Your customer is enjoying a meal with friends and mid-sentence, a fruit fly buzzes in front of them. While they might only find this to be a nuisance, did you know it is also a sign of sanitation issues in the restaurant? 

More and more diners (and health inspectors) know that fruit flies can be a sign of larger concerns in a restaurant. What used to be an isolated experience for a few customers can now have a major impact on traffic to your location because of social media and online access to restaurant reviews. The business impact of a negative review can be significant, as research shows that an extra half-star rating on Yelp.com can cause restaurants to sell out 49% more frequently.¹

What Causes Fruit Flies in Restaurants

Poor sanitation is a major cause of fruit flies in restaurants. They breed in moist, decaying material, such as rotting fruits and vegetables, drains, floor mats, and garbage containers. They also breed in cryptic places like under cracked floor tiles and in gaps from missing grout. Once fruit flies establish a breeding site, they are well-situated to infest your restaurant.

How to Stop Fruit Flies in Restaurants

If you notice fruit flies in your facility, try to identify possible sources of breeding and take the following action: 

• Discard any infested fruits or vegetables and thoroughly clean the area to remove any food residues
• Routinely clean garbage containers, drains, and equipment where food residue accumulates
• Repair broken tiles, caulk gaps around plumbing, and address other structural issues that allow water to pool

If flies persist after a thorough cleaning, Ecolab can help with treatment and ongoing protection.

1 https://are.berkeley.edu/~jmagruder/Anderson%20and%20Magruder.pdf↵