-up events planned over the next few months. On tap are:

- Thursday, Oct. 27th, Member Meet-Up: Philadelphia, PA

- Thursday, Nov. 3^rd, Peer to Peer call – ‘Preventative Maintenance & Insurance/Liability/Vendor Qualifications’

- Thursday, Nov. 10th, RFMA Regional Showcase: Southern Region

- Monday, Nov. 14^th, Peer to Partner call – ‘Transitional/Facilities Turnover’

- Thursday, Dec. 1^st, Peer to Peer call – ‘Handyman Management & Pick-Up/To-Go Technology

- Friday, Dec. 9^th,  Restaurant Roundtable: Southwest Region

Feel free to check on additional details on our website and register to join others looking to further their education and networking advantages.

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

Our industry is continuing to be affected by the pandemic but there are many job openings still available. Over the past few years many members lost their jobs for various reasons. Let's work together to help out wherever we can in finding employment for our out of work members. RFMA has a 'Career Center' where you can post job opening and resumes. Search for your next restaurant facilities career or post an open position within your company. Login to RFMAonline.com to start searching now! https://loom.ly/F6FXFms. Let’s all help where we can as our industry is like an extended family. If you need any assistance with the Career Center, feel free to contact Susanna McReynolds at sussana@rfmaonline.com.

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

Due in part of the pandemic, our industry has accelerated advancements in many areas. This post deals with a brief overview of technology advancements utilizing the following:

• Sensor uses (equipment monitoring)
• AI (Artificial Intelligence).
• Robotics

Due to cheaper and better sensors, restaurant equipment manufacturers have been moving fast in implanting sensors to monitor several factors within their equipment. They are reporting in real time, conditions that affect performance and when the numbers go out of scale, alerts are being made automatically to specified individuals or service providers. These alerts are tied into existing CMMS to generate service tickets when needed. This proactive approach keeps valuable equipment from breaking down and requiring more expensive repairs or total replacement.

Another area being developed is AI. It is being tested and implemented for order processing in drive-throughs. It may also be used for cooking times, POS parameters and numerous other activities withing the stores.

Lastly, Robotics is beginning to make very good progress as it relates to food processing and/or cooking. We’ve all heard the applications of robots cooking & flipping burgers, assembling pizzas, and preparing Chines wok meals.

With all this happening so fast, RFMA is looking to acquire and provide knowledge in some of these areas where practical. A new “Technology Task Force” has been created with several leading restaurant and vendor members. Hopefully, we’ll be providing information to our members that are currently not able to research these advancements but the task force needs your help. We are looking to receive input back from our membership on what they are testing, implementing or manufacturing. Please reply back to this post or feel free to contact me to discuss what information you may be able to share withing RFMA. I can be reach at jeff@rfmaonline.com or at (214) 435-8044.

Thanks for your support!

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

We are right in the middle of the hurricane season and most storms hit the US around and after Labor Day. Are your stores prepared to handle no electricity for several hours or days? Do you know what actions to take to keep your guests, employees and food safe? Attached from our Resource Library is a Hurricane/Tropical Storm readiness document. There are brief procedures that can be utilized by restaurant managers and facilities personnel to ensure you are prepared when a storm is scheduled to hit one of your facilities. Take a minute to review and see if there are any items that your plan may not include.Additionally, there are numerous Disaster Management plans available in the Resource Library our our website under 'Facility Toolkit'. Feel free to check these documents out if needed.

Stay safe this Fall

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

Well, it’s still hot and in most of the country and there are serious water shortages. It may not seem like it now but it’s time to prepare and ensure your restaurants are ready to go for the winter. The supply chain issues are easing but this process is a priority as any replacement parts or new equipment needs to be identified and ordered as early as possible due to availability and lead time issues. Following is a short list of activities to concentrate on:

- RTU's. Are the fall start-ups scheduled with your contractors to check on winter operation?  Heat exchangers, blower motors, filters, wiring, and belts all need to be looked at and serviced as required. Now is still a good time to replace a cracked heat exchanger if needed and it needs to be ordered as early as possible. Also a good time to replace the belts and filters. Don't want to lose heat in the winter on such an inexpensive repair. Make sure an additional belt is on hand for emergencies and possibly train a restaurant employee on emergency replacement.

- Building air balance. Are your building positively balanced? After a long summer there may be some adjustments necessary to have a slight positive building air balance. This is extremely important during the frigid temperature conditions in the winter. A negative balance will waste energy and, more importantly, create drafts which will make customers and employees uncomfortable. Have your contractor add this task to the fall check list. Make sure the technician is fully trained on what an store air balance is and how to correct issues effecting it.

- Roof drains. Make sure these are clean and free of debris. With normal fall and winter precipitation, water needs to be drained properly off the roof. Check the flashing and roof seams for damage as water penetration then freezing will cause leaks and potentially expensive repairs. Have any issues professionally repaired.

- Irrigation systems. Check with your landscapers to drain the lines and unhook all hoses from their spigots. Will need them to do a final inspection on the entire system so it'll be ready in the spring

- Exterior lighting. With darkness coming earlier, make sure all parking lot, building, and walkway lights are working and programmed for proper on/off times. Reprogram as required. This simple action greatly minimizes your restaurant’s liabilities due to slip & falls and criminal actions.

- Exterior doors. Are the sweeps in good condition? This will keep the cold out along with the pests.

- Snow removal. Who is responsible for the snow removal at the restaurant? If it's not handled by the landlord, do you have a contract in place for snow and ice removal? Is it updated? What are the parameters when they need to come out to plow? After 2 or 3 inches? Work out the details now and minimize facilities liabilities. Having a contract in place should put your facilities in a higher priority position to get plowed.

- Thermostats. Reprogram accordingly for winter operation. In extreme cold climates do not program below 60-65 degrees.

- Pest control. Colder weather drives pests inside where it's warmer. Schedule your restaurants accordingly for a treatment and review their report to correct any minor facility issues to keep pests out.

- Water fixtures. Ensure there are no dripping or leaky faucets. Water is already getting scarce and usage costs will surely continue to increase.

Getting ready for winter now saves money, time, and increases customer and employee satisfaction which always protects your brand.

Always looking for feedback. What did I miss?

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

Now that summer is trying to wind down, RFMA is revving up it’s educational events. We have a great fall calendar full of calls, meet-ups, and webinars. Here is a brief list of upcoming events for August & September:

• Mon., Aug. 15^th, Noon – 1:00 PM, CST, Peer to Partner call discussing “Asset Management & CMMS”
• Wed., Aug. 17^th, 2:00 – 3:00 PM, CST, RFMA-U Webinar, “A Restaurant Tour – Deep Dive into Restaurant Exteriors”
• Thurs., Aug. 18^th, 2:00 – 5:00 PM, CST, Equipment Experience: Southwest Region, Irving, TX
• Mon., Aug. 29^th, 2:00 – 3:00 PM, CST, New Member Orientation
• Wed., Sept. 7^th, 3:00 – 5:30 PM, PST, Member Meet-Up: Southern CA
• Thur., Sept. 8^th, 10:00 – 11:00 AM, Peer to Peer call, “Facility Audits, Lighting/Signage, & Vendor/LL Relations”
• Thurs., Sept. 22^nd, 2:00 – 5:30 PM, CST, Restaurant Roundtable with the RFMA Board of Directors

For additional details and registration, please visit our website and under ‘Events’, click ‘Event Calendar’. It’s always a good idea to further your professional development. Hope you are having a great, safe summer!

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

After watching the CRFP Masters Competition event last week, it reminded me of how important the information is within the materials of RFMA’s CRFP training modules on our website. Today’s restaurant facility professional has to understand a vast amount of information in numerous areas to complete their job duties. It can be quite a challenge at times. Going thru the training modules and obtaining a CRFP is a huge step in increasing your facilities management development and elevating yourself within our industry. The prerequisite, in general, for taking the exam for the designation requires 3-5 years of restaurant facility experience, knowledge of all aspects of facility management, and a commitment to advancement of the restaurant facility management industry. To prepare for the exam, take advantage of the CRFP Prep course on the RFMA website consisting of fourteen (14) topic areas (modules) to review. They are:

- Site Work

- Building

- Kitchen Equipment

 - HVAC

- Electrical Systems

- Plumbing Systems

- Preventative Maintenance

- Disaster Management

- Energy Management

- Financial Planning

- Financial Management

- Project Management

- Property Management

- Codes & Guidelines

The modules are free to RFMA members and are online for self-training with no time constraints. Each has a pre-test, the learning material, and a post-test. They take anywhere from 15-45 minutes to complete and will prepare you for the CRFP exam. The modules provide valuable information that will benefit you in your day to day decision making activities. I highly recommend this great learning tool as it will only help in your professional development.

So, are you up for it? Are your ready to elevate yourself in our industry? Challenge yourself. You will be better qualified in restaurant facility maintenance.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

The Resource Committee’s mission is: “The RFMA Resources Committee has been put in place to build the RFMA resource library and help determine ways to utilize the website, online community, newsletter, and Facilitator magazine to provide valuable resource tools to the membership”. As part of the committee’s ongoing activities, we are always looking to find educational materials to post in the “Facilities Toolkit” section in the Resources Library. With this in mind the group is requesting any written or videos on equipment and/or service maintenance that our vendor members have already developed and published either internally on their websites or through YouTube videos. If you have any of this information and can openly share it, please contact me at jeff@rfmaonline.com or call me to discuss at (972) 805-0905, x-3.

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

We all know what our industry has gone thru the past two (2) years. Recovery seems to be taking hold but there are still issues being tackled, namely, staffing restaurants appropriately. The labor market remains extremely tight and wages have begun to increase to hold existing employees and attract new. The other huge issue (besides Supply Chain) is inflation as it’s running hotter than anytime in the last 40 years. With the double whammy of labor and inflation chains are now moving quickly to work with outside tech companies in developing automation in several BOH areas, especially in cooking. A few that I’m aware of is White Castle’s automated burger flipping device, “Flippy”. It not only saves labor but increases the cooking consistency. Another new automated cooking device has been developed by the Panda Restaurant Group in their Wok. Take a look at this latest report provided by NRN: https://www.nrn.com/quick-service/panda-express-unveils-new-auto-wok?NL=NRN-02_&Issue=NRN-02__20220627_NRN-02__453&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_4&utm_rid=CPG06000001085094&utm_campaign=51583&utm_medium=email&elq2=13eb5c4ff91c488099ec2426ad977c6b&sp_eh=.

I find this interesting in the fact some of the automation is designed to make cooking easier for BOH staff and not being developed to eliminate employees. Our industry is changing fast and our members, both restaurant and vendors, have to be prepared. What are you doing to get ready? Please share what you are able to help others.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

It’s that time of year again when the weather gets hot and most of the US will again experience numerous, powerful storms that may cause a power outage. For some areas of the country, the high heat stressed the power grid beyond its normal capacity creating "brown outs" that lasted anywhere from a few minutes to a couple hours. Additionally, with the powerful storms generated, electrical outages have existed that can last from a few seconds to several days. Are your stores prepared to handle no electricity for several hours or days? Do you know what actions to take to keep your guests, employees and food safe? Following are brief procedures that can be utilized by restaurant managers and facilities personnel to ensure you are prepared when power is lost.

- Employee and guest safety is always the first priority. If storms are powerful, take shelter in an interior safe room, like the restrooms or even the walk in's. When weather permits, get everyone out of the building.

- Check other areas of the building for guests and/or employees that may be stuck in restrooms, storage areas, etc.

- Turn off all electrical equipment asap at its source by switching it to off or unplugging it. Don't forget to turn off the A/C's and hood exhaust and make up air fans. Ensure electrical breakers are marked accordingly for each piece of equipment and switch those off too.

- Report power outage to supervisors and other operational personnel.

- Determine if electric is out for your restaurant and/or the surrounding areas by checking with neighboring establishments.

- Contact the local utility to report outage and, if possible, get details on when they expect power to be restored.

- Keep all refrigeration equipment and walk in doors shut. Do not open unless absolutely necessary.

- Put lids on all topping stations.

- If electric is scheduled to be out for longer than 3-4 hours, transfer food from the walk in's to other stores in the area if possible. Ensure internal food temperature has not exceeded the health code requirements. Contact your supervisor for discussions.

- Note the emergency lighting system normally will last for 1 -2 hours. Ensure flashlights are available for outages that exceed this length of time. Do not use candles as there may be an unknown gas leak.

- When power has returned, go the electrical panel and turn on equipment slowly, one at a time over several minutes which will decrease the electrical surge that will occur when power is restored. This will minimize the kilowatt demand charge.

- Go to the individual pieces of equipment and slowly turn then on or plug them in, one at a time. Wait a few minutes between each.

- Reset all time clocks accordingly.

This is a general list of action items for a power outage. Each restaurant will have additional items required. If not done so already in the store's disaster management plan binder, I recommend summarizing this on one page and have it handy for restaurant operations. For additional store outage information, check out the Facilities Toolkit under the Resource Library on the RFMA website.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

How has your professional development gone this year? Probably didn't have much time for that but there is still time left in the year to earn your CRFP (Certified Restaurant Facility Professional) designation. Attaining RFMA's CRFP is a huge step in increasing your facilities management knowledge and elevating yourself within our industry. The prerequisite, in general, for taking the exam for the designation requires 3-5 years of restaurant facility experience, knowledge of all aspects of facility management, and a commitment to advancement of the restaurant facility management industry. To prepare for the exam there is a CRFP Prep course on the RFMA website consisting of fourteen (14) topic areas (modules) to review. They are:

- Site Work

- Building

- Kitchen Equipment

 - HVAC

- Electrical Systems

- Plumbing Systems

- Preventative Maintenance

- Disaster Management

- Energy Management

- Financial Planning

- Financial Management

- Project Management

- Property Management

- Codes & Guidelines

The modules are free to RFMA members and are online for self training with no time constraints. Each has a pre-test, the learning material, and a post-test. They take anywhere from 15-45 minutes to complete and will prepare you for the CRFP exam. The modules provide valuable information that will benefit you in your day to day decision making activities. I highly recommend this great learning tool as it will only help in your professional development.

