Sanitation is crucial in all food service situations. Not only should you wash your hands with sanitizer and wear gloves when handling food, you need to take special care of all surfaces on which food is prepared, as well as floors and sinks. Never use sponges -- they're breeding grounds for bacteria.

Ways to stretch your food service resources include investing in labor-saving devices like cheese-grating machines; not preparing too much food in advance; using film wrap instead of more expensive foil wrap; and maintaining a low level of inventory to prevent food wastage.

All food service professionals should be aware of the reality of peanut and nut allergies, especially if you work in a school. Peanut allergies especially can be deadly. If nuts and related products are used in your school kitchen, make the patrons and parents aware of it.