How do you get rid of mice in a restaurant?

The UC Statewide IPM Program notes that house mice seldom venture more than 30 feet from their nest sites and food supply. They build nests in sheltered locations from finely shredded paper or other fibrous material, and they are active mostly at night, at times when food is available. They can survive in very small areas with limited food, and poor sanitation lets them thrive in greater numbers.

UC IPM's guidance is to set traps behind objects, in dark corners and where there is evidence of activity, close to walls, spaced no more than about 10 feet apart, using enough traps to make the trapping period short and decisive. It also cautions that because mice stay within 30 feet of their nest, rodenticide often results in mice dying inside the structure, an odor and sanitation problem a restaurant does not want.

Then seal. The CDC says to seal gaps larger than 1/4 inch, about the width of a pencil, using steel wool held in place with caulk.

Wipe down grease and crumbs on the line every night, store stock off the floor and away from walls, break down cardboard the day it arrives and keep dumpster lids closed. UC IPM notes that removing places where mice can hide and nest keeps them from surviving in large numbers.