One missed renewal. That’s all it takes for a health inspection to turn into a nightmare. Food handler training keeps your staff sharp and your restaurant protected. It also builds guest confidence, showing customers that safety is a top priority. Consistent training ensures your team is always prepared, no matter what challenges come through the door.
Let’s be real: no one opens a restaurant because they’re passionate about training certificates. But food handler training is one of those things you have to get right. It’s the difference between a smooth health inspection and a panic-inducing surprise. It’s also about protecting your guests. One mistake with cross-contamination or food temps can have serious consequences.
Many restaurants rely on Always Food Safe for their training because it’s ANSI-accredited and accepted in most states. When that training is connected directly to R365, it just makes life easier — no extra systems to log into, no spreadsheets to manage, just everything in one place.
Instead of worrying about what might slip through the cracks, you can see how it all comes together in a free demo.
When you’re evaluating options, here’s what separates a “good enough” program from one that actually helps your business run better:
When food handler certifications are integrated seamlessly into your restaurant management software, managers don’t have to chase down expired certificates or dig through spreadsheets. It’s all in the same place you already manage schedules and payroll.
CASE STUDY
Winking Lizard Tavern Increases Employee Training Engagement by 2,000+ Training Completions Monthly
Most food handler training programs follow the same steps:
It’s that last step where things often fall apart. Certificates end up buried in inboxes, reminders slip off the radar, and sticky notes become the “system.” That’s why having certifications that flow directly into your restaurant management software makes such a difference — updates happen automatically, and managers see at a glance who’s certified and who needs a renewal, without the scramble.
If keeping track of certifications feels overwhelming, it might be worth seeing how R365 handles it in a demo.
✅ Accredited, ANSI-approved certifications
✅ Training and tracking built right into R365
✅ Automated reminders and real-time visibility
✅ Best for operators who want compliance handled without extra systems
✅ Widely recognized industry standard
✅ Strong standalone certifications
❌ No integration with restaurant management software
❌ Tracking and reminders fall on managers
✅ Affordable, flexible online courses
✅ Meets basic compliance needs
❌ Doesn’t tie into restaurant operations
❌ Manual tracking required
✅ Localized compliance programs
✅ Easy online format
❌ Adds admin overhead — no integration with ops software
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Winking Lizard Tavern has been serving wings, ribs, and craft beer across 17 Ohio locations for decades. But behind the scenes, training was a struggle. Their old LMS was expensive, clunky, and so hard to use that managers eventually gave up on it.
After switching to Employee Training by R365 with Always Food Safe certifications, training became something employees actually engaged with. In just one month, they logged 2,000+ course completions and now track 152 certified employees in one system. Managers save time, employees stay engaged, and guests notice the difference through stronger service and higher satisfaction.
To see how Always Food Safe certifications flow right into your dashboard, schedule a quick demo.
At the end of the day, food handler training is about peace of mind. You want to know your staff is prepared, your restaurant is compliant, and your guests are safe. There are plenty of training providers out there, but when certifications live right inside the system you already use to run your business, it feels less like one more chore and more like part of the flow. That’s the advantage of having Always Food Safe inside R365.
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