As a former restaurant operator, Kami Biamonte found food safety classes very boring and that it could be difficult to execute food safety consistently. A little over 10 years ago, she decided that she wanted to provide another alternative. Kami started Get Certified Food Safety to give students the information in a high-energy, example driven presentation. A few small classes kept growing into larger classes and offerings through referrals. She has found that providing food safety information in this way is highly successful and helps her students connect and understand how to implement in their environment.
Get Certified Food Safety facilitates ServSafe food safety classes in the northern Nevada area since 2008. This class leads to the Certified Food Protection Managers certificate which is required of any business offering food and food products.
“Food safety doesn’t seem like the sexiest of topics, but given we all have to eat and our food supply is greatly evolving, it is essential,” Kami says. “Get Certified Food Safety is the only local food safety training company offering three modalities to earn your food safety certificate along with incorporating technology into the classroom. I offer full day training, half day training, online training in English and Spanish, as well as private classes on-site for larger facilities.”
Kami is also one of the few female Certified Food Protection Instructors in the industry. Kami says, “Besides being female, in a male-dominated industry, I work hard to adapt fast to trends and changes in the field and offer services not available otherwise in our community.”
This scheduling flexibility makes it much easier for employers to get their employees trained and remain compliant even when short-staffed, as many employers currently are challenged in this area.
Get Certified Food Safety offers online examination which allows attendees to have their score and certificate in hand the same day instead of waiting two weeks with the paper exam to find out if they passed and get their certificate. This is a huge advantage to owner/operators coming into compliance with the Washoe County Health Department and in the State of Nevada.
Kami truly enjoys seeing trainees get engaged and excited about food safety through the use of some of the activities she uses in the classroom. Taking the content and “gamifying” it allows trainees to engage with it in an entertaining way. She loves being able to make food safety fun! No one wants to sit in class and hear a lecture all day.
Local Love
Kami is passionate about getting involved in the community by thinking of ways to give back. She regularly donates her services and has facilitated complimentary classes to non-profits and shelters in Reno/Sparks and throughout Nevada.
As a former local owner /operator, Kami understands the unique challenges faced by restaurant owners. Many of which put their blood, sweat and tears into their establishment, only to find themselves overwhelmed with the challenges associated with trying to meet and exceed regulatory requirements. She loves all the restaurants she partners with, but especially the locally owned restaurants that she has the opportunity to build a relationship with the owner/operator.
Helping Restaurants Stay Compliant
“One of the worst nightmares of a restaurant owner is being the source of a foodborne illness outbreak in your own community,” Kami says. “As public health and safety standards evolve, companies must make sure their employees receive essential education and training to stay ahead of the curve.”
Get Certified Food Safety understands the challenges businesses face, and provides timely and pertinent public health training and instruction for the food industry at all levels to achieve positive results. Additionally, Kami works closely with the Washoe County Health Department to partner as an educator and update local business owners as soon as regulations change.
“Non-compliance can greatly impact a business through fines, loss of reputation and even suspension or revocation of their business license,” Kami states. “These are people’s livelihoods, so I take it very seriously.”
Why Nevada?
Kami believes that Nevada chose her. She moved around a lot; however, Nevada always felt like home.
She says, “I LOVE our community and love the direction is the state is moving. I can’t imagine having the quality of life somewhere else we have here. It’s amazing how Reno is such a small town and so big at the same time.”
The fact that Nevada has no state income tax is definitely a perk for Kami; however, she’s found that the Biggest Little City brings more than just tax breaks. She feels that the sense of community here is outstanding and has been the recipient of endless support from other local business owners.
Her advice to someone starting a business in Nevada is this …
“I would tell them to concentrate on making their service or product the very best it can be, and the rest will take care of itself. Treat every customer like your only customer and you will have more referrals than you know what to do with. Lastly, be scalable! Our community is growing fast and you have to think outside of the box to make sure you can keep up; you get one chance to treat your customer right.”
Get Certified Food Safety
775.276.0275
getcertifiednv@gmail.com
https://www.getcertifiedfoodsafety.com
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