How to control restaurant food costs and prevent food waste

Focus on the bottom line by tightening food cost control, as food costs account for 29% of revenue and influence profitability.

Explore the Canadian hospitality industry's food waste impact, including 58% uneaten and 14 billion dollars wasted annually. Identify cost-cutting opportunities by reducing avoidable surplus with data on value lost.

Learn how Canadian restaurants waste 7% of food revenues—about $51,000 annually—and how half is avoidable. For every $1 invested in cutting food waste, restaurants save $7 after three years.

Minimize risks by embracing sustainability and reducing food waste, to attract talents and eco-conscious diners while aligning with government targets and boosting your bottom line.

Estimate your savings potential by evaluating buffet presence, monthly covers, and average food cost per kilogram; use the free calculator to quantify return on investment.

Understand why measuring food surplus matters for your bottom line and how to measure it easily. Distinguish pre- and post-consumer waste and track KPIs to reduce waste.

Learn to track KPIs like food cost and food waste per guest to maximize profitability, using steps to calculate cost of food sales, manage inventory, and benchmark against industry standards.

Measure food surplus to cut costs and reduce waste, using manual tracking with the Food Lover's Tracking sheet or technology for scalable insights, including Too Good to Go.

Learn to reduce kitchen food waste and costs through smart food purchasing: order what you need, limit menus, improve forecasting, negotiate with suppliers, and buy imperfect produce.

Implement fifo stock rotation, label and date supplies, train staff to rotate and use items first, know what's in the fridge, and manage inventory to reduce waste.

Improve knife skills to maximize use of ingredients, coordinate with the culinary team, use a daily special for unused items, cook and store for later, and repurpose ingredients.

Learn practical strategies to control restaurant food costs and prevent waste by using production charts, cooking to order, preserving overproduced items, offering free toppers, and selling near-expiry surplus.

Learn how plate waste drives restaurant costs by understanding why guests leave uneaten food—oversized portions and social dining norms—and use empty plates as a sign of satisfaction.

Track plate waste to measure what's wasted and why, then train staff to gather feedback and offer two portion sizes, extra sides, and compostable packaging to reduce costs and waste.

Use smaller plates to reduce plate waste and counter Delboeuf illusion by matching colors between plate, tablecloth, and food, and set a slower music tempo to influence dining pace.

Join this strategy session to learn how to reduce restaurant food costs, rethink food waste, and book your complimentary session for practical help.