The constant balance of costs and improving sales is the reason for the industry expression, “know your numbers.” Control costs and optimize operations to make this a hot profit summer.

Menu Makeover

Food costs run on average 25%-40% of revenue. Find ways to optimize your menu and impact the net profit margins for your restaurant. Each month, conduct an audit to identify the current food cost versus the menu price for each item. Also, consider simplifying your menu. Note your most popular dishes with the highest profitability and highlight them at the top of your menu. Eliminate dishes that aren’t profitable to simplify the menu selections and ingredients to keep in stock. With Recipe Costing, a One Source partner of Performance, you can efficiently manage all your food cost challenges.

Deliver the Goods

Your restaurant may be known for signature dishes that customers expect to be available for takeout or delivery. Scale down the takeout menu to items that are guest favorites or that will meet customer expectations after traveling. Take inventory of supplies you need for those signature dishes, such as green products like paper, foam, or plastic. If any popular dishes don’t travel well with your current supplies, consider some alternatives.

And continue your analysis to adjust takeout and delivery pricing accordingly, as many customers choose your restaurant out of loyalty and convenience, as well as the food and the experience. Speaking of loyalty and convenience, ensure your curbside and pickup operations are running smoothly to keep customers happy. The customizable resource Swipeby can streamline every aspect of this so guests have a consistent, excellent experience.

Staffing Secrets

Employees are one of your biggest assets, and getting their best requires training and retention practices. These procedures consistently yield returns for your restaurant while creating a positive work environment. Continue to focus on:

• Training. Update staff on the menu items you wish to upsell for that month. Specials and recommendations are simple, effective practices to meet daily revenue goals. Reward practices that target your goals while providing the best customer service to your guests.
• Scheduling. Evaluate restaurant traffic and labor costs to determine the coverage needed for any shift. Automate clock-in and clock-out for all employees.

In addition to the above, consider utilizing One Source staffing solutions to improve your staffing challenges with everything from food safety training, to seamless tip payout systems, to shift management software, and more.

Marketing Magic

A committed and consistent effort to improve your online presence is a timely but effective investment. More people search on their phones than on computers, and restaurants are at the top of that list. Your mobile site should perform just as well as the desktop version. Loyal customers want to follow and post about their experiences, and social media food posts are popular because of the visual elements. Engage with posts that show staff behind the scenes, highlight upcoming specials, and show off your unique brand. Respond to comments to create bonds and long-term connections that will improve revenue over time for your restaurant.

Tech Talk

Efficient and up-to-date tech is key to competing and thriving in today’s industry. Stay ahead to improve margins and keep operations running smoothly with the help of resources like these:

• POS & Handheld Terminals. These terminals maximize efficiency with placing and picking up orders. Process payments faster (handheld terminals can be used by waitstaff at the table) and can promote faster table turnover. A resource like HungerRush can be your one-stop shop to connect your tools, processes, and data in one convenient system.
• Online Ordering Solutions. Takeout and delivery options continue to ramp up, so a top-notch online ordering system is a must to give guests the convenience they need to maximize sales.