How to Reduce Food Waste in Restaurants

A Guide for Chefs and Operators in Honor of Stop Food Waste Day

Wasting food isn’t just bad for the environment, it’s bad for your business. $1.2 trillion worth of food is wasted annually across the globe. Some of that wasted food could be coming out of your bottom line. That’s why Foodbuy Foodservice is sharing our advice on how to reduce food waste in restaurants. It all starts with streamlining your procurement through tracking waste, updating standing orders, and rationalizing SKUs.

Make a Plan for Monitoring Waste

You can’t determine how to reduce food waste in your restaurant until you know how much food you’re wasting. To find out, you’ll need a system that helps you keep track of what you’re buying and what you’re not using. Online platforms like WasteNot 2.0 from Compass Group are accessible solutions. Collecting and assessing data through these tools will allow you to spot recurring causes of food waste and create plans to address them.

Reassess Standing Orders

To nip food waste in the bud, you’ll also want to monitor how much you’re ordering and compare it to how much you’re wasting. As busy seasons ramp up, ordering can be deprioritized, leaving many restaurants relying on standing orders for ingredients.

Standing orders often lead to too much or too little product, both of which can lead to wasted food. Too much product means that unsold ingredients and prepped dishes may not sell before they expire. Meanwhile, under-ordering can lead to last-minute ingredient runs or express orders which might result in over-supplying, as well.

It’s best to regularly reassess your procurement needs and update orders as you move through busy and slow seasons.

Rationalize SKUs When Possible

Do you use ingredients multiple ways or purchase a specific SKU for every application? If every ingredient you order has only one specific application, you run the risk of wasting product if certain dishes aren’t ordered. On the other hand, if you train your staff to use each ingredient in two or more applications, you have more flexibility when it comes to using up ordered items.

Here are some easy ways to consolidate SKUs across menus:

• Order one type of chicken to be fried, grilled, and added to soups.
• Identify a dough that can be used as sandwich bread, flatbread, and rolls.
• Use the same vegetables as toppings for nachos, salads, and pizzas.    

Partner With Procurement Experts

When determining how to reduce food waste in your restaurant, Foodbuy Foodservice is a reliable resource. An industry-specific group purchasing organization, we help our Members procure better deals for products and services as well as help optimize procurement strategies.

Fill out our become a Member form today to get started.