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