The bulk of the work starts once the final guests leave and the doors are locked. In the dining room, the crew wipes tables, chairs and booths, cleans the host stand and menus, vacuums or mops, and clears crumbs from under the banquettes where they gather. Restrooms get a full clean and restock every night, because guests judge a kitchen they cannot see by the bathroom they can. Entrance doors and front glass come next, since fingerprints and smudges are the first thing people notice walking in.
Kitchen floors are a different job. Grease builds up into a slippery film that a regular mop just spreads around, so crews use a degreaser, deck brushes or a floor machine, and clean the floor drains so they do not hold odors. Walls near the line, the outside of equipment and the area under cooking stations collect splatter and need regular attention. Food-contact surfaces and the inside of cooking equipment are normally the kitchen staff's responsibility, so the scope should spell out who handles what.
Some kitchen tasks need a specialist, not a cleaning crew. Kitchen exhaust hoods and ducts are cleaned by hood companies on a schedule set by fire code requirements and the hood provider. Grease traps are pumped by specialist haulers. A nightly crew does not replace either one. Common mistakes include using the same mop for the kitchen and the dining room, leaving degreaser residue on the floor, and cleaning around equipment without ever pulling it out to reach the grime behind it.
Restaurant cleaning through the Colorado Springs seasons
Winter storms in the Pikes Peak region send snow, grit and ice melt through the front door with every guest, and the entrance, host stand area and dining room floor take the brunt of it. That residue scratches finishes and leaves a haze unless it is cleaned up nightly. The dry, windy Front Range climate also means fine dust settles on window ledges, light fixtures and the tops of booths faster than in more humid places. For a restaurant with large front windows, whether Downtown, in Old Colorado City or in Manitou Springs, that dust shows most on the glass and sills.
Most restaurants book a crew for the hours after close, so the front of house is ready before the morning prep shift arrives. Places that open for breakfast may need the crew finished by early morning, which narrows the window. Kitchen floor degreasing is often done nightly, with a deeper scrub weekly. Restaurants in Briargate, Monument and Falcon sometimes pair cleaning with day porter visits on busy weekends to keep restrooms in shape between rushes.
Sample restaurant cleaning schedule
| Task | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Dining room tables, chairs and floors | Nightly after close |
| Restroom cleaning and restocking | Nightly, with checks on busy days |
| Kitchen floor degreasing and drains | Nightly |
| Entrance glass and front windows | Nightly to weekly |
| Deep scrub of kitchen floors and walls | Weekly |
| Light fixtures, vents and high ledges | Monthly |
| Hood and duct cleaning by a specialist | On the schedule fire code sets |
Consider this an outline rather than a commitment. After a walkthrough, and once they understand how each area is used, the provider will adjust it.
What the work usually covers
- Dining room tables, seating and floors
- Host stand, menus and entry area
- Restrooms cleaned and restocked
- Front glass and entrance doors
- Kitchen floor degreasing and drain cleaning
- Wall and equipment exterior wipe-downs
- Trash removal to the dumpster area
- Bar fronts, rails and stools
The specific tasks, and how often they happen, are agreed with the provider during the quote.
What sets the price for restaurant cleaning
- Kitchen size and grease load
- A busy kitchen with fryers and grills builds up more grease than a cafe or bakery, so degreasing takes longer and needs stronger products.
- Seating and layout
- More tables, booths and separate rooms mean more chairs to move and more floor to clean, and patios or bars add their own work.
- Hours available
- A restaurant open late and again for breakfast leaves a short window, which can mean a larger crew working faster to finish on time.
- Scope of kitchen work
- Whether the crew handles only floors or also walls, equipment exteriors and back-of-house storage changes the hours each visit takes.
Related services in Colorado Springs
- Floor Care in Colorado Springs
- Janitorial Services in Colorado Springs
- Disinfection Services in Colorado Springs
- Day Porter Services in Colorado Springs
Service area
Businesses throughout Colorado Springs send us restaurant cleaning requests, from Downtown Colorado Springs, Briargate, Northgate, Powers Corridor, Old Colorado City, Manitou Springs and beyond. See all areas.