Restaurant management may be a lucrative but difficult career. A successful restaurant owner or supervisor must be able to handle both front-of-house and back-of-house operations. This entails juggling a variety of activities, including hiring and training employees, selecting your menu and any daily adjustments, procuring ingredients, beverages, dishes, and other kitchen and dining room requirements, and preparing to-go and pick-up orders, among others. With all of these obligations, maintaining profitability may be tough.
To assist increase profit margins, restaurant owners sometimes concentrate on improvements they can make to the front-of-house, such as raising prices or encouraging liquor sales. Smart restaurant owners, on the other hand, recognize that a well-run kitchen may assist reduce costs while also increasing revenues. Food production and employee compensation might be pricey, but there are several ways to save money in your commercial kitchen.
Start by keeping a closer eye on your energy expenses. Instead of rinsing dishes with hot water, soak them in warm water before loading them into the dishwasher. You may save money on water and power by only running your dishwasher when it’s completely full. Cleaning your walk-in refrigerator’s condenser and evaporator coils, as well as organizing the food inside so that air can flow, will help you save even more money on energy.
For your kitchen crew, food delivery might take up a significant amount of time. To save money, consider contracting with fewer providers and reducing the number of times you receive deliveries. While fresh produce is expensive, purchasing shelf-stable or frozen meals might help you save money on food.
Take a closer look at the serving sizes, as food prices account for a significant portion of your budget. When servings are too large, food waste increases, and profit margins are diminished. Create regular quantities for each meal, and even using smaller plates and bowls can make the portions appear larger and more appealing to customers.
During quiet seasons, you may teach some of your front-of-house employees in various job categories to assist with kitchen operations. Investing in more energy-efficient kitchen appliances, such as refrigerators, cooktops, and deep fryers, can save you money over time.
For additional information on how to boost your profit margin, see the resource below.
