6. Red flag: The bathroom is dirty
Dirty restrooms are negatively impacting a business. If you don’t know anything about a restaurant you’re supposed to lunch in, take a look at the bathroom. It’s the best indicator to tell how clean the remainder of the place is.
If the bathroom is neglected—the soap dispenser is empty, the toilet paper is on its final squares, the floor is soapy and wet—it’s a sign that the staff isn’t keeping up with their tasks, and that might signal they’re not keeping up with other restaurant cleanliness tasks, too.
“It’s noteworthy that in all of my career, I’ve never been in a restaurant with a poorly-maintained restroom that had a stellar kitchen or served a superior food product,” says Alan Guinn, a consultant in the restaurant industry for more than 25 years.
“The restrooms serve as an immediate indication to me of the lack of attention to detail that can undermine food quality, even prior to having it served for me to enjoy—or not.”
