Published on November 13th, 2018
Like most enterprising entrepreneurs, you decide to open up a new restaurant in Brooklyn for a reason. It could be to fulfill a passion for preparing and serving exotic Uzbek cuisines.
Performing such a task may give you immense pleasure. You do not have the words to express to a sense of satisfaction you see people enjoying your dishes.
However, when it comes to operating your establishment, you may come across numerous challenges. One of the most important among them is inventory management. In the beginning, you assume it is an extremely tedious task.
You could rather allot it to one of your employees than do it yourself. However, with time, you realize its importance. Experts say it is vital component is enabling you to control costs and determine your bottom-line profits.
Is It Possible For Restaurant Owners To Improve Their Inventory Control?
Industry experts say no restaurant owner likes to see expensive food itemsgo to waste.Such proprietors also can’t help expressing their frustration when key ingredients to popular dish suddenly run out.
The disappointment in their customers’ faces is unbearable for them. In the process, they lose valuable revenue. The last thing they want is to go out of business.
This is the reason why they need to necessary steps to monitor their inventory. You should be doing the same thing for your business. However, this is not an easy task to perform. As you begin to expand your operations, it becomes more complex.
Fortunately, these professionals suggest you should keep in mind the followingsix important tips:
1. Install A Point-Of-Sale(pos) System Which Ensures Proper Inventory Control
Entrepreneurs operating restaurant businesses need to install a suitable point-of-sales system in their establishments. Such a mechanism should allow them to control the usage of the raw materials they buy.
It implies determining the minimum levels for each item they use and when they need to make purchases. This gives vital information regarding the stock they have in hand.
They should give strict instructions to their employees to enter all the ingredients they use into the system. You should also be thinking of taking steps to introduce automation to your business.
2. Preparing And Allotting The Task To Reliable Staff Members
The people you hire should have some knowledge of the procedures you install to monitor yourrestaurant’s inventory. They should be aware of how these systems work, However, it is in your best interest to allot this responsibility to two of your most trustworthy employees.
This ensures proper and accurate counts as one person verifies the work of another. With time, inventory management becomes faster and smoother. It acts as a catalyst for minimizing unnecessary wastage and spoilage. This is something which you want for your establishment in the long-run. You also save a lot of money in the process.
3. Introduce Manual Stocktaking Procedures
Many restaurant owners still rely on manual stocktaking procedure even though they opt for automating their establishment. You may consider this to be a complete waste of valuable time. After all, you did dig deep into your pocket to purchase the latest point-of-sale system for your business.
However, purchases and sales don’t always give you the entire picture. Prominent Uzbek restaurant Brooklyn owners say most of the time you are dealing with perishable commodities.
You need to constantly check the quality of such items on a daily basis. Only then can you include them as ingredients in the popular dishes you prepare for your customers. Always remember to use the ‘first in, first out’ method. Sometimes, the age-old inventory techniques are best.
4. Make It A Habit Of Recording Wastage
There are times when one of your employees may deduct a particular food item from your inventory. You come to know that your chef did use it in preparing one of the dishes. This is because it may have become rotten for some reason. In such a situation, you need to record such wastage rather than discard it from your stock.
You should also record the reason for taking this course of action. You should be able to ascertain a value to it in monetary terms. After all, such losses also affect your bottom-line profits in the long-run. Only then can you take the necessary action to ensure it does happen again.
5. Focus On Your Menu
There is no hard and fast rule that the dishes you prepare will remain constant throughout the year. They are likely to change according to your customer’s tastes with the onset of particular seasons. As a result, the ingredients you need is also likely to alter. You need to keep this fact in mind when making your purchases.
The last thing you want is a surplus of items you don’t need. There every possibility they’ll rot over time. Such losses can reduce your profit margins. This is the reason why you keep making your purchases according to your menu.
6. Update Your Stock List Before Making Purchases And Accepting Deliveries
Before purchasing or accepting deliveries of new perishable commodities, you need to perform an important task. You have got to make sure your current inventory list is up-to-date. You need to have complete information of items you have in hand and their quality.
If some of them exceed their expiry date, you need to discharge them immediately. Only then can you record the new items. This gives you a clearer picture of what you have in your storeroom and kitchen, mixing them up together results in unnecessary confusion. It is also a complete waste of your valuable time.
Inventory control is a task you cannot afford to ignore or overlook. It affects the financial condition of your business in the long-run especially your bottom-line profits. You also get a clear picture of the steps you need to take to ensure optimum stock levels.
Your efforts to minimize wastage as far as possible go a long way in helping you save money. This is a very important fact which you need to consider. It can improve the competitiveness of your business in the market. Moreover, you consider and implement the above six important tips. It can help you achieve the objective of better inventory control.
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