Reduce Expenses, Not Quality

When money is tight, it’s easy to find temporary savings, such as cutting hours, bargain equipment purchases and those dreaded “just for now” quick fixes. But what are some other possible ways to cut back on costs for good?

Don’t be afraid to buy “ugly” produce
 
The long standing rule of “don’t judge a book by its cover” applies to food as much as it applies to people. Nobody’s perfect right? So why do we expect perfection of a fruit or vegetable’s shape? Certain companies source fruits and vegetables that are either misshapen, too small or the wrong color straight from farmers and sell them to their own customers at a discount when compared to grocery stores. If they’re being juiced, cooked into food or sliced and diced, will customers really know they’re eating an ugly vegetable? Try partnering up with one of these companies or a local farm to free up some room in your budget and keep perfectly healthy food out of landfills.

Restrict complimentary water at tables

 Replacingleaky faucets and other old bathroom and kitchen fixtures with redesigned, water-smart models is an obvious first step. The less obvious step two? Don’t require wait staff to pre-fill water glasses for every table – even if it seems like a common courtesy – because diners may not even touch them.

Some places aren’t legally allowed to provide free water during a drought. However, if your restaurant allows free water, ask then deliver. After working at a restaurant for nine years, I’ve seen plenty of untouched waters dumped either because of no-show reservations or diners that simply preferred other beverages. So just ask – if customers question you, simply inform them of your water conservation efforts. It can’t hurt!

Retention – reduce training costs while boosting productivity

We get it – with the way employees bounce around these days, it’s hard to keep them in one spot. But a restaurant mainly staffed with seasoned employees requires fewer hands per shift than a restaurant staffed with newbies. Long-term employees also tend to feel more loyal to their company and may work harder for its success. But that’s not to say new employees won’t do the same.

Managers: be available and responsive. It’s not necessary to watch employees like a hawk, but be present when there are concerns and be honest when you address them. If they trust you, odds are they’ll come to you with problems rather than quit with nothing more than a two weeks’ notice. Find creative ways to make your new and long-term team members feel appreciated; it’ll go a long way for you and them.

Don’t skimp on equipment

If you rely on it every day, why not invest in quality equipment – even if it costs a pretty penny. Manufactures engineer and build their products with efficiency in mind: warmers that don’t overcook food, washers that use less water, or dispensers that provide perfect portions. Sometimes, a piece of equipment costs more because of its design; if an inexpensive piece of equipment consistently leaks, scorches food or causes other waste, what are you really saving by paying less now? The equipment may need maintenance sooner rather than later, and you’ll spend more on replacing and discarding wasted food. Invest in the long term.

How Portion Control Portrays Confidence

In modern society, most of us flock toward quick service restaurants that are reliably delicious when we want to squeeze a meal into our jam-packed schedules. Why would we waste valuable time stopping at a coffee shop where the amount of mocha flavor varies depending on who makes the drink? Or a sandwich shop that likes to overdo the sauces?

Portion control has done wonders for the food industry on both the consumer and business end; not only does it keep customers healthy and save restaurants money, it ensures consistent flavor, whether it’s toppings on an ice cream treat, flavor shots in a specialty coffee drink, or something as simple as adding ketchup to a cheeseburger.

Healthy eating  is trending

We’re growing more and more health-conscious with each passing day; organic meat and produce and healthy alternatives are replacing high-calorie, preservative-packed options. But while it’s important to monitor what types of things we put into our bodies, we should be equally aware of how much we consume. Switching mayo for avocado spread will only get you so far if you don’t regulate the amount you add.

The majority of us typically don’t add too much fudge on a sundae because we’re looking to overindulge. It’s similar to the reason we may add more salad dressing than a normal serving size dictates. Sometimes we think the more flavor we add, the better the food tastes. Having a portion-controlled pump at a self-serve sundae bar or behind the counter helps both customers and employees know the exact size of one serving. And most times we find ice cream is just as delicious without overdoing the fudge.

Keeping costs in check

Over-portioning doesn’t only happen on the customer’s end; back-of-the-house portion discrepancies not only have the ability to compromise taste and health aspects of a dish, but they also eat into your profits one dish at a time.

Say you’re working a little league concession stand serving nachos, fries and pretzels and all funds go to the teams. You can get about 96 one ounce servings from your hot cheese jar at 25 cents per cup. With no proper portion utensils, you simply drizzle cheese over the food and end up serving only 85 servings. That’s $2.75 from one jar of cheese the little league teams will never see. And what concession stand only goes through one jar of cheese per night?

The scenario may seem a bit over the top, but math doesn’t lie. Consider the volume of condiments and sauces a QSR chain pumps through. Even small inconsistencies recurring in each restaurant can add up to a hefty loss.

Return customers long for consistency

Portion inconsistency also leads to inconsistent flavor. I don’t know about you, but for me one of the biggest turn offs of a restaurant being hit or miss in the flavor department. All it takes is one bad taste and I’ll be less likely to stop back – especially with how many options there are to ensure food and drinks are flavored the same each time a customer orders them.

These days people don’t have the time to go somewhere that has fluctuating flavor quality; they’re going to go somewhere that delivers excellence time and time again. It doesn’t matter how much you like nacho cheese; if there is too much on a plate of Nachos Grande, you drown out the other delicious add-on like jalapenos or your protein of choice. Improperly measuring flavor syrups can lead to unappetizing coffee and tea drinks as well. Both word of mouth and social media carry information fast and far, so in order to retain customers, and even gain new ones, it’s best to keep each caramel latte tasting as heavenly as every other caramel latte you serve.

Do foodies a favor while making business run smoothly; use equipment that dispenses the same preset portion of hot fudge, ketchup, Hollandaise sauce, cookie crumbs, or any other toppings. Consistency illustrates confidence. And confidence in your dishes gives customers a reason to come back.

by Amanda Lynn