Posted by Rachel Schwartz on 6/24/2020 to
Bars
Maintain your equipment. Regularly cleaning and inspecting your appliances and equipment can help extend their overall life, saving you money on repairs and replacements. Making sure that your equipment is working properly will also ensure that the equipment is working at maximum efficiency. If you do need to purchase a new piece of equipment, energy efficient options are available for most types of equipment. These models typically require less power to operate which not only is helpful to reducing your restaurant's carbon footprint but also saves you some money on utilities in the long run.
Take inventory regularly to avoid over purchasing. Many restaurants make the mistake of over-purchasing, not taking proper inventory of their pantry prior to purchasing, or both. This can lead to a lot of spoilage as excess ingredients can go bad before they have a chance to be used. Taking a regular inventory prior to ordering new deliveries or installing an order tracking and inventory system can help keep track of how ingredients are used and how much is actually needed for each new purchase order.
Inspect deliveries. Just like we advise our customers to inspect their equipment before accepting a delivery, the same can be applied to food deliveries. Not all produce and meat within a delivery is necessarily usable by your restaurant. By inspecting each delivery when it arrives, you can hopefully cut down on the amount of unusable product entering your kitchen and disrupting your inventory numbers.
Examine the menu. Take an in-depth look at the offerings on your menu. Is there anywhere you could add the ends of fruits or vegetables instead of throwing them away? For example, could you use the odds and ends to make a stock base for your vegetable soup? Or add the leaves from the ends of celery as a garnish on your salads? Adding or subtracting items from the menu based on how often they're ordered or how much produce is available is another option.
Buy in bulk when you can. If your restaurant has the space to store bulk items, do it. Buying items like cleaning supplies or non-perishable food items that you know will be used on a regular basis will save you money and can cut down on the amount of cardboard and plastic needed to ship multiple smaller packages.
Store your food with the older products at the front. By doing this, you are ensuring that these items will be used first instead of simply getting shoved to the back when a new delivery comes in and going to waste. Using labels with either days of the week or date of arrival can also help cut down on waste as the labels will clearly state how old the product is, allowing you to know what should be used first.
Make sure your food is stored properly. Food that is stored incorrectly can lead to spoilage and has the potential for causing a lot of food waste. Double check that all lids on food storage containers are properly sealed to prevent this from happening.
Donate leftover food to charity or allow employees to take excess food home at the end of their shift. There's bound to be some food leftover at the end of the day and as long as it's still edible, there's no sense in letting it go to waste. If employees are interested, allow them to take some of the leftover food home with them when they clock out at the end of their shift. Another option is to donate any leftover food to a local food bank or soup kitchen to be used the following day. This not only reduces food waste but also benefits the surrounding community.
