| p>As anyone who shops in the grocery store | | | | reveal which menu items are making you money |
| knows, the cost of food has been steadily rising | | | | and which are not. Of course, you will always |
| for a few years now. The recent economic | | | | have core items that define your restaurant, but |
| downturn has slowed that trend somewhat, but | | | | many fringe items can be changed and chopped |
| the reality is that everyone in the food service | | | | as needed until you find a combination that works. |
| industry is dealing with rising food costs, and they | | | | Seasonal ingredients can help your restaurant |
| will be for the foreseeable future as well. | | | | keep margins high and costs low. The cost to |
| So what should you do to manage these rising | | | | produce a menu item should be a major factor in |
| food costs in a time when customers more than | | | | this decision. High dollar entrees may bolster your |
| ever expect high quality and low prices when | | | | servers' check averages, but if the margin in that |
| they go out to eat? | | | | entrée is small because of expensive |
| Here are some strategies to help you cope: | | | | ingredients, then you're not doing yourself much |
| Leverage your buying power. Your restaurant | | | | good. It may make sense to focus on less |
| goes through a lot of food and ingredients. And | | | | expensive items (especially when customers are |
| every month a large chunk of your budget goes | | | | looking for values!) that have a higher profit |
| to suppliers who keep your walk-ins stocked. That | | | | margin for you. Alternatively, you can take |
| chunk of money is the core expense in your | | | | existing menu items and interchange ingredients |
| business, and the most important one besides | | | | that don't compromise quality but do make the |
| payroll. The upside to this is because you spend | | | | entrée more affordable for you and your |
| so much with food suppliers, that makes you an | | | | customer. |
| important customer to them, and important | | | | Finally, be sure to take advantage of seasonal |
| customers should be able to get deals and other | | | | deals. Many ingredients can be purchased in bulk |
| perks from their suppliers. | | | | during seasonal peaks in production at a discount. |
| The best place to start is to consolidate your | | | | Once you buy a seasonal product in bulk, get |
| food suppliers whenever possible. The more you | | | | creative with different ways to work it into your |
| spend each month with a single company, the | | | | menu. No matter what, your menu should never |
| more leverage you will have in negotiating | | | | be a sacred cow. Constant tweaking and |
| discounts. If you can get a comparable product | | | | experimenting is vital to helping you find the |
| from a single company without sacrificing quality, | | | | perfect combination. |
| than by all means go with as few suppliers as | | | | Manage portions. Every recipe calls for specific |
| possible. | | | | amounts of multiple ingredients. In a bustling |
| Next, buy products in bulk whenever possible. | | | | kitchen at the peak of the dinner rush, those |
| Hopefully you already invested in adequate walk-in | | | | portion amounts often get more and more |
| freezer and refrigerator space before the | | | | generous. This is costing you money. |
| downturn. Buying core products and ingredients in | | | | Take the time to train kitchen staff on correct |
| bulk gives you access to deeper discounts, but | | | | portions and enable them to take the time to |
| this is only possible with plenty of walk-in space. | | | | measure portions correctly every time. A portion |
| Even if you are short on storage space, seriously | | | | scale is also a vital piece of equipment to help you |
| consider investing as soon as possible. Over the | | | | control portions. The training process should be |
| long term this investment will pay off handsomely | | | | ongoing, and taking the time to train and enforce |
| in savings when you buy bulk product. | | | | quality control on portioning can translate into |
| Work over your menu. As food prices for some | | | | significant savings over time. |
| products rise, others fall or stay the same. At the | | | | In fact, all of these strategies have a cumulative |
| same time, some items on your menu sell well | | | | effect, and if implemented properly, can really |
| while others decline. Constantly evaluation will | | | | benefit your restaurant's bottom line over time. |