Know your numbers first
You can't reduce what you don't measure. Start by costing every recipe and calculating your food-cost percentage by item and overall. Then compare theoretical usage (what your sales should have consumed) with actual usage (what really left the store). The gap is where money leaks.
Tighten portioning and recipes
- Standardise recipes so every cook makes the dish the same way.
- Use scales and portion tools for high-cost ingredients like proteins.
- Audit garnishes and sides — small overages multiply across covers.
Cut waste you can see and waste you can't
- Track spoilage and prep waste so you bake or prep closer to demand.
- Rotate stock properly (first in, first out) to avoid throwing food away.
- Watch over-pouring at the bar — it's a classic silent leak.
Buy smarter
Plan purchasing against real usage rather than habit. Track supplier prices over time, consolidate orders where it helps, and let low-stock alerts — not panic — drive reordering. Disciplined buying often saves more than any single recipe change.