Restaurant fraud and theft take place on a daily basis. We constantly hear about owners falsifying their profit margins, bartenders skimming their customers’ credit card information, kitchen managers loading their car with inventory, but there’s another culprit to blame. This culprit, the forgotten thief, isn’t even an employee — it’s food waste.
Food waste can make or break restaurants, and operators should squeeze the most out of their inventory without having to purchase more. There’s a phrase used in the industry, “Using a rubber spatula can keep the doors open another day” – are you using a rubber spatula to scrape out every last ounce of food?
Here are three ways to prevent this forgotten thief from hurting your business:
- Keep your trash empty of goods. Have your kitchen staff measure recipes exactly to make the most out of every product used. Are you using leftover meat for soup, or leftover bread for homemade croutons? Are you using day dots to know exactly when you have to use a product by? Good chefs and kitchen managers should always look for new ways to cut costs and save their restaurants from food waste.
- Know what you’re promoting. Every restaurant has “showcase” items that they love promoting, but do you even know how much profit those items are bringing you or what they cost to make? When operators start understanding costs vs. profit margin, they’re shocked to find out that many of the items their restaurant has built a following around ultimately don’t bring them to their financial goals. Stop relying on competitive pricing and start using a system that tracks cost of goods and profits so you know exactly how to price your items.
- Practice portion control. Consistent portioning is extremely important in keeping a restaurant running – whether you’re quick or full service, more food doesn’t always mean a better experience. Spending a few extra dollars on tools and appliances that help control portion sizes, and ultimately food costs, is well worth it. If customers know your portions are typically too large to finish, they’ll split a meal instead of ordering individually, which hurts your bottom line. If your small order of fries is enough for four people, you’re missing out on three additional sales.
See how Avero can help you with these methods of preventing food waste, the forgotten thief – get started today.
