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Cutting Waste - Saving Cash

Employee brainstorms can reduce costs.

The most prudent way to start [developing a cost-cutting plan] is to get staff involved. You will be amazed at the ideas employees can come up with if you ask for their help. Over the years at our restaurants, here is a list of some ideas we compiled:

	A line cook once suggested we start a stock pot with the waste from the tops of onions, bases of celery stalks, stems of green peppers [etc.]….At the end of the day we had an incredible vegetable stock.
	A simple suggestion from a server when serving mayonnaise, extra sauces and additional salad dressings for guests was that we change from a “monkey” dish (3.5 oz. fruit bowl) to a 2 oz. ramekin. The waste was terrible before implementing this simple procedure.
	When your bartenders are cutting fruit what happens to the peels, ends and pulp? Instead of throwing that in the trash, make a delicious simple syrup flavored with these citrus cuts.
	Chefs and kitchen managers need to know what trimmings are cut from meats. Everything from the fat to the bits and pieces of meat can be used. Even the drippings from cooking sausage and bacon make delicious bases for sauces….Beef, pork and chicken trimmings can be used to make rustic dishes concocted once a week to make a low cost menu item. What is more attractive than a meatloaf sandwich made from ground meats and gravies made from the renderings?

Source: OnAWait.com

Excerpted from Restaurant Business, April 2009   

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