It's not cheap to run a restaurant, but food is one of the biggest costs associated with it. It is therefore of utmost importance to keep your food costs within an acceptable percentage to avoid financial hardship and prevent having to pass on the costs to your customers.
Here are 13 tips on how you can achieve this:
1) Take Inventory Regularly
Making note consistently and regularly of your food and supply inventories will enable you to maintain better control of the overall use and the costs that come with it. This is particularly important for high-cost products like meat and alcoholic beverages.
2) Price Your Menu Items Accordingly
It is important that you charge a reasonable amount of money for the items on your menu. If you do this, customers will be more likely to return or recommend you to their friends and family, helping you to maintain a generous profit. Charging too little will give you a high turnover but very little profit.
3) Control Portion Sizes
It cannot be stressed enough that you should make sure to serve foods in reasonable portions. Over-filling plates means customers are likely not to finish the food, and that excess food ends up being wasted.
4) Follow Proper Food Handling Procedures
Make sure that you keep all foods at their recommended temperatures and cook them properly to prevent contamination and avoid waste.
5) Reconsider Garnishes
Garnishes may look good but aren't usually eaten. Choose garnishes that are less expensive or avoid using them entirely.