Festivities brought along packed restaurants. That was October through December. Now that we are in March, things are back to moving slower. So, it’s also the time to tighten the valve on costs. Of course, your menu is one way you can increase margins and reduce costs. But there are more operational costs you can curb by trying smaller things. Remember, every drop counts. In one of our previous posts we talked about three inexpensive ways to cut costs. As it turns out, there are always more ways to curb costs.

 

Many of the things you might have grown up doing and watch our parents do at home to save costs and not waste anything, from food to electricity, can be applied at your restaurant. Before consulting expensive professionals to help you here, try some of the most basic steps to help you not waste resources.

 

 

Would you leave the lights on in any room at your home when not in use? The same applies at the restaurant. If you have an office at the back, turn off any lights or gadgets when not in use. It seems like a no-brainer and something that might not help. But zoom out and look at the bigger picture. Have you switched to fluorescent lights yet? They use up to ⅓ of the energy used by regular lights and last longer too. Wherever you can, use these. This is one of those tiny steps that seem insignificant but in the long run will save you big bucks.

It’s not just your prerogative, but the entire staff’s. As a part of their job, they are supposed to look out for any outlets where they can see wastage – kitchen, dining area, restrooms, so on. If there’s anyone in your team who can fix leaks and do small electrical work, make sure you take their help whenever needed instead of putting things off till it gets worse and you have to call in a professional. It’s an easy way to avoid unnecessary expenses.

 

We’re not just talking about your menu, but also cutlery and kitchen knick-knacks. At any given point in time you can find something plastic lying around with very little use at the restaurant. Be it plates, tumblers, boxes and spoons, they simply add to your miscellaneous expenses. Invest in good glassware and cutlery instead of the cheap plastic kinds. They add to waste and almost all of them aren’t recyclable. Don’t think that it isn’t your problem because it will be, soon enough. Good metal and glass when taken care of, will last longer than the cheap kinds.

One of the bigger expenses in your kitchen come from the appliances. Some go for used ones and some get brand new ones. Either way, be sure of what you’re buying or rebuying so as to avoid getting them serviced and repaired repeatedly. It might take a little more time and effort in order to get it done right the first time, but it’s going to save you big servicing bucks down the line. From stoves to high power blenders, be sure to invest in the right ones that will last you long enough without having to spend on them over and again.

We earlier wrote about how you can make your menu more effective. And now we’re talking about shrinking it. Don’t be alarmed, it’s going to be good for your restaurant. Many restaurants even today have menus the size of encyclopedias (just exaggerating!) with hundreds of dishes. How can a kitchen possibly keep up with that? To accommodate all the dishes, imagine how the kitchen must be stocked. All that leads to added costs and even more wastage – money, food and resources. Track the orders over a couple months and do away with the ones that are never ordered. Add a specials menu to utilize kitchen stock and offer something new to your customers.

 

In today’s competitive world, almost every restaurant is struggling to do better. A quick drive around the city and you’ll see restaurants doing outdoor advertising with hoardings. Pick up a newspaper and you’ll find restaurant ads. Then there are flyers, TV and radio among others. But ads here are almost lost, more often than not. Your target audience is online. Going online means the people looking at your restaurant’s banner, for instance, are the ones that are your potential customers.
—

There are plenty more ways to reduce costs and save money in the long run. Tips like these will help you look at the bigger picture. Instead of looking at short term quick solutions, think of what is more beneficial over time that will sustain you over your competition.