Work Smarter, Not Harder:
How to build a low labor menu for this winter

Fresh Takes – Issue 03 – November 2021

By Devin Armstrong
Customer Development Director, Brown Foodservice Inc.
November 18, 2021
Every year we deal with the normal “slow down” winter period between Christmas and spring, but this year feels different. Across the country, signs are posted at businesses in big red letters screaming “We’re Hiring! All positions!” Labor shortages have hit the food industry hard this year. To prepare for the coming months, you can slightly change your menu to ease your staff’s workload.
First, one of the biggest topics of 2021 has been appetizers. While we still haven’t seen a rebound from the production impacts over the last few months, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Representatives from McCain assure us that production will come back stronger than ever. In the meantime, we still have many fantastic products you can use to substitute for those hard-to-find items. Are mozzarella cheese sticks on your menu, but you can’t find them anywhere? Try cheese curds instead. Both products have a similar flavor profile, and curds are bite-size!

Secondly, save time on proteins. Preparing beef, chicken, and pork tends to not only require the most skill in the kitchen (which usually costs more), but also the most time and storage space. We carry products like Tyson Tenderpress Chicken Breast, which are frozen breasts that throw directly on a grill, and Travis Meats pre-pattied frozen burgers, which you can cook from frozen. We also carry pre-pattied fresh burgers. Don’t have enough help this week but need smoked pulled pork? It may be time to try our fully cooked pulled pork products. We carry a dry pack or a sauced pulled pork, a variety to fit the needs of your restaurant when short staffed.

Lastly, and most important of all, dessert! With simple products (pre-made pie shell, pie filling, pre-made pie crust), you can make “homemade” pies without all the prep time. Some of our pies can be thrown directly in the oven from frozen. Do you need a cake, but don’t have time to find a recipe, measure it, and mix it? We have boxed cake mixes that require less work and still provide the homemade quality your customers want. Need more dessert ideas? Contact your salesperson to schedule a custom demo with our dessert specialist.

As the weather gets colder and the days gets shorter, there becomes more time to adjust your menu and adapt to the environment we are in today. Utilize your salesperson to help you find the right products for your situation, cost them accordingly, and print and design your menus.

Happy Thanksgiving from our Brown Foodservice family to yours!