Controlling Food Costs In A Small Restaurant (Page 3 of 4) in pdf

Controlling Food Costs (Page 3)

twenty percent more expensive. These suppliers also supply many non

food items. It is important if you buy from these companies that you

get them to put the food and non food items on separate invoices if

possible. This will make your job easier when you are looking for the

food costs to do your menu pricing.

You should endeavor to buy a substantial portion of your fresh foods in

places where the pick is better, you do it yourself and the prices will

tend to be more reasonable. This will be more difficult and time

consuming, but you will know what you are getting and in the long run

you will have less waste. In most restaurants your customers will

appreciate the attention you are giving to detail, and your dishes will

probably have a fresher taste and better flavor.

We are lucky in Philadelphia we have the food distribution center. All

food and non food items can be obtained at wholesale prices in this

location. We also have the Italian market at the ninth and Washington

Streets location. Here they have many fresh food items on a daily

basis. They are open for more reasonable hours. These purveyors do the

leg work for you and give you more time to do your shopping without

having to get up in the middle of the night for a place like the New

York fish market or the food distribution center. I am sure in what ever

city where you are located will have something similar.

One of the key factors in controlling costs is controlling inventory levels.

It is advisable to take a physical inventory at least once a month. You

must watch your inventory turnover as well. This can be achieved by

using the techniques already mentioned in this article. Maintaining high

levels of inventory is very costly. This is an issue in controlling all costs

in a restaurant. A “Point-of-Sale System” is the best way in this time

of fluent and user friendly technology to control inventory by knowing

what is selling. Having this information available on a daily basis allows

you to better plan what you are going to buy and the quantities you are

going to buy. Waste is the biggest cost guzzler of all and buying to

much is almost as bad as not buying enough. In the absence of a

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