Running a kitchen is chaotic. Honestly, between the skyrocketing cost of eggs and the constant struggle to keep a reliable line cook, the last thing you want to worry about is the pH level of your floor cleaner. But here’s the thing: Gordon Food Service chemicals aren't just about passing a health inspection. They are a massive, often overlooked lever in your profit and loss statement.
Most operators think soap is just soap. It isn't.
When you’re looking at your GFS delivery truck, it’s easy to focus on the proteins and the produce. However, the chemical program you choose—whether it's the Array brand or the more specialized Ecolab integration—dictates how fast your dish pit turns over and how quickly your staff can flip a dining room. If your degreaser doesn't work the first time, you're paying for labor twice. That’s where the real money disappears.
The Reality of the Array Brand
You’ve probably seen the Array label everywhere. It’s Gordon Food Service’s private label for chemicals. It’s basically their answer to the big-name national brands, designed to give you a similar result without the premium "brand tax."
Array covers everything. You’ve got your heavy-duty degreasers, your quaternary sanitizers, and those massive buckets of pot and pan detergent. What’s interesting is that these aren't just generic knock-offs. They are formulated specifically for the high-volume environments that GFS serves. For example, the Array Brute heavy-duty degreaser is a staple for a reason. It’s aggressive. It handles the carbon buildup on a flat top that’s been running for sixteen hours straight.
Some people think private label means lower quality. In this case, that’s a misconception. GFS has a vested interest in these chemicals working because if your dishes aren't clean, you’re calling them to complain about the dishwasher lease they likely facilitated. It’s an ecosystem.
Why Concentration Levels Matter More Than Price
Don't look at the price per gallon. That is a trap.
You have to look at the dilution ratio. A cheap gallon of glass cleaner that you pour straight from the bottle is actually way more expensive than a concentrated GFS chemical system that dilutes at a ratio of 1:64 or 1:128.
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The wall-mounted dispensing systems—those clicking boxes near the mop sink—are the unsung heroes of restaurant profitability. They take the guesswork out of it. When your 19-year-old dishwasher is filling a bucket at 11:00 PM, they aren't measuring. They are pouring. If you’re using "glug-glug" as a measurement tool, you’re literally flushing profit down the drain. The GFS dispensing systems ensure that the Gordon Food Service chemicals are mixed perfectly every single time. This prevents chemical burns on your staff’s hands and prevents streaks on your glassware.
The Ecolab Partnership and What It Means for You
Sometimes Array isn't enough. Gordon Food Service has a long-standing, deep-rooted relationship with Ecolab. This is for the operators who want a "set it and forget it" level of service.
Ecolab is the heavy hitter. When you go through GFS for your Ecolab program, you’re getting more than just jugs of liquid. You’re getting the service tech who shows up at 2:00 AM when your high-temp machine stops hitting 180°F.
Is it more expensive? Yes.
Is it worth it? That depends on your volume. If you’re a high-volume steakhouse doing 400 covers a night, a dish machine breakdown is a catastrophe. You need the 24/7 support that comes with the Ecolab/GFS partnership. If you’re a small coffee shop, the Array line is likely more than sufficient. You have to be honest about your scale.
Breaking Down the Sanitize Step
Sanitation is non-negotiable.
Most people use "quat" (quaternary ammonium) or chlorine. GFS offers both. The Array 3-Compartment Sink Sanitizer is generally a quat-based formula. It’s easier on the hands than bleach and doesn't strip the color out of your staff's black shirts quite as fast.
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But here is a pro tip: check your water hardness.
If you have hard water, your chemicals won't work as well. The minerals in the water "fight" the soap. GFS sales reps can actually test your water. If they haven't offered, ask them. Using the right Gordon Food Service chemicals for your specific water profile can reduce your chemical usage by 15% or more. That adds up over a fiscal year.
Food Safety Beyond the Dish Pit
Chemicals aren't just for cleaning floors. They are for food safety.
Think about produce washes. A lot of kitchens just rinse their lettuce under cold tap water. That’s fine, I guess, but it doesn't really touch the waxes or the potential pathogens. GFS carries specialized fruit and vegetable washes that are "no-rinse."
They use peroxyacetic acid or similar compounds to kill bacteria without leaving a weird aftertaste. In an era where a single E. coli outbreak can end a business, spending the extra $0.05 per case of romaine on a proper chemical wash is basically an insurance policy. It's cheap protection.
The Environmental Shift
The industry is moving toward "green" chemicals. It’s not just a trend; it’s a regulatory shift.
GFS has been expanding its Environmentally Preferable options. These are chemicals that are biodegradable and avoid the harshest phosphates. Honestly, some of the early green chemicals were garbage. They couldn't cut through grease to save their lives. But the newer formulations in the Gordon Food Service catalog have closed the gap.
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If you’re in an urban market with a "green" clientele, being able to say you use EPA Safer Choice certified cleaners is a subtle but effective marketing tool. It shows you give a damn.
Training Your Team
The best chemical in the world is useless if your team uses it wrong.
- SDS Sheets: You need them. GFS makes these easy to download, but you actually have to print them and put them in a yellow binder.
- Labeling: Every spray bottle must be labeled. If a health inspector sees a clear bottle of blue liquid without a label, that’s a violation.
- Contact Time: This is the big one. Most sanitizers need to sit on a surface for 60 seconds to actually kill anything. If your servers spray and immediately wipe, they are just moving dirt around.
How to Optimize Your GFS Chemical Order
Stop ordering by "gut feeling."
You should be looking at your chemical spend as a percentage of your total sales. Usually, this should hover around 1% to 2%. If you’re hitting 5%, something is wrong. Either your staff is stealing it (unlikely, who steals industrial degreaser?), or more likely, they are using way too much.
Ask your GFS rep for a "usage report." This document shows exactly how many units you've bought over the last quarter. Compare that to your guest counts. If your guest counts are flat but your chemical spend is climbing, you have a training problem or a leak in your dispensing system.
Actionable Next Steps for Operators
- Audit your dispensers: Walk over to the mop sink right now. Are the tubes crimped? Is the concentrate bottle empty? If the system is drawing air, your staff is probably "hand-pouring," which is costing you money.
- Review the Array vs. Ecolab split: Look at your last three invoices. If you’re paying for name-brand chemicals for simple tasks like glass cleaning or floor mopping, ask your GFS rep for a sample of the Array equivalent. The savings can be significant.
- Check the temp: If you have a mechanical dish machine, check the gauges during a cycle. If the chemical isn't hitting the right temperature, it doesn't matter how expensive the soap is—it won't sanitize.
- Schedule a "Chemical In-Service": Have your rep come in for 15 minutes during a pre-shift meeting to show your staff exactly how to use the products. When the rep says it, the staff listens more than when you say it.
Managing Gordon Food Service chemicals isn't the most glamorous part of the job. It’s not as fun as designing a new menu or picking out plateware. But a clean, safe, and efficient kitchen is the foundation of everything else. If you get the chemistry right, the rest of the business becomes a whole lot easier to manage.