Should cafés and fast-food restaurants adopt CLAYGO as a standard practice?
Do you clean up after yourself when you eat out?
For some diners, cleaning up after a meal is simply good manners. For others, clearing tables is part of the restaurant staff's job. Some customers leave their tables untouched, while others stack their plates, return trays, or throw away their trash before leaving.
From coffee shops to fast-food counters, Clean As You Go (CLAYGO) is changing how customers handle their tables after a meal. Some cities and municipalities, including Batangas City and Baguio City, have introduced policies encouraging diners to clear their tables and properly dispose of their waste.
However, the practice raises a question of responsibility: Should cleaning up after a meal be an expected part of dining out, or should customers leave it to the staff?
Dianne Acietuna, owner of Kanao’s Cafe, said that since manpower is a significant expense, the cafe prioritizes having staff focus on preparing orders and attending to customers while maintaining the quality of their food and drinks.
"That’s why I definitely support CLAYGO. I also see it as a simple way for customers to be disciplined and responsible in their own little ways. It may seem like a small thing, but it can make a difference in a small cafe like ours," she told PhilSTAR L!fe.
Hazel Santos, operations manager of V60 Cafe, echoed this, but said that CLAYGO is valuable in cafés, as cleanliness is part of the staff’s daily responsibilities. However, she emphasized that this should be balanced with the understanding that staff are not responsible for every mess left by customers.
Does CLAYGO make the staff's work easier or harder?
Cleaning up after yourself is a nice courtesy, but does it really help the staff? Rizza Garcia, a Jollibee crew leader and service crew member for seven years, said CLAYGO helps reduce the crew’s workload, especially for working students. She added that while cleanliness remains their responsibility, customer cooperation allows them to focus on other tasks, particularly during busy hours.
"As someone who is also a working student, I personally appreciate that kind of help. A simple CLAYGO from a customer may only take them a few seconds, but for the crew, those few seconds can give us more time to finish other important tasks," she told L!fe.
Acietuna echoed this, saying that CLAYGO makes their staff’s work easier. Kanao's Café mainly encourages CLAYGO in the al fresco area, where staff have less oversight.
"Surprisingly, we’ve noticed that customers indoors practice CLAYGO more. Some even return their trays to us, even though it isn’t necessary because there are only a few tables inside," she shared.
JM Salazar, owner of ORTUS LAB Coffee & Lifestyle, said that the practice promotes cleanliness and food safety by encouraging customers to clean up after themselves, creating a cleaner and more comfortable environment for both customers and employees.
"It can make their (staff's) work easier because dirt, spills, used equipment, and clutter do not accumulate," he said. "Cleaning small areas regularly is generally easier than doing a large amount of cleaning at the end of the shift."
Garcia also said that service crew members practice CLAYGO themselves, which shows discipline and sets a good example for customers.
Should CLAYGO be a standard in cafes and restaurants?
For the foodservice professionals, CLAYGO is more than just a practice. Santos said that it should be implemented according to the café’s operations, with a proper system that maintains customer service and product quality.
For Garcia, the practice also promotes discipline and responsibility by encouraging customers to take care of their own mess.
"I believe CLAYGO should not only be seen as a restaurant practice. It can be a simple lesson in discipline that people can carry into different areas of their lives," she told L!fe.
"CLAYGO may seem like a small thing, but when everyone practices it, it can make a big difference not only for the consumers and the crew, but also for the overall operation of the restaurant," she added. "It teaches us that helping does not always have to be something big. Sometimes, simply cleaning up after yourself is already a way of helping others."
