SEGAMAT: Besides delicious food, the cleanliness of a restaurant, including that of its toilets, is an added advantage for restaurant operators, said Segamat district council president Ismail Abu.
Restaurant operators who keep their toilets clean will easily draw more customers than their competitors who don't, he said.
"They should also ensure that their premises are not infested with flies and mosquitoes.
"Nobody wants to eat with flies swarming all over the restaurant or be at risk of being bitten by mosquitoes while dining.
"I will definitely choose to dine at restaurants that have clean toilets, rather than one with smelly ones," he said when addressing restaurant operators during the presentation of the Five-Star Certification at the district council office multipurpose hall in Jalan Buloh Kasap here last week.
The certification, endorsed by the district council, is given to restaurant operators who have fulfilled several conditions, including having clean toilets within their premises.
The certification is part of a grading system for food premises, introduced by the district council to improve hygiene at eateries and restaurants.
Six restaurant operators received the Five-Star status certificate at the event.
Ismail said: "A panel made up of council members scrutinised the applications before recommending the successful applicants for an interview, which led to their getting the Five-Star status.
" We do not take this lightly as the selected operator reflects our stringent requirements for operators of the food business."
He added that if those who received the five-star status were found to have violated the terms and conditions set out by the council, their licences may be revoked. By Jassmine Shadiqe