Many restaurants struggle with serving fresh foods because many deem it to be financially insensible. Unless you have a steady stream of income or customers, you’ll see food going off before it gets a chance to be sold, leaving you with massive losses in food wastage. However, with the right strategies in place, you can keep your food longer, satisfy your customers — and increase sales.
Whether you have an excellent opportunity to grab a great deal at companies like Aloha Poke Company Franchising to open your dream restaurant or are already operating several establishments, here are ways to keep food as fresh as possible.
Store Ingredients in Airtight Containers
Remember to keep food in air-tight containers because they begin to spoil the moment they contact air. Storing your ingredients in air-tight units can drastically increase their shelf life while maintaining their freshness and cleanliness.
Source Locally When Possible
Where you get your food from can impact its freshness as the distance it has to travel to get to your establishment can speed up its withering stages as it gets exposed to different environments. That’s why to ensure you have fresh food, support local farmers and producers. You can do this by visiting local farmers’ markets and creating close relationships with local farmers and producers to supply you with a steady flow of fresh ingredients. If you can’t source locally, look for an organic vegetable and fresh meat supplier.
Tighten Stock Control
To minimize fresh food wastage, you’ll need to build a clear idea of how many consumers you’re likely going to get every day and what you think they’re going to order, meaning you need to ‘tighten up’ your stock control. There are stock keeping software tools that help pinpoint trends and provide accurate figures on how many ingredients you need to order based on past performances.
However, when you cater to local events or have large bookings, it’s best to keep track of the usage yourself. You can also hire staff members to take care of logistics work to track funds for fresh foods and determine when to order new ingredients, keeping your stock fresh and delicious.
Never Overload Storage Spaces
Freezers and refrigerators only work best when you don’t overstock them. That’s because crowded fridges and freezers can cease to work when there are too many inside them, resulting in a temperature drop. When this happens, not only your ingredients get rotten quicker, but they also become toxic for consumption. So, make sure only to fill up these things to their recommended capacities.
Reconsider Your Menu
It’s best to look over your menu and see which ones use the most ingredients. That’s because the fewer ingredients you need to store, the fewer the chances of these foods going expired before being eaten. Reconstruct your menu and create dishes that customers can regularly order to ensure all ingredients get used. Doing this helps you get through most of your fresh produce with minimal wastage, keeping your meals as fresh as possible.
Most restaurant-goers expect fresh food when they’re going out to eat as it tastes better and healthier. You don’t need to compromise your finances to meet these demands by following the tips mentioned, allowing you to keep food as fresh as possible without breaking the bank — improving food quality and customer retention.
