If you are a restaurant owner, you realize just how competitive your industry is on a daily basis. To stay competitive and keep customers coming through your doors, you need to take care of even the smallest details, one of which is your restaurant’s food storage. Since your establishment always has a large amount of food on hand at any given time, knowing the best ways to maximize your food storage can result in less waste of food, time, and money. If you’re ready to beef up your food storage, take these steps.
Use Vertical Storage Options
In many restaurants, kitchens can actually be somewhat small and cramped. As a result, you may think you have little space for storage. However, that’s not the case at all. By using vertical storage options such as moveable metal shelving and racks, you can create more storage space than you ever expected. When doing so, consider using shelving that has wheels, since this will let you move it around to different areas as needed. Also, mount kitchen racks directly above food prep areas, since this allows employees easy access to exactly what they need.
Purchase a New Freezer
If you’ve been getting by with a smaller freezer for years, it’s time for an upgrade. However, rather than spending more than you need to for a brand-new freezer, instead, opt for a used stainless steel three-door commercial freezer. Once you make this purchase, this will instantly give you much more storage space for your restaurant’s food. In turn, this may allow you to keep other types of food on hand, letting you add even more options to the menu.
Separate by Category and Frequency of Use
Once you obtain your new freezer, you can improve your food storage by separating foods and ingredients by category and how frequently they are used. In your freezer, you can do this by separating meats, vegetables, and other items so that employees can quickly find what they need. In addition, this will also help you keep better track of your inventory, ensuring you don’t run out of a key ingredient.
Control Temperature, Light, and Moisture
In your dry and cold storage areas, pay close attention to maintaining proper temperatures, lighting, and moisture levels. When you do, this will prevent food from unnecessarily spoiling, which ultimately results in more money leaving your pocket.
Once you use these tips to beef up your food storage, you will immediately notice a difference in employee productivity, less food being wasted, and customer satisfaction.