So, are you up for it? Are your ready to elevate yourself in our industry? Challenge yourself. You will be better qualified in restaurant facility maintenance.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

During the Round-tables at our conference in Nashville, ‘Supply Chain’ discussions was a high priority at the tables. Following are bullet points from one National table concerning what the members are experiencing and doing to minimize the impact on their responsibilities:

• Restaurant equipment that would normally be replaced due to age, cost of repairs, planned replacement, etc. is being repaired as the lead time for new equipment is anywhere from 4 – 12 months. Even the repairs are sometimes taking a longer time due to the parts availability. It was noted the spending on repairs is as much new.
• New/replacement equipment is being ordered well in advance even though it may not be needed when delivered and participants are storing internally or utilizing their service providers for storage.
• Several companies have upped their Capital spending dramatically to hoard equipment that will be needed in the future. This makes a bad situation worse.
• It was noted some HVAC companies are working to create a quick ship program and they are requesting restaurateurs to provide them with potential quantities and sizes of units needed.
• Some chains are continuing with their remodels but are continuing to use existing equipment until new is delivered.
• In the past, equipment from closed restaurants was auctioned off but now usable parts are being removed for use in emergency repairs on same type of equipment in operating locations.
• Several noted they are “fast-tracking” equipment testing to replace existing specs that have longer lead times. Companies are now open to alternate equipment based on availability.
• Purchasing on new equipment is now open to national, regional, and local suppliers, again to minimize lead times.
• Equipment repairs costs continue to increase along with timing of repairs due to the labor shortage in the service industry.

Would love to hear back with some success stories on supply chain issues that can be shared within RFMA. Feel free to respond.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

Continuing the discussions during the Round-tables in Nashville, following are brief notes from one of the Southern tables but their notes are applicable to all areas of the country:

• Most FM’s are responsible for anywhere between 50 – 150 restaurants depending on type of eating establishment, corporate support, use of CMMS, etc.
• How to increase your networking in the industry to assist with your job responsibilities.
• Vendor/service provider problems with finding qualified technicians
• Supply Chain issues, maybe the biggest issue confronting FM’s and how to pivot for R&M repairs as equipment is not readily available so repairs must be made to keep critical equipment running. Ordering numerous pieces of the same type of critical equipment, then either warehousing it internally or having local vendors hold for you. Keeping old units to rob parts to repair other like equipment. Convert gas to electric or vise versa due to parts availability. Accepting non-spec equipment due to lead times.
• Cost increases were discussed due to higher inflation, fuel surcharges, labor increases, etc.
• The pros of using CMMS and how it can help FM’s with their job duties like providing work order visibility, historic repair spending, lease terms, etc,
• Facility audits. Most were not able to complete over the past few years due to the pandemic
• Pros and cons of having in-house service techs versus external source.

These are just a few of the high level discussions that took place in Nashville at the Round-tables. We are looking at adding a second session at our next conference in San Antonio in March, 2023. If you have any questions, let me know.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

We had a great Peer to Partner call on Monday discussing the Disaster Management of the pandemic over the past two (2) years and how restaurants and vendors adapted to the changes required for continued business. We also talked about the current Supply Chain Crisis which continues to this day with no end in sight but several on the call provided insight on how they are handling the issues with long lead times for new equipment and parts. Increased communications came up several times within the call which included better and more communications between restaurant facility professionals with their C-Suite group, store managers, and service providers. There were several good takeaways and I continue to recommend you joining in future calls. Take a look at the attached notes and let me know what you are doing to alleviate your Supply Chain issues.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

This has been quite a few years, to say the least. It seems we have finally turned the corner on the pandemic and hopefully, we’re will get back to “normal” operation soon. We have been dealing with one emergency after another and now Supply Chain issues remain at the forefront. You must be able to get away from the stress from time to time to relax and recharge. It will help both yourself and your company. It's been proven through studies that employees in high pressure positions lose their productivity without any real time off. When taking vacation, take vacation. No checking email and definitely not answering your phone. You can easily be sucked back into emergencies which require follow-up and phone calls. Communication prior to your vacation is critical. Establish back-ups for your projects and complete an "out of office" automatic email notification. Talk to your supervisor and vendors who may be in the middle of your projects. Let critical individuals know you will not be available. I'm on vacation currently and trying to enjoy every minute of it.

I know it sounds easier said than done but both you and your organization will benefit from your time off.

Have a safe Spring!

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

We had a great showing and discussions at the Roundtables in Nashville during our conference. Over 250 restaurant facility professionals met face to face to talk about issues that are currently effecting everyone and the possible solutions. This is a perfect setting for our restaurant members to share and learn with small groups broken up by geographical region. Information is shared so easily which helps minimize research on various issues. It saves a tremendous amount of time of completing due diligence on new products, services, and even vendors. I thought I’d share some of the comments and insight into what was discussed. Following are brief notes from a National Region table outlining the high priority items that are being addressed currently:

• Service technician shortages in our industry
• Labor costs increasing
• Additional storage costs due to purchasing back up equipment & parts due to the Supply Chain problems
• Lease changes
• Permitting  and inspections have slowed down due to the pandemic
• Expeditors are needed to get permits quicker
• CMMS is becoming more and more valuable as FM’s responsibilities continue to increase
• Capital budgeting is becoming harder to the ever increasing material, manufacturing, and shipping charges

These are just a few of the takeaways from one of the National tables. I will continue posting other pertinent information that was discussed during the conference. If you have any questions, please

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

It’s conference time!! All our boxes of supplies were picked up last Friday and we all depart for Nashville tomorrow (Thurs). This is always the most exciting week of the year for RFMA and, hopefully, all our members. We are prepared for a great conference with continued education, networking, and of course, fun. Like most things, “You only get as much out of life as you put into it” so get engaged with all the activities and I guarantee you will have several great takeaways. Looking forward to seeing you all in a few days. Safe travels!

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

We are now accepting article submissions for the next booklet on Best Practices for the late summer, 2022 printing of our magazine. The next set of topics are:

• Protecting Restaurant Exteriors/Patios
• Fire/Life Safety
• Covid, Lessons Learned
• Disaster Management – What Drives the Decisions
• Leveraging Resources
• Smart Technology

If you are interested in submitting an article on any of the above topics, feel free to click on the following: http://rfmaonline.site-ym.com/page/BestPractices. Submissions are accepted thru March 25, 2022. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at (972) 805-0905, x-3.

Thanks for your support!

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

It’s time to schedule and start the process of spring startups/PM’s on HVAC’s, roofs, parking lots, and irrigation systems. There are several tasks where inspections and actions are needed to prolong the life of equipment and to ensure the restaurants are ready to switch from cold to hot mode. Following are items to consider with your service providers and Operations team:

- HVAC's: All units need to be professionally PM'd. Coils need to be cleaned for maximum performance and energy efficiency. Depending on the coil condition, chemical cleaning may be necessary as dirty coils will use up to 40% more energy. This is also the time to change the filters. Go with a pleated type or mesh that can handle the local environment and don't need to be changed every month. In harsh climates, these may need to be changed every 2 months. This is not an area to skimp on as it's relatively inexpensive to replace rather than having the a/c run longer and harder. Changing filters regularly provides a great ROI on maintenance costs, saving energy, and prolonging the life of the equipment. Check with your service agency (or internal techs) on filter conditions and possibly adjust the change frequency as needed. Also, if not done already, may want to look into going with the highest rated MERV filters that will potentially remove air borne virus particles. Check with your a/c service provider or manufacturer rep on what type of filter can be used without minimizing the performance of the unit. Refrigeration pressures need to be checked to ensure they was no leakage over the cold months. Have all electrical connections and amps/volt usages checked for the compressors, condenser and blower motors. Check with your contractor on their checklist of PM services. Lastly have the condensate drain lines blown out to be clean and free of debris. For a complete a/c maintenance list inspection report, visit the RFMA website under "Resources" and "Facilities Toolkit".

- Roofs: A thorough inspection needs to take place to pick up all loose items, clean out roof drains, and check all roof penetrations for any gaps. Reseal as necessary. Check all areas where the roofing membrane and flashing meet to ensure there are no splits or gaps. Reseal as required. Due to the importance of a sound roof to protect the restaurant interior, it's recommended an inspection takes place every few months. Again, check out the "Roofing Care & Maintenance" report under Resources on the RFMA website. This is one of the most expensive assets and is commonly overlooked on periodic maintenance.

- Irrigation Systems: Check to correct times and dates and the programmed start/stop times as there may have been a power outage that will require resetting. Turn on operation and check for any broken sprinkler heads. Replace as necessary. Communicate with your irrigation vendor on specifics.

- Parking Lots: In some areas of the country the lots have deteriorated from the long, cold winter. Check for any potholes, cracks, and alligatoring that may cause vehicle damage or pose a safety risk (trip & fall). Repair asap to minimize liability. Check for worn discolored sealer and reseal/restripe as necessary. Having a nice looking lot is one of the first impressions on a potential customer and also reduces liability when the lot is striped properly.

- Other: Check for proper time clock settings for all exterior lighting and ensure all bulbs are working. The long winter months enabled all exterior lights to be on longer periods of time. Check t-stat settings for proper on/off times, temperature, and night setback functions.

These actions will ensure your restaurants will be saving utility dollars and keep your customers and employees safe and comfortable. It also greatly minimizes your Brand liabilities. If I missed anything, feel free to let me know.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

We are only 6 1/2 weeks away from our National Conference. Are you ready?  Are you registered and have your room reservation? Have you started your research? This is the most exciting time of the year for RFMA and we are ready to go. This conference is designed to give everyone an opportunity to network, learn and investigate what is available to save your company time & money and make your life easier. Make sure you download the free Conference App when it becomes available. What educational sessions are you registered for? There are many. Take advantage of them to learn what's new in specific areas and what could you bring back to your company. Do you have a plan for visiting the exhibitors? To be efficient, it makes sense to have one as there are over 300 booths. Do you need a new contractor? Check them out. Hopefully you also attend the Regional Restaurant RoundTable  as it provides a great opportunity to network with other local FM's in the same geographical area. Don't miss the Opening General Session with our Keynote Speaker, Kevin Brown. He’ll talked about his “Hero Effect” that will help you expand your vision. Develop your potential and grow your results. He should know as he helped expand his little know family business into a multi-billion industrial giant.

Lastly, have fun. There are no secrets in what we do. We are not sharing recipes, just facility best practices.

Stop by the RFMA booth to learn more. We're here to help.

See you in a few weeks!!

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

The new year is here and RFMA is ready to go in helping our members take care of their restaurants. We have a Peer to Partner call scheduled on Monday, January 17th covering "Supply Chain Management" moderated by Tony Elrod from ZAX. LLC and a Peer to Peer call on Thursday, Feb. 3rd, discussing “Energy Management & Sustainability” with Paul Doughty, CRFP, from &Pizza moderating.  Don't forget to register. Hope you have time to attend, learn, and/or share your ideas on all the topics being discussed. Let's get our stores ready for a great 2022.

Be safe.

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

Happy Pre-New Years!! I hope you were (and are)able to sit back and enjoy some time off during the holidays. This is a time of year for reflection and thankfulness for another year lived. I hope you are able to spend time with family and enjoy them as that is the most important priority in anyone’s life. I am in the middle of taking a few days off but not going anywhere. I'm looking forward to a great 2022 and seeing everyone in Nashville at our National Conference in March. I hope you can join all of our RFMA family then!

RFMA wishes you and your loved ones a very happy New Year. We appreciate all you do for our association and your companies. Stay safe in 2022 and let's have a great year!

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

Hope you enjoyed the August/September edition of the Facilitator Magazine which included a separate Best Practices booklet. We are now accepting article submissions for the next booklet on Best Practices for the late summer, 2022 printing of our magazine. The next set of topics are:

- Protecting Restaurant Exteriors/Patios

- Fire/Life Safety

- COVID, Lessons Learned

- Disaster Management – What Drives the Decisions?

- Leveraging Restaurant Facility Resources

- Smart Technology

If you are interested in submitting an article on any of the above topics, feel free to click on the following: http://rfmaonline.site-ym.com/page/BestPractices. Submissions are accepted thru February 1, 2022. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at (972) 805-0905, x-3.

Thanks for your support!

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

Winter is fast approaching. Are your restaurants ready for the cold, snow, and freezing rain? Do you remember last February when the entire southern US was hit with an unusually cold, winter storm? Has your Disaster Management Plan been updated from lessons learned through that emergency? I’m sure many of you had issues arise that were rarely encountered before. Priority number one always has and always will be keeping your employees and customers safe then protecting your facilities. It may be a good time to review your internal Disaster Management Plans and review the changes made or make adjustments as necessary. For those of you that may need assistance in developing new disaster documents, the RFMA Resource Library has a full array for your use. For example, due to the weather event of last week, here are some of the planning documents that may have been useful:

• General Emergency Checklist
• Power Outage Procedures
• Power Outages Operations Checklist
• Snow and Storm/Blizzard Operations Checklist
• Water Supply Interruptions Operations Checklist
• Flood Operation Checklist

Let’s not get caught off guard this winter. Feel free to review and use accordingly. These, and many more plans, are located in the ‘Resource Library’ under ‘Facilities Toolkit’. If you have any questions or need additional help, don’t hesitate to contact me at jeff@rfmaonline.com or at (972) 805-0905, x-3.

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

Only a few months till our national conference in Nashville, running from March 13^th – 15^th. Registration is now open. Hopefully, with the pandemic in the rear view mirror and our industry coming back strong, this will be a great event. It’s only 4 months away and it’s never too soon to register. Take advantage of the Early Bird rate of $175 per restaurant member thru January 15^th, 2022. Additionally, if you register before December 15^th, you’ll be entered in a drawing for a free stay at RFMA 2022 which includes three(3) nights at the Omni Nashville, which is right across the street from the Convention Center.

Soon, you’ll be prepping for the conference, as it’s such a busy time. It gives everyone a great opportunity to learn, network, and explore methods on saving valuable R&M dollars and look at better ways to take care of your facilities. The conference is designed and intended to make your life easier in protecting your company's assets. It is the only conference designed specifically for restaurant facility professionals.

Additional details will be coming soon.

Hope you have a great Thanksgiving Holiday!

