Reducing Restaurant Food Waste — 5 Effective Ways to Save Food & Money

Food waste is one of the restaurant industry's dirtiest little secrets. According to 2012 report by the National Resource Defense Council, 40 percent of food in the United States isn't eaten. That means that almost half of our edible resources are squandered, driving up associated food costs that are eventually passed on to the diner. Still, there are ways to rescue your restaurant from waste and save your profit margin — and your customer base — at the same time.

Educate Your Employees

The first step toward correcting any problem is educating the people who are in a position to fix it. In a June 2013 Food Tank article exploring ways to reduce food waste, chef and sustainability foodservice consultant Greg Christian wrote that as part of a restaurant's daily routine, “All waste should be collected, separated and measured. It can be meaningful to show waste to your staff in clear containers so they can visualize just how much food is being tossed." A restaurant's employees are the first line of defense; they're the ones who man the cutting boards shift after shift, mincing, chopping and choosing just how precise they're going to be. Give them the knowledge they need to succeed, and then put in place a system that helps ensure they do.

Give Scraps a Second Life

Not all food trimmings have to automatically hit the trash bin. While you might not be able to use the ends of a baguette for the house's signature garlic-rubbed crostini, they'll make great breadcrumbs. By utilizing meat scraps for stock and leftover fruit for syrup or compote, you're making the most of everything in your pantry and walk-in, ultimately maximizing your bottom line.

Monitor Your Menu

Bigger is not always better, and in the case of menu size, it almost never is. The more varied your offerings, the larger your larder and the more likely some dishes will go unordered, leaving ingredients to languish and spoil. Keep a close eye on which items are selling, and don't be afraid to nix those that don't. Remember: every time you throw away rotten, unused ingredients, you're basically tossing out cold hard cash.

Use Specialized Software

In the fall of 2012, Cal Dining at UC Berkeley tackled food waste prevention in their campus residential dining halls, and the results of their program were impressive: by using a food waste tracking system to monitor food prep, the project cut waste down by one third, saving more than $1,600 a week. In an industry where food cost can make or break your business, it's a staggering number.

Track Your Progress

You've identified the issue, sourced the problem and even implemented some solutions, but without perpetual accountability, regression is almost inevitable. Take inventory on a regular basis so you can easily find and fix new problems as they arise. Track waste by both department and shift, identifying patterns — both good and bad — and giving your staff positive reinforcement and constructive corrections as needed. Chart re-fires broiler by broiler or spot-weigh salads that are usually portioned purely by sight. Reward accuracy and create a culture of culpability, always enforcing the fact that with conservation comes cost efficiency, and with profit, everybody wins.