I have a meeting on Thu w/ a restaurant I really want to get in to. They are in the same neighborhood as a store I'm in and having it on their tables can really boost sales. I have been courting the GM for about a month and I think he wants it on the table. The chef loves all three sauces. They all go great with their menu. However, the GM says the owner has some concerns. I will find those out on Thu. I can answer any question except one: The "refrigerate after opening" question. I can't tell them it's okay to not refrigerate. I can tell them it would be best to not put them on the outside tables, especially in the summer. So the question is this: Has anyone ran into this issue and how did you deal with it? Personally, if I owned a restaurant I would be reluctant to put anything on my table and leave it there all day - every day (12 hrs), if it said those three words. Even if I refrigerated every night.
Refrigerate After Opening and Restaurants
- Thread starter PepperDaddy
- Start date
I was once at a restaurant and saw some inconsiderate lowlife lick the rim of the sauce bottle he had just used. There was a dribble on the rim that he obviously wanted to clean up before putting the cap back on.
Food for thought?
Food for thought?
in professional sales we attempt to counter-balance an objection(concern) with a similarity to lessen a negative into a positive.
and don't forget for every objection(concern) you can always ask a very simple question "why is that important?" and listen to the answer. Then the follow up to "why" and you have to do the follow up, "do you currently have other products that have to be.....?" homework: ketchup has to be refrigerated after opening and i have seen ketchup passed from table to table throughout an entire morning into afternoon shift at places like Denny's and other 24hr breakfast places. so in this situation your sauce becomes a condiment equal to the treatment of ketchup in handling - so how do they handle that?. don't make the mistake of measuring your product to tobasco brand which doesn't have to be refrigerated.....because it is mainly vinegar and your product is NOT a vinegar, it is a food enhancer!
i am guessing that your product being an enhancer, is also more money? so, it is in the best interest for the owner to keep the shelf life of a product as long as possible and the best way is to follow the label. refrigerated after opening, that which the owner feels safe for his patrons and bottom line.
good luck.
and don't forget for every objection(concern) you can always ask a very simple question "why is that important?" and listen to the answer. Then the follow up to "why" and you have to do the follow up, "do you currently have other products that have to be.....?" homework: ketchup has to be refrigerated after opening and i have seen ketchup passed from table to table throughout an entire morning into afternoon shift at places like Denny's and other 24hr breakfast places. so in this situation your sauce becomes a condiment equal to the treatment of ketchup in handling - so how do they handle that?. don't make the mistake of measuring your product to tobasco brand which doesn't have to be refrigerated.....because it is mainly vinegar and your product is NOT a vinegar, it is a food enhancer!
i am guessing that your product being an enhancer, is also more money? so, it is in the best interest for the owner to keep the shelf life of a product as long as possible and the best way is to follow the label. refrigerated after opening, that which the owner feels safe for his patrons and bottom line.
good luck.
salsalady
Business Member
The question of refrigerate after opening needs to be answered by your Process Authority or have a lab give a determination. You will likely need a letter of their determination to show the restaurant. Only a food scientist can answer that. They will probably need to run tests specifically for that. I think they take the sauce and put it in petri dishes let it sit out at room temp and then do mold tests every so often. If after 30 days the petri dish does not show mold growth, they might give you the determination of refrigeration not required.
Burning Colon said:
Thanks for the input BC. The bottle of Heinz in my fridge says "For best results, refrigerate after opening". So it's just a recommendation.
salsalady said:
But it says right on my bottle "Refrigerate After opening". No test needed if I flat out state it. I guess I could have the test done and if it results indicate it's okay to not refrigerate then I could remove the statement. But being a low vinegar sauce, I don't want restaurants putting it out on the deck in 100 degree sun all day anyway.
Personally, I think most restaurants don't think it through. These guys are thinking and I want to be straight with them. I really don't think the sauce will last that long before they need to open another bottle and I'll tell them that. Again, I'm just guessing at what their concerns might be. If it's stuff like insurance and liability then I have that covered. I could even put them on my policy. No big deal.
salsalady
Business Member
You need to cover your ass when thinking about letting your sauce which says "refrigerate after opening" on the label out to set on tables in the hot sun..
