Retail Operations Standards

Manual
（Munch Bakery）
 I. Introduction
Welcome!

This Operations Standards Manual or OSM is written for the employees of munch bakery, primarily for
those employees involved in the day-to-day operations of our retail stores. It is also written for the
franchisees of Munch bakery, the “franchisees of record,” who own and operate retail store under a
franchise agreement, and their re- spective employees.

This document is designed to serve multiple purposes. It is a source of information, a reference, a guide
and training “tool,” in the effective and successful operation of a munch bakery.

This Manual contains vital information as it relates to the standards, procedures, processes, product,
business methods and some key areas of operational support needed for the daily operation retail to
ensure we meet or exceed the expectations of our customers.

This OSM is predominantly focused on retail stores operations and the support functions to retail stores
operations in Market- ing and Human Resources. There is also a section on Key Considerations for New
Franchisees.

This OSM is written by the team members of munch bakery who work in the Operations Service and
Support func- tion of the company. Many of them have multiple years of working in bakery industry and
retail, and they are knowledgeable of the laws which govern the operating standards of food industry
and retail in the Saudi Arabia.

It is the ongoing job of the Operations Service and Support team to ensure that the OSM is regularly
reviewed, updated, and that it accurately reflects changes to law, technology, and equipment and
product specifications and modifications.

This OSM is approved by the management of munch Company.

 II. Food and Safety

Food Safety increasingly is a top priority and focus area for all retail franchisors, company employees,
franchisees, and by extension, their employees. Food Safety has always been important throughout the
food industry. Recent changes to Saudi Arabia laws combined with increased public awareness have
combined to heighten the attention and impor- tance of Food Safety. This is very important, and in the
opinion of the management of munch bakery Company, this is as it should be.

It is the duty and the responsibility of munch bakery to ensure that the food and beverages served daily
in our retail stores to our customers meets the highest standards possible and are free of any and all
contamination. It is all of our jobs to ensure the necessary steps are taken for the “safety of food”
served to our customers and the public on a daily basis.

The major purposes of this section are to:

• Provide a general description of food contamination and food borne illnesses

• Identify Food Safety importance in providing food to customers that is both good and safe to eat

• Review the environment and conditions that allow food safety problems to exist

• Demonstrate proper food safety procedures

Food Contamination and Food Borne Illnesses:

Food becomes contaminated when harmful bacteria are present in food. There are three categories of
hazards:

Biological Hazards: Harmful bacteria, viruses or parasites

Chemical Hazards: Harmful substances present in cleaning solutions

Physical Hazards: Foreign particles contained in glass or metal.

• Bacteria may grow in five conditions inclusive of

• Food
• Acidity (slightly acidic to neutral condition)
• Time and Temperature Danger Zone
• Oxygen
• Moisture
Barriers that slow bacterial growth include:
 • Temperature Level of refrigerated raw ingredients: Prior to preparation, the temperature of these items
should be at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit
• Person and Equipment Food Preparation: Proper hand washing and cleaned and sanitized utensils
reduce the risk of food contaminants during preparation
• PH or Acidity Level
• Serving Time and Temperature: All potentially hazardous foods must be maintained at 40 degrees
Fahrenheit of above. Serving time exposure to the danger zone must be limited to four hours
Food borne illness or food poisoning is carried and transmitted to people from food.

Some types of food borne illness include:

• Salmonella

• Staph

• Hepatitis A

• E Coli

Food borne illnesses are often dismissed as 24 hour flu “bugs” and go undetected and not reported. Low
number of bacteria can produce Food Borne illness. The “danger zone” (temperature range from 5
Celsius to 60 Celsius) permits food borne illness bacteria growth. Foods containing food borne illness
may taste and smell normal or usual.

