How often should a food employee replace a cloth napkin that lines a basket of breadsticks?

• A. Every shift
• B. When the basket is refilled
• C. After every 2 baskets
• D. Each time the basket is refilled for a new customer

Answer: (D)

Fresh presentation and hygiene require treating each bread basket as a new guest experience. When you bring a new bread basket to a customer, you should replace the cloth napkin with a clean one. This prevents cross-contamination and ensures the napkin isn’t damp or soiled from a previous table, giving a neat, sanitary impression.

Replacing the napkin only at a fixed interval or only when refilling for the same customer might let a used or dirty napkin go to the next table or customer, which defeats the safety and service standard. So, each time the basket is refilled for a new customer, use a fresh cloth napkin.