The best restaurant operators always have a few extra tricks up their sleeves—especially when times are tough. Sure, every operator looks good when the restaurant is full every day, when every decision is the right one, when each menu item added sells, and when every hire is the perfect fit. The rare mistakes quickly get swept under the rug and everyone moves on.
But what happens when times get a little harder? Finding a way to work through the difficult times so you can see the sun rise again is what the restaurant business is all about. You may be the type of restaurant operator willing to endure the tough times we all eventually encounter. But having a few “go to” moves is essential when it’s time to cut costs.
Here are five ways to reduce costs without reducing the quality and service of your restaurant:
1. Food Cost
“Measure what you want to improve!” This is especially true in the new world of technology. There are visual ways to help bring awareness to the restaurant team. One method is to use a garbage bin for all food waste. Measure the weight of the waste each shift (or day) and record it. Tracking, reporting, and bringing attention to waste influences each team member.
If your goal is to reduce cost of sales by 1% to 2% and you feel your controls are already maximized, consider how you might change the menu mix and take a look at waste. You also might want to consider an inventory application that will simplify tracking your inventory and reducing costs.
2. Labor Cost
The old way to create a schedule was with a pen and paper, or maybe an Excel spreadsheet. The manager in charge of this tedious task would spend hours planning the week’s schedule and trying to coordinate between requested time off and part-time schedules.
Online scheduling products can put an end to this misery, or at least make this cumbersome process more efficient.
Online scheduling products allow employees to submit requests for time off. They also allow employees to trade shifts between one another. After all, the manager doesn’t necessarily need to be a bottleneck to that. All he or she needs is an email notification. With an online system, employees can access their schedule and get alerts of changes through email, text message, or push notification.
In general, bringing this process online saves managers a ton of time, which saves the restaurant a lot of money.
3. Compliance Reporting
Like I mentioned above, if you’re doing something the old school way, chances are you could probably save a ton of time and money by taking the process online. The same thing goes for compliance reporting.
A digital reporting solution incorporates digital logbooks (mobile app versions of traditional logbooks, delivered on sturdy tablets built for restaurants) and wireless sensor technology to automate some of the reporting, such as temperature recording. This method will not only make the reporting process faster (about 50% according to our customers) but it will also save you money by providing data and insights to drive your strategy for other cost-saving initiatives. For instance, if you know what the average temperature of your freezer is over time, and you realize it’s running slightly too cold, you have identified a cost-saving measure. But if that temperature data is locked in traditional logbooks, you’ll never know how much money you are losing.
4. Online Ordering
Online reservation systems or online order systems streamline the ordering process for improved efficiencies. Slower seasons are a great time to upgrade and implement simple technologies or enhance your restaurant website. Online ordering features will help you reach new customers and drive repeat guests.
5. Equipment
Every piece of equipment has a potential for money leak. From your HVAC system to your refrigerator, the costs creep up with repairs or inefficiencies. Poor equipment operation has a serious impact on employee productivity. Your staff should be your eyes and ears and let you know where they waste time.
It’s easy to miss costs that aren’t as obvious as others. Be proactive and question everything.
Get ahead of the tough times in the restaurant business with Beyond Restaurant Solutions.
