How to Close Recurring Hood Cleaning Contracts with Restaurants

Every hood cleaner can do a one-off job. Almost none can close a 12-month contract. The companies making $1M+ in our industry all have one thing in common: 70-80% of their revenue is contractual. They sleep at night because next month is already booked.

Here's how I did it.

Why restaurants want contracts (you just need to remind them)

Restaurant managers are drowning. They have 30 vendors, 80 employees, health inspections, food costs, payroll. The last thing they want is to remember to call you every 90 days.

When you offer a contract, you're not selling them anything new. You're selling them peace of mind. They sign once and forget about it. You show up automatically. They pay automatically. Done.

That framing is the entire pitch.

The 4-part pitch that closes

1. Their pain — "How often does someone in your kitchen forget to schedule the hood cleaning until the inspector calls?"
2. The cost of that pain — "Last week a restaurant 2 miles from here got a $4,200 fine because their hood was overdue. Plus the rush cleaning cost them another $1,800."
3. Your solution — "I run a quarterly schedule for 40 restaurants. Your hood gets cleaned exactly when NFPA 96 requires. You don't think about it. Inspector shows up, you hand him our certificate. Done."
4. The ask — "I can lock in your quarterly cleaning at $375 instead of $425 for the next 12 months. I just need a credit card on file. Sound fair?"

The discount is the unlock. Customers feel like they're getting something. You feel like you locked in revenue. Both true.

Pricing the contract right

Don't undersell the contract. Most owners discount 30-40% to "win" the contract and lose money for 12 months.

My rule: contract pricing is 10-15% below one-off pricing. That's enough to make the customer feel rewarded, not enough to kill your margin.

For premium customers (chains, large operations), pricing should INCLUDE: the cleaning, the documentation, the photos, the certificate, and an annual fan motor inspection. Bundle the value, don't strip it.

Where to find contract opportunities

• Existing one-off customers — at the end of every job, hand them a contract proposal. "I can keep your hoods on autopilot for $X per quarter — sign now and I'll lock in this year's pricing."
• Restaurant chains — owner-operators of 3-10 locations are gold. They're big enough to pay well, small enough to make decisions fast.
• Hospital and school cafeterias — built-in contracts because they have procurement people who only think in annual agreements.
• Hotels with multiple kitchens — same reason as chains.
• Property management companies — one PM company often manages 50+ kitchens.

The contract template that works

Don't overthink legal. A simple agreement covers:

1. Customer name, address, hood configuration
2. Service frequency (e.g., "every 90 days, ±15 days")
3. Price per cleaning, total annual price
4. What's included / what's extra
5. Cancellation terms (mine: 30 days written notice)
6. Payment terms (auto-charge to card on file)
7. Liability and NFPA 96 reporting

One page. Both parties sign. Done.

The cancellation question

Customers always ask "what if I want to cancel?" Don't dodge. Say: "30 days written notice, no penalty." This is the #1 thing that closes the deal. They feel safe. They sign. Then they never cancel, because we deliver.

— Darlan Posso, CEO, MCR System

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