PLACENTIA AND LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA— Most people realize the back-to-school season is busy for department and office supply stores, but a commonly overlooked market segment is restaurants and other commercial dining facilities in college towns.

These businesses typically slow down during the summer and the Christmas break, but once school is back in session, it’s game-on, said Massoud Farazandeh, chief executive officer of American Professional Services (APS-Hoods), which operates a fabrication plant in Placentia, California.

The company has provided Los Angeles hood cleaning services since it began in 1989, but opening the California fabrication plant has enabled them to provide better, more cost-effective Los Angeles commercial hood sales and installation services, Farazandeh said.

Preparing for the Season
It is a good idea for restaurant owners and managers to contact a professional to clean the hood, ductwork and hood exhaust fan prior to business picking back up. Increased business means cooking larger volumes of food, which can cause grease to build up at a faster rate.

“It’s better clean the system now while business is slower so the hood system will be functioning optimally as the students return,” Farazandeh said.

These thorough cleanings take several hours to do, making it necessary for the kitchen to be closed during the process. Closing for several hours on a slow day is better than turning away business on a busy day, he said. APS-Hoods also performs its cleaning services after-hours when necessary.

Grease accumulation in the ducts, hoods and fans of kitchen systems is a normal part of the cooking process. But this build-up can reach dangerous levels and become a fire hazard if the systems aren’t cleaned properly on an on-going bases.

Maintaining regular hood cleaning schedules also can help keep costs down, because the longer grease is left to accumulate, the more difficult and time-consuming it is to remove and the more chemicals must be used to remove it.

“When we go in and clean a system, we remove all of the grease build-up and leave it looking like it did when it was brand new,” Farazandeh said.

Campus Facilities
It is particularly important for campus cafeterias and other dining facilities to clean their systems regularly because their volume relies solely on the students.

“For that reason, they need to get these systems cleaned before classes start,” Farazandeh said. “It’s much easier to do it now than try to fit it into a tight schedule later on in the semester.”
APS-Hoods offers professional cleaning packages for restaurants that are designed to keep them on a schedule to prevent dangerous levels of grease buildup.

Recommended cleaning schedules vary according to the type and volume of food cooked in restaurants, but there are some guidelines restaurants can loosely follow. Restaurants that use smokehouses or wood fires to cook foods usually should have their systems cleaned monthly. Those that use charbroilers, fryers, or those that cook with large volumes of vegetable oils should have their systems cleaned quarterly at a minimum. Farazandeh said that no restaurant should go longer than six months between cleanings.
Following these tips can help restaurant owners find a qualified hood cleaning company to clean their hood system or to do an inspection to determine if it needs cleaning:

• Ask for details regarding what is included in the company’s cleaning services.
• Ask what inspection standards and cleaning standards it follows, such as NFPA- 96, the International Fire Code and the International Mechanical Code.
• Ask for proof of licenses, certifications and insurance.
• Ask what type of report they provide to the restaurant owner/manager after the cleaning or inspection that shows what was done and identifies any deficiencies or repairs that should be made.
• Ask for references.

Once the restaurant owner has selected a qualified company to provide the hood cleaning service, the company should place the restaurant on a routine cleaning schedule, Farazandeh said.

Learn More
If you would like more information about Los Angeles hood installation and other services offered by APS-Hoods, or you wish to schedule hood cleanings for your restaurant or commercial kitchen, please call: (800) 750-7313, or visit the company’s Web site: http://www.aps-hoods.com/.

About APS-Hoods
American Professional Services (APS-Hoods) is a full-service restaurant fire protection business that installs, services, repairs and performs routine inspections and sales for hood and fire suppression systems. Founded by Chief Executive Officer Massoud Farazandeh in 1989, APS-Hoods has grown into a national leader in hood sales and fire protection for restaurants and facilities. APS provides superior service, a  quality guarantee and maintains a highly qualified and dependable staff. All crew members are professionally trained to comply with the National Fire Prevention Association Standards and state and local codes. APS-Hoods is fully insured and bonded. They are licensed in the mechanical and electrical fields, as well as fire protection contracting. APS-Hoods is affiliated with the National Fire Protection Agency and the Colorado Division of Fire Safety Fire Suppression Program.

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