Restaurant bathroom supplies can make or break your business. Choose the right products, and you notify your customers that you care about cleanliness and quality. Opt for cheaper versions, and you could turn away repeat diners.
The materials you choose can make the difference between a customer feeling like they are in a luxury establishment versus a subpar restaurant. And oftentimes, the cost involved doesn’t have to be immense.
Here’s what you need to know about creating a 5-star experience with the products lining your bathroom.
Why Are High-Quality Restaurant Bathroom Supplies So Important?
According to the National Restaurant Association, 9 in 10 adults enjoy going to restaurants. They say the meals have flavors they can’t easily craft in their home kitchens, and the entire experience is worthwhile. However, the group also says that 45% of restaurant owners expect more intense competition in 2024 compared to 2023. This means many will have to step up their game.
Focusing on the items coming out of your kitchen is a smart way to stand out in a crowded market. So is creating an ideal restaurant aesthetic. Focusing on the bathroom may also help to impress customers.
10 Restaurant Bathroom Supplies to Consider
These are the bathroom items we believe can make a real difference in consumer perception when they visit your restaurant:
1. High-Quality Toilet Tissue
Toilet tissue should be strong enough to work without dissolving and soft enough to leave skin undamaged. Plenty of business owners choose the cheapest, thinnest tissues they can find, and this is often very evident to guests when they use the facilities. Any money you save here could bother or upset your guests when they visit, and this just isn’t worth the savings.
2. Softly Scented Soap
Customers and staff should wash their hands during a bathroom visit. Ensure they can do the job with high-quality soap. However, pick a product without a strong scent. Products with too much perfume could change the way customers experience their meals.
3. Liquid Hand Sanitizer
Experts say the hand sanitizer habit we picked up during the pandemic will persist in the years that follow. By providing your customers with a liquid they can use to keep their hands clean, you’re demonstrating your commitment to sanitation and safety. Consider a touchless dispenser at the bathroom’s exit.
4. Working Dispensers
The soaps and sanitizers you chose won’t help if your customers can’t access them. Well-maintained dispensers ensure that customers don’t need to pound handles or touch nozzles to get the help they need. If there is a broken dispenser in the restroom, aim to fix it as quickly as possible.
5. Paper Towels
Researchers suggest that most people prefer paper towels over air dryers. When no towels are available, they’re forced to wipe their hands on their clothes instead. Ensure that people can wipe their hands down the way they want to.
6. Soft Facial Tissue
Close to 8% of the adult population in the United States has hay fever. People like this might head into the bathroom to blow their noses or wipe their watery eyes. Ensure they have something soft for this purpose. Dedicated facial tissue dispensers on the counter can make guests feel like you considered and fulfilled their needs.
7. Inoffensive Air Fresheners
A bathroom may never be completely free of scent, but it shouldn’t have an overwhelming odor. Researchers say that strong and negative smells can actually decrease a property's value, so handling the problem is crucial. Air fresheners can help mask some of the strongest scents that make your bathroom unpleasant.
8. Clean Floor Mats
Bathrooms are wet areas, and puddles can cause slips and slides. Use mats around areas like sinks and urinals, so anything spilled won’t become a safety hazard. Ensure those mats are kept clean, so they don’t pick up and distribute odors.
9. Touchless Garbage Cans
Paper towels and tissues need a home when they’re used, but customers may not want to pick up a lid to place the items inside. Researchers say that trash cans left open and uncovered can lead to germs and disease. Touchless versions can contain the particles and make discarding products safe and easy.
10. Changing Stations
In a recent Gallup poll, 45% of adults said it’s ideal for families to have three or more children. Sometimes, families want to bring those children to restaurants for their meals. Make these parents feel welcome by including changing stations in all of the restrooms. Whereas facilities used to only put changing stations in the women’s restroom, more places are including them in both men’s and women’s restrooms.
Remember to Keep Things Clean
All of the restaurant bathroom supplies you purchase, as well as the room they’re contained within, should be kept very clean and tidy. Consumers can often tell when restaurant spaces are unclean, and they tend to think less of the establishment as a result. Always put cleanliness first.
Alsco Uniforms Restroom Services
Few customers will come back to a restaurant with a filthy bathroom. With Alsco Uniforms restroom services, that won’t happen. Choose high-quality restaurant bathroom supplies, like air fresheners and touch-free soap dispensers, and let our team keep the space tidy and well stocked. We ensure your bathrooms are always well stocked and looking good. Contact us to find out more.
References
2024 State of the Restaurant Industry. (February 2024). National Restaurant Association.
The Post-Pandemic Future of Hand Sanitizer. (March 2022). Forbes.
Air Dryers vs. Paper Towels. (October 2018). Science-Based Medicine.
Allergy Statistics. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.
A Three-Factor Benefits Framework for Understanding Consumer Preference for Scented Household Products. (April 2022). Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications.
Toilet Lids and Trash Cans: Study Explores Disease Transmission in Public Restrooms. (January 2022). Family Safety and Health.
Americans’ Preference for Larger Families Highest Since 1971. (September 2023). Gallup.
The Cleanliness of Restaurants: ATP Tests. (January 2021). International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.