The causes of food borne illnesses are:

• A failure to properly refrigerate or heat foods

• Employees who do not practice good personal hygiene

• Raw contaminated ingredients

• Cross contamination of raw foods with cooked foods

• Improper hand washing prior to food handling

Some Preventative Procedures:

Human hands may carry viruses and bacteria. For prevention it is recommended that restaurant staff
wash their hands:

• Immediately before reporting to shift or work

• Immediately after handling raw products, trash or money

• After telephone or restroom usage

• Before and after eating at break

For proper hand washing the following is recommended:

1. The sink area must be properly stocked with disinfectant soap and paper towels

2. Run your hands under warm water

3. Lather your hands up to your elbows with disinfectant soap scrubbing between fingers and
around nails removing soil, dirt and bacteria

4. Rotate and rub your hands together for twenty seconds to kill germs

5. Rinse hands thoroughly with warm water

6. Dry hands with a clean paper towel or hot air dryer

7. Do not touch anything (such as an apron) post washing to avoid re-contamination

About Personal Hygiene:

Some suggested Personal Hygiene tips include:

• Please keep fingernails cleaned and trimmed

• Do not wear large jewelry items which may collect and retain dirt, dust or food

• To the greatest extent possible, please keep the restaurant uniform of munch bakery in the best
condition possible in being clean.

• Confine eating and drinking in the Store to those areas that are designated for these purposes

• Do not handle food if you are ill or have exposed cuts, wounds or infections of any kind

Quality Assurance:

Each store should have thermometer which contains a digital probe thermometer and IR thermometer.

The thermometer:
The store supervisor should use the thermometer daily to check product and chiller & frozen store
temperatures. digital probe thermometer and IR thermometer should be used three times per day at a
minimum. Recommendations for the proper use of the digital probe thermometer include:

1. The product probe should be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized with an alcohol swab.

2. Insert or immense the probe into the product at least two inches in depth

3. Do not stir the product prior to taking the temperature

4. Read the temperature once it is stabilized

5. Sanitize the probe post use with an alcohol swab

6. Record and log the temperatures

The IR thermometer:

Recommendations for the proper use of the IR thermometer:

1- Turn it on: Power on your infrared thermometer.

2-Choose your settings: If your thermometer allows it, select the appropriate settings for your
measurements, such as whether you want it to appear in Celsius or Fahrenheit.

3-Aim: Hold the device roughly 6 inches away from your target.

4- Aim: Point your thermometer at the object you plan on measuring.

5- Hold the trigger: Hold down your thermometer’s trigger until it starts measuring the temperature.

6- Keep it steady: Continue to hold the trigger as you wait for your results. For the best results, be sure
to hold your thermometer steady and keep it at the same distance as you started measuring.

7- Record your results: Your results should be ready in a matter of seconds. Be sure to record them once
they appear on the thermometer’s display.

Pest Control Guidelines:

Food may be contaminated by pests. To maintain a pest-free store the primary deterrents are
outstanding sanitation standards, an exceptional maintenance program, employee training and
observance of approved practices. The guidelines for remaining “pest free” include:

 There must be a contract with a pest control company

 Storage: Store all items off the floor

 Trash: Do not store trash by the rear door or the outside dumpster
  Doors: Keep the back door closed when not used

 Pest Entry Prevention: Ensure any holes in the building are sealed and cracks repaired

 Inspections: Regular and recorded pest control inspections of the store.

B. The Shelf-Life Chart:

Shelf live is the length of time food and other perishable items have before they are unsuitable to
eat. Store time and tem- perature have a cumulative effect on shelf life. Avoid fluctuations of
temperatures in and out of freezing levels.

• Frozen Products are stored at -18 to -22 Celsius

• Refrigerated Products are stored at 0 to 5 Celsius

• Dry Products are stored at room temperature.

In the event of a confirmed case of food borne illness, it is the responsibility of the Store Supervisor to
report a general liability claim which includes

• The Name of the branch, the time of the incident and the store supervisors name/contact
information

• The customer’s contact information

• The contact information of all witnesses to the incident

• The product information (Product name & Production date & batch code).

