In the restaurant industry, time is an ingredient as important as salt or sugar. It’s the invisible seasoning that can make or break a restaurant’s success.

That’s why a growing number of foodservice businesses, of all sizes and categories, are exploring labor-saving products in their battle against the clock. These ingredients aren’t just culinary shortcuts; they are strategic decisions that can improve your operation’s efficiency and success.

Why Choose Labor-Saving Products?
Labor-saving products provide more than convenience. By removing unnecessary steps, streamlining prep procedures, and incorporating time-saving ingredients into your most popular and profitable menu items, you’re not just simplifying food preparation; you’re opening up a world of possibilities for marketing, social media engagement, and business growth.

The direct benefits of labor-saving products are clear…

• Save Staff Time: Reduce the hours spent on tedious prep work.
• Cut Training Requirements: Simplify the on-boarding process for new staff.
• Reduce Waste: Minimize the risk of human error and ingredient spoilage.
• Ensure Consistency: Deliver the same high-quality experience every time.

The ancillary benefits come with time…
With time reclaimed through labor-saving ingredients, your team can shift their focus from the cutting board to the drawing board. This newfound time could be used for brainstorm sessions that fuel fun marketing ideas, epic food photo shoots, fostering engagement with your audience across social media platforms, and to drive overall business growth.

“I wish I had more time…” is something I hear often from business owners regarding their marketing efforts. Marketing, social media management, and content creation are just a few of the areas that would benefit from having more time. What other aspects of your business could benefit from a little more time invested?

Looking toward the future of foodservice, in a world exploding with AI-powered advancements; it’s clear that speed and efficiency will be increasingly tied to profitability. By embracing labor-saving products, you’re not only keeping up with the times; you’re future-proofing your business.

Visit www.dennisfoodservice.com/laborsavers to explore a selection of our favorite labor-saving ingredients. For personalized recommendations and suggestions, don’t hesitate to reach out to your Account Executive. Together, let’s optimize your kitchen’s efficiency and unlock new opportunities for success.

Source: Operator’s Edge.com

In today’s competitive restaurant industry, rising inflation poses significant challenges for restaurant owners. Higher costs of goods and reduced customer spending can impact profit margins. However, by making strategic changes to their menus, restaurant owners can combat these challenges and maintain profitability. This article explores three effective strategies for menu optimization in the face of inflation: identifying and emphasizing best-selling items, eliminating poor-performing dishes, and adjusting the menu layout for higher profits.

1. Identifying and Emphasizing Best-Sellers: One of the most effective ways to combat inflation is by identifying and emphasizing a restaurant’s biggest sellers on the menu. By prominently featuring these items, restaurant owners can guide diners toward ordering more profitable dishes. Here’s how to implement this strategy:

1. 1. Menu Placement: Position the best-selling items strategically, such as at the top of the menu or in a highlighted section. Use visual cues like borders, icons, or bold font to draw attention to these dishes.
   2. Descriptive Language: Craft compelling descriptions that highlight the unique qualities of the best-sellers. Use descriptive words to create an enticing narrative that appeals to diners’ senses and increases their desire to order these dishes.
   3. Visual Appeal: Include high-quality photographs or illustrations of the most popular dishes. Visual representations can evoke cravings and create an emotional connection, encouraging customers to choose these items.

1. Eliminating Poor-Performing Dishes: To mitigate the impact of inflation on costs, restaurant owners should consider eliminating poor-performing dishes from their menus. Streamlining the menu not only reduces operational complexity but also helps cut back on expenses. Here are the steps to follow:

1. 1. Analyze Sales Data: Review sales data to identify dishes with consistently low demand or low profitability. Evaluate factors such as food costs, preparation time, and popularity among customers to make informed decisions.
   2. Regular Menu Review: Conduct regular menu reviews to assess the performance of each dish. Remove items that consistently underperform or do not align with the restaurant’s overall concept or target audience.
   3. Seasonal Menu Offerings: Consider offering seasonal menus that showcase new, innovative dishes or capitalize on ingredients that are cost-effective during specific times of the year. This approach allows for increased profitability and keeps the menu fresh and exciting for customers.

