If you are not watching what is getting tossed out in the trash everyday, you are essentially throwing your hard earned money in the garbage.
Whether it is pure carelessness or stealing it is the same end result, it negatively effects your bank account.
Use these 4 strategies to make sure your profits aren’t getting tossed.
1. Remove trash cans from the kitchen. Replace the trash cans in the kitchen with 10 qt clear storage containers. By giving each employee their own container you can easily see if good, useable product is landing up in the trash. Employee often get lazy, careless or are not trained properly and this cost you money. From trimming steaks, filleting fish or cutting up a head of celery not only will your staff be more conscious of what they are throwing away it is easy for you to do a quick spot check and know where the problem lies.
2. Keep a close eye on your trash can in your dish room and your dumpster.
I never forget the morning I brought trash out to the dumpster and discovered at least 3 bus buckets of dirty dishes in the garbage. In order to get out of work quicker, the dishwashers were chucking the final dishes away instead of cleaning them and putting them away. This is an extreme but it happens. It is wise to check the dish room trash you will be surprised how much silverware and small items “ fall through the cracks.”
3. Place a video camera on your back door.
Small items are easily taken by dishonest employee from your restaurants hidden in coats, purses, backpacks etc. But to steal larger items such as cases of beer or a case of meat a common tactic is for an employee to take the case out to the dumpster and leave it there until they can sneak it out and put it in their car later. Having your back door on outfitted with a camera are that it will be a deterrent because employees know they are being watch and will also provide evidence if you feel someone is stealing.
4. Make is policy that employees must inform manager when taking out trash
As in the last paragraph, taking out the trash is a typical way in which product can be stolen from your business. It literally “walks out the back door.” For this reason it is wise to limit access in and out of your kitchen by your employees. Employees should not have carte blanche to walk in and out of the restaurant as they please. This just leads to trouble and if they are outside doing whatever they are doing most times they are not doing what they should be doing.