• Information related to the packaging or container if the product is involved

Please follow the following process in dealing with customer incidents and claims:

1. If the customer appears severely injured, get emergency assistance quickly

2. Be polite and helpful. Assure the customer that the incident will be reported quickly and the matter
will be dealt with effectively

3. Do not admit responsibility of munch bakery in the incident

4. If the incident involves a food product, make every effort to obtain the product keeping it secured
in a freezer and marked so that it will not be disposed of

5. Do not discuss the incident with anyone other than the insurance carrier and superiors at munch
bakery.
III. Cleanliness
Customers expect our stores to be clean, free of contaminates, and without any negative odors. They
should expect this and we, as employees of munch bakery, should expect this of ourselves. A clean
store, or a dirty store, is a direct reflection of the employees of munch and the company itself.

A clean store suggests that the employees of munch bakery have pride in their work and what they do
every day on the job.

Customers that experience, for example, a lobby that has garbage on the floor, chiller display or
freezer display or tools and equipment that have not been properly cleaned, form a negative
impression of the store and of munch bakery. When this happens, generally, customers will not
return to patronize our res- taurants.

The opposite is also true. When customers experience clean chiller display or freezer display or tools
and equipment cleanliness, or front counters in the ordering area that are free of dirt, debris, food
and cracks, they form a positive impression of the store and our company. This type of positive
experience, along with great tasting food served by friendly employees at great mon- etary value,
promotes the store and may ensure that the customer comes back to munch bakery store again
and again.

Therefore, cleanliness is a key factor, not only in supporting the business, but is a determinant in the
overall success and growth of the business.

In this section of the OSM we address:

• Operations Audits and Audit Scores

• Cleanliness Standards in Areas of the Retail Store

Operations Audits and Audit Scores:

The conducting and ensuing action taken from Operations Audits is highly recommended for all munch
bakery locations.

As a policy and business practice, munch bakery conducts quarterly audits on all store which are
owned and operated by the Company; the “Company stores.”

This is also a standard practice conducted with all munch bakerystores owned and operated by
 franchisees, the “Franchised stores.” Under the franchise agreement, it is a corporate responsibility
to provide operations support to the franchisees. The con- ducting of operational audits forms part
of this support in fulfilling this responsibility.

Operations audits are typically conducted by the corporate Quality Auditors who are assigned stores
for these purposes usually .

These Operations Audits are very detailed and cover and assess every area of the store under the
standards established for Food Safety, Cleanliness, Quality, Customer Service and Employee and
Customer Safety by the corporation. Typically, these audits take up a full day to complete. Each and
every area of the store is assigned an audit score or rating by the evaluator and the results are
tabulated.

The Operations Audits are then reviewed by the Quality Auditors with the store supervisor, in the case
of company stores, or the franchisee of record (the owner), in the case of franchised store locations
or the designate of the franchisee of record such as the store supervisor of the franchised location.

During these reviews, areas of opportunity for improvement and corrective actions are identified. It is
then the responsibil- ity of the store supervisor, in the case of a company location, or the
“franchisee of record,” for franchised locations, to ensure that the corrective action is complete
and that the audit points are complied with.

Of note, the minimum score established by the corporation for the Cleanliness Section of the
Operations Audit is 90%. If the store does not meet this standard, generally, a second audit is
conducted in 30 days. At that point, if the store still scores below the 90% “threshold,” a third
Operations Audit is conducted in another 30 day period. These audits and the auditing process
demonstrate the commitment of the corporation and its employees to high standards of operating
performance and the integrity and protection of the brand as a whole. Compliance is expected
throughout.

Cleanliness Standards in Areas of the Restaurant:

It is recommended that store supervisor review the Operations Audit with all crew members and
establish action plans, where required and necessary, to address any deficiencies cited from the
audit. Communication is always vitally important in these and other matters.

When cleaning the Dining Room, the cleanliness standards extend to:

• Tables
• Chairs

• Trays

• High Chairs and Booster Seats

• Door and Windows

• Carpet and Tile

• Condiment Stands

The recommended procedures for cleaning tables are inclusive of the following:

1. Use a white towel from the utility bucket and wring out excess sanitizer solution.

2. Spray cleans the table top.

3. Place all trash on one serving tray and stack the trays. Avoid trash spillage from the trays.

4. Wipe tops, sides, edges and beneath the tabletop.

5. Wipe or replace soiled salt and pepper shakers.

6. Wipe all crumbs across the table onto the tray will having falling crumbs on the floor.

7. Spray the chair seats with disinfectant.

8. Rinse out the white cleaning towel with sanitizer.

9. Replace the white cleaning towel, rinse water and sanitizer solution as they become dirty. Repeat
this procedure every 4 hours.