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

Wow, it’s been crazy over the past 2 years. Hopefully, the pandemic is winding down and our industry continues to adjust to the new normal. Jobs are continuing their comeback and now may be a great time to get a CRFP. Attaining RFMA's CRFP is a huge step in increasing your facilities management knowledge and elevating yourself within our industry. The prerequisite, in general, for taking the exam for the designation requires 3-5 years of restaurant facility experience, knowledge of all aspects of facility management, and a commitment to advancement of the restaurant facility management industry. To prepare for the exam there is a CRFP Prep course on the RFMA website consisting of fourteen (14) topic areas (modules) to review. They are:

- Site Work

- Building

- Kitchen Equipment

 - HVAC

- Electrical Systems

- Plumbing Systems

- Preventative Maintenance

- Disaster Management

- Energy Management

- Financial Planning

- Financial Management

- Project Management

- Property Management

- Codes & Guidelines

The modules are free to RFMA members and are online for self-training with no time constraints. Each has a pre-test, the learning material, and a post-test. They take anywhere from 15-45 minutes to complete and will prepare you for the CRFP exam. The modules provide valuable information that will benefit you in your day to day decision making activities. I highly recommend this great learning tool as it will only help in your professional development. How about a great way to finish off 2021 in your professional development?

So, are you up for it? Are your ready to elevate yourself in our industry? Challenge yourself. You will be better qualified in restaurant facility maintenance. Feel free to contact me to discuss further.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

We had a great Peer to Partner call on Monday with Nic Stoyer, CRFP, from Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant moderating “Vendor Management”. The discussions centered around the current Supply Chain issues in our industry and how  restaurant facility professionals and our vendor community are dealing with the ever rising costs and long lead time items. Now is the time for constant communications between FM’s and vendors on how to survive in this environment today and for the foreseeable future. Both are dependent on each other and each can only be successful if both are engaged and constructively taking the necessary actions to keep restaurants open and equipment running. It is definitely a team effort and I’m proud how our members have worked together thru this difficult situation. The theme on the call came thru very clear which was the need for increased communication from all parties. Normal asset management on the restaurant side for the ‘repair vs replace’ decision has been thrown out the window. Twenty year old HVAC’s are being repaired due to the long lead time in getting new equipment and the opposite is true where 2 year old pieces of cooking equipment are being replaced due to long lead time on parts. This is where the vendors expertise is proving valuable to FM’s on their decision making. Attached are the notes from the call. Feel free to review and let me know what you think and what can help everyone dealing with these issues.

Have a great rest of the week!

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

 Want to continue your professional development? RFMA has more educational events in October. On tap this month are:

- Thursday, Oct. 7th, Peer to Peer call discussing Facility Audits/Vendor & Landlord Relations.

- Thursday, Oct. 14th, RFMA Southwest Regions event with a Restaurant Roundtable in the morning and an educational speaker at lunch.

- Monday, Oct. 18th, Peer to Partner Call, discussing Vendor Management.

Feel free to check on additional details on our website and register to join other members wanting to continue their learning within our industry.

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

The weather will be turning soon. It may not seem like it now but it will and it’s time to prepare and ensure your restaurants are ready to go for the upcoming freezing weather. The pandemic has made it more important that your facilities are comfortable and safe to keep customers and employees happy and satisfied. The supply chain issue also makes this process a priority earlier as any replacement parts or new equipment needs to be identified and ordered as early as possible due to availability and lead time issues. Following is a short list of activities to concentrate on:

- RTU's. Are the fall start-ups scheduled with your contractors to check on winter operation?  Heat exchangers, blower motors, filters, wiring, and belts all need to be looked at and serviced as required. Now is still a good time to replace a cracked heat exchanger if needed and it needs to be ordered as early as possible. Also a good time to replace the belts and filters. Don't want to lose heat in the winter on such an inexpensive repair. Make sure an additional belt is on hand for emergencies and possibly train a restaurant employee on emergency replacement.

- Building air balance. Are your building positively balanced? After a long summer there may be some adjustments necessary to have a slight positive building air balance. This is extremely important during the frigid temperature conditions in the winter. A negative balance will waste energy and, more importantly, create drafts which will make customers and employees uncomfortable. This has also become very important to minimize the potential Covid virus. Have your contractor add this task to the fall check list. Make sure the technician is fully trained on what an store air balance is and how to correct issues effecting it.

- Roof drains. Make sure these are clean and free of debris. With normal fall and winter precipitation, water needs to be drained properly off the roof. Check the flashing and roof seams for damage as water penetration then freezing will cause leaks and potentially expensive repairs. Have any issues professionally repaired.

- Irrigation systems. Check with your landscapers to drain the lines and unhook all hoses from their spigots. Will need them to do a final inspection on the entire system so it'll be ready in the spring

- Exterior lighting. With darkness coming earlier, make sure all parking lot, building, and walkway lights are working and programmed for proper on/off times. Reprogram as required. This simple action greatly minimizes your restaurant’s liabilities due to slip & falls and criminal actions.

- Exterior doors. Are the sweeps in good condition? This will keep the cold out along with the pests.

- Snow removal. Who is responsible for the snow removal at the restaurant? If it's not handled by the landlord, do you have a contract in place for snow and ice removal? Is it updated? What are the parameters when they need to come out to plow? After 2 or 3 inches? Work out the details now and minimize facilities liabilities. Having a contract in place should put your facilities in a higher priority position to get plowed.

- Thermostats. Reprogram accordingly for winter operation. In extreme cold climates do not program below 60-65 degrees.

- Pest control. Colder weather drives pests inside where it's warmer. Schedule your restaurants accordingly for a treatment and review their report to correct any minor facility issues to keep pests out.

Getting ready for winter now saves money, time, and increases customer and employee satisfaction which always protects your brand.

Always looking for feedback. What did I miss?

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

Just as our industry seemed to be getting back to normal, the Delta variant has hampered a full recovery along with labor shortages. Adding to these issues is the “Supply Chain Problem” which has put everyone in emergency mode in being able to obtain items like food, equipment, parts, and all other sorts of restaurant supplies. I am hearing of equipment lead times being up to six (6) months for cooking equipment and HVAC’s. I (RFMA) would like to share a few stories and Best Practices that you and your organization have done to minimize these problems. Have you ordered additional quantities of items that are required to keep your facilities open? Have you reduced your menu options or store operating hours?  What have the manufacturers and service providers done to lessen the problems? When do you expect we will be through this? Please reply back with your comments as they may help other RFMA members experiencing the same issues. If you would rather discuss these directly with me, feel free to email me at: jeff@rfmaonline.com or call me at (972) 805-0905, x-3. Your input is greatly appreciated.

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

The past 17-18 months have brought wholesale changes to our industry. With closed dining rooms, restaurants had to adapt quickly to drive-thru, pick up, and delivery food options. Now that most restaurants have reopened their dining rooms, labor shortages along with Supply Chain issues have dominated the market. What does this all mean? Where do we go from here? NRN just published a great summary of the changes made throughout the industry along with what the future may hold as we come out of this pandemic. It’s a bit long but has pertinent information on the pivots made to succeed now and in the future. Check it out here: https://www.nrn.com/technology/restaurants-near-future. There is a lot of facility changes that were made and will be made in the future. We need to be educated and ready to implement as required. Hope you enjoy the article.

Stay safe.

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

The Resource Committee’s mission is: “The RFMA Resources Committee has been put in place to build the RFMA resource library and help determine ways to utilize the website, online community, newsletter, and Facilitator magazine to provide valuable resource tools to the membership”. As part of the committee’s ongoing activities, we are always looking to find educational materials to post in the “Facilities Toolkit” section in the Resources Library. With this in mind the group is requesting any written or videos on equipment and/or service maintenance that our vendor members have already developed and published either internally on their websites or through YouTube videos. If you have any of this information and can openly share it, please contact me at jeff@rfmaonline.com or call me to discuss at (972) 805-0905, x-3.

Have a great rest of the week!

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

This post provides brief notes on one of the Restaurant RoundTable discussions which took place during the national conference in Charlotte covering “Facility Audits”. Following are noted points:

• Normally, there are several different types of audits performed at the restaurants completed by various internal and external personnel. Some noted ones are Safety, PM, Annual Cap-Ex, Food Safety, QSC (Quality, Service, Cleanliness), Store R&M, etc. All are collectively used to manage facility’s needs.
• Yearly Facility and Equipment Audits are strongly correlated to 1, 3, or 5 year Capital Plans. The audits are generally completed by internal facility professionals (FM’s) and these help the needed connection with local store operations so they know FM’s are invested in their success. It assists with open communication between Facilities and Operations.
• Facility Audits also present an excellent chance to teach, train, & coach operators on building and equipment maintenance.
• Audits provide insight in keeping landlords accountable for various assets like roofs, HVAC’s, sidewalks, parking lots, exterior lighting, etc.
• CMMS plays heavily into the yearly audits by providing equipment service records, remaining book balance (write-off numbers), and other metrics that can be used for replacement planning.
• Audit information needs to be transparent for all parties to review and provide input for planning purposes. Several internal departments need access to review and input as necessary.
• Photos should accompany notes on equipment, building, and general other exterior items. These are important to track year over year changes along with prioritizing spending needs.
• Equipment audits provide a opportunity for volume purchasing on needed items like HVAC's, cooking equipment, ice machines, etc.
  

Roundtables provide an excellent opportunity to share restaurant facility management information which helps everyone become more successful in their positions. Have a great day!

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

Hello RFMA Members,

How has your professional development gone this year? Probably didn't have much time for that but there is still time left in the year to earn your CRFP (Certified Restaurant Facility Professional) designation. Attaining RFMA's CRFP is a huge step in increasing your facilities management knowledge and elevating yourself within our industry. The prerequisite, in general, for taking the exam for the designation requires 3-5 years of restaurant facility experience, knowledge of all aspects of facility management, and a commitment to advancement of the restaurant facility management industry. To prepare for the exam there is a CRFP Prep course on the RFMA website consisting of fourteen (14) topic areas (modules) to review. They are:

- Site Work

- Building

- Kitchen Equipment

 - HVAC

- Electrical Systems

- Plumbing Systems

- Preventative Maintenance

- Disaster Management

- Energy Management

- Financial Planning

- Financial Management

- Project Management

- Property Management

- Codes & Guidelines

The modules are free to RFMA members and are online for self training with no time constraints. Each has a pre-test, the learning material, and a post-test. They take anywhere from 15-45 minutes to complete and will prepare you for the CRFP exam. The modules provide valuable information that will benefit you in your day to day decision making activities. I highly recommend this great learning tool as it will only help in your professional development.

So, are you up for it? Are your ready to elevate yourself in our industry? Challenge yourself. You will be better qualified in restaurant facility maintenance.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

Summer has arrived I hope your emergencies are few. This has been quite a year, to say the least. It seems we have finally turned the corner on the pandemic and things are beginning to normalize. Summer is the time for vacations and it's your responsibility to take time off, especially this year. For you and your organization, you must be able to get away and recharge. It will help both yourself and your company. It's been proven through many studies that employees in high pressure positions lose their productivity without any real time off. When taking vacation, take vacation. No checking email and definitely not answering your phone. You can easily be sucked back into emergencies which require follow-up and phone calls. Communication prior to your vacation is critical. Establish back-ups for your projects and complete an "out of office" automatic email notification. Talk to your supervisor and vendors who may be in the middle of your projects. Let critical individuals know you will not be available. I'm leaving for vacation tomorrow and will enjoy every minute of it.

I know it sounds easier said than done but both you and your organization will benefit from your time off.

Have a safe rest of the summer.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

Hello RFMA members,

Summer is here which means thunderstorms are too. Most of the US will again experience numerous, powerful storms that may cause a power outage. For some areas of the country, the high heat stressed the power grid beyond its normal capacity creating "brown outs" that lasted anywhere from a few minutes to a couple hours. Additionally, with the powerful storms generated, electrical outages have existed that can last from a few seconds to several days. Are your stores prepared to handle no electricity for several hours or days? Do you know what actions to take to keep your guests, employees and food safe? Following are brief procedures that can be utilized by restaurant managers and facilities personnel to ensure you are prepared when power is lost.

- Employee and guest safety is always the first priority. If storms are powerful, take shelter in an interior safe room, like the restrooms or even the walk in's. When weather permits, get everyone out of the building.

- Check other areas of the building for guests and/or employees that may be stuck in restrooms, storage areas, etc.

- Turn off all electrical equipment asap at its source by switching it to off or unplugging it. Don't forget to turn off the A/C's and hood exhaust and make up air fans. Ensure electrical breakers are marked accordingly for each piece of equipment and switch those off too.

- Report power outage to supervisors and other operational personnel.

- Determine if electric is out for your restaurant and/or the surrounding areas by checking with neighboring establishments.

- Contact the local utility to report outage and, if possible, get details on when they expect power to be restored.

- Keep all refrigeration equipment and walk in doors shut. Do not open unless absolutely necessary.

- Put lids on all topping stations.

- If electric is scheduled to be out for longer than 3-4 hours, transfer food from the walk in's to other stores in the area if possible. Ensure internal food temperature has not exceeded the health code requirements. Contact your supervisor for discussions.

- Note the emergency lighting system normally will last for 1 -2 hours. Ensure flashlights are available for outages that exceed this length of time. Do not use candles as there may be an unknown gas leak.

- When power has returned, go the the electrical panel and turn on equipment slowly, one at a time over several minutes which will decrease the electrical surge that will occur when power is restored. This will minimize the kilowatt demand charge.

- Go to the individual pieces of equipment and slowly turn then on or plug them in, one at a time. Wait a few minutes between each.

- Reset all time clocks accordingly.

This is a general list of action items for a power outage. Each restaurant will have additional items required. If not done so already in the store's disaster management plan binder, I recommend summarizing this on one page and have it handy for restaurant operations. For additional store outage information, check out the Facilities Toolkit under the Resource Library on the RFMA website.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

An in-person conference? Yes, it's going to happen and we are doing everything to ensure everyone is safe. For those of you that are coming, the entire RFMA team is looking forward to seeing you. Are you ready? Have you done your research? This is the most exciting time of the year for RFMA and we are ready to go. This conference is designed to give everyone an opportunity to network, learn and investigate what is available to save your company time & money and make your life easier. Make sure you download the free Conference App when it becomes available. What educational sessions are you registered for? Creating Thriving Vendor Relationships or How to Minimize ADA Lawsuits? There are many. Take advantage of them to learn what's new in these specific areas and what could you bring back to your company. Do you have a plan for visiting the exhibitors? To be efficient, it makes sense to have one as there are almost 300 booths. Do you need a new contractor? Check them out. Hopefully you also signed up for the Restaurant RoundTable  as it provides a great opportunity to network with other local FM's in the same geographical area. Don't miss the Opening/General Session as the Keynote Speaker, Walter Bond, will be discussing the power of leadership, mentoring, and developing yourself for future success and definitely don't miss the Closing Party at the Nascar Hall of Fame

Lastly, have fun. There are no secrets in what we do. We are not sharing recipes, just facility best practices.

