hospitality case study ProTeam Backpacks are a big hit at Big City Coffee S Sarah Fendley, owner of Big City Coffee in Boise, Idaho, has owned her own business for nearly 10 years. Her restaurant is a com-bination coffee house and breakfast/lunch restaurant. From 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., the restaurant is in constant motion with coffee addicts and hungry patrons looking for a warm cup of specialty joe or clearly the largest sand-wich known to man. Sarah and her crew do not skimp when it comes to feeding their customers. “I like to make sure no one leaves here hungry. What I lose in too large of portions, I gain in customer loyalty,” says Fendley. Sometimes those portions end up on the concrete floor throughout the entire 6,000 square foot facility. Wiping the tables and clearing plates adds to the mess that cus-tomers make. “I like to have a clean place for my cus-tomers to eat, but maintaining it through-out the day has always been a challenge. We used to sweep it during the day until we noticed the negative looks on people’s faces when you would come by with a broom and dustpan,” adds Fendley. Big City Coffee has 10 employees that all share in the cleaning and serving duties. It was initially unclear how the employees would react to the change in cleaning equipment, so Fendley got two different sized vacuums in case the fit was an issue. She found the vacuums through a friend who worked at the ProTeam ® factory in Boise, so she took his advice on which models to get. She purchased the TailVac ® for its small, hip-style configuration and a ProVac™ BP with the regular, vertical-style backpack configuration. Both ProTeam vacuums fea-ture a Four Level ® filtration system that not only picks up large food scraps, but also captures tiny microscopic particles that can trigger asthma and allergies. “I really like the fact that while I am cleaning up my restaurant, I am making the environment better for my customers, especially ones who have breathing prob-lems,” states Fendley. Though her employees come in different shapes and sizes, both the TailVac and ProVac BP fit each of them comfortably, making it easy to use instead of a hassle. When vacuuming duties rotate through the entire shift, no one complains about the job, and because the vacuum is worn rather than pushed or pulled, employees can easily maneuver through the tables and chairs in the dining area. The kitchen area is also no longer a stranger to a deep cleaning. All the flat sur-faces and storage areas are now easily cleaned with the switch of the attachment tools that are stored right on the waist belt of the backpack. Some of her customers are taking notice too. Fendley comments, “I have received several compliments on how clean the place has been in the last 6 months since I purchased the ProTeam vacuums. It makes us look even better when my place is tidy and clean. I know that when I go out to eat, the food is better and the expe-rience is more positive if the place looks and feels clean.” Now there is some good food for thought. Circle Product Information no. 151 This content was provided by ProTeam as part of a paid advertisement. For more information, please contact ProTeam directly at 1-866-888-2168 or www.pro-team.com. 22 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • March 2009
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