Refer to the following procedures in cleaning dining room chairs:

1. Wipe chair legs and table bases with disinfectant detergent and cleaner.

2. Move tables to keep aisles wide enough so that customers may walk by easily.

3. Repeat Step Three as in section on Tables.

4. Repeat Step Four as in section on Tables.

Refer to the following procedures with respect to the cleaning of trays:

1. Discard any trash on the tray into the trash receptacle.

2. Stack the trays on top of the trash receptacle.

3. When the stacked trays reach 12 in number, remove them to storage.

4. Disinfect and deodorize the trays 1 or 2 times per shift.

5. Once dry, place liners on the trays and return to the service line.

6. Trays must be thoroughly washed, rinsed and sanitizer 2 times in a 7 day period.

Please clean and maintain high chairs and booster chairs per the following procedures:

1. Disinfect all High Chairs and Booster Chairs.

2. Be sure to clean all sections of the chairs inclusive of arms, seats, foot rests and underneath areas.

3. Do not stack the chairs as stacking will cause the chair legs to separate.

It is recommended that all doors and windows of the store be cleaned according to the following
procedures:

1. Use Glass and multi surface cleaner and paper towels for cleaning.

2. Fold the towel so it is slightly larger than your hand. When one side becomes damp, keep refolding
the towel.

3. Spray the cleaner on all surfaces and wipe clean.

4. Do not clean the windows while a customer is close by and eating.

5. Check and adjust shades to ensure the customers are protected from sunlight or glare.

6. Inspect all ledges, signs and serpentine rail. Clean as necessary.

The dining room, lobby area, “queuing” area where the customers line up prior to submitting a food or
beverage order, and the ordering area are commonly referred to as the “Front of the House.”

Freezer, Chiller, Food Preparation areas of the Store are commonly referred to as the “Back of the
House.” The recommended “Back of the House” procedures for cleanliness are inclusive of the
 following:

In the food preparation and assembly area:

• The Team Member will use a white towel stored in a sanitizer solution to maintain the Food
Preparation and Assembly Area.

• The sanitized tool will be used as required to wipe and clean the entire station as necessary.

• Each hour, the Team Member will discard the sanitizer solution and replace it in a clean pan.

• If the sanitizer solution becomes dirty within the hour, replace it.

• Rinse the towel in the rinse section of the sink.

• At post rush periods, towels should be inspected and replaced when dirty.

• Side of plans must be cleaned with a rubber spatula.

• Remove all foreign objects which have fallen into the pans.

• Place empty or contaminated pans or squeeze bottles in the reach in until taken to the back for
washing and refilling

• Maintain cleanliness conditions even in rush periods.

Please refer to the following cleanliness requirements for dishwashing:

• Wash, rinse and sanitize the dishwashing sink before each use and at closing. Test sanitizer solution
at least once per day. Test strips and testing are required by law and the Health Department.

• Use service breaks to bring dishes to the sink area to scrape, pre-rinse, wash, rinse, sanitize and
dry.

• Wash sharp or breakable items by hand. Do not submerge these items in water.

• Never mix or combine different cleaning chemicals.

• Check availability of detergent and sanitizing containers regularly.

• Adjust wash sink temperature to 60 Celsius.

• Sanitizer water will be at room temperature.

• Do not wipe dishes dry. Wiping can cause dish contamination and removal of the sanitizer solution
before it has worked completely.

IV. Customer Service

 The Technomics Company is a leading independent consumer research company. They conduct
customer surveys on food retail store. Eighteen thousand respondents were asked to rank the top
25 attributes of importance in a restaurant. The top three attributes cited were:

• The friendliness of staff members

• The “tastiness” of food

• The cleanliness of the restaurant

Within “The cleanliness of the restaurant,” the respondent ranked cleanliness importance in priority
order in:

• The food preparation area and dish washing area

• The restroom area

• The Dining Area

We encourage all employees of munch bakery to uphold and improve all standards of cleanliness in our
store. It is important to our customers and, by definition, is therefore important to the employees of
munch bakery.

