5 Ways for Restaurants to Reduce Costs

1.  Soak Dishes
Fill a sink with warm water and soak used plates instead of running hot water over them immediately. This will soften the food, and require less energy to clean them.

2. Take Advantage of Good Weather
Air conditioning is costly. When the weather allows for it, open the windows and reduce your air flow. When the weather requires AC, avoid turning it on high unless necessary. The perfect temperature depends on the size of the space, so test different temperatures to know the ideal range for your thermostat where everyone—guests and staff—are comfortable, and your energy bill is lower.

3. Share the Facts with Employees
Few staff understand the financial elements of running a restaurant and that, Barry notes, can lead to unnecessary waste and inefficiencies. Being transparent with restaurant staff about restaurant finances can drive margin-protecting attentiveness across the operation.
“We can’t shy away from sharing this information,” Barry says. “Most team members think restaurants run 30–40 percent profit margins. Once you explain the actual math, they seem to tighten up in a good way.”

4. Prevent facility problems before they start
Neglecting facility problems never saves money in the long run. Don’t let things like your drains become an afterthought. That’s why Drain-Net empowers restaurants to prevent drain line backups before they start. A reactionary approach to drain line maintenance results in emergency calls to plumbers and service providers. You can probably install drain strainers, baskets, and drain locks in your entire restaurant for less than the cost of one emergency call to a plumber. So start saving today with Drain-Net, you’ll thank yourself later!

5. Optimize Your Inventory
Food waste is often the leading cost in restaurants and bars. Having an overstock of inventory might make you feel prepared, but it leads to food spoilage more often (by way of forgetting its existence, misplacing it, or theft). Instead, optimize your inventory. Use the same ingredients across the menu, and rework specials or leftovers into inventive dishes (like using stale bread for croutons).