1. Adjusting the Menu Layout: A well-designed menu layout can significantly impact customers’ ordering decisions. By making strategic adjustments, restaurant owners can highlight the most profitable dishes and improve readability. Here are some effective changes to consider:

1. 1. Visual Hierarchy: Use font sizes, bold formatting, or colors to create a visual hierarchy that directs customers’ attention to high-profit items. Ensure that the most profitable dishes stand out and are easy to locate.
   2. Boxed or Highlighted Sections: Create special sections or boxes to draw attention to signature dishes, chef recommendations, or high-margin items. This helps customers quickly identify the standout options and increases the likelihood of ordering them.
   3. Simplified Language and Organization: Use clear and concise language to describe dishes, avoiding jargon or excessive detail. Organize the menu into logical sections to facilitate easy navigation and understanding.

In the face of inflation’s challenges, restaurant owners must be proactive in making menu changes to maintain profitability. By identifying and emphasizing best-selling items, eliminating poor-performing dishes, and adjusting the menu layout, restaurant owners can effectively combat rising costs and reduced customer spending. These strategies not only improve profitability but also enhance the overall dining experience, leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. By staying agile and adapting to the changing economic landscape, restaurants can thrive despite inflationary pressures.

Chef Tim takes chowder one step further with the addition of one simple ingredient, creating a item for you menu and adding additional profit to your bottom line. In this quick video you’ll see how to transform your existing chowder into hearty revenue with biscuit dough. Never made a “chowda”? Start with the basics outlined in this video!

Remember, we stock a fantastic variety of premium, ready-made, heat-and-serve chowders that could easily be customized into a wide variety of profitable pot pies for your menu. And of course we stock a number of biscuit products with which to top your crocks, including the one seen in this video, Rich’s Country Jumbo Biscuit Dough, item #11100.

Chowda Pot Pie up!

In episode 70, Dennis Food Service account executive Josh Henderson joins Luke and Samantha to discuss menu pricing and managing your restaurant’s menu for margin and profit.

The start of a new year is always a good time for restaurants to evaluate and update menus for profitability. But, as you’ll hear in this episode, given inflation and rising overhead costs, it’s best to build this task into your regular workflow, helping ensure your menu consistently meets expectations and desired margins. Menu management is one of Josh’s favorite parts of the job. In this episode, he draws from his years of hands-on experience consulting with restaurant operators to share key takeaways. With more and more operators working IN their restaurants lately, it’s important to remember to set aside adequate time to work ON your business.

For more factors to consider when adjusting menu prices in 2023, check out Luke’s article “New Year, New Menu Prices.” And for more about restaurant menus, marketing, and profitable strategies for your restaurant check out our blog.

To see Josh’s example comparing the results of trying to shave costs on ingredients vs. building in profitability to your menu, click here: Example Video

Dennis Knows Food Podcast   podcast@dennisexpress.com

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By Luke LaBree
CMO, Dennis Food Service

First, while it might be the most significant piece of the equation, your focus should not fall solely on food costs. There are several categories that restaurants should examine when setting prices, including the cost of ingredients, labor costs, competition, and customer demand. Restaurants need to strike a balance between setting high enough prices to cover their costs and generate a profit while still being competitive and appealing to customers.

To set prices effectively, restaurants may use various pricing strategies, such as cost-plus pricing, value-based pricing, or competition-based pricing. Some of the key factors to consider when updating pricing include the following:

1. Cost of ingredients: The cost of ingredients can vary due to changes in the market or supply chain disruptions. Restaurants need to stay up-to-date on the cost of ingredients and adjust prices accordingly. Your Dennis Account Executive can help with menu costing software.
2. Labor costs: Labor costs are an important factor to consider when setting prices. In many places, minimum wage or the competition for quality employees has increased the starting pay range, so restaurants may need to adjust their prices to account for the increased labor costs.
3. Competition: Restaurants need to stay competitive with their pricing. This may mean adjusting prices to be in line with other restaurants in the area or offering special deals or discounts to attract customers. It’s also important to note that not all ingredients are the same; quality plays a role in customer decision-making. In other words, don’t blindly lower the cost of your premium dish to follow a competitor’s similar but lower-quality menu item. Instead, differentiate with marketing that educates and appeals to your customer base, creating demand.
4. Customer demand: The demand for certain menu items can fluctuate, and restaurants may need to adjust their pricing to reflect this. For example, if a particular dish is very popular, your restaurant may be able to increase the price slightly.
5. Inflation: Inflation has a direct impact on all of the above; food costs, labor, even the utilities needed to prepare food can be affected. It’s important to remember that inflation also reduces the purchasing power of consumers, as the same amount of money will buy fewer goods and services. This can make it more difficult for restaurants to attract customers and drive sales.