The objective of exceptional customer service is to exceed the expectations of every customer on every
occasion in every transaction from the moment they enter the store until the time they leave.

Consumer Research shows that 68 % of all customers do not return for repeat business because of “an
attitude of indiffer- ence on behalf of the employee serving them.” Poor customer service can result in lost
business.

The food retail industry is highly competitive and customers have a tremendous number of food and
beverage choices at different meal occasions, delivery systems and types of store environments be it a
fine, casual dining, or quick service store. While there are no guarantees, hospitable, friendly, quick,
accurate and efficient customer service is a key deter- minant in creating repeat business and customer
loyalty.

This section of the OSM focuses on the following with respect to Customer Service:
 • Customer Relations

• The Management of Customer Complaints

• Service Standards at Various Areas of the store.

• Suggestive Selling

• Completing the Order

• Drive Through Service Sequencing

• food preparations Area Service

• Cash Management

• The Importance of Customer Service

The Management of Customer Complaints:

As an employee of munch bakery, our positive attitude demonstrated towards the customer, and the resolution
of customer com- plaints, is vitally important in how we effectively manage the complaints of customers.

Common complaints expressed by customers include such things as:

• Speed of Service. Customers do not like to wait for their food orders to be fulfilled. This is especially true at
“peak times”

• Inaccurate Orders. In a “quick serve” or “fast food” environment, customers expect their orders to not only
be served quickly but accurately. When they do not receive what they have ordered, customers may be
disappointed or express dissatisfaction usually to the customer service team member or the manager

• Over charging or incorrect change. Customer service team members at the registers, particularly during
peak times, are extremely busy. They may overcharge the customer for their order or if it is an exchange of
cash, give the cus- tomer the wrong amount of change.

When a customer has a complaint, munch bakery recommends the customer service team member or the store
supervisor take the following steps:

1. Begin by listening to the complaint. What exactly is the customer telling you and what precisely are they
dissatisfied about?

2. Do not interrupt and let the customer fully explain their complaint. It may be that it is easily corrected

3. Maintain eye contact with the customer as much as possible.

 4. Apologize for errors and inconveniences. Do not blame anyone for the problem; take full responsibility.

5. Answer with empathy. If you were the customer, how would you like to have the issue resolved?

6. Tell the customer that corrective action will be swiftly, the problem will be resolved as soon as possible
and, if pos- sible, indicate what actions will be taken to resolve the problem

7. If you require approval from a superior to resolve the issue, let the customer know this is the case

8. Thank the customer for bringing the complaint to your attention.

9. Repeat the apology if necessary.

Please consult the policy manual of munch bakery Company in the section on The Management of Customer
Complaints. Of note, these policies will outline how to resolve the complaint and will recommend corrective
actions to be taken such as refunding the order, giving the customer a discount card for their next visit and
other actions to be taken in this regard.

As a company, we advocate that customer complaints are a way to continuously improve our business. By
being empathic to the customer, listening and taking appropriate and immediate action in resolution, it is
possible to turn a negative experience into a positive one.

Customer Service at the Register:

An important part of a positive customer service is the interaction at the register and in taking and submitting
the food order. In performing these duties, we recommend the standard team member practices to include
the following:

• Remember to ring in every single item

• Only accept authorized discounts on orders

• Check and only accept authorized coupons or gift cards

• Notify the Store Supervisor if the coupon or gift card is fraudulent

• Remember that only the Store Supervisor may perform transactions such as Manager or Employee offers.

• Ensure you are checked into the register correctly with your name and employee number. Both the Store
Supervisor and the team member on the register must count the cash drawer at the beginning and end of
shift

• It is a policy violation to use the void function on the register or POS

• Ensure that each coupon is marked and defaced after usage and stored correctly

Standard Team Member Order Taking procedures should include the following:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------