Stop by the RFMA booth to learn more. We're here to help.

See you in a few weeks!!

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

Hello RFMA members,

It still may be a little cool in some parts of the country but hot weather is right around the corner. Soon your restaurant's A/C's will be running all the time. Are your stores ready for hot weather? This time of year provides the last opportunity to ensure your restaurants are set to go. As a final checklist of items to review, the following list summarizes tasks that should be completed prior to the summer:

- A/C units: The most important item to have the units professionally serviced for preventive maintenance. Filter changes, coil and condensate line cleaning are a must along with changing the belts. A well running unit will save utility dollars and ensure customers and employees alike are both comfortable in the restaurant.

- Roofs: Spring and summer storms will bring items on the roofs that could potentially damage its surface and/or clog the drains. Now is the time for a roof check. Ensure all drains are free of material and flowing. Also, pick up any loose screws and other items that could potentially cause a leak if stepped on.

- Parking lot/sidewalks: One of the most expensive assets that needs to be maintained throughout the year. Check for cracks and possible shifting of underneath soil to ensure there are no tripping hazards. Summer is normally a busy time of the year and preventing any slip/falls is of great benefit. Also, check for proper striping and correct any ADA issues accordingly.

- Carpet/floor cleaning: After a cold, wet winter & spring, have all carpeted areas deep cleaned to remove embedded dirt to provide a safe environment to the customers and employees.

- Tile & grout: Warmer weather will normally increase the humidity and moisture level. Check grout lines to see if they need to be scraped and repaired. This will minimize chance of moisture getting below the tiles, holding mold in check extending the life of the floor.

 -Doors: Warm weather increases pest activity which means they are more likely to enter the facility. Check to ensure sweeps are installed and in good condition.

- Air balance: Check to see the restaurant is somewhat positively balanced, which means when opening an exterior door, a little air rushes out of the building rather than in. This is very important to correct as a negative store will waste energy cooling dollars and make it uncomfortable for guests seated by the doors. Have you service company check on this during their PM visits.

- Building sealing: Check all windows and exterior doors for proper sealing. Re-caulk if necessary.

 -Irrigation: Check proper on/off times for exterior irrigation and spray head operation. Replace any broken heads as required.

Hot weather is very tough on restaurant facilities. Completing these tasks will protect your brand and assets and hopefully minimize the emergency calls this summer. Have a safe season!

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

We all know what the past year has done to our industry. The pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for all our members. Some brands have not survived while others have endured layoffs and severe budget cuts. Covid is finally getting beaten and RFMA is ready to meet in-person again.Our members are ready for this conference however there are numerous restaurant professionals that have either lost their job or are unable to travel due to budgeting and/or travel restrictions. RFMA wants you there so we created some "Roadside Assistance", via the 2021 Annual Conference Scholarship Program to cover costs associated with attending the conference. Here are the details:

PROGRAM INFORMATION & REQUIREMENTS

Application Information

• This scholarship is available to RFMA restaurant members only. Applicants must be authorized by their company for travel. Those under travel restrictions are not eligible.
• Applicants must be a RFMA restaurant member in good standing and fully complete the online application.
• A letter from each applicant’s direct supervisor stating financial need and confirming that this applicant is able to travel to the RFMA 2021 Annual Conference is required. If you are a current unaffiliated Restaurant member, the letter would be from you regarding your financial need.
• Applicants must agree, if selected, to attend educational sessions and visit at least 15 pre-assigned exhibitors at the RFMA 2021.
• Current unaffiliated Restaurant members may apply.
• Up to 20 RFMA restaurant members in good standing will be awarded scholarships.

Scholarship Benefits
Recipients will receive the following benefits:

• Complimentary registration to RFMA 2021 Annual Conference in Charlotte, NC, June 22-24th.
• Up to $750 travel reimbursement. This can include airfare, mileage (at IRS rate) and hotel expenses, such as room, tax and parking. The scholarship does NOT include food and beverage. 

Selection Process

• Applications, including direct supervisor letter, must be submitted by May 15, 2021.
• All applications will be reviewed and 20 applicants will be selected.
• All applicants will be notified via email by May 24, 2021 on whether they have been selected or not.
• Recipients will receive a complimentary conference registration code with to register for RFMA 2021.
• Recipients MUST register for RFMA 2021, using the complimentary registration code, no later than June 1, 2021. 

REIMBURSEMENT PROCESS
Travel Reimbursement Process

• Reimbursement for travel fees, up to $750, will be provided after RFMA 2021.
• Travel fees include airfare, mileage (at IRS rate) and hotel expenses, such as room, tax and parking. Recipients will NOT be reimbursed for food and beverage.
• Each recipient must submit an approved RFMA 2021 expense reimbursement form to the RFMA office, with receipts, no later than August 1, 2021.
• The expense report must also include a statement that the scholarship recipient visited 15 pre-assigned exhibitors during the conference.

Time is running out. If interested, feel free to click on this link and apply: https://www.rfmaonline.com/page/RFMA2021ScholarshipProgram.

Hope to see you soon!

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

As you are probably aware by now, RFMA will be having an in-person conference in Charlotte, NC on June 22-24th. First and foremost, we are working with the Charlotte Convention Center to ensure everyone's safety. This is priority #1. This year's conference may look a little different but all the great learning and networking experiences will be available. The Convention Center has mandatory requirements for all participants to follow everyday. Check out their daily cleaning/safety program here. Also see the attached for additional health screening information. So I hope to see you there, with your mask on of course. As always, our conference is designed to give everyone an opportunity to investigate what is new and available to save your company time & money and make your life easier. Check out the Educational sessions and plan accordingly. The more your are prepared, the more you'll be able to learn.

Restaurant members who can't make it either thru existing company travel policies or budget restrictions, RFMA is offering a scholarship program to assist you with conference and travel expenses for the Charlotte. For more information, go to the RFMA website, scroll down to 'Events' and click on 'Annual Conference'.

Looking forward to seeing you soon and lastly, have fun. There are no secrets in what we do and it will surely be special seeing everyone in person again. Any questions, let us know.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

The past 12 months has been brutal to our industry. One of the items that generally took a back seat in importance was sustainability as the drive-thru and pick-up orders rose dramatically which increased the use of food containers, plastic utensils and soda containers. Some brands were already well ahead of the curve and used sustainable friendly products while others are racing to catch up. Now that the pandemic may be ending the importance of sustainability is coming back. There is an interesting article in NRN which describes how Apps are now available for customers to rate various restaurants on their sustainability practices in real time, even able to provide messages to the restaurants in what they are doing to comply or not. Check out the full article here:

https://www.nrn.com/operations/will-your-restaurant-s-sustainability-efforts-make-grade-consumers-are-watching?NL=NRN-02_&Issue=NRN-02__20210331_NRN-02__628&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_5&utm_rid=CPG06000001085094&utm_campaign=45203&utm_medium=email&elq2=98677ef764f4433db4585bb00454117a.

Being proactive in this area is becoming very important to all customers and will only increase in the future. Let's all do our part to help with lowering the waste on the planet.

What are your restaurants doing?

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

I attended the “Neighborhood Kitchens Strategy Summit” virtually a few weeks ago discussing the fundamentals of operating a ‘Ghost’ or ‘Virtual’ kitchen. It was an interesting meeting. These new types of food service have been around a few years but, due to the pandemic, they really have started to make their mark within our industry. Many restaurant chains have “opened” virtual kitchens within the past year including Red Robin, Brinker, Bar Louie, Cracker Barrel, and many, many others. The pandemic has moved delivery trends forward faster due to restaurants being forced to comply with occupancy restrictions and limited operations. These Ghost or Virtual kitchens provide an opportunity to make up some portion of lost revenue.

Many participants on the summit call noted they are reluctant to open inside Ghost kitchens due to the high fee associated with operating within the space and the current delivery costs. Many on the call noted the high costs of third party delivery which runs anywhere from 20 – 30% of each order thereby limiting the profits and, in some cases, eliminating them all together. Some noted they are only entering into agreement utilizing “native” delivery, which signifies they are handling it in-house. This seems to be key in getting more consistent product delivery and stabilizing their margins.

It seems virtual kitchens are gaining more momentum as restaurant companies costs to implement are generally lower. This is due to utilizing their existing facility, kitchen, labor, food products, etc. Some minor kitchen modifications may be required along with employee training on the new menu items. It also gives Brands the opportunity to test new products.

The future is now roaring towards our industry and I would love to hear what your company is doing to join in this movement. Feel free to comment back.

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

Time to change the clocks as Daylight Savings time is upon us again this weekend and with dining rooms reopening, this is a good time to communicate with your restaurants the need to check on the proper time settings for the following equipment:

- T-stats, is the time correct. Are the temperature and night setback settings properly configured?

- Time clocks settings for exterior building, parking lot, and signage lights. Remember to keep lot lights on for at least an additional 30 minutes after the last employee leaves the restaurant.

- Sprinkler system(s). Warmer weather is here in some areas. Ensure your sprinkler system internal clock is correct along with the proper run times for the different zones.

- Security/CCTV systems. This should change automatically but it's best to check to ensure the time is correct.

- Roof drains. Check to see they are not clogged and water is flowing freely. Also a good time to clean up any trash or debris which could potentially cause a roof puncture.

- On a personal note, this is always a good time to check your home t-stat and sprinkler systems for proper settings and change the batteries in the smoke/CO2 alarms.

Stay safe.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

Weather provided much of the nation with 24/7 emergencies due to the cold, snow, and freezing rain last week. It was a perfect storm, so to speak and I’m sure the majority of our members are still dealing with issues. How did your Disaster Management programs work? Were emergencies handled quickly and efficiently? Was their confusion on what to do, who to call, or decisions to make? Priority number one always has and always will be keeping your employees and customers safe then protecting your facilities. It may be a good time to review your internal Disaster Management Plans and make adjustments as required. For those of you that may need assistance in developing new disaster documents, the RFMA Resource Library has a full array for your use. For example, due to the weather event of last week, here are some of the planning documents that may have been useful:

• General Emergency Checklist
• Power Outage Procedures
• Power Outages Operations Checklist
• Snow and Storm/Blizzard Operations Checklist
• Water Supply Interruptions Operations Checklist
• Flood Operation Checklist

Due to last week’s event, some of you dealt with all of the above. Feel free to review and use accordingly. These, and many more plans, are located in the ‘Resource Library’ under ‘Facilities Toolkit’. If you have any questions or need additional help, don’t hesitate to contact me at jeff@rfmaonline.com or at (972) 805-0905, x-3.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

Hello RFMA Members,

It’s still cold out but our industry knows it’s now time to begin the planning for warmer weather as it will be here soon. It’s time to schedule and complete the spring startups/PM’s on HVAC’s, roofs, parking lots, and irrigation systems. There are several tasks where inspections and actions are needed to prolong the life of equipment and to ensure the restaurants are ready to switch from cold to hot mode. Following are items to consider with your service providers and Operations team:

- HVAC's: All units need to be professionally PM'd. Coils need to be cleaned for maximum performance and energy efficiency. Depending on the coil condition, chemical cleaning may be necessary as dirty coils will use up to 40% more energy. This is also the time to change the filters. Go with a pleated type or mesh that can handle the local environment and don't need to be changed every month. In harsh climates, these may need to be changed every 2 months. This is not an area to skimp on as it's relatively inexpensive to replace rather than having the a/c run longer and harder. Changing filters regularly provides a great ROI on maintenance costs, saving energy, and prolonging the life of the equipment. Check with your service agency (or internal techs) on filter conditions and possibly adjust the change frequency as needed. Also, if not done already, may want to look into going with the highest rated MERV filters that will potentially remove air borne virus particles. Check with your a/c service provider or manufacturer rep on what type of filter can be used without minimizing the performance of the unit. Refrigeration pressures need to be checked to ensure they was no leakage over the cold months. Have all electrical connections and amps/volt usages checked for the compressors, condenser and blower motors. Check with your contractor on their checklist of PM services. Lastly have the condensate drain lines blown out to be clean and free of debris. For a complete a/c maintenance list inspection report, visit the RFMA website under "Resources" and "Facilities Toolkit".

- Roofs: After a long winter, a thorough inspection needs to take place to pick up all loose items, clean out roof drains, and check all roof penetrations for any gaps. Reseal as necessary. Check all areas where the roofing membrane and flashing meet to ensure there are no splits or gaps. Reseal as required. Due to the importance of a sound roof to protect the restaurant interior, it's recommended an inspection takes place every few months. Again, check out the "Roofing Care & Maintenance" report under Resources on the RFMA website. This is one of the most expensive assets and is commonly overlooked on periodic maintenance.

- Irrigation Systems: Check to correct times and dates and the programmed start/stop times as there may have been a power outage that will require resetting. Turn on operation and check for any broken sprinkler heads. Replace as necessary. Communicate with your irrigation vendor on specifics.

- Parking Lots: In some areas of the country the lots have deteriorated from the long, cold winter. Check for any potholes, cracks, and alligatoring that may cause vehicle damage or pose a safety risk (trip & fall). Repair asap to minimize liability. Check for worn discolored sealer and reseal/restripe as necessary. Having a nice looking lot is one of the first impressions on a potential customer and also reduces liability when the lot is striped properly. This is often times an overlooked area but having it safe and in good condition protects your Brand.

- Other: Check for proper time clock settings for all exterior lighting and ensure all bulbs are working. The long darker winter months enabled all exterior lights to be on longer periods of time. Check t-stat settings for proper on/off times, temperature, and night setback functions.

