Do you notice that your restaurant is frequently throwing out food? Whether the food is spoilt or you ordered too much, the cost associated with food waste can add up quickly. It is bad for your profit margin.
Check out a few ways to reduce food waste:
Track Patterns
Before you can fix the problem, you must recognise the pattern of food waste. What foods are you throwing away most frequently? Is it because it was stuffed in the back of the cooler and forgotten about or did it go bad before you could use it? You may be ordering too much product, or you could be failing to label and store food properly to prevent spoilage. Monitor inventory with an electronic system so you will know what needs to be reordered and what is fully stocked.
Create Specials
There are times when you may accidentally order too much product. To compensate, create a special that utilises that ingredient. You may also do this if you have product that is nearing its expiration date but is still safe to use. The special will be a nice addition to the menu and guests will enjoy the variety.
Use Food Labels for Proper Food Storage
Expired product is one of the biggest causes of food waste. Far too often product is pushed to the back of the cooler and it spoils, or a team member fails to use the oldest product first. Knowing which products to use first reduces spoilage, helps you avoid food waste, cuts down on costs and prevents foodborne illness. Easily track all of this with NCCO International’s
DateIt™ Food Rotation Labelling System. There are a variety of labels depending on your needs, and available in multiple languages. You can use these labels in conjunction with the DateCodeGenie® system, an automated labelling system that prints customised labels.
If you are still having issues with too many leftovers, consider donating unused food to charity or giving it to staff members.