Written by Avendra

Looking to reduce costs at your all-inclusive resort without having to compromise on the quality that your guests expect? Here are five tips and tricks to achieving your financial goals and giving your guests an unforgettable experience.

1. Document recipes to help with food cost management. Standardize your recipes to help with portion control and, ultimately, reduce food costs. Provide your kitchen staff with specific recipes and pictures to maintain a uniform product and serving size.

2. Implement process controls for waste management. There are several ways to help reduce food waste. Some suggestions include:

* Increase forecasting and tracking to better understand what you need and what you’re actually using.

* Monitor the product lifecycle to account for purchased product compared to quantities of finished product.

* Regularly meet to discuss dead/overstock inventory and use them to create innovative dishes for daily specials menus.

* Assess if there is any benefit of purchasing whole protein cuts versus pre-portioned items.

3. Consider utilizing local items that are in-season. Usage of commodities should coincide with seasonality. For example, blueberries should be substituted for an alternative fruit when they are at their highest price point. Tap into local supplier sources to identify underutilized items which can be incorporated into existing menu options.

4. Develop strict receiving and storage guidelines to minimize waste. Maximize product quality and shelf life by properly storing food items upon receipt.

5. Reduce the number and cost of products purchased. Identify the best supplier and distributor sources that provide quality service and competitively priced products and order as much as you can through these few sources. Eliminate excessive specialty purchases by adhering to recipe specifications.