These actions will ensure your restaurants will be saving utility dollars and keep your customers and employees safe and comfortable. It also greatly minimizes your Brand liabilities. If I missed anything, feel free to let me know.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

Restaurant facility professionals know they would not be successful if their vendors aren't successful. Vendor relationships may be the most important responsibility a FM has. You must have providers available for any emergencies 24/7, 365 days of the year. Costs definitely play a role in choosing the right partners but is not the driving force normally in setting up store service vendors. Several times a year communication between FM's and contractor service managers need to take place to discuss what is working and what challenges there may be. A few thoughts on building and maintaining a good relationship are as follows:

- Establishing what a good business relationship means to both parties

- How to find and vet new vendors (RFMA and networking with your Peers works best)

- Discussing and establishing fair contracts to both parties and what is included in the document

- Proper timing for periodic communications to review relationship

- How store operators communicate with your providers

- Setting achievable expectations

- Formal vendor performance reviews (utilizing operations input)

These are just a few priority items to consider when talking with your providers. Sometimes Operations does not understand how vital the vendor's role is in the success of the restaurant and FM's. It's your job to teach and instruct them how to handle communications and performance issues and to react swiftly when a problem pops up.

Stay safe.

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

The new year is upon us and RFMA is ready to go in helping our members take care of restaurants. We have a Peer to Partner call scheduled on Tuesday, January 19th covering "Parking Lots & Roof Maintenance" moderated by Nate Lee, CRFP, from RPM Pizza and on Thursday, Jan. 28th, there will be a Restaurant Roundtable Event with Tony Elrod and Nic Stoyer, CRFP discussing "Design/Build Changes due to the Pandemic" and "Disaster Management". Don't forget to register. Hope you have time to attend, learn, and/or share your ideas on all the topics being discussed. Let's get our stores ready for a great 2021.

Be safe.

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

Hello RFMA Members,

Well, I am please to say this year is finally coming to an end and not soon enough. It has been a difficult year for everyone in many, many ways. I hope you were able to sit back and enjoy some time off during the holidays. This is a time of year for reflection and I'm not sure I care to think about it anymore. We are all ready to move on but let's be grateful for what we have. I hope you and your family are in good health. I am in the middle of taking a few days off but not going anywhere. I'm actually looking forward to a great 2021 and getting back to some kind of normalcy but don't let your guard down for a minute on this pandemic. There's light at the end of the tunnel but the virus isn't going anywhere for a while.
Stay focused and safe.

The entire staff here at RFMA wish you and your loved ones a very happy New Year. We appreciate all you do for our association and your companies. Stay safe in 2021 and let's have a great year!

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

Hope you enjoyed the August/September edition of the Facilitator Magazine which included a separate Best Practices booklet. We are now accepting article submissions for the next booklet on Best Practices for the late summer, 2021 printing of our magazine. The next set of topics are:

- Janitorial

- Electrical Maintenance

- Floor Tile, BOH

- Duct Cleaning

- Beer Line Cleaning

- Solar Power

If you are interested in submitting an article on any of the above topics, feel free to click on the following: http://rfmaonline.site-ym.com/page/BestPractices. Submissions are accepted thru February 1, 2021. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at (972) 805-0905, x-3.

Thanks for your support!

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

Wow, what a difficult year in so many ways. Hopefully, things have settled down a bit with all the changes required by the pandemic. The vaccines are on the way for all that want them and maybe we can get back to a new "normal". How has your professional development gone this year? Probably didn't have much time for that but there is still time left to earn your CRFP designation. Attaining RFMA's CRFP is a huge step in increasing your facilities management knowledge and elevating yourself within our industry. The prerequisite, in general, for taking the exam for the designation requires 3-5 years of restaurant facility experience, knowledge of all aspects of facility management, and a commitment to advancement of the restaurant facility management industry. To prepare for the exam there is a CRFP Prep course on the RFMA website consisting of fourteen (14) topic areas (modules) to review. They are:

- Site Work

- Building

- Kitchen Equipment

 - HVAC

- Electrical Systems

- Plumbing Systems

- Preventative Maintenance

- Disaster Management

- Energy Management

- Financial Planning

- Financial Management

- Project Management

- Property Management

- Codes & Guidelines

The modules are free to RFMA members and are online for self training with no time constraints. Each has a pre-test, the learning material, and a post-test. They take anywhere from 15-45 minutes to complete and will prepare you for the CRFP exam. The modules provide valuable information that will benefit you in your day to day decision making activities. I highly recommend this great learning tool as it will only help in your professional development. How about a great way to finish off 2020 in your professional development?

So, are you up for it? Are your ready to elevate yourself in our industry? Challenge yourself. You will be better qualified in restaurant facility maintenance. Feel free to contact me to discuss further.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

We had a great Peer to Partner call Monday with Nate Lee, CRFP, from RPM Pizza moderating "R&M Cost Reductions". It's a pertinent topic in this current pandemic environment. One item came across strong, it being the importance of having great relationships with your service providers. They are struggling as much as the restaurants but are knowledgeable in what they do. Use them as your SME (subject matter experts) in what can be done to lower/minimize store R&M spending through less PM tasks, reduced frequency of services, etc. They will only be successful if the restaurants are successful. Attached are the notes from the call. Take a look and see if there is an opportunity for your organization to lower its R&M costs.

Stay safe and please wear a mask.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

We had a great Virtual Roundtable event last Friday with Tony Elrod (ZAX, LLC) moderating discussions on 'Equipment Training for Ops' and Bevin McPherson (Buffalo Wild Wings), CRFP, leading talks on 'Vendor Management'. Attached are notes for the call. Take a look to see what you missed. Special thanks to Tony, Bevin, and Corrigo, the event sponsor. Don't miss our next virtual Roundtable Event on Tuesday, December 8th from 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM, CST. Topics discussed will be 'Floor Materials(Design & Maintenance)' and 'Codes and Guidelines, Fire and Life Safety'. Jay Roach (TGIFriday's), CRFP, and Curt Sawan (Red Lobster), CRFP, will be moderating.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

We had a great Peer to Partner call on Monday, Oct. 19th discussing 'Facilities Audits'. Due to the pandemic each restaurant chain is having to make changes and adjust how they complete their audits along with their yearly capital budgets. Kevin Carringer, CRFP, with LongHorn Steakhouse did a outstanding job in moderating and explaining what changes LongHorn had to make. There were several good takeaways. Take a look at the attached notes from the call and let us know if you have any questions or items to add.

Stay safe!

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

Everyone in our industry knows how bad we have been hit by the pandemic resulting in literally millions of jobs lost. Let's work together to help out wherever we can in finding employment for our out of work members. RFMA has a 'Career Center' where you can post job opening and resumes. Search for your next restaurant facilities career or post an open position within your company. Login to RFMAonline.com to start searching now! https://loom.ly/F6FXFms. Lets all help where we can as our industry is like an extended family. If you need any assistance with the Career Center, feel free to contact Rheagan Willis at: rheagan@rfmaonline.com.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

- RTU's. Are the fall start-ups scheduled with your contractors to check on winter operation?  Heat exchangers, blower motors, filters, wiring, and belts all need to be looked at and serviced as required. Now is still a good time to replace a cracked heat exchanger if needed. Also a good time to replace the belts and filters. Don't want to lose heat in the winter on such an inexpensive repair. Make sure an additional belt is on hand for emergencies and possibly train a restaurant employee on emergency replacement.

- Building air balance. Are your building positively balanced? After a long summer there may be some adjustments necessary to have a slight positive building air balance. This is extremely important during the frigid temperature conditions in the winter. A negative balance will waste energy and, more importantly, create drafts which will make customers and employees uncomfortable. This has also become very important to minimize the potential Covid virus. Have your contractor add this task to the fall check list. Make sure the technician is fully trained on what an store air balance is and how to correct issues effecting it.

- Roof drains. Make sure these are clean and free of debris. With normal fall and winter precipitation, water needs to be drained properly off the roof. Check the flashing and roof seams for damage as water penetration then freezing will cause leaks and potentially expensive repairs. Have any issues professionally repaired.

- Irrigation systems. Check with your landscapers to drain the lines and unhook all hoses from their spigots. Mat want them to do a final inspection on the entire system so it'll be ready in the spring

- Exterior lighting. With darkness coming earlier, make sure all parking lot, building, and walkway lights are working and programmed for proper on/off times. Reprogram as required.

- Exterior doors. Are the sweeps in good condition? This will keep the cold out along with the pests.

- Snow removal. Who is responsible for the snow removal at the restaurant? If it's not handled by the landlord, do you have a contract in place for snow and ice removal? Is it updated? What are the parameters when they need to come out to plow? After 2 or 3 inches? Work out the details now and minimize facilities liabilities. Having a contract in place should put your facilities in a higher priority position to get plowed.

- Thermostats. Reprogram accordingly for winter operation. In extreme cold climates do not program below 60-65 degrees.

- Pest control. Colder weather drives pests inside where it's warmer. Schedule your restaurants accordingly for a treatment and review their report to correct any minor facility issues to keep pests out.

Getting ready for winter now saves money, time, and increases customer and employee satisfaction which always protects your brand.

Always looking for feedback. What other activities do you complete for winter preparation? Let me know.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

We had a great restaurant Roundtable call last week covering numerous items like Covid-19 updates, R&M cost controls during the pandemic and other facilities related topics. One of the items discussed was yearly Facilities Audits. As you know audits are at the base of accurate capital and expense budgeting and need to be completed at least once per year. Due to the Covid situation, most of our restaurant members are unable to travel to their stores to get this vital task done. One of the participants on the Roundtable call noted their company is performing these virtually with their restaurant operational teams. The engagement from all parties is great and new technology is being used thru the use of drones, HD cameras, and software. By using all these items each asset in the store can be viewed, measured, and notes tabulated into their audit software to produce a capital and R&M budget for each asset and location. Other call participants were very interested in knowing more details in this new budgeting process.

These calls along with our Peer to Peer/Partner, Webinars, and Panel Discussions provide great educational information in all areas of restaurant facility management. There are always a few good take-aways along with establishing and enlarging your networking group. I highly recommend engaging and joining in with others who share their knowledge in our industry. I know your time is limited but I believe these events will enable you to work more efficiently. Check out our Event Calendar on the RFMA website for dates, times, and topics coming up in the fall as we have many to choose from.

Stay safe out there!

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

The prime hurricane seasonal time is here. Are your stores ready? Is your Disaster Management Plan up to date? Has it been updated to include what was learned from the current pandemic? When was the last time the plan was reviewed and discussed? Following are a few items that may need review for hurricane preparedness.

- Planning. Are the stores employees ready and informed on what actions are required in planning for a storm or event? Does everyone know what to do and when to do it? What about corporate personnel?

- Decision making. Who is responsible for the critical decisions and when? What are the critical decisions? When should stores close to keep employees safe? When should contractors be notified and set-up to board and/or prepare the restaurant for the storm?

- Communication timing. Who is responsible to communicate the decisions reached? Are the disaster communication devices available and ready, i.e., satellite phones, 2-way radios, etc.?

- Store supplies. Are the proper supplies and their quantities available or are additional items needed, i.e., flash lights, batteries, First Aid kit, drinking water, phone chargers, cash, generators, etc.?

- Recovery. Are the Response and Recovery parts of the plans on target? Are the local public officials contact information up to date and written down which will be needed in reopening the restaurant.

- Insurance. Is your coverage up to date, active, and include all potential disasters, i.e. hurricane, flood, fire, etc?

Hurricanes are just one of the natural disasters to plan for. Periodic practice and review of your plans are necessary to protect company assets and keep employees safe. RFMA has several Disaster Management planning resources on our website in the Resource Library in the Facilities Toolkit section and there is an Online Learning Module in our CRFP Prep Course. Additionally, feel free to review past articles in the Facilitator magazine.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

We are in the midst of another hot summer. Most of the US has been hit with brutally hot and dangerous conditions. For some areas of the country, the high heat stressed the power grid beyond its normal capacity creating "brown outs" that lasted anywhere from a few minutes to a couple hours. Additionally, with the powerful storms generated, electrical outages have existed that can last from a few seconds to several days. Are your stores prepared to handle no electricity for several hours or days? Do you know what actions to take to keep your guests, employees and food safe? Following are brief procedures that can be utilized by restaurant managers and facilities personnel to ensure you are prepared when power is lost.

- Employee and guest safety is always the first priority. If storms are powerful, take shelter in an interior safe room, like the restrooms or even the walk in's. When weather permits, get everyone out of the building.

- Check other areas of the building for guests and/or employees that may be stuck in restrooms, storage areas, etc.

- Turn off all electrical equipment asap at its source by switching it to off or unplugging it. Don't forget to turn off the A/C's and hood exhaust and make up air fans. Ensure electrical breakers are marked accordingly for each piece of equipment and switch those off too.

- Report power outage to supervisors and other operational personnel.

- Determine if electric is out for your restaurant and/or the surrounding areas by checking with neighboring establishments.

- Contact the local utility to report outage and, if possible, get details on when they expect power to be restored.

- Keep all refrigeration equipment and walk in doors shut. Do not open unless absolutely necessary.

- Put lids on all topping stations.

- If electric is scheduled to be out for longer than 3-4 hours, transfer food from the walk in's to other stores in the area if possible. Ensure internal food temperature has not exceeded the health code requirements. Contact your supervisor for discussions.

- Note the emergency lighting system normally will last for 1 -2 hours. Ensure flashlights are available for outages that exceed this length of time. Do not use candles as there may be an unknown gas leak.

- When power has returned, go the the electrical panel and turn on equipment slowly, one at a time over several minutes which will decrease the electrical surge that will occur when power is restored. This will minimize the kilowatt demand charge.

- Go to the individual pieces of equipment and slowly turn then on or plug them in, one at a time. Wait a few minutes between each.

- Reset all time clocks accordingly.

This is a general list of action items for a power outage. Each restaurant will have additional items required. If not done so already in the store's disaster management plan binder, I recommend summarizing this on one page and have it handy for restaurant operations. For additional store outage information, check out the Facilities Toolkit under the Resource Library on the RFMA website.

What have I missed?

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

Summer is past half over and I hope your emergencies are few. This has been quite a year, to say the least. Since mid-March our industry has been changed forever and your responsibilities have too. The past 4 months has brought challenges and opportunities that were never imagined. I'm sure the stress level has been non-stop and you deserve a break. Summer is the time for vacations and it's your responsibility to take time off, especially this year. For you and your organization, you must be able to get away and recharge. It will help both yourself and your company. It's been proven through many studies that employees in high pressure positions lose their productivity without any real time off. When taking vacation, take vacation. No checking email and definitely not answering your phone. You can easily be sucked back into emergencies which require follow-up and phone calls. Communication prior to your vacation is critical. Establish back-ups for your projects and complete an "out of office" automatic email notification. Talk to your supervisor and vendors who may be in the middle of your projects. Let critical individuals know you will not be available. I'm on vacation now in and enjoying every minute.

