No matter what segment of the industry you belong to, the skyrocketing prices and product outages have greatly impacted your business over the last year. While it’s unlikely these turbulent times will halt in the coming months, we can work together to find solutions and help your business continue to grow despite these challenges. Here are a few ways your business can combat the rising inflation and product outages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

 We’ve always known time costs money, but during a labor shortage, saving time is essential. Performance oils eliminate labor by minimizing the amount of time spent on switching oil in and out of the fryer before and after service. Depending on the amount of oil used per week, a performance shortening can reduce the amount of time it takes to switch the oil in fryers from twice a week to once every two weeks. So, by switching to performance oils, a business can shift from changing their fryer oil 104 times per year to about 26 times per year! This simple change not only reduces labor, but cuts costs as well.

Par-cooked products deliver the taste and appeal of freshly baked bread or house breaded chicken tenders while reducing the labor spent making high-quality products. Par-baked products are baked to 60% by the manufacturer in advance so they can finish baking in your oven later. Baguettes, hoagie buns, and dinner rolls are all great examples of products that work well with this application. Any “raw” chicken tenders bought from a distributor are par-fried. During this process the tender is flash fried, only fried for a few seconds to keep the breading intact. Using par-fried products gives customers the quality of a house made chicken tender while saving frying time in the kitchen.

As operating costs fluctuate, so should menu prices. In the past, menu prices were usually adjusted about once per year. Now, industry experts recommend reviewing prices every few months to match inflation. Staying up to date on product inflation and consistently reevaluating menu prices helps operators better navigate their bottom line.

Technology is available to lighten your workload. Take advantage of it. For example, free online inventory management apps, or websites like Stockpile by Canvus, make the inventory process easier than ever before. Free website builders made specifically for restaurants, like Wix, streamline the customer’s ordering process and organize tickets in the back of house. Also, using a QR code at the table or at the cash register helps minimize long lines and reduce wait times. Technology helps business operators stay organized, resulting in less labor, happier customers, and more profit.

By working together, we can help each other navigate these treacherous waters of inflation to ensure we all come out successful.

If you have any questions about combating inflation, please contact us here.