How do I train staff to not waste food?

Every day, your kitchen staff makes decisions that directly impact your restaurant’s profit margin and bottom line—whether that’s deciding to add extra cheese to their friend’s sandwich or making too much of that night’s special. The decisions your employees make, when improperly trained and monitored, cost you money, time, and resources.

One of the best things you can do as a restaurant owner or manager to cut back on unnecessary expenses is to properly train your staff in food waste management. Training your staff on food waste reduction will drive greater productivity and greater profitability.

Preventing food waste among kitchen staff

There are many aspects that factor into food waste. The best and most effective option for preventing food waste is to properly train and to streamline the tools your staff works with. Cross contamination, improper storage, improper labeling, and improper order taking all affect your food waste and, ultimately, your profit margin.

Using food rotation systems to prevent food waste

If your staff doesn’t take caution when prepping food, cross contamination can occur. This is particularly dangerous when handling products that can trigger food allergies. Proper labeling can prevent cross contamination.

The solution to many of those issues lie within a food rotation system. This system provides a concise and organized way to label and store your inventory.

Food rotations systems help you improve inventory management, monitor expiration dates, avoid cross-contamination, ensure customer safety, pass health inspections, reduce waste, and save you time and money.

Another way that food is wasted is through improper order taking. If your staff makes a mistake while taking an order or tries to take an order without writing anything down, this can create waste through wrong orders, mixed up requests, and orders that get entirely missed.

Streamlining your business with proper tools is essential for reducing food waste and increasing profits. Providing your staff with an easy-to-use and efficient option for order taking will greatly reduce food waste.

NCCO has all the supplies you need to help your kitchen staff reduce food waste. Learn more about our products.