I know it sounds easier said than done but both you and your organization will benefit from your time off.

Have a safe rest of the summer.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

RFMA hosted a great webinar last week entitled "COVID Compliant Ventilation Management For Restaurants". Danny Miller of Transformative Wave moderated and provided good information on HVAC ventilation best practices for minimizing the spread of the virus inside restaurants. Some of the key discussions included:

- New developments in HVAC for restaurants

- Explaining how HVAC "work" in the buliding

- Learn the new CDC & ASHRAE guidelines for restaurant ventialtion

- Guidelines versus regulated legislation on the new ventilation standards specifically for MUA units and filter specs

- How to implement the coming regulations

- Learn the five (5) reasons why COVID compliant HVAC should be a high priority.

Stay tuned for the webinar link, which I'll post soon when available.

It's all good information to help your decision making on ventilation to keep your employees and customers safe.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

Hope you are all safe and wearing masks in public buildings. The mask comment is not meant to be a political statement, just a public service announcement:). As we progress thru the warm summer months, RFMA has four great educational events in July. They are as follows:

- July 10th, Webinar covering "COVID Compliant Ventilation Management for Restaurants".

- July 16th, Webinar covering "Microsoft Excel Hacks".

- July 22nd, Peer to Peer call on "COVID-19 Updates"

- July 23rd, Zoom meeting/contest on "CRFP Masters Competition".

All of these present a great opportunity to learn more about the pandemic in our industry along with professional development. Check these out for further details and registration under the "Events" tab on our website.

Stay safe and enjoy the summer.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

We hosted a Peer to Peer call last Thursday, June 11th, covering the successes and challenges that our restaurant facilities members are facing since this pandemic began. It was amazing to see the pride from the participants as they described how each of them are involved with so many projects beyond their "normal" restaurant facility duties. Each talked about how they are connected to other department representatives in making quick, real-time decisions on how to open and operate their stores to ensure their guests and employees are safe and they are following proper government mandated guidelines. Some noted the added respect they gained by working with cross department personnel. All expressed deep satisfaction and personal growth by what they are doing. This is a terrible crisis but it amazes me to see how our members have come together to overcome the obstacles that are placed in front of them every day. Take a look at the attached notes from the call to see what activities some are doing. Keep up the great teamwork!!

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

We had a great Zoom call last Thursday with a panel discussion on how restaurant facilities professionals have adapted to the Covid situation thus far and what their thoughts were for the future. Numerous success and challenges were talked about and I thought I'd share a few. First, the successes:

- Both our restaurant and vendor members have quickly made monumental changes to help keep their companies in business. The vendor community has pivoted to provide the needed materials and services that our industry desires such as PPE, cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing chemicals, plexiglass barriers, and numerous other items that are essential.

- Our restaurant facility members have and are continuing to do whatever is necessary to keep their restaurants operating and provided the tools for reopening by redesigning their dining rooms, installing touchless devices throughout the stores, ordering and installing shields for employee and customer safety, sourcing floor signage for proper social distancing and one way access, changing their restrooms to single use, obtaining necessary PPE and cleaning products, minimizing capital and R&M projects, and even working in the restaurants.

- The success of our industry has relied on teamwork within each of our members companies. This is similar to a disaster like a hurricane or tornado where all departments have to work together.

Some of the challenges include:

- Keeping up with the ever changing guidelines for operating and reopening the restaurants

- Staffing the stores as the furloughed employees are actually making more money from government unemployment payouts

- Sourcing and obtaining necessary materials and chemicals required for the "new" standards

- Storage of excess dining room tables and chairs

- Training the staff on new service procedures to keep them and their guests safe

- Higher food and labor costs

Our industry is facing a monumental task to simply stay in business but it's amazing to see how everyone has worked together to achieve their goals.

Stay safe.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

The reopening in most states has begun with a bit of trepidation from the consumer. In most cases dining rooms are not being filled to their 25% capacity but drive-thru's, pick ups, and deliveries remain solid. We had a good Peer to Peer call last week discussing how the reopening is proceeding for the various restaurant members on the call. It amazes me the flexibility both our restaurant and vendor members are incorporating in their desire to help their organizations get thru this disaster. Who would have thought 3 months ago how many plexiglass shields would be needed or the amount of new touchless restroom hardware required. Being flexible is one very important trait to ensure success. The FM's are working 7 days a week doing whatever is necessary to get their stores open and operating safely and most at a reduced salary. Check out the attached noted from the call as I think you'll find a few interesting details. We (RFMA) have another Peer to Peer call scheduled today (Wed., May 20th) and a Panel Discussion on three (3) case studies on how stores are reopening on May 28th. Feel free to register on our website.

Stay safe.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

RFMA is continuing with increased Peer to Peer calls discussing nothing but COVID-19 issues as it relates to our industry. Attached are notes from the latest call last week. Take a look and see what your Peers are doing during this crisis. Right or wrong, the nation is reopening and restaurants must be ready to keep everyone safe from contacting the virus. I would recommend participating in some of the upcoming calls to share what your stores are planning to do or what they already have done and listen and learn what others are doing. We are all in this together and there are no secrets or magic bullets. RFMA also has created a COVID-19 Information section in the "Facilities Toolkit" under the Resource Library tab, which has several virus related documents. The upcoming calls are as follows:

- Thurs., May 14th, Peer to Peer call, 10 - 11:00 AM, CST, COVID-19, Crisis Management and Useful Tools

- Monday, May 18th, Peer to Partner call, Noon - 1:00 PM, CST, Parking lot/Sidewalk Maintenance and COVID-19 Updates

- Wed., May 20th, Peer to Peer call, 10:00 - 11:00 AM, CST, COVID-19, What's Working and What's Not?

- Thurs., June 11th, Peer to Peer call, 10 - 11:00 AM, CST, COVID-19 Challenges and Success

We are always looking for updated articles on the virus situation as it affects our industry. Feel free to post any stories you read on our Social Link in the Industry News section. It could benefit all our members.

Stay safe.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

Well, light is finally beginning to appear for our industry as state agencies are putting together plans to re-open their economies. It can't come soon enough for all the restaurants and their employees. As part of the prep, RFMA had a great Roundtable discussion with dozens of restaurant facility leaders discussing what they are preparing for to get their facilities back open for business. There were good conversations had by all. Attached are the notes from the call. I think there is useful information for everyone and we'll be scheduling additional calls soon as conditions warrant. If you have any follow up questions, do not hesitate to contact me at jeff@rfmaonline.com. I'm open and excited to share whatever is needed to our members to get thru this difficult situation as quickly and safely as possible.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

We had numerous Peer to Partner calls over the past two(2) weeks discussing what our restaurant and vendor members can do to support each other thru this difficult situation. Our restaurant members are tasked with minimizing R&M costs and, in some cases, completely idling their facilities. The vendors have provided much needed services and ideas to assist the our industry and help the restaurant members achieve their goals. Many great ideas were talked about in length on the calls and attached are the notes from these discussions. Feel free to read through these and let me know what additional items can be provided to help our industry get thru this unprecedented disaster, Thanks to all that participated in these fruitful talks.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

We are living in unprecedented times with the COVID -19 pandemic. I'm sure I don't have any new information to share that you've already read or heard about but we at RFMA are here to help in any way possible. For those of you that attended our recent conference, our Chairman's (Rob Wach, CRFP) exit speech summed up RFMA's commitment to assist all within our industry. He plainly stated we are a family and in this together. We share our victories and console one another when faced with a challenge. As a family, we help each other thru disasters like hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and thru personal challenges resulting from layoffs, mergers, downsizing, etc. This is where we are today and will be tomorrow. Now is the time to reach out to others within our association to help you in any manner necessary to get thru this. The RFMA staff is always available and willing to help in any way we can. Let us know what we can do to help, be it, job loss, store closings, hiring, etc. If you just want to vent, that's ok too.

Click here to check out the following article which was published in NRN yesterday as it gives great information on controlling/reducing costs for restaurants that are open for drive-thru, delivery, and pick up.

Stay safe.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

Wow, another great national conference. I appreciate all your engagement. I hope you enjoyed your time and were able to have some good takeaways. From the opening party inside the Gaylord to the closing party at the Wings over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, there was plenty of opportunity to have fun and network with your peers and vendors. Hope you took advantage of the great educational sessions, roundtable events, and spent plenty of time on the exhibit floor checking out new vendors and technologies that can make you more efficient.

During the Opening session Jamie Clark, who is quite the adventurer and risk taker, spoke about his unique perspective on effective leadership, which was inspirational to all. Now is the time to implement some of his thoughts to help you personally and your organization achieve the goals necessary to win in our industry.

It can be a bit overwhelming to get back into the work routine after the conference but now is the time to keep the momentum going on the items to assist you with your daily facilities responsibilities. Reach out to those vendors, suppliers, and peers on new initiatives that will benefit you and your company by saving time, money, and provide a better quality product and/or service. RFMA has the tools to help. Embrace the ever changing facility environment. Be proactive and make a difference. RFMA realizes you have to juggle several different jobs at once and we are here to help.

Thanks to all for making this conference a success. Don't hesitate to contact anyone at RFMA on any issue. Rest assured, we are already working on making the next conference in Charlotte better than Denver.

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

Are your stores prepared for the hotter temperatures? Are your contractors ready to get the equipment preventative maintenance items completed? It's the end of February and it may still be cold but now is the time to plan for warmer weather. There are several tasks where inspections and actions are needed to prolong the life of equipment and to ensure the restaurants are ready to switch from cold to hot mode. Following are areas and equipment that need to be addressed:

- HVAC's: All units need to be professionally PM'd. Coils need to be cleaned for maximum performance and energy efficiency. Depending on the coil condition, chemical cleaning may be necessary as dirty coils will use up to 40% more energy. This is also the time to change the filters. Go with a pleated type or mesh that can handle the local environment and don't need to be changed every month. In harsh climates, these may need to be changed every 2 months. This is not an area to skimp on as it's relatively inexpensive to replace rather than having the a/c run longer and harder. Changing filters regularly provides a great ROI on maintenance costs, saving energy, and prolonging the life of the equipment. Check with your service agency (or internal techs) on filter conditions and possibly adjust the change frequency as needed. Refrigeration pressures need to be checked to ensure they was no leakage over the cold months. Have all electrical connections and amps/volt usages checked for the compressors, condenser and blower motors. Check with your contractor on their checklist of PM services. Lastly have the condensate drain lines blown out to be clean and free of debris. For a complete a/c maintenance list inspection report, visit the RFMA website under "Resources" and "Facilities Toolkit".

- Roofs: After a long winter, a thorough inspection needs to take place to pick up all loose items, clean out roof drains, and check all roof penetrations for any gaps. Reseal as necessary. Check all areas where the roofing membrane and flashing meet to ensure there are no splits or gaps. Reseal as required. Due to the importance of a sound roof to protect the restaurant interior, it's recommended an inspection takes place every few months. Again, check out the "Roofing Care & Maintenance" report under Resources on the RFMA website. This is one of the most expensive assets and is commonly overlooked on periodic maintenance.

- Irrigation Systems: Check to correct times and dates and the programmed start/stop times as there may have been a power outage that will require resetting. Turn on operation and check for any broken sprinkler heads. Replace as necessary. Communicate with your irrigation vendor on specifics.

- Parking Lots: In some areas of the country the lots have deteriorated from the long, cold winter. Check for any potholes, cracks, and alligatoring that may cause vehicle damage or pose a safety risk (trip & fall). Repair asap to minimize liability. Check for worn discolored sealer and reseal/restripe as necessary. Having a nice looking lot is one of the first impressions on a potential customer and also reduces liability when the lot is striped properly. This is often times an overlooked area but having it safe and in good condition protects your Brand.

- Other: Check for proper time clock settings for all exterior lighting and ensure all bulbs are working. The long darker winter months enabled all exterior lights to be on longer periods of time. Check t-stat settings for proper on/off times, temperature, and night setback functions.

These actions will ensure your restaurants will be saving utility dollars and keep your customers and employees safe and comfortable. It also greatly minimizes your Brand liabilities. If I missed anything, feel free to let me know.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

Hello RFMA members,

Only a few weeks until the conference in Denver. Are you ready? Have you done your research? This is the most exciting time of the year for RFMA and we are ready to go. This conference is designed to give everyone an opportunity to network, learn and investigate what is available to save your company time & money and make your life easier. Make sure you download the free Conference App. What educational sessions are you registered for? Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning, Equipment Repair/Replace Decisions, Ice Machine Maintenance? There are many. Take advantage of them to learn what's new in these specific areas and what could you bring back to your company. Do you have a plan for visiting the exhibitors? To be efficient, it makes sense to have one as there are over 350 booths. Do you need a new contractor? Check them out. Hopefully you also signed up for the Restaurant RoundTable  as it provides a great opportunity to network with other local FM's in the same geographical area. Don't miss the Opening/General Session as the Keynote Speaker, Jamie Clark, a performance coach for the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals and Everest adventurer, will be discussing how to grow professionally by establishing your purpose and utilizing the power of teamwork. Everyone needs help periodically.

Lastly, have fun. There are no secrets in what we do. We are not sharing recipes, just facility best practices.

Stop by the RFMA booth to learn more. We're here to help.

See you in a few weeks!!

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

The recent Franchisee Peer to Peer, Peer to Partner, and Peer to Peer calls were well attended and full of great takeaways. Some of them included decision-making on parking lot maintenance with specifics relating to the frequency of seal-coating and striping, crack filling and the need to have a parking lot project professional get involved in determining what types of repair or replacement is needed and supervising the work to ensure it is done properly. Another important item to note is numerous municipalities now require environmentally friendly asphalt to be used and the increased cost for compliance. Lastly, how to build a case to your internal financial team to obtain parking lot R&M and Capital dollars.

