Boost Profits: How a Continuous Improvement Plan for Food Costs Can Help

We all know that one of the main problems facing our industry is rising food costs.  But did you know that the problem with your food costs may be more than just numbers.  

Over the last three years chances are your back-of-house operations, and staff have fundamentally changed.  And yet, so many of us are hoping we can just ‘get back to normal’.  

But the sad truth is that the same approach that led to success in 2019 isn’t going to lead us to success in 2023.

There are only so many hours in a day.  And yet the expectations from our customers hasn’t gone away.

But what if there were a better way?  What if we could embrace this new reality, and find a way to maintain quality, standards, and also PROFITS. 

We believe this isn’t just possible.  This is the KEY difference between those that are successful in 2023 and those that are struggling. 

Which means it's time to FOODIFY your operations.  

To FOODIFY your operations means to stand up from your computer.  And start getting real about what is REALLY going on in your back-of-house.  Software is great, but it WON’T lead you to a better bottom line. 

Now is the time to regain control over your operations.  To go old school to dig into where your money is really going.  

We believe there is a way to continue to provide quality food to your customers at a fair price.  But it won’t happen without your back-of-house being more efficient than they have ever been. 

And it starts and ends with embracing the idea of CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT. 

We will never have a perfect night.  Perfect shift.  Perfect team.  But rather than be frustrated by our imperfections, what if we used them as teaching opportunities? 

Creating a culture of continuous improvement isn’t a quick fix.  It is a long term commitment that involves all levels of the organization. Here are the steps to help you establish a culture of continuous improvement in your restaurant:

Manager/Ownership Commitment: Leaders must emphasize the importance of continuous improvement and actively participate in the process.  For our managers, this means seeing training as something that isn’t just for the new hires, but something that is part of each of our staff meetings.  Small, focused discussions can help drive our team to learning from small mistakes before they become big ones. 

Establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): We believe in a weekly approach where KPI’s are identified and reviewed weekly with team members.  The key to KPI’s is to focus FORWARD, with each team member believing they can IMPROVE each week. 

Involve Employees: Engage employees at all levels in the continuous improvement process. Encourage them to contribute ideas and solutions and recognize their efforts.  Encourage them to be creative.  

We believe one of the best ways to do this is to embrace not just their ideas, but there senses.  When was the last time one of your new employees tried one of your dishes?  Do they know what makes your secret sauce amazing?  A few quick taste tests can radically transform your employees into your best sales team.

Recognize and Celebrate Success: Acknowledge and celebrate the successes achieved through continuous improvement efforts. Recognizing and rewarding employees for their contributions will motivate others to participate.

We believe this can be as simple as reviewing team wins weekly.  We know there are many things to improve in any organization, but if we don’t stop to enjoy the wins our team will very quickly lose motivation to improve.

Are you interested in learning more about the Foodify Movement?  Please check out the link below for our FREE FOODIFY implementation call!

Schedule here: https://calendly.com/d/27d-mjs-vj8/free-foodify-implementation-call