Question:
Dear Advice Guy,
We are known for our fried chicken, which we serve with bottles of homemade hot sauce. The problem is that the bottles “magically disappear.” I’ve even stopped a woman who was putting one in her purse, and then she gave me a bad review [online], saying the service is rude. I’ve experimented with serving it in a little ramekin but then a lot comes back to the dish station, and I’m worried it’s too wasteful. Any ideas to reduce the theft without wasting it?
– General manager
Answer:
Let’s focus on the positive here: you have a hot sauce that is so delicious, people are doing anything they can to get more of it, even breaking the law! I’m sure it doesn’t seem amusing on your end, but I think there are some strategies you can use to turn this shrink problem into a guest-service win as well as a revenue source.
First, do what you can to make your sauce available for sale and let guests know that you’d be happy to add a bottle or two to their check. Keep in mind that food production of packaged goods has different regulatory requirements than foodservice, so be sure you are making your sauce safely and compliantly.
In terms of service, I agree that a ramekin is not the way to go—folks who only use a few drops will waste most of it. I saw a good solution at Jezabel’s Cafe in Philadelphia. They serve their signature chimichurri in individual bottles but without the cap. Head Baker Gabby Benvenutti says, “It took us a while to figure it out. It’s the best way to make sure people don’t waste the sauce and still eat it. Trial and error.”
More on preventing waste here.