For any restaurateur making a good profit in return for your hard work is top priority. You know that the only way to make substantial and sustained profit is to ensure the kitchen is the beating heart of your establishment.
This means that profit can only come on the coattails of a well-oiled kitchen. If your back of house runs like clockwork and you consistently produce top quality food and service, then financial profit will be the natural return.
The primary force behind an outstanding kitchen is the head chef.
When you employ a head chef they need to be highly skilled and experienced. But also look beyond their culinary skills. A chef is as much a manager as they are a culinary artist. Do they know how to manage staff and a busy kitchen? Can they build rapport fast and deal with a variety of kitchen staff? Will they be able to foster a culture of teamwork and respect in your kitchen?
Here are 3 ways a highly skilled chef will be able to save you money and ultimately make you money.
1. Food Management
A highly skilled chef that is properly trained will know how to run an efficient kitchen and cut down on food wastage. They’ll be able to achieve this by:
- Managing food stocks: Avoiding bulk purchases that result in food wastage.
- Avoiding the over preparation of food and reviewing of portion sizes.
- Buying cheaper produce when in season and designing the menu accordingly: resulting in lower costs, and fresher high quality meals.
- Able to make on-the-day adjustments to use up food stocks.
2. Kitchen Management
Design an organised an efficient kitchen to cut down on time and effort and streamline the process from preparation to plating.
Create work zones for different activities. You may have numerous stations which may include prep-ing, salads, grilling, frying, pizza, desserts and plating. This is the most time and energy efficient way to get things done and allows people to stay focused on their zone and the task at hand. The equipment and ingredients needed in each zone should be readily accessible to prevent inefficient running between stations or time looking for the right pot!- Make sure there is a place for everything. Tools and equipment should be stored so they are accessible, easily seen and logically grouped.
- Aim to limit the number of gadgets and unnecessary equipment you have; they take up space and time swapping from one thing to the next. Think about what you really need and if one tool can do multiple tasks.
3. Staff Management
A highly skilled chef knows how to work with your staff to keep morale high and the workflow efficient.
It’s very important for any restaurant to have a positive atmosphere in its kitchen. If your chef has a positive attitude and is supported by fantastic staff they can do what they’ve been hired to do better and faster.
It’s about building the right support network.
This can be achieved by hiring well-trained staff who know their role in the kitchen hierarchy. By providing the head chef with efficiently prepared ingredients and line support you will save money on labour costs.
What’s important in great kitchen staff?
- Skills and experience
- Flawless work ethic
- Punctuality and reliability
- A positive attitude and professionalism
- A thorough understanding of professional kitchen functionality
Your kitchen is your engine to maximise your financial return. To set yourself up for success, focus on creating a well oiled machine!
