With so much focus on increasing sales, are we remembering to keep tabs on our costs too?
Here are my 25 essentials to controlling food costs.
I’m sure there are many more ideas, but these are the basics…..
- Plan menus around seasonal availability
- Create costing cards for every menu item, and update ingredients costs as they change
- Include methods for all recipes, train chefs and provide the right tools to follow these methods
- Establish yields of all recipes, and check these are being achieved though production and sales controls
- Check suppliers prices before ordering, and adapt menu if costs reduce margin
- Only ever order what you need – chef will only be tempted to use more if it’s there, or it goes to waste
- Negotiate drop discounts with your main suppliers – if they can save on delivery costs they might be willing to negotiate
- Only ever buy products on offer if you know you can incorporate into the menu without it affecting your sales or margins
- Check invoice prices against list prices
- Don’t accept expensive substitutes for out of stock items
- Check all deliveries are complete, adequate shelf life and in good condition – never accept anything which is not to standard
- Keep stores tidy, with everything having its own place – its far easier to control
- Keep stores locked, with access only from those who need it
- Ensure stock rotation to avoid spoilage
- Take stock regularly, weekly if possible, but as a minimum monthly – to get accurate stock consumption figures (this also encourages low stocks and good rotation)
- Keep your menu choice limited to avoid low stock turnover – customers usually perceive this anyway with very extensive menus
- Keep records of patterns in menu popularity to help planning and ordering
- Batch cook as orders come in to meet demand
- Check what comes back on plates – and ask if wastage is due to poor quality or too big a portion?
- Keep a wastage book to track all wastage – you’ll be amazed how much goes in the bin and for avoidable reasons
- Investigate cost of blast chiller if you don’t already have one – it could pay for itself in short space of time
- Ensure all chefs/service staff are trained in portion control
23. Supply the right size serving equipment for a standard portion – if a portion of chips is 8 oz and you provide a 10 oz scoop that’s 25% over and your margin gone
24. Educate staff in the budgets and margins involved in the businesses – if they think you make a fortune on each dish they wont respect food costs
25. Have guidelines for staff meals and what they can and cant eat or drink
….And a bonus point…
26. Accidents do happen – but ask staff to let you know when there has been anything out of the ordinary to affect wastage
Why reinvent the wheel. I have a range of costing tools and other business management resources, which can be found here.