It is important to consider the convenience of making an effort to reduce the costs of the food that we prepare in our restaurant, since this will directly affect the performance of our business.
There is no general formula to reduce food costs in your restaurant
However, we must start by noting that there is no general formula to reduce food costs in a restaurant, since the process of reducing them depends both on the characteristics of the business we run, and on the circumstances that surround it. , thus being necessary to evaluate case by case to determine its degree of difficulty.
Location and features
Thus, it will be different to try to reduce costs in a restaurant that has an excellent location in relation to access to the best suppliers (consider, for example, a restaurant located in the center of a large city), than in another with a position disadvantageous in this regard (for example a restaurant located in a high mountain town).
Likewise, it will not be the same to try to reduce costs in an informal restaurant, than in another that is characterized by offering high quality products, since in the latter the quality perceived by customers will be more easily compromised than in the former, being this a red line that we should not cross under any circumstances.
(The Zeus Manager reservation book, in addition to facilitating the management of your customers’ reservations at no cost per person, offers statistics and satisfaction surveys to determine the perceived quality of the service you offer in your restaurant)
Seven ideas to reduce food costs in your restaurant
1-Take an inventory
Take an inventory on a regular basis, to see how the raw material is being used, at what rate it is consumed and what tends to go to waste. Managing inventory efficiently is an easy way to cut costs that requires a bit of thought and analysis time.
2-Control portions to reduce costs in your restaurant
Controlling how much food is being thrown away is a good way to reduce waste, if your customers cannot finish their servings repeatedly, they may be too large, and therefore an indication that it might be appropriate to reduce them.
3-Organize the pantry
Organize your pantry so that the foods that come in first are those that come out first. Avoiding in this way that the food expires and you always have fresh food at your disposal.
4-Use special dishes of the day to reduce costs in your restaurant
Daily specials can be used strategically to deliver products from our pantry
5-Negotiate with suppliers
Research which suppliers are willing to offer a better price for the products you use the most.
6-Buy in large quantities to reduce food costs in your restaurant
In bulk products it can be interesting to try to buy in large quantities, and request that the merchandise be delivered in several shipments. Thus avoiding wasting perishable food while benefiting from a better price.
7-Local product
Whenever possible we recommend buying local products as it guarantees that these are fresher, in addition to being generally cheaper by eliminating intermediaries.
