You're managing a busy restaurant. How can you cut costs without sacrificing service quality?

There are a few things you can do to cut costs while maintaining service quality: 1)Make a small/concise menu cross utilizing ingredients. Focus on less center of the plate proteins. 2)Don’t hang on to inventory and be vigilant about tracking, managing & addressing your waste. 3)Cross train your staff - the more versatile they become, the more of an asset they are to you in the event of a shortage of hands. 4)Invest in your team. Yes! Invest in them, give them value and then appreciate their value. The last point there is by far the most important. Training and maintaining (and Paying!) your team helps eliminate turnover and provides you with consistency. Consistency will keep the guests coming back and the quality staying strong! ??

Press your vendors for discounts. The best way to get more for your money is…. To to get more for your money! Group purchasing is also beneficial for small businesses. Always remember that the answer is always no if you don’t ask…

In the past, I cross-utlized menu proteins for Apps, Small plates, Salads, Entrees, Contorni, even Dessert. This keeps F/C relatively constant. Maximizing the Yield lowers the Unit Food Cost. In other words, If I buy 20lbs of something, and I need 4oz portions, it's my goal to get the full 80 portions of "X." I'm aware of a number of ways, including Handling/Transferring leads to "invisible" waste/loss. So I design my Menu to use Tuna (as an example) in 3 or 4 spots.

Less is more. More items, means more inventory. What are you good at? What do you want to be known for? Focus in on that. Not only does that streamline your menu, but it let's the customer know this is our niche. If you don't want your menu to be stagnant change it seasonally, but again focus on what you are good at. You can always keep the fan favorites if you want but keep the menu clear to the concept of your restaurant. That in turn will help eliminate unnecessary items.

In my Kitchen, when it's Bottom of the 9th and I'm protecting a 1 run lead, I dint make my star shortstop pitch to the last 3 Batters. I put my Star reliever on the mound. In other words, put the right people on the schedule for when YOU need them. Not the other way around. I don't ask my Pastry Sous Chef to work the Saute Station.

Schedule the right people, know your staff l, know their output. This goes across the spectrum from prep to your managers. Some are just built and energized to get more done.

Many modern POS systems manage Inventory, automatically. The key is to Correlate the demonstrated Data to match the associated Costs.

Technology can not only enhance the customer experience by streamlining ordering and checkout, but it offers convenience. The world is becoming automated at every turn. The more convenient you make the customer experience the more attractive you become to the them. One of the ways we use to take advantage of the data our POS systems provided was the notes section. It sounds simple, but by putting as much information in there about a guest the more you make them feel like a VIP. Maybe the notes indicate their favorite table or their favorite bottle of wine. Anticipating customer needs makes them feel special, and beyond the data these systems provide, they can also help us cater to our guests even more.

The employees don't know what they can't see. A simple and easy solution is to create a waste log that everyone uses. This helps everyone understand where the waste is and makes them conscious of it as they have to fill it out. If your employees can see it they can help you narrow down areas of waste even faster. From here you can monitor your ordering systems. Order guides are a great way to make sure that whoever is doing the ordering is taking an inventory of that item prior to ordering it. This keeps them accountable and ensures they aren't overordering a product. Work with your team and chef to establish appropriate levels.

Rule #1. *Happy Customers, are repeat Customers. *Social Media is now INSTANT. *You only get 1 Chance to make a 1st Impression. *Treat Customers with Respect. *Remember the key word; Hospitality.

Your employees are the first and last impression that the your customer has. From seating them at the table to taking care of the check. The food can be exceptional, but if the service lacks it doesn't matter. Your service staff are your top sales people, your connection to the guest, and your frontline workers. As much as you invest in use ware and menus, your service staff should be perhaps the biggest investment you make. They are who convey your processes and message you want to send to the guest. Front of the house training with customer engagement should be a staple of your business.

Leverage Buying power to Reduce Cost. Everything is Negotiable. Help your Suppliers help YOU. Understand your Suppliers Capabilities. Keep the Dialog between Suppliers/Customers constant.