On another call, sourcing in-house techs was discussed at length due to the massive shortage of qualified candidates now and in the future. Where can you recruit? Who can help you recruit? Also, what will be the work responsibility of your techs, i.e., equipment PM's only, full HVAC/R service, plumbing, electrical, etc.? Lastly, what are the pros and cons for utilizing in-house technicians.

The third call centered on Restaurant Facilities Audits. Discussions on who performs these (in-house or 3rd party), frequency, and budget building processes. Audits can provide valuable input for project priorities, capital and R&M budgets, and the timing of jobs. All brands with multiple locations must complete this important task at least once a year to minimize Brand liabilities and provide a road map for future facility spending.

RFMA is planning on holding approximately three (3) of these calls per month beginning in April after the conference. We'll be posting these on our event calendar and marketing thru the Dish and other media sources. The feedback from the participants is overwhelmingly positive from the new and seasoned facility professionals. With all the responsibilities FM's have, there's always time to learn more. Hope you join us!

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

We are off to another fast start here at RFMA. Everyday we are preparing for our national conference in March in Denver. If you haven't registered, please do so. We are also beginning the year with three(3) educational calls in January. The first is a Franchisee Focus Peer to Peer call today, January 15th discussing "Parking Lots". The next call is on Friday, January 17th covering "Sourcing In-House Service Technicians" and it is a Peer to Partner type. The third is on Thursday, January 23rd covering "Facilities Audits" and is a Peer to Peer variety. Join us to get a good start to the year on continuing your restaurant facilities education. As always, the calls are free and registration in available on our website.

Hope you have a great 2020.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

It's only two (2) months until our national conference in Denver, running from March 8-10th. Are you ready? Have you registered and made hotel reservations? The national conference is such a busy time. It gives everyone a great opportunity to learn, network, and explore methods on saving valuable R&M dollars and look at better ways to take care of your facilities. The conference is designed and intended to to make your life easier in protecting your company's assets. It is the only conference designed specifically for restaurant facility professionals.

Due to the size and scope of this event, it is recommended doing a little research to gain as much knowledge as possible. The RFMA Conference App will be available in a few weeks but feel free to visit our conference website at www.rfmaannualconference.com to review all the scheduled events. Reviewing these will give you a better opportunity for scheduling your time efficiently. Check out all the great educational sessions to determine which is best suited for you and your company. Are you looking for new vendors or following up with existing ones? The Exhibitor List shows who's attending along with where their booth is located. With more than 300 booths, it can be a bit overwhelming if you do not have an effective game plan when the conference floor is open so plan accordingly. Make sure to sign up for the Restaurant Roundtables as these provide an excellent opportunity to network with other facility professionals in your same geographical area(s).

If you are arriving early, don't forget to sign up for the 5K Fun Run/Walk which benefits RFMA Gives 2021. Enjoy the conference and have fun. There are no secrets being shared just great restaurant facility best practices. Lastly, don't forget to stop by the RFMA booth to learn more or ask questions. We are here to help. See ya soon!

Dover and out. 

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

Well, it's the Holiday Season again. It's time to relax and enjoy some time off and spend some quality time with your family. This is the time of the year to reflect back on the past 12 months and be grateful for all you have. I will be taking several days off to enjoy my family and hope you are able to do the same. Unless it's truly a work emergency, stay away from your phone and laptop!

The entire staff here at RFMA wish you and your loved ones a very happy Holiday Season. We appreciate all you do for our association and your companies. I know restaurant facilities work can be frustrating at times but we are here to help.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

There are a few articles in the Facilitator magazine I'm involved with. The first is "Emerging Trends" where I discuss a specific topic with a SME (Subject Matter Expert) from one of our members or non-members on what the future looks like for a specific topic. In the latest story, I talked with Bob and Anthony Gouglar of Wayne Communications on where they saw advancements in Drive - Thru's in the next 5 years. We all know the importance of these and the growing use. Obviously, restaurants are constantly looking at quicker drive-thru times and increased order accuracy. Bob and Anthony shared several interesting nuggets of info on what the future may hold. AI (Artificial Intelligence)  is increasingly being used for order taking and suggestive selling. Also, the food delivery system may change dramatically soon due to the ever increasing use of the drive-thru.

The other article I'm involved with is the "FM Project Profile" which details a specific project or item that one of our restaurant facility professional members has been involved with in their past. The most recent one is from Angela Hughes, CRFP, from Red Lobster which covers her experiences and thoughts on vendor and landlord relationships as they pertain to her everyday job duties. The success of these relationships are vitally important in our industry as everyone needs to work as a team in solving issues that each are faced with constantly. Success is only obtained by the strength and knowledge of all involved and all must be available 24/7 to keep restaurants operating.

Check out these articles in the latest Facilitator magazine. I think you'll enjoy them and take away good information to assist you in "protecting your company assets". If you have any questions or comments, let me know.

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

Hope you enjoyed the August/September edition of the Facilitator Magazine which included a separate Best Practices booklet. We are now accepting article submissions for the next booklet on Best Practices for the late summer, 2020 printing of our magazine. The next set of topics are:

- Facility Condition Assessments

- Facility Manager Survival

- HVAC, Air Balance & Humidity Control

- Paint Specifications

- Remodel or Refresh?

- Water Intrusion

If you are interested in submitting an article on any of the above topics, feel free to click on the following: http://rfmaonline.site-ym.com/page/BestPractices. Submissions are accepted thru February 1, 2020. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at (972) 805-0905, x-3.

Thanks for your support!

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

Do you know everything needed to be a great restaurant facility professional? Probably not as the requirements for a facility professional continue to increase. Today, the scope of job functions is wide and varied. An individual must be competent in numerous areas. This is exactly why going thru the educational modules and obtaining a CRFP (Certified Restaurant Facility Professional) designation is so important in our industry. Achieving this will better equip you for making the right decisions throughout your work life and set you apart from your peers by demonstrating your expertise the restaurant facility industry. Currently RFMA is running a special discount thru December 31st on taking the CRFP exam by dropping the price by $100. The prerequisite, in general, for taking the exam requires 3-5 years of restaurant facility experience, knowledge of all aspects of facility management, and a commitment to advancement of the restaurant facility management industry. To prepare, check out the CRFP Prep course on the RFMA website consisting of fourteen (14) topic areas (modules) to review. They are:

- Site Work

- Building

- Kitchen Equipment

 - HVAC

- Electrical Systems

- Plumbing Systems

- Preventative Maintenance

- Disaster Management

- Energy Management

- Financial Planning

- Financial Management

- Project Management

- Property Management

- Codes & Guidelines

The modules are free to RFMA members and are online for self training with no time constraints. Each has a pre-test, the learning material, and a post-test. They take anywhere from 15-45 minutes to complete and will prepare you for the CRFP exam. The modules provide valuable information that will benefit you in your day to day decision making activities. I highly recommend this great learning tool as it will only help in your professional development. How about a great way to finish off 2019 in your professional development?

So, are you up for it? Are your ready to elevate yourself in our industry? Challenge yourself. You will be better qualified in restaurant facility maintenance. Feel free to contact me to discuss further.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext

OK, it's almost time to change the clocks again. Maybe this will be the last time as several states are looking to eliminate Daylight Savings Time. This year, the time change takes place early on Sunday, Nov. 3rd. This also may be a good time to send a message to your restaurants reminding them to turn their clocks back one (1) hour and take care of a few housekeeping items as they prepare for shorter days and cold weather. Following is a list of items to consider:

- Adjust time clocks for all interior/exterior lighting. Also check for any burned out bulbs (especially exterior) and change or have professionally replaced as it will be darker substantially earlier. This is a must to protect customers, employees and your brand.

- Change times for exterior signage on/off times (time clocks) if not controlled by a photocell.

- Clean photocell lenses for exterior building and parking lot lights.

- Change programmable thermostat settings for proper times and temperatures. Do not program under 60 degrees in extreme cold climates.

- Adjust irrigation controls to correct time and ensure they are properly winterized for the cold season, where geographically applicable. Contact your lawn service provider if applicable.

- Change times for the security systems, i.e., burglar, fire, POS, and CCTV, if not done automatically.

- Have roof drains cleaned out as they be be clogged from summer/ fall storms.

- Check all exterior door sweeps for good conditions. Replace as needed as this will save energy and keep pests out as the weather turns cold.

- Ensure HVAC/R fall PM's have been completed or are scheduled.

On your personal residence, now is a good time for:

- Change batteries in all smoke/CO2 detectors.

- Change filter on HVAC unit.

- Clean out dryer vent.

- Clean refrigerator coil.

- Check windows for drafts, caulk where necessary.

- Check all exterior door sweeps to ensure they are in good condition.

- In the northern, colder climates, unhook all exterior hoses from their spigots and cover with insulation cap.

What did I miss? Always looking for feedback.

Dover and out

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

We are listening to your comments on wanting more education. This year, we have had more educational calls than any other year and the participant engagement has been great. Surveys from these events are positive and produce much information on the topic(s) covered. We just finished a Peer to Peer call discussing 'Refrigeration & Chillers and a Peer to Partner call covering 'Plumbing Maintenance'. Our year is winding down but there are still several upcoming calls that are designed to provide important educational info to our members. Future calls and topics are:

- Wednesday, Oct. 16th, Franchisee Focus, Peer to Peer call discussing "Repair vs Replace"

- Friday, Oct. 18th, RFMA-U Webinar, covering "Hood & Kitchen Exhaust"

- Monday, Oct. 21st, Peer to Partner, "Snow Removal"

- Monday, Nov. 18th, Peer to Partner, "Fire/Life Safety"

- Friday, Dec. 6th, RFMA-U Webinar, "Kitchen Exhaust Styles, Design and Construction"

Feel free to register for any, or all, of these on our website. There's great information to learn and share. What topics would you like for 2020? Reply back and let me know or contact me at jeff@rfmaonline.com.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

Hello RFMA members,

- RTU's. Are the fall start-ups scheduled with your contractors to check on winter operation?  Heat exchangers, blower motors, filters, wiring, and belts all need to be looked at and serviced as required. Now is still a good time to replace a cracked heat exchanger if needed. May be a good time to replace the belts also. Don't want to lose heat in the winter on such an inexpensive repair. Make sure an additional belt is on hand for emergencies and possibly train a restaurant employee on emergency replacement.

- Building air balance. Are your building positively balanced? After a long summer there may be some adjustments necessary to have a slight positive building air balance. This is extremely important during the frigid temperature conditions in the winter. A negative balance will waste energy and, more importantly, create drafts which will make customers and employees uncomfortable. Have your contractor add this task to the fall check list. Make sure the technician is fully trained on what an store air balance is and how to correct issues effecting it.

- Roof drains. Make sure these are clean and free of debris. With normal fall and winter precipitation, water needs to be drained properly off the roof. Check the flashing and roof seams for damage as water penetration then freezing will cause leaks and potentially expensive repairs. Have any issues professionally repaired.

- Irrigation systems. Check with your landscapers to drain the lines and unhook all hoses from their spigots. Mat want them to do a final inspection on the entire system so it'll be ready in the spring

- Exterior lighting. With darkness coming earlier, make sure all parking lot, building, and walkway lights are working and programmed for proper on/off times.

- Exterior doors. Are the sweeps in good condition? Change as necessary. This will keep the cold out along with the pests.

- Snow removal. Who is responsible for the snow removal at the restaurant? If it's not handled by the landlord, do you have a contract in place for snow and ice removal? Is it updated? What are the parameters when they need to come out to plow? After 2 or 3 inches? Work out the details now and minimize facilities liabilities. Having a contract in place should put your facilities in a higher priority position to get plowed.

- Thermostats. Reprogram accordingly for winter operation. In extreme cold climates do not program below 60-65 degrees.

- Pest control. Colder weather drives pests inside where it's warmer. Schedule your restaurants accordingly for a treatment and review their report to correct any minor facility issues to keep pests out.

Getting ready for winter now saves money, time, and increases customer and employee satisfaction which always protects your brand.

Always looking for feedback. What other activities do you complete for winter preparation? Let me know.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

RFMA 2020 conference registration is now open. This is the premier annual event for restaurant facility professionals to gather with peers, vendors, and other industry-shapers under one roof. Two (2) full days of building existing and new relationships, learning from speakers and education sessions, sharing knowledge, networking, and gathering new resources. This is the place to be for anything related to restaurant facility management. This conference will help you in your mission to "protect your company's assets". Everything from energy saving devices to new building materials to better ways to perform necessary services will be displayed for your interest and education.

Please note the following concerning the registration:

- For restaurant members, register by December 15th to receive the $150 early bird registration rate. If you register by November 1st, you will automatically be placed into a drawing for a free 3-night stay at the Gaylord in Aurora (Denver), CO.

- After December 15th, the rate is $300 and by waiting to register on site the cost is $450.

- Remember to use your RFMA member number to get the reduced rate. By using this number when registering the majority of the required "fields" will auto populate. If you do not remember your number, log into the RFMA website and check on the "Manage Profile" at the top of the page to find or feel free to contact anyone within RFMA to obtain.

- Ensure your 2019/2020 RFMA membership is current and up to date

We are looking forward to seeing you all again in Denver. This will be another great conference. Any questions, feel free to contact anyone in the RFMA office.

Dover and out. 

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

The hot summer is finally ending. Hopefully, your workload is becoming a bit more manageable as the cool weather approaches. RFMA's gearing up for a busy fall and we have a host of events lined up for the next few months that will include great opportunities for education, networking, socializing, and giving back. Take a look at the following to consider:

- Dallas Restaurant Roundtable, Wednesday, Sept. 4th

- Member Meet-Up, Westmont, NJ on Tuesday, Sept. 10th

- Peer to Partner covering "Plumbing Maintenance" on Monday, Sept. 16th

- Western Region Restaurant Roundtable, Denver, on Friday, Sept. 20th

- RFMA Gives Volunteer Day in Denver on Saturday, Sept. 21st

- Peer to Peer call covering "Preventative Maintenance and Refrigerators/Chillers" on Tuesday, Oct. 1st

- Member Meet-Up in Tampa, FL on Thursday, Oct. 10th

- Franchisee Focus Peer to Peer call covering "Repair vs Replace" on Wednesday, Oct. 16th

- Member Meet-up in Naperville, IL on Thursday, Oct. 17th

- Peer to Partner call covering "Snow Removal" on Monday, Oct 21st.