Scenario- YOUR SAUCE (which is perfectly safe to leave unrefrigerated after having the appropriate LABS do the appropriate TESTS) is sold to XYZ Restaurant. Your Bottles still say " refrigerate after opening" on the labels. XYZ Restaurant serves an undercooked chicken dish that was cross contaminated by the dish rag....
and the Customer splashed YOUR HOT SAUCE onto their plate, get's sick from the undercooked chicken and blames it on the "refrigerate after opening" bottle that was sitting on the counter....
Scenario- YOUR SAUCE (which is perfectly safe to leave unrefrigerated after having the appropriate LABS do the appropriate TESTS) is sold to XYZ Restaurant. Your Bottles still say " refrigerate after opening" on the labels. XYZ Restaurant serves an undercooked chicken dish that was cross contaminated by the dish rag....
and the Customer splashed YOUR HOT SAUCE onto their plate, get's sick from the undercooked chicken and blames it on the "refrigerate after opening" bottle that was sitting on the counter....
You need to be informed about your sauce before you tell them anything. I don't personally know if your sauce is stable. Why don't you find out before making any recommendations to them?
It's not uncommon for some manufacturers to let people know they can ignore the refrigeration statement: http://thehotpepper.com/topic/46296-refrigerating-hot-sauce/?p=977415
But YOU need to know before you tell them.
Or maybe you're comfortable telling them to refrigerate at night. What does that print actually mean? It's vague. But it's your sauce and on your bottle.
Most places leave them out no matter what it says. That's on them. Hot sauce, steak sauce, BBQ sauce in caddies, etc. Some refrigerate at night, some leave them on the table. I don't think anyone's ever been to a restaurant where you asked for hot sauce, and they had to go to the fridge to get it. Most are going to leave it on the table no matter what it says. However you need to be informed. Your sauce is gourmet and unfamiliar to them. You need the correct information to give them.
LDHS is at BBQ joints in Cali. His bottle also states refrigeration. Maybe they asked him about it?
It's not uncommon for some manufacturers to let people know they can ignore the refrigeration statement: http://thehotpepper.com/topic/46296-refrigerating-hot-sauce/?p=977415
But YOU need to know before you tell them.
Or maybe you're comfortable telling them to refrigerate at night. What does that print actually mean? It's vague. But it's your sauce and on your bottle.
Most places leave them out no matter what it says. That's on them. Hot sauce, steak sauce, BBQ sauce in caddies, etc. Some refrigerate at night, some leave them on the table. I don't think anyone's ever been to a restaurant where you asked for hot sauce, and they had to go to the fridge to get it. Most are going to leave it on the table no matter what it says. However you need to be informed. Your sauce is gourmet and unfamiliar to them. You need the correct information to give them.
LDHS is at BBQ joints in Cali. His bottle also states refrigeration. Maybe they asked him about it?
The Hot Pepper said:
Yep - also on the tables at Plow in SF, and Portal near Lake Merit in Oakland, Hummingbird Cafe in Fairfax, as well as Boneyard in MN and a couple of other joints.
As I understand it they gather up the bottles and put them in the cooler at night.
My bottles say "refrigerate after opening" because I don't know how responsible my customers are. Under normal circumstances (e.g. 68-70 degree house temps) my sauce should be pretty stable. But what if you buy a bottle, and leave it on your back yard picnic table....for 6 months....then the nighbor's 8 yr old kid eats it, gets sick & dies. If I don't put "refrigerate after opening", it's my fault.
Definitely a lot of "CYA" in that statement....but as has been said, your product is your product, so figure out what's what for your product.
Just a quick update - They were not worried about that at all. His concern was would I run out of sauce when they needed more and how would it be delivered. Much ado about nothing. I went ahead and provided the following guidance:
Oh well, maybe next week.
- Do not place bottles on the outside patio in the sun
- Refrigerate at night
- Do not consolidate bottles
- Do not wipe the neck of the bottles with the dish rags, only use paper towels
Oh well, maybe next week.
Ha!
So you made up your own problem in your head, lol. I wouldn't have even provided those care instructions, I would have left it up to them.
So you made up your own problem in your head, lol. I wouldn't have even provided those care instructions, I would have left it up to them.
Dang Ken - this business is hard enough without creating problems for yourself!
I think once it's said it seems like common sense. Just being cautious. If it's a mistake then I'm sure it wont be my last 