What does time mean in places designed for spending it: In pubs and restaurants. Places where you meet friends for a drink or some good food. Places where time shouldn't matter and people are just there to savour the goods and the good conversation. In those places, time is business, plain and simple.
Time never stands still for the people running the restaurant. The clock ticks mercilessly on. Time is a significant factor of production and it is worth cold, hard cash. That is true for all businesses. Hotels, restaurants and communal catering are no exception. Globalisation and the digital revolution have intensified competition, turning time into one of the most valuable resources available. That is just as true of food service as it is of other sectors. The question is: what should hotel owners and food-service entrepreneurs be doing about it?
HERE ARE EIGHT TIPS FOR SAVING TIME IN FOOD SERVICE
It is usually the little things the sap time; the things you don't notice in day-to-day business. And yet, these tiny problems accumulate to erode your profits.
Are you saving yet or still investing? Tips to help you save time in your hospitality business:
- Have workspaces and workflows designed by professionals and evaluate everything on a regular basis – there is always something you can improve!
- Set fixed delivery times with your suppliers. Receiving your deliveries within set windows avoids the chaos of an unexpected delivery and the stress of not knowing when your order will arrive. And it saves time.
- Publish your menu to your website and social media and make sure you update it to include seasonal changes. You should also publish your daily or weekly specials menus here.
- Never walk away empty handed: every time you visit a table, see what you can clear away.
- Use a kitchen monitoring tool to achieve efficient workflows.
- Make life easier for customers overwhelmed by choice (and for yourself): only recommend one or, at a push, two dishes. Less is more!
- Make sure you always have plenty of change in the till.
- Always prepare for the next day on the evening before.
THE DISHWASHING AREA IS DIFFERENT:
Commercial dishwashers guarantee added value
The dishwashing area provides further opportunities for economy. Start with using a commercial dishwashing machine and you will already have gained a lot in both time and money. That is because the wash cycles are extremely short, lasting just three to five minutes. That keeps the crockery circulating and keeps waiting to a minimum at peak times. And your guests will receive a smooth and reliable service, which can only be good for sales! Your guests will be happy because they can order food and drink whenever they like – so really they are happy about spending more!
What other benefits are there to using a commercial dishwasher? Well, they are not only faster than domestic dishwashers, they are also more economical: an undercounter dishwashing machine is water and energy efficient. What about the staff? They're good for them, too. You only need gently touch the hood on the M-iClean H hood type dishwashing machine for it to open and close automatically.
Restaurant dishwashing machines can deal with consistently large loads. That is what they have been designed for and they are incredibly reliable. You can see the impact on your figures – provided the machine is maintained regularly and you follow the manufacturer's care instructions. You should also ensure that your staff receive training and are aware of these needs. Our top-notch reliability combined with perfectly tailored customer service will save you time and improve your profits.
SO: ARE YOU PROFITING YET OR STILL INVESTING?
Invest in well thought-through workflows, in your employees and in the right technology. That will save you time in this competitive industry. And that will save you money. Commercial dishwashing machines can be decisive on this point: speeding up processes in the dishwashing area and making a significant contribution to the financial success of food services companies, hotels and communal caterers.
While we're on the TOPIC: our segment entitled ‘Financial health check for food service businesses: 5 tips on how restaurateurs should calculate their ROI’ provides guidance for food service entrepreneurs on how to keep their finances under control and drive their business forward.
