Restaurant owners are invited to share their stories for a chance to
win
ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
For many, owning a restaurant is a dream come true—industry experts
estimate there are more than 300,000 independently owned restaurants
across the country. And despite the long hours, hard work and financial
risk accompanying that dream, restaurateurs are devoted to serving their
customers. To celebrate their entrepreneurial spirit of service, Ecolab
is inviting restaurant owners to share their stories for a chance to win
a makeover by Ecolab's "Champions of Clean" in the first-ever Ecolab
Clean Makeover Contest.
"At Ecolab we're privileged to be part of the Foodservice industry where
so many passionate, inspired people create places for us to celebrate
the events in our lives, big and small, while enjoying great food," said
Nicolas Granucci, Ecolab vice president of Foodservice Marketing. "We
want to recognize that contribution by giving away a year's worth of the
best Ecolab has to offer to one foodservice operator."
As most in the business will attest, running a restaurant is no picnic.
With nearly a million restaurants1 in the U.S., there's
plenty of competition vying for consumer dollars. "Guests definitely
have a choice on where to go, and it's up to me to ensure that the guest
experience is fulfilled from beginning to end. When I know that
sanitation and cleanliness are taken care of, I can stay focused on what
I need to be focused on," said Chef Eric Miller, who tested the Ecolab
Clean Makeover concept.
"Restaurateurs work very hard and have a tremendous amount to do on a
day-to-day basis. Ecolab's commitment is to provide dependable
sanitation solutions that give them more time to be creative and enhance
the guest experience," said Granucci. "With the Clean Makeover approach
we actually send an entire team of experts that we call ‘The Champions
of Clean' to a customer's operation. They examine every element of a
customer's sanitation program and then make a customized recommendation
for that customer to achieve the right goals for him or her."
While restaurant sanitation may not get the spotlight on any of the
celebrity chef TV shows, cleanliness is very important to restaurant
customers. Findings from Technomic, an independent consumer research
firm, show that consumers place a high value on the cleanliness of
tableware and restaurant interiors, ranking the cleanliness of
tableware, restrooms and visible kitchen areas among the 10 most
important attributes of their dining experiences.2 The same
study found that cleanliness satisfaction scores were connected to a
higher "intent to return" by consumers, as well as same-store sales
growth.3
"The cleanliness of a restaurant can significantly impact a customer's
experience as well as the restaurant's reputation and bottom line.
Restaurant cleanliness is clearly related to customer satisfaction and
repeat business. Clean tableware was on par with food quality and taste
in the Technomic survey," said Granucci.
Contest entries to date range from humble to heartbreaking to humorous.
But what all stories share are a passion for the industry, high regard
for restaurant cleanliness and the desire to see the positive impact
that winning the Ecolab Clean Makeover could have on their businesses.
As one entrant wrote, "In our business, success is based on a spotless
facility as well as perfect food."
Another wrote, "Having bussed tables 24 years ago at the establishment I
now own, I truly embrace the theory of working up thru the ranks. It was
my culinary passion that enabled me to excel in this business. My
motto...‘a clean kitchen is a happy kitchen!'"
To enter, all foodservice operators are invited to share how they could
benefit from Ecolab at whycleanmatters.com/cleanmakeover.
Videos of entry excerpts, Chef Miller and of "The Champions of Clean" at
work, as well as official rules and prize package details are also
available on the site. Entries are accepted through October 31, 2012.
The prize package, valued at $25,000, includes a one-year supply of
Ecolab products and equipment, featuring an Ecolab Dishmachine Rental
with new Apex2 technology, GuardianPlus™ Pest Elimination
Service, an Ecolab Cleaning Caddy, water filtration equipment for an ice
machine and postmix, an array of cleaning products and tools, and much
more. The winning restaurant also will benefit from a full year of
Ecolab's industry expertise and 24/7 service, including a food safety
evaluation and coaching session.
About Ecolab
With 2011 pro forma sales of $11 billion and more than 40,000 employees,
Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and
energy technologies and services that provide and protect clean water,
safe food, abundant energy and healthy environments. Ecolab delivers
comprehensive programs and services to the food, energy, healthcare,
industrial and hospitality markets in more than 160 countries. For more
Ecolab news and information, visit www.ecolab.com.
(ECL-C)
1 "America Works Here", National Restaurant Association
2 Technomic CRBM, Q4 2010
3 Technomic CRBM, Q4 2010
Ecolab Inc.
Roman Blahoski, 651-293-4385
MediaRelations@Ecolab.com
Source: Ecolab Inc.
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