How often should you update your restaurant’s menu prices? There is no one-size-fits-all answer for how often restaurants should update their menu pricing. However, all restaurants should regularly review their menu prices to stay in line with market conditions and ensure that they remain profitable, course correcting with price changes as needed. In a “food service vacuum” food cost is always at the top of the list, and with that in mind, here are a few food costs that restaurants should be mindful of:

1. Meat prices: Meat prices can be volatile and are often influenced by factors such as the cost of feed, weather conditions, and the demand for different types of meat.
2. Produce prices: The cost of produce can fluctuate depending on the season and the availability of certain items. For example, certain types of produce may be more expensive during the winter months when they are not in season.
3. Seafood prices: The cost of seafood can be impacted by factors such as the availability of different types of fish, the demand for seafood, and the cost of fuel for fishing boats.
4. Dairy prices: The cost of dairy products can be influenced by the cost of feed for cows, the demand for different types of dairy products, and the cost of production.

The bottom line is that restaurants must stay up-to-date on the factors that impact pricing and be flexible in their pricing strategies to remain competitive and profitable. Reviewing menu prices, food costs, and labor expenses at least once a year provides valuable insight into your establishment’s profitability.

More articles on menu pricing and profitability:

And, don’t miss episode 70 of the Dennis Knows Food podcast! Dennis account executive and industry expert Josh Henderson shares his insider tips and tricks for reviewing menus with maximum impact. With over 20 years of experience in food service sales, Josh knows what it takes to succeed.

Listen to Ep. 70 Now

Although it’s unclear how much food is wasted in the foodservice industry, a University of Arizona study found that food waste as a percentage of total food used is 9.55% in fast food locations and 3.11% in full-service locations.

This waste includes what restaurant patrons leave on their plates as well as quantities of prepared foods that no longer meet storage requirements. LeanPath research indicates that approximately 4 to 10% of food purchased by foodservice operations is thrown out before it can be plated. Some of the top reasons: overproduction, spoilage, and excess trimming of meat and vegetables.

American Wasteland author Janathan Bloom estimates that this wasted food costs the commercial foodservice industry roughly $165 billion annually. Cutting waste can dramatically cut food cost.

Remember: Every bit of food saved represents profit gained.

1. Conduct a waste audit to understand the extent of the problem in your location.
2. Use less-than-perfect produce– Build uses for under- and overripe, bruised, and unattractive fruits and vegetables into your menu, such as juices, ice cream, and purées.
3. Donate unused food – Food banks and other community organizations are happy to accept food that is unsaleable but still wholesome; many will pick up your donations.
4. Get rid of the garbage can – As an exercise in learning, remove the garbage cans from the kitchen. Requiring back-of-house workers to ask permission to throw away food waste they generate during prep and cooking will encourage them to become more creative.
5. Examine waste from plates – Instruct staff to place uneaten food in bus tubs for a day to determine what’s not being eaten, such as garnishes, overlarge portions, bread crusts, and more.
6. Use trim – From broccoli spears turned into soup and fruit peels used in cupcakes, to chicken fat used as a cooking medium or fish trim turned into a “burger,” there are lots of ways to divert food trim into delicious food.
7. Incent staff to come up with solutions – Getting employees on board with your efforts may yield all kinds of ideas you hadn’t thought of.
8. Serve free items only upon request – Rather than having them on counters or automatically served by staff (for example, condiments, bread, crackers, chips, and salsa), ask customers if they want them.
9. Track sales of specific menu items – Being able to forecast usage more accurately may mean the difference between making too much food and preparing just enough.
10. Get the community involved – Spread the word to regulars and the community at large about reducing food waste, through a blog or even an event like The Big Waste, in which Bobby Flay and other Food Network chefs prepared dinner for 100 made entirely from food items that would have otherwise been wasted.
11. Offer smaller portions – Half-portions, small plates, mix-and-match appetizers . . . in addition to being welcome choices for consumers, smaller portions can help reduce waste.
12. Go trayless (and use smaller plates) – Buffets in both commercial and noncommercial foodservice establishments have been able to reduce the amount of food taken by patrons.

