Front of house work starts once the last guest leaves. Tables, chairs and booth seats are wiped, including the bases and crevices where crumbs collect. High chairs, menus and the host stand get attention, and entry doors and windows are cleaned of handprints. Floors are swept under every table, then mopped or scrubbed. Restrooms take the most time per square foot, with toilets, urinals, sinks, mirrors, partitions and dispensers all cleaned and restocked. Guests notice a restroom right away, and many of them judge the kitchen by it.
The kitchen floor is where a crew either earns its keep or falls short. Grease builds up in the grout and under the line, and a wet mop on its own spreads it into a slick film. The right process uses a degreaser suited to the floor, gives it a few minutes to work, scrubs with a stiff brush or floor machine, then rinses and squeegees the water toward the floor drains. Mats get lifted and washed. Food-contact surfaces, fryers, grills and other cooking equipment stay with the kitchen staff unless your agreement says otherwise.
Two jobs often get confused with nightly cleaning. Cleaning the kitchen exhaust hood and ducts falls to a specialist company, working on a schedule that fire code requirements and the hood company set. Grease traps are pumped by specialist haulers. A cleaning crew does not replace either one, and a contract that is vague about them can leave gaps. Local health department inspections do happen, so keep a written list of who handles each task, from the dining room to the dish area, and check the work against it now and then.
Keeping Kansas City dining rooms and kitchens ready to open
Kansas City sees hot summers and cold, icy winters, and a restaurant feels both at the front door. From December through March, salt and ice melt come in on every pair of boots, then spread across the tile and into any dining room carpet. Spring storms add mud to the mix. Restaurants in the Crossroads, on the Country Club Plaza and downtown, along with suburban spots in Overland Park, Leawood and Lee's Summit, often ask for the entry, the host area and the floors to get extra attention on every visit.
Timing is the main question for restaurants. Most crews arrive after close and finish before the morning prep team comes in, which can mean a late night or very early window. Places that serve breakfast or brunch need tight scheduling. Some restaurants book the full front of house nightly and a deeper kitchen floor scrub a few times a week. Tell the provider your closing time, delivery schedule and who will let the crew in.
Sample restaurant cleaning schedule
| What gets done | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Dining room tables, chairs and floors | Nightly after close |
| Restrooms cleaned and restocked | Nightly |
| Entry glass and host stand | Nightly |
| Kitchen floor degreased and scrubbed | Nightly or a few times a week |
| Floor mats washed | Weekly |
| High dusting, vents and light fixtures | Monthly |
| Hood and duct cleaning (specialist) | Set by fire code and the hood company |
Treat this as a starting point. Once the provider sees your building and learns how people use it, they tune the schedule to fit.
What the work typically covers
- Dining room tables, chairs and booths
- Host stand, menus and entry glass
- Restroom cleaning and restocking
- Kitchen floor degreasing and scrubbing
- Floor drain and mat cleaning
- Trash taken out to the dumpster area
- Spot cleaning walls and doors
- Vacuuming dining room carpet
You and the cleaning provider settle the exact tasks and schedule when they put together your quote.
What shapes the price of restaurant cleaning
- Size and seating layout
- A small counter service spot takes far less time than a full dining room with booths, a bar and a patio. Seat count and floor plan both factor into the quote.
- Kitchen floor condition
- Heavy grease buildup takes more degreaser, scrubbing and rinsing. A kitchen that has not had a deep floor clean in a while usually needs a longer first visit to catch up.
- Visit frequency and timing
- Nightly service after close is the norm, but very late or early windows, holiday hours and weekend coverage can change the quote. Fewer nights a week means more buildup per visit.
- Scope beyond the basics
- Bar areas, patios, private dining rooms, carpet care and window work all add time. Clear lines on what the kitchen staff handles keep both the scope and the price accurate.
Related services in Kansas City
- Floor Care in Kansas City
- Disinfection Services in Kansas City
- Commercial Window Cleaning in Kansas City
- Janitorial Services in Kansas City
Cleaning for other types of business in Kansas City
- Church Cleaning in Kansas City
- School and Daycare Cleaning in Kansas City
- Warehouse Cleaning in Kansas City
Where requests come from
Businesses all over the Kansas City area send us restaurant cleaning requests, from Downtown Kansas City, Crossroads, Country Club Plaza, North Kansas City, Kansas City, KS, Overland Park and beyond. See all areas.