As restaurants face an unprecedented pivot to being allowed to fulfill only off-premise orders and not serve dine-in customers, staff responsibilities have shifted considerably. Of course, there’s no need for a host or servers on-site right now, but kitchens are working overtime to make sure food is cooked safely and orders can go out in a timely manner to ensure customer satisfaction. To help with the increase in takeout and delivery orders, restaurants can do a few things to help prepare their kitchens for success. Even in these busy and uncertain times, some aspects of running a restaurant remain the same: the need for cleanliness and safety, keeping costs low and maximizing available labor.
Ensuring cleanliness and safety
Making sure cleanliness protocols are followed has never been more important. Kitchen staff should have checklists for each shift, as well as routines for bigger cleaning jobs such as ensuring the kitchen is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized at the end of each day. Safety is also key: Operators can consider implementing cleaning tools, such as Restaurant Technologies’ AutoMist® and Grease LockTM, to help boost cleanliness while increasing safety at the same time. AutoMist eliminates the need for bringing in third-party cleaners for big jobs, and also completely eliminates oil and grease build-up in hoods and flues, which can help prevent fires. Grease Lock is a patented disposable filter pad and metal frame which replaces existing hood filters and reduces grease buildup, frequency of hood cleaning, and baffle filter cleaning. By ensuring cleanliness standards are upheld and that precautions to prevent fires are being taken, operators can feel confident that their kitchens are ready to take on anything—and deliver high-quality food orders no matter what.
Keeping costs low
Managing food costs and other overhead is a critical concern for running a business anytime, but dealing with a pandemic has made it all the more important. Keeping costs low and stretching food costs can help restaurants stay afloat during these trying times. For instance, remix menu items: Think using eggs beyond the breakfast menu as a premium burger topping, or offer pizza toppings as part of a build-your-own loaded fries appetizer. Another option: Trim the menu so only top sellers and high-margin items are available for takeout and delivery. Keeping costs low also means using ingredients as effectively as possible. For instance, getting the most out of frying oil instead of just disposing of it can save costs on the oil itself and reduce waste. Restaurant Technologies’ Total Oil Management system can help with this. The automated solution takes the hassle out of changing and filtering the oil, resulting in safer and more sustainable and efficient oil management. Well-managed, properly filtered oil, used in conjunction with regularly maintained equipment, helps reduce kitchen costs and waste while increasing operational efficiencies and productivity. By keeping kitchen costs low, restaurants can help free up those funds for other aspects of the business.
Maximizing available labor
While the restaurant industry at large was experiencing a labor shortage prior to current events, many restaurants now are faced with a labor surplus as well as concerns about paying employees. For many restaurants, this has led to trimming the number of people on the clock. However, using a skeleton crew means that staff’s labor should be used to a restaurant’s advantage. Make sure staffers are up to speed on customer service best practices, for instance, to better serve today’s consumers, and make sure each employee’s talents are being used appropriately. Rather than have someone spending a shift cleaning an oven, for instance, they could man the phones or watch delivery tablets to ensure orders are being taken and fulfilled. And cleaning shouldn’t fall by the wayside, of course. With automatic cleaning solutions as well as other tools, restaurants can be sure the cleaning is getting done properly without having to dedicate employees’ time to things that won’t help grow the business or increase output.
Trimming costs with automation and other solutions
Trimming costs is crucial right now, but that doesn’t mean restaurants have to skimp on their delivery services. By preparing the kitchen correctly—including setting up safety and cleanliness procedures and taking steps to minimize overhead, optimize food costs and maximize labor—restaurants can be confident in their takeout business ventures. What’s more, these steps can also help prepare for optimization post-pandemic. While it’s uncertain when dine-in availability will be restored, a well-run kitchen is something that is always beneficial. To find out more about how Restaurant Technologies can help set up kitchens for success, visit rti-inc.com today.
This post is sponsored by Restaurant Technologies