Like most businesses, restaurants are constantly looking for ways to trim the fat and maximize their potentials for success. In this tumultuous economy, smart restaurants are adapting to the challenges of tight customer wallets by adjusting account a few small but significant business practices that could be altered in order to save without disrupting the overall run of the business. Here are ten easy changes in your restaurant in order to save on costs and increase your potential for staying afloat during these difficult times:
1. Trim Portion Sizes
Let's face it - most restaurants serve portions 2-3x bigger than what is healthy for us to consumer. Portion sizes can always be adjusted to meet the needs of your budget and your customers. If you're seeing a lot of food go to waste, trim down your portion sizes to see if it can better serve your customer's appetites (and your wallet!).
2. Limit Use of Table Linens
When it comes to using table linens, it's always a huge expense. Limit your usage of linen in order to save on washing and replacement. Also, try purchasing glass covers. While initially a big expense, it will protect your linens, significantly increase clean up time, and lead to faster table turnovers.
3. Fill your glasses with ice before pouring a drink.
Most prefer colder drinks, so you'll be giving your customers what they want while reducing the amount of beverage you're serving them, helping to trim costs. Also, if you're serving alcoholic beverages, be sure to set strict pour lines in all of your glasses. Alert your staff and be sure they're paying attention to them.
4. Purchase Wholesale Restaurant Supplies instead of going to specialty stores.
Not only will you save, but sometimes you can find an even better selection with higher quality, for less than what you are paying now. You'll get better quality and more quantity for less!
5. Utilities are always costly, so try to mind your heating, electric and water bills. Encourage conservation and consider installing energy savers to trim your costs and still be eco-friendly.
6. Instead of cutting staff, reduce working hours or work with your employees to build a schedule that works for them.
The last thing anyone likes to see is layoffs, so if you are faced with dwindling business and require less help, be honest and upfront with the staff. Explain how business is down and in order to keep everyone, you must work together until business picks up again.
7. Make sure payroll and scheduling coincide.
Simple errors can end up costing more than you think.
8. Invest wisely on advertising - your customers are your greatest form
Utilize as many free tools as you can; social media tools (Facebook, Twitter, etc) are great ways to reach your target for free. Most importantly, never forget your customers are your most viral form of marketing - no advertising is better or more trustworthy than word of mouth. Try to encourage your customers to tell their friends through door reminders, etc.
9. Encourage managers to step of their game.
As managers get better at managing, they loose a lot of the technical skills the line staff posses. In order to prevent this gap from growing, encourage them to spend a night out on the floor and greet people at the door. This will allow them to make sure everyone on the team everyone is rising to the occasion to deliver top notch service and also see any problem areas the staff hasn't brought to their attention yet.
10. Make sure your processes are efficient.
Think about the way your kitchen is currently run and be sure that everyone is doing their part to contribute to the overall success of your business. Don't skimp on quality, but look to improve the quantity and speed of meal preparation while reducing bottlenecks.
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