Food is money, yet around 22 to 33 billion pounds of food waste is generated by U.S restaurants alone each year. The primary reasons behind these shocking figures are over-purchase and lack of adequate storage. Speaking statistically, food wastage is one of the main drivers of diminishing revenues and elevated food costs, which lead to restaurants eventually shutting down.
The added disposal and labor costs associated with food wastage are among the largest expenses for restaurants. However, they don’t have to be. With proper planning and efficient inventory management, you can reduce food wastage significantly.
Portion Control
It’s vital to keep a check on the portion size of the items you serve. This helps you reign in food costs and minimizes food wastage on the customer’s end. You can control size by using equipment such as ladles and scoops when preparing plates.
Another efficient way of keeping food costs in check is the standardization of recipes. A well-designed recipe management software can help you determine the precise ingredient amounts required for each dish.
Adequate Storage
Another major cause of food wastage in restaurants is inadequate storage. When raw materials aren’t stored properly, they go bad and have to be thrown out to prevent fresh food cross-contamination. Food items also need to be stored at the proper temperature.
Another factor that’s critical to efficient restaurant inventory management is keeping tabs on the shelf-life of perishables. Food items have a certain shelf life and shouldn’t be consumed after that. The FIFO (First-In-First-Out) approach, where raw materials that are purchased earlier are used first, can work great here.
Inventory Management Software
When it comes to minimizing food wastage, a robust food inventory management platform is a restaurant’s best friend. Integrated with a recipe management module, a well-designed inventory management software provides you advanced reports on when to purchase, what to purchase, and how much to purchase.
It can also be programmed to send you reminder alerts to purchase items when stocks reach a particular level. Not only does it prevent you from overstocking, but it also helps you avoid the embarrassment of certain menu items going out of stock.
SweetData Concepts offers custom inventory management software for food industry, labor scheduling platform, recipe structuring, and much more at reasonable rates! Contact us today for expert consulting services for your food and beverage business!