Ever wondered why franchise restaurants are so successful in conducting business? It's because they give more importance to standardizing their menu portions. So, when customers revisit, they can expect the same portion size at the same price. This increases customer retention and loyalty. Keeping portion sizes consistent can bring immense benefits to your restaurant such as reducing the cost which leads to an increase in profitability. Continue reading to learn more about how you could keep your portion sizes consistent, along with some tips and tricks that could be of use.
According to USDA's recommendations total intake of fat, saturated fat, calories, and sodium per meal has expanded considerably over the century. Some restaurants are known to increase the portion sizes with the hope that customers would psychologically believe that they are getting a larger meal, this is done to enhance the perception of value for money. However, this can lead to food going to waste which is equivalent to throwing money down the drain. Having consistent portion sizes will help restaurants to avoid unnecessary waste and expenditures.
Due to a variety of fixed expenditures such as wages, rent, equipment, and utilities that must be paid regardless of the number of customers served, restaurant profit margins become tight. As a result, restaurants should figure out ways to combat this and increase their revenue.
In today's world, it is said that millennials are the highest spending generation that has spent over $1.4 trillion in 2020. This generation gives attention to healthy options, local foods, thriftiness, and sustainability. They don't mind spending it on a premium meal that is complemented with excellent service. Millennial customers have, in fact, effectively created a new kind of restaurant experience. So, getting their eyes on your restaurant menu is vital for future growth.
In order to attract millennial and other generation customers who are trying to follow a healthier lifestyle, restaurants must serve more reasonable portions. Smaller portions with consistency can help restaurants in a variety of ways such as reducing cost, wastage, etc.
In this blog post, you'll learn what portion control in restaurants is, why it's important, and how you can implement it on-premise or online.
What is portion control in restaurants?
Portion control is a technique used for determining the quantity of the dish and the number of ingredients to be added when preparing meals before serving it to customers. This will save time and money. Having standard portion sizes in all your menu items will reflect consistency in terms of food taste, quality, and quantity, which leads to customer satisfaction.
Customers love and are impressed when restaurants have consistent portion sizes. Imagine this, if a customer receives a 12-ounce steak during their first visit and an 8-ounce steak the next week or month for the exact price, you can guarantee that they'll be upset.
Cut down cost by having portion controls in your restaurant
Controlling portion sizes is important for keeping food costs down. Even a minor serving mismatch might have an impact on your profit margins. Many restaurants strive for food costs to be between 28% and 35% percent of their total income.
Still, thinking how you could have better portion control for your restaurant?
It's simple, just observe your customers how they eat, if they are continuously unable to finish their entire meal then that's the first step you need to consider is reducing your portion size and make sure this is reflected in your digital menu.
Use appropriate kitchen utensils
You should also keep an eye on any quantity changes in ingredients that are used when preparing meals. In order to have accurate portion sizes try using proper tools and equipment when preparing meals.
Carefully measure quantities of ingredients using specialized kitchen equipment such as measuring cups, spoons, scoops, scales and, portion cups, and remember to closely follow the recipe to ensure consistency between dishes.
Train your back of house kitchen staff
Your kitchen staff might be at different levels of experience so, allocate time and effort to properly train all your kitchen staff. Teach them about the importance of following a consistent portion size, so that you could avoid under portioning and over portioning. Employee development of this sort can be easily overlooked but is surely worth the effort. You will save a lot of money and unused food that goes to waste. The values it brings to the restaurant as a whole is limitless.
Reconsider your purchases
Your efforts to maintain consistent portion sizes don't happen only in the back-of-house kitchen of your restaurant. It all starts at the beginning when you order inventory from your supplier on a weekly basis. So, make sure you order the appropriate products (in the exact quantities) for the number of meals you'll be serving.
Consider purchasing partially prepared products (pre-cooked bread). They may appear to be more costly on paper, but they will save you money in terms of labor and raw material storage.
Flex your consistent portion menu online
Now that you know how to save cost, reduce wastage, and the importance of consistent menu potions, it's time to promote your dishes online. As you already know, customers now order food online more frequently than ever. Over 90% of guests research a restaurant online before dining, and 86% of diners order delivery at least once a month and are most satisfied with getting food delivered to their homes.
With more and more people constantly navigating through their favorite restaurants' social media pages. It's time for you to take advantage of this emerging trend with frequent promotion of your digital menu across all social media channels.
In order to do so, you need to showcase your uniqueness through enticing product images and great food descriptions through your digital QR menu.
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You can also provide information on your portion sizes with in-detail food descriptions, state all ingredients being used, their volume, potion, weight, and more.
Applova Digital Menu also allows you to upload an unlimited number of pictures of your dishes, so you don't just leave it to your customer's imagination. Even get creative by swapping backgrounds, color themes and even upload your own logo.
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