Running a business in the food service industry can be quite costly, especially with the holidays well underway. With the costs of ingredients, packaging, systems, supplies, and more, streamlining daily operations and increasing efficiency to cut costs is vital to every food service business’ success. Here are a few tips for lowering costs in the food service industry:

Calculate Food Costs

Tracking and monitoring expenses is the first step in lowering costs. Take some time to calculate factors such as inventory, cost of goods sold and your food cost percentage. Although this may be a time consuming task, it will save you and your employees a lot of time in the future. Keeping track of your expenses is a vital step in creating and maintaining a healthy budget for your business. 

Maintain Accurate Inventory Records

To prevent overstocking or running out of supplies and ingredients, keep accurate inventory records. Not only do you prevent waste and order delays, but you ensure timely and efficient order fulfillment, which increases customer satisfaction and ultimately cuts costs. Maintaining accurate inventory records also increases your ability to identify and address discrepancies or shrinkage.

Invest in Automated Ordering Systems

Automated ordering systems make inventory management even more efficient by improving accuracy while reducing labor needs. These systems take the thinking out of inventory and ordering by automatically capturing order details, calculating stock on hand and projecting what will be needed. By using automated ordering systems, you increase efficiency with accurate inventory and ordering as well as by freeing up associate time to work on other important tasks.

Keep Sustainability in Mind

Sustainability plays a vital role in cutting costs and increasing efficiency. Food waste is a huge factor in the costs of the food service industry. Using the first-in-first-out method with fresh ingredients reduces food waste while remaining environmentally responsible in the process. Investing in eco-friendly packaging, cleaning supplies and energy efficient equipment are all green practices you can also adopt to increase your sustainability efforts while cutting costs in the long run. 

Employee Training

Your staff should be educated in food costs and trained in proper food service practices. A lot of unnecessary food waste can accumulate during the food prep process. Over time, this can spiral into some major losses. Take some time to properly educate and train your staff in how portions and the food prep process impact inventory costs. When your employees are empowered with knowledge and understanding of the bigger picture, they can make more informed decisions in their daily operations.

At Pollock Orora, we prioritize the success of your food service business. We know that cutting costs and increasing efficiency is key to growth. That’s why we offer everything from customized solutions and efficient supply chain management to sustainability initiatives and training programs. We have the unique solutions your food service business needs to remain competitive and have the edge in the market. Let’s work together to SOLVE your food service costs!