 The following is a production of New Mexico State University. Excuse me. Hi, can I help you? Could I see Mr. Lee please? Okay, one moment. Mr. Lee, somebody wants to see you. Mr. Lee, what can I do for you? Hi Mr. Lee, I'm Mr. Chen. I'm a friend of Mrs. Chen. Nice to meet you. Yes, nice to meet you. And I have heard from Mrs. Chen that you are very experienced in running a restaurant. Well, not to say very experienced, but I've been doing this job for a long time. I actually want to open a restaurant here. And I've heard that you're very successful here. Well, I'm not sure I'm successful. Ten years ago I came here and opened this restaurant. 110 years. Well, it seems American rule here is very tough. And would you mind giving me some tips? Very well. I'm happy to share my experience with you. Thanks. In the beginning I have a hard time to understand and follow the American restaurant rule. But after a while, a founder is easy to follow. You look at my restaurant. The business is good. The people come to eat in my restaurant. They are my repeated customers. My customers know that I run a clean restaurant. I have a good reputation. In fact, following the American restaurant rule is good for your business. As you may know, the rules between China and the United States are quite different. But they're not as difficult as you may think. Then could you tell me what do I need to do? Certainly. When we find a place, I sit down and talk. Thank you. Do you see that? First of all, the Americans are very concerned about hygiene and cleanliness. If you don't pay attention to hygiene and cleanliness, germs can grow everywhere. These germs can make your customers sick. Anna, can you pour some tea? The American restaurant rule can help you keep the food safe so that your customer won't get sick. Imagine if your customer gets sick, that is very bad for your business. In fact, it could cause you to lose your business. To begin with, always buy your food from somebody who is licensed and who is reputable. The American inspectors who come in to inspect your restaurant are very strict about where you get your food. In China, you know that we often buy the chicken, pork, beef, fish, eggs and vegetables off the street. You cannot do that here. Then, where do I get my food? You can buy it from a Chinese grocery store or a food service supplier. You can buy your vegetables from the local farmers market. Also, always check your food immediately after it is delivered to your restaurant. If the package or the food is not in good condition, return it to the vendor. This might seem foolish, but the food may not be safe to eat. Inspect your food and return those that are not in good condition so that you don't risk ruining your business and your reputation. The inspectors also require that you store the raw meat, chicken and fish separate from the raw vegetables. The restaurant rules also require that all colored vegetables must be stored in the refrigerator or they must be kept cold or nice. But what if I only have one refrigerator? Well, then you will need to store the raw meat, chicken and fish on the bottom shelf and the vegetables above them. Meat drippings must never touch the vegetables. You also need to keep cooked rice hot. The inspectors always check the temperature and make sure that it is at 135 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter. But keeping the rice hot makes it dry out. It won't be good for stir-fry. After I opened my restaurant, I went to a food safety class. I learned a lot about germs in that class. There are germs in the rice. This germ can grow if the rice is not kept hot. They can make people sick. If people get sick eating at your restaurant, I don't think they will come back and they tell everybody. I have heard seven restaurants in this area that went out of business because some people said they get sick eating there. But how do I keep the rice hot and still moist enough to stir-fry? After you cook the rice, keep it in the rice cooker. Do not turn off the rice cooker. It must be kept on so that you can keep the rice hot. Also, keep the lid down on the cooker. Stir the rice often so that it stays hot and moist. You can also add a small amount of hot water to the rice to prevent it from drying out. The inspectors will also check the temperature of other hot foods. As you know, Chinese food is cooked to very hot temperatures and our food is always cooked fresh to order. So cooking temperatures are hardly a problem. However, you must keep all your raw foods cold before you cook them. Keep all the raw meat, fish and chicken cold at all times. If you don't, germs can grow in this food. Cooking may not kill all of the germs that may grow in them when they are not kept cold enough. Also, keep them separate from other foods. Americans like clean food, but they also like to eat in a clean restaurant. If the customers don't think that your restaurant is clean, they won't come back. A clean restaurant is good for business. Make sure that you tell your workers to wash their hands. Some of my workers used to wash their hands only when they were dirty. I told them they need to wash their hands with soap and water. When they began to do something different. For example, I've trained my workers to wash their hands before they begin cutting up the meat. After they cut up the meat and before they start cutting vegetables. Also, I have told them that they cannot just wipe their hands on the cloth towel. This is not acceptable. They must wash their hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before rinsing. They must also use paper towels to dry their hands. For many Chinese, this appears to be wasteful, but this expense is really good for business. Use a lot of dish soap to wash dishes. And don't wait for the water to get really dirty before you change it. The inspectors also require that you sanitize dishes after you wash them. You must wash the dishes first, then rinse them. And then dip them in the sanitizing solution. Sanitizing kills any germs that might still be on the dishes. You need to add about one cap of bleach to one gallon of warm water. Never use the sanitized bleach as these are not safe. Also, always store all your chemicals away from food so that they don't contaminate your food. I have had the same employee for a long time. They like to work for me even though I have a strict move. I don't like to have an employee come to work for me and get sick. If they come in and they are sick, I make them go home until they are better. My workers now understand that coming to work when they are sick can make the customer and even each other sick. Also, if my workers cut themselves, I tell them that they must put on a bandage and then gloves. Well, we have discussed the major points in running the restaurant in America. Some of this is so different from what I was used to doing in China. There are a lot of requirements with specific details to remember. In the beginning, I had the same difficulty too. But now I'm used to it. Following the American restaurant rules, it becomes easier. I have been in business for 10 years. My employees never have any customers complaining about hygiene and cleanliness of the restaurant. Remember, clean hands, clean dishes, clean restaurants. Separate, separate wall from cook, separate vegetable from meat, fish and chicken. Cook, cook all your food to proper temperatures. Chill, keep vegetables and meat cold until you are ready to use them. Thank you very much. This has been very, very helpful. Well, good luck on your restaurant. Let me know if I can be any further assistant. The preceding was a production of New Mexico State University. The views and opinions in this program are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the NMSU Board of Regents.