How to Lower Costs without Sacrificing Your USP

• Know and promote your USP
  What makes your business distinct from all others? Is it a signature dish? A high standard of service? An ambiance all its own? Ask repeat customers and long-term employees to describe your restaurant in just a few sentences, and seek out areas of overlap in their descriptions. That’s your USP!
  
  If it helps to formulate your USP as a slogan, then bring staff members in on the process, and have fun with it! The more invested your employees feel in the restaurant and its most unique feature, the better, particularly if you’re going to ask for their help implementing the inventory control and other cost-cutting measures below.
  
• Liberate excess inventory
  Chances are, your walk-in is rife with excess, whether in the form of produce past its sell date or old pancetta that never made it onto a blue-plate special. The simple fact is that storing food you won’t use is a costly – and unsanitary – practice that prevents an accurate assessment of what’s really moving on your menu.
  
  By tracking and then selling excess inventory, including old or unnecessary equipment, you’re not only inviting your chef to make full use of essential ingredients and supplies, but also generating some rainy-day revenue.
• Control portions
  Most restaurants have portion-control guides kicking around the kitchen, but rarely are staff members trained on how to plate food accordingly. Bring in a scale, ruler, or other measuring device and spend a day on the line helping to plate popular menu items.
  
  Train front-of-house employees to recognize and request accurate portions, and above all else, reward consistency. Your first guest’s oversized portion can easily become your second guest’s disappointment; never set a precedent you’re not ready to uphold.
• Conserve resources
  What minor costs are currently accruing in your restaurant? Are the lights left on overnight? Are table linens tossed in the laundry basket with barely a blemish? How many faucets are dripping in the kitchen? Do you still rely on paper invoicing, scheduling, payment, and advertising?
  
  Ask your team members for assistance in developing green initiatives, and stick to them, whether you return unused packaging to suppliers or program the thermostat to stay below a certain level. Controlling seemingly insignificant costs can go a long way.
• Hold management accountable
  No one but a manager should have the authority to comp, void, or discount a sale, and an employee log that details the reason for these exceptional transactions should lower their incidence. Consider implementing random “cash audits,” in which you reconcile cash on hand with the transactions on record, and never allow more than one person per shift access to the cash drawer.
• Keep a positive attitude
  Offer employees free coffee; serve a hot, family-style lunch; or simply sit and chat with your team members for a few minutes before closing. When they’re not at work, your employees are your best marketers, and you want to secure their loyalty from the moment of hire. Give all staff a voice in their own schedules and ask for their input on cost- and time-saving practices. Notice that the inclusion of your staff is a constant item in the steps above.