There's a lot going at RFMA the next few months. Pick a few of these to expand your knowledge and further your growth in our industry. Check out additional details on any of these under "Events" on our website. Going to be a busy fall. Any questions or comments, let me know.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

The prime hurricane seasonal time is here. This would be a good time to review your Disaster Management Plan with other internal departments to ensure all bases are covered so everyone knows what to expect and do in preparation, and during a storm. When was the last time the plan was reviewed and discussed? Following are a few items that may need review:

- Planning. Are the stores employees ready and informed on what actions are required in planning for a storm event? Does everyone know what to do and when to do it? What about corporate personnel?

- Decision making. Who is responsible for the critical decisions and when? What are the critical decisions? When should stores close to keep employees safe? When should contractors be notified and set-up to board and/or prepare the restaurant for the storm?

- Communication timing. Who is responsible to communicate the decisions reached? Are the disaster communication devices available and ready, i.e., satellite phones, 2-way radios, etc.?

- Store supplies. Are the proper supplies and their quantities available or are additional items needed, i.e., flash lights, batteries, First Aid kit, drinking water, phone chargers, cash, generators, etc.?

- Recovery. Are the Response and Recovery parts of the plans on target? Are the local public officials contact information up to date and written down which will be needed in reopening the restaurant.

- Insurance. Is your coverage up to date, active, and include all potential disasters, i.e. hurricane, flood, fire, etc?

Hurricanes are just one of the natural disasters to plan for. Periodic practice and review of your plans are necessary to protect company assets and keep employees safe. RFMA has several Disaster Management planning resources on our website in the Resource Library in the Facilities Toolkit section and there is an Online Learning Module in our CRFP Prep Course. Additionally, feel free to review past articles in the Facilitator magazine.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

We here in Dallas have been very lucky so far this summer with no days over 99 degrees. Unfortunately, most of the rest of the US has been treated to brutally hot and dangerous conditions. For some areas of the country, the high heat stressed the power grid beyond its normal capacity creating "brown outs" that lasted anywhere from a few minutes to a couple hours. Additionally, with the powerful storms generated, electrical outages have existed that can last from a few seconds to several days. Are your stores prepared to handle no electricity for several hours or days? Do you know what actions to take to keep your guests, employees and food safe? Following are brief procedures that can be utilized by restaurant managers and facilities personnel to ensure you are prepared when power is lost.

- Employee and guest safety is always the first priority. If storms are powerful, take shelter in an interior safe room, like the restrooms or even the walk in's. When weather permits, get everyone out of the building.

- Check other areas of the building for guests and/or employees that may be stuck in restrooms, storage areas, etc.

- Turn off all electrical equipment asap at its source by switching it to off or unplugging it. Don't forget to turn off the A/C's and hood exhaust and make up air fans. Ensure electrical breakers are marked accordingly for each piece of equipment and switch those off too.

- Report power outage to supervisors and other operational personnel.

- Determine if electric is out for your restaurant and/or the surrounding areas by checking with neighboring establishments.

- Contact the local utility to report outage and, if possible, get details on when they expect power to be restored.

- Keep all refrigeration equipment and walk in doors shut. Do not open unless absolutely necessary.

- Put lids on all topping stations.

- If electric is scheduled to be out for longer than 3-4 hours, transfer food from the walk in's to other stores in the area if possible. Ensure internal food temperature has not exceeded the health code requirements. Contact your supervisor for discussions.

- Note the emergency lighting system normally will last for 1 -2 hours. Ensure flashlights are available for outages that exceed this length of time. Do not use candles as there may be an unknown gas leak.

- When power has returned, go the the electrical panel and turn on equipment slowly, one at a time over several minutes which will decrease the electrical surge that will occur when power is restored. This will minimize the kilowatt demand charge.

- Go to the individual pieces of equipment and slowly turn then on or plug them in, one at a time. Wait a few minutes between each.

- Reset all time clocks accordingly.

This is a general list of action items for a power outage. Each restaurant will have additional items reuired. If not done so already in the store's disaster management plan binder, I recommend summarizing this on one page and have it handy for restaurant operations. For additional store outage information, check out the Facilities Toolkit under the Resource Library on the RFMA website.

What other items can be included?

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

Educational information continues within our association. Events are ongoing throughout the year. We just had a great Peer to Peer call this past Thursday covering 'Energy Management, LED Lighting, and Green Buildings'. Wayne Brayton, CRFP, from Sonic Restaurants, was the moderator and there were numerous great takeaways. Some of the highlights were as follows:

- Discussions on solar power as it's becoming more economical due to lower manufacturing costs, increased efficiencies, and potential rebates, making the ROI much better.

- Utilizing basic, common sense approach in saving valuable utility dollars by implementing restaurant education on proper turn on/off times for equipment and lights and correct temperature settings and night setbacks on t-stats.

- Restaurants normally need a minimum ROI of 2-3 years on energy initiatives.

- Water management is becoming more important and expensive. Increasing needs to control usage is becoming mainstream.

- Discussions on partnering with utility management companies that process invoices (gas, electric, water) for the stores and provide energy reports detailing utility usages for each location. The charge for this service is easily worth it at a few dollars per invoice as internal accounting personal's time can be reduced along with added value of reports showing high usage which will require investigation to determine what caused the spike which can minimize future costs by actionable items.

- Discussions on converting all exterior and interior lighting to LED which is one of the easiest "low hanging fruits" to implement for immediate cost savings.

- LED saves in electric & cooling costs, better overall lighting, and lower R&M expenses. Some manufacturers and installers are providing a labor and parts warranty for up to 50,000 hours per bulb. This is a deal that our industry needs to take advantage of.

- There is a website that provides all pertinent rebate information from local utilities for energy saving equipment. Feel free to access and use at: DSIREUSA.org.

- Always check with local electric providers to see if rebates are available for LED’s.

- Most lighting vendors will complete the proper paperwork to get the rebates. In some cases, the documentation is very complex, so this is a great service to take advantage of. Most companies provide this service free of charge as they are making money providing the bulbs and/or fixtures.

- Discussions on how to obtain a LEED rated building. Several different factors (LED, HVAC’s, increased insulation, Energy Star equipment, etc.) must be completed or implemented to receive the proper certification, or ranking. There are 40-50 different items that determine the type of ranking a building can receive, i.e., Gold, Silver, Platinum, etc.

- The process is complex and somewhat hard to understand. Most use a LEED certified architect and/or contractor to discuss what is required. Hard to complete on your own. Need to partner with a professional.

- Payback for the increased cost of building materials and equipment will need to be determined. In some cases, it’s very expensive with a relatively high ROI.

These calls always provide a good opportunity to learn from your peers and I recommend them highly. These are open discussion and only last up to one(1) hour. Some of the educational events forthcoming are:

- Peer to Peer call, on August 8th discussing "CMMS, IoT, and Workflow Automation"

- Restaurant RoundTable at Wendy's Headquarters in Columbus, Oh on August 6th covering "CMMS, Equipment Training for Operations, and R&M Cost Controls"

- Peer to Partner call on Sept. 16th discussing "Plumbing Maintenance"

Take advantage of this free learning. Professional development is one of the main goals of our association.

Feedback is always appreciated.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

-

Summer is almost half over and I hope your emergencies are few. Summer is the time for vacations and it's your responsibility to take time off. Restaurant facility professionals are on call 24/7 every day of the year. It's a demanding job that can cause burnout if people do not take time for themselves and their family to relax and forget about their restaurants. Trust me, I've been there and sometimes it's simply overwhelming. For you and your organization, you must be able to get away and recharge. It will help both yourself and your company. It's been proven through many studies that employees in high pressure positions lose their productivity without any real time off. When taking vacation, take vacation. No checking email and definitely not answering your phone. You can easily be sucked back into emergencies which require follow-up and phone calls. Communication prior to your vacation is critical. Establish back-ups for your projects and complete an "out of office" automatic email notification. Talk to your supervisor and vendors who may be in the middle of your projects. Let critical individuals know you will not be available. I'm on vacation now in historic Philadelphia and enjoying every minute. Tomorrow is our nations Independence Day and I can't think of a better place to celebrate.

I know it sounds easier said than done but both you and your organization will benefit from your time off.

Have a safe rest of the summer.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

Hello RFMA members,

Cool weather has long since disappeared. Summer is here again. It's already hit triple digits in many parts of the US and it's not even July yet. It is going to be another hot summer. How are your restaurants doing? Had any emergency calls in the past 20 minutes? Check out this Summer facilities checklist to keep emergency calls down and efficiency up!  

Check out the following items to ensure your stores are operating at an efficient level this Summer:

- Air balance: Check to see the restaurant is positively balanced, which means when opening an exterior door, a little air rushes out of the building rather than in. This is very important to correct as a negative store will waste energy cooling dollars and make it uncomfortable for guests seated by the doors.

- PMs: When was the last PM completed on the HVAC units? When were the filters changed? Due to the longer run times during the summer, the frequency of filter changes may need to be increased. A well running unit will save utility dollars and ensure customers and employees alike are both comfortable in the restaurant.

- Roofs: Now is the time to check for leaks and clean out all roof drains in preparation of summer storms. Also, pick up any loose screws and other items that could potentially cause a leak if stepped on.

- Carpet/Floor Cleaning: After a wet spring, have all carpeted areas deep cleaned to remove embedded dirt to provide a safe environment to the customers and employees.

- Tile & Grout: Warmer weather will normally increase the humidity and moisture level. Check grout lines to see if they need to be scraped and repaired. This will minimize chance of moisture getting below the tiles, holding mold in check and extend the life of the floor.

- Parking Lot/Sidewalks: Check for cracks and possible shifting of underneath soil due to warm, dry weather to ensure there are no tripping hazards. Summer is normally a busy time of the year and preventing any slip/falls is of great benefit. Also, check for proper striping and correct any ADA issues accordingly.

 -Doors: Warm weather means pests are active and more likely to enter the facility. Check to ensure sweeps are installed and in good condition.

- Building sealing: Check all windows and exterior doors for proper sealing. Re-caulk if necessary.

 -Irrigation: Check proper on/off times for exterior irrigation and spray head operation. Replace any broken heads as required.

- Ceiling Tiles: For good "branding", replace any stained ceiling tiles which may have been damaged from leaks over the spring

Hot weather can be damaging to your restaurant facilities. Completing these tasks will protect your brand and assets and again hopefully minimize the emergency calls this summer. Have a safe season!

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

Since our conference in Austin, we have had numerous Peer to Peer and Peer to Partner educational calls with great participation and engagement discussing topics unique to our industry. Our last Peer to Partner call discussed Disaster Management and there were numerous takeaways. Following are brief notes from the call:

- Disaster Plans are the heart and soul of keeping your employees and customers safe along with protecting company assets.

- The plan needs to have the involvement of several internal departments, namely, Risk Management, Accounting, IT, Facilities, Supply Chain, and Operations. All need to have input in developing the plan and rehearsing it periodically.

- Priority #1 is keeping employees safe. It's better to close the restaurant a bit early rather than late to minimize potentially Brand liabilities.

- Most on the call noted they do not have employees boarding up or sandbagging the facility. Insurance should cover any damage done to the building.

- Corporate should be sharing their Disaster Plan with their franchisees.

- The decision on when to close normally is made by regional operations personnel or the corporate Risk Management or Supply Chain departments.

- Most agree the store closings should be done 4 days prior to the event (hurricane) plan activities commence.

- Flooding was noted to be the number 1 disaster in the restaurants.

- Negotiate contractor costs as part of your plan prior to a disaster. This minimizes the chance of get price gouged after the event.

- Disable or cancel your on-line ordering for each closed location as locals may try to order food and even come to the restaurant to pick it up.

- Building good relationships with your food provider(s), recovery contractors, and local municipal inspectors is a must to minimize downtime and get back open.

Check out our website for future Peer to Peer and Peer to Partner calls and join in. It's a great way to learn, further your education, and protect your Brand.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3

We understand that as restaurant facility professionals you all have some similar challenges within your restaurants. We also understand that our Franchisee members have some additional challenges that they have to face. At our RFMA 2019 Annual Conference in Austin we had specific restaurant roundtables just for our Franchisee members to cover and discuss their specific needs and challenges. 

Below is a recap of some of their discussions:

• PM contracts - Some noted they were only having their HVAC equipment PM'd twice per year while most others noted the "normal" frequency of four times per year. The lower frequency will save money in the short term but the risk of higher R&M costs. Some noted the PM frequency decision was made by other internal departments. Most commented that periodic filter changes was separate from the PM contracts.

•  Ice machine preventive maintenance - This was consistently being completed every three months by the group of Franchisees. Restaurants having in-house service technicians were saving money by having them change out the water filters as opposed to having an outside service provider. Others noted store managers completed this task and the filters were being forced ship to each location which then alerted the managers the need to replace.

• National vs. Regional Vendors - Franchisees with restaurants in a smaller geographical area tended to use regional vendors more then national vendors. Others liked using national vendors to minimize the number of contacts to keep up with and standardize the scope of work for each service. Seemed easier for them to supervise fewer contractors.

• Challenges facing Franchisees 
  -Getting corporate specifications on anything. Hard to keep up with corporate initiatives for equipment, building, and operational changes.. 
  -Lack of consistent communication between corporate and franchisees.
  -Franchisees are sometimes held to a different standard versus the corporate locations. Standards need to be set and communicated to all parties and each needs to be held to the same metrics.
  -Some noted the attitudes of corporate were teetering on being arrogant and felt as if they were looking or talking down to their franchise partners.
  -Lack of franchisee involvement and input in the decision making process for new initiatives. Need to have more input from the franchisee community for any accounting, operational, and construction issues.

These were some of the major items noted in our roundtable discussion. Due to the current conditions in our industry with some of the larger chains going to a full franchisee model, it's imperative that the line of communication and decision making is at a high standard between corporate and franchisees. Both parties need to work together to protect their overall brand.

If you are a Franchisee and would like to continue this conversation with other RFMA Franchisees members, make sure to join our Franchisee Group within SocialLink and look to the Franchisee Forum within our Restaurant Group. Plus, check out our RFMA Event Calendar for specific Franchisee Focus Peer to Peer Calls. 

If you have any comments or questions, let me know.

Dover and out.

Jeff Dover, CRFP 
Facilities Resource Manager | Restaurant Facility Management Association 
jeff@rfmaonline.com
972-805-0905 ext. 3