Additional Resources

• Reducing Wasted Food & Packaging: A Guide for Food Services and Restaurants
• End Food Waste Now
• Sustainable Foodservice
• Food Service/Cafeteria Waste Reduction: Suggestions & Guidance
• USDA/EPA
• Food Waste Diversion Guide for Restaurants
• Food Waste Reduction Alliance
• ConServe
• Food Donation Connection

Content courtesy of Nestle Professional / Operators-Edge.com

The restaurant industry is in a chaotic and difficult situation due to the coronavirus outbreak. As a result many operations are seeing significantly lighter traffic, or have temporarily closed their doors, and are facing prolonged periods of downtime.

In this episode podcast host Luke LaBree, and 4 other foodservice professionals share ideas and advice to help restaurant owners and operators make the most of this unfortunate situation.

Topics discussed include reviewing menus to maximize profits, improving operational efficiencies, training staff, marketing and more. If you own own or operate a restaurant this episode, this advice, is for you.

LISTEN ON ITUNES LISTEN ON CASTBOX LISTEN ON OVERCAST

For the video version visit: dennisexpress.com/making-the-most-of-downtime

Subscribe to the Podcast – Subscribe Now (Subscribe with iTunes)

We look forward to your feedback, send an email to podcast@dennisexpress.com!

This can mean a big business opportunity for foodservice operations, particularly those that bake items fresh onsite. Research shows that when consumers know bakery goods are baked on-site, they are willing to pay more.¹

However, how do you maximize back-of-house labor to roll out more of the of the fresh bakery items your customers crave?

Ready-to-bake items make it possible for operations of any size to bake up revenue with high quality, great-tasting baked goods. From cookies, cinnamon rolls and scones to croissants, biscuits and muffins, freezer-to-oven bakery options can be a lifesaver to help restaurants and foodservice operations build out their menu with infinite possibilities.

Six bakery items that can add to your profits!

Fresh baked goods can be topped in so many different ways to make them stand out, used in different menu applications or even packaged to-go. Four, must-have, craveable bakery items that are available in ready-to-bake formats that offer endless customization opportunities are:

• Biscuits: From bread baskets to biscuit sandwiches, biscuits and gravy dishes, as a side with soups and salads and even dessert applications, biscuits can be used across menus and all dayparts. Don’t forget, September is National Biscuit Month!
• Muffins: A sure crowd-pleaser, muffins can be customized in so many ways to make them even more tempting. Consider different toppings such as crushed candy or chopped nuts, add an indulgent chocolate or caramel drizzle or offer a special flavor of the week to align with festive holidays.
• Cookies: Your next cookie sale is just an impulse purchase away. Cookies top the list of classic desserts that will never go out of style. Today’s freezer-to-oven choices make it easy to add unique offerings to your bakery lineup, like the Strawberry Lemonade filled cookies pictured above.
• Cinnamon rolls: A great way to fill your space with a tantalizing aroma, fresh-baked cinnamon rolls can drive impulse purchases. Go classic with cream cheese frosting or switch it up with maple icing and bacon crumbles.
• Scones: Growing in popularity, scones bring a premium perception to an operation and also offer versatility because they can be served throughout the day in a variety of flavors with indulgent toppings. For instance a blueberry scone could be topped with vanilla icing and lemon zest or lemon lavender icing. A chocolate-chocolate chip scone could be topped with chocolate icing and sea salt.
• Whoopie Pies: New Englanders know, love and CRAVE this indulgent treat; in fact it’s the official treat of Maine! Whoopie pies are endlessly customizable and are easy to establish as a signature treat of your operation. New to Dennis, unlabeled whoopie pies from Steve’s Snacks, simply BYOB… bring your own brand!

“Delicious bakery items meet consumer demand for both indulgence and convenience and provide so many ways to create incremental revenue,” said Culinary Chef, Theodore Osario of General Mills. “In addition, fresh items baked on site create an enticing aroma that can help to increase patron perception of an establishment.”

¹NPD SupplyTrack, 12 months ending Feb 2018

Driven by the same consumers calling for local, organic, farm-to-table and eco-friendly offerings the common thread is a desire for sustainability. By focusing on your food use, specifically what you may not be using, we can improve the profitability and the sustainability of your menu.

From time to time we’ll explore many topics in the WNWN arena, such as the use of “scraps,” or leftovers and the proper methods taken to make sure they are a safe product to transform into a new dish. Together, we’ll look at ways to improve your bottom line and resonate with trending consumer sentiment.