With the COVID-19 emergency affecting the operations & finances of restaurants worldwide, professionals in the hospitality industry are looking to cut costs wherever possible in order to stay afloat. Luckily there are plenty of ways to lower your operation costs without sacrificing the quality of your establishment’s services and products. Check out our expert tips on how to lower your costs!

Use Low-Cost Marketing Tactics

There are plenty of ways you can market your business at little to no cost. Facebook and Instagram are free platforms that anyone can take advantage of easily. If your business is not building out a presence across platforms, now is the time to start. Boost your presence by making interactive posts, such as polls, contests, and reposting customer’s photos! Remember, content is king, and quality matters.

Trim Your Menu According to What Sells

You should be tracking which items are your best and worst sellers, and then ordering inventory accordingly. There is no reason to continue ordering ingredients for a menu item that is making you little to no money. If your chicken wings are a best seller but short ribs are rarely ordered, it might be time to eliminate ribs altogether and replace them with an additional chicken wing option. Your POS system should be able to help you track sales of each item.

Lower Your Energy Bills

Energy bills are one of the highest costs of restaurant operations. You can lower these costs immediately by replacing all of your light bulbs with energy-efficient ones. These will save you money and last longer than regular bulbs. Another way to cut on bills is to only run your dishwasher when it is full! Running a half-empty dishwasher wastes hot water and worker’s time.

Take Advantage of the Weather

Taking advantage of nice spring & summer weather is a great way to lower your energy bills and enhance the dining experience! On nice breezy days, open the windows instead of turning on forced air. This will motivate diners to want to sit on the porch or outdoor seating areas and keep your operations costs down.

Consult the Experts

The best way to conduct a full audit of your restaurant’s costs and determine where you could be saving is to work with an expert hospitality consultant. Avery Restaurant Consulting specializes in all areas of hospitality operations, including menu planning, staff training, and marketing. Contact us today so we can get started! (617)970-8566