“We are just trying to keep our doors open right now.”

That was a heartbreaking message I received from a local restaurant earlier this week. It’s no secret the pandemic has hit the food and restaurant industry hard. Not only is it challenging to find staff after the nations two deadliest years back-to-back, but food costs are also rising. The cost of paper products rising makes to-go or carryout options more expensive.

The key to success for all businesses in hard times is resilience and innovation.

These are 4 innovative ways to cut costs

1. Reduce Portions

Increasing portions became a growing trend in the 80’s and 90’s as more places offered “Supersize”-ing meals to capitalize on people who were willing to pay more for larger quantities. It made eaters feel like they were getting more bang for their buck, rationalizing they can always take their leftovers to-go giving them another meal. Over time this increase in portion size has been normalized.

However, when you look at the USDA’s recommendations for meal protein the average adult only needs 5-7 oz of combined protein (meat, seafood, legumes, beans, eggs) a day. Despite that, the average size of a steak served in the American restaurant is 14oz. These trends spiked the need for more to-go containers for in-house dining and it simultaneously contributed to the obesity epidemic.

Now as the cost of food is increasing and people are becoming more conscious about what (and how much) they eat, it’s time to adjust our practices.

Here are some things you should consider implementing, other than simply plating smaller portions:

Use a smaller spoodle, spoon, or serving utensil when plating dishes.
Offer 1/2 size options or kids portions to everyone adjusting for price.
Use smaller serving plates if you have them to fill the space while serving an appropriate amount.

2. Charge for to-go containers or allow customers to bring in their own

How many people have asked for a box to take their leftovers home, and then end up leaving with their box of leftovers accidentally left on the table? Or if they do remember to bring home their extra food, it gets thrown into the back of the fridge only to be tossed out on garbage day. When to-go containers are free, it’s easy to disregard the extra food because it feels like it’s free, when in reality the restaurant absorbs that cost.

Rather than mix that charge into the menu item prices, tell the customer the to-go container will be added as a separate line item. It will help the customer be more intentional when they decide whether or not to take their leftovers. It will also be a more sustainable option for customers to bring their own, so normalize it!

Here are some ways to reduce your paper good costs:

Charge for to-go containers.
Don’t have servers ask customers if they want a box, wait for the customer to ask.
Allow and promote regulars to bring in their own reusable containers for their leftovers.

3. Reduce mistakes with dietary restrictions

As a relatively new gluten-free eater it surprises me how many times a restaurant has given me a free meal due to a mix-up with gluten. While I agree it’s the most customer-centric thing to do, I didn’t realize how often these mistakes would happen. With nearly 1 in 3 Americans preferring to eat gluten-free these days, it’s important to eliminate this as a cost. Especially if you remake the dish gluten-free, you now have 2 meals, one completely unable to be served and the gluten-free replacement meal, that aren’t being paid for. It’s an unpredictable loss that makes revenue forecasting more difficult than it already is.

Staff-turnover has been a constant battle through COVID which is why employee training is so critical on costly processes. Here are some ideas for reducing waste due to food allergens/diets:

Train your staff on cross-contact protocol for allergies and gluten-free, or dairy-free alike (Wash your hands, change gloves, serve separate, etc.).
Make it easy on your team with visuals in the kitchen to help remind them about processes in the moment.
Equip your staff with resources for answering dietary questions appropriately.
Label all food prepared for someone with a dietary limitation.

4. Optimize your menu

With the current state of our global market, there are just some meals we have to take off the menu because it’s simply impossible to find key ingredients. But rather than decreasing the number of items on the menu, see what is already in the pantry that can be used as a new menu offering. If you have rice, potatoes, protein, and vegetables in your kitchen you have a very wide range of meals you can easily add to any menu. This also opens up space on the menu to provide more gluten-free meals that you can leverage to market to a wider variety of customers.

Here are a few ways to optimize your menu:

Remove any menu items that aren’t ordered often.
Review your food waste for the year, which products did you not use quickly enough? Add additional options with those ingredients if you keep the original item on the menu.
Add any gluten-free meals your kitchen can make to the menu to market to a larger audience.

Not a gluten expert? I’m happy to help with any gluten-free questions you may have.

Four innovative ways to cut costs