The restaurant industry is one of the most difficult to maneuver. If you are a restaurant owner, you have most likely worked extremely hard to establish the restaurant and its reputation. Restaurant expenses can be astronomical, and it can be difficult to keep up. Below are some practical, easy ways to reduce operating costs in your restaurant and keep your business thriving!
Reduce Restaurant Expenses With These Easy Tips!
1. Reduce Food Waste
According to a 2014 study, for every thousand dollars of restaurant revenue, 33 pounds of food is wasted. That means that for every $30 a customer pays, about one pound of food is wasted! Reducing the amount of food wasted in your restaurant will help cut restaurant expenses exponentially.
One way to cut expenses is to make sure the cook isn’t making too much food. Likewise, ordering too much food can be a big money waster as well. Lastly, make sure that food with an earlier expiration date is used first, while new and nonperishable foods are used last. Get creative! Stale bread? Make croutons. Fruit too ripe? Make a smoothie, jams, or even flavor ice cream. Avoid wasting food by finding innovative ways to use it.
2. Print Cost-Effective Menus
A restaurant can spend thousands of dollars on printing menus alone. Depending on the size of a restaurant and the number of locations, the price can increase exponentially. It can be helpful, then, for a restaurant to find a cheaper, more efficient way of printing their menus. Printing cost-effective menus is especially helpful if the food on the menu changes often and the restaurant needs on-demand fulfillment.
The Print Authority is a low-cost printing company that produces documents on-demand for immediate distribution to eliminate waste and keep costs low. To get more information on their custom menu designs and printing information, request a quote today.
3. Reduce Employee Turnover
In a 2015 study by the National Restaurant Association, employee turnover in restaurants was 72%, while quick service restaurants have a turnover of 120%. Turnover alone can cost a restaurant $150,000 annually. Reducing turnover can help lower restaurant expenses immensely.
One of the major ways to reduce employee turnover is by ensuring an enjoyable, comfortable working environment. Demonstrating respect, listening to suggestions, recognizing employees’ contributions, and making work fun are some simple ways of keeping employees happy, thereby reducing turnover. Additionally, some more drastic changes can be made, such as improving employee benefits or creating flexible schedule options.
4. Save Energy
Air conditioning and electrical expenses can be costly, especially in a large restaurant space. A lot of dishes need to be washed, lights have to stay on constantly, and comfortable temperatures are a must. However, there are a few ways you can reduce your energy bill.
When doing dishes, instead of running hot water over them constantly, soak them. Or, only run a full dishwasher. This will save on water, soap, and energy. In regards to air conditioning, take advantage of favorable weather. Instead of running the AC when the weather is nice outside, for example, open doors and/or windows. Moreover, energy-efficient light bulbs use about 25%-80% less energy than traditional ones and can reduce your energy bill drastically.
Lower Operating Costs, Not Standards
Reducing restaurant expenses doesn’t mean reducing your standards. Whether you decide to reduce food waste, order menus from The Print Authority, make your employees happy, cut energy costs, or a combination of all four, you can reduce expenses in smart, easy ways.
