Sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees. There is so much emphasis on the importance of food cost in a food service business, that we sometimes miss the more important calculation of prime cost, the sum of labor and food which, in most cases, is equal to at least 70% of revenue. Keeping a vigilant watch over prime cost can mean the difference between success and failure. Take, for instance, a quick service restaurant (QSR) that serves from a steam table on disposable plates. ...
An outbreak of any food-borne illness that can be traced back to your establishment can not only put a damper on customer retention, but can put an end to your business as well. A report of listeria, noro-virus, salmonella or e-coli by the state health department is as toxic to the welfare of your business as it is to your customers. At the very least, you will have to make costly changes to procedures, infrastructure or equipment and retrain your staff. And at the very worst, you will be forced ...
When I attended culinary school, one of the requirements in the last semester was to complete an internship, what used to be referred to as an apprenticeship decades ago, and to what is now referred to as an externship. Apprenticeship, internship or externship, whatever it is called, it is a win-win for both the experienced restaurateur and the student. I remember mine well. It was 6 grueling weeks with a locally well-known chef who outside of Blackey’s Saloon, had only two interests, ...
In the past two weeks of operation at my new restaurant, I have had to throw out 10 pounds of pulled duck, 30 pounds of chicken breasts and 8 pounds of chicken livers. Why? Not because my freezer or cooler are functioning improperly. They are at 0 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit as they should be. No, not through any fault of mine or my employees, but as the result of improper handling on behalf of my suppliers, all who are nationally known broadliners. In addition, I have tossed out 1 pound of Thai ...
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