Seminar helps restaurant owners, managers control food costs

Two keys to controlling food costs in the restaurant business are waste management and menu pricing, says Warren Daniel, of New Hampshire Small Business Development Center.The biggest mistake is not being accountable to a budget and therefore not knowing what the food-cost percentage is, Daniel says. Without knowledge, there is little that can be done to correct the problem.Daniel, who has 20 years experience owning and operating restaurants, will be imparting some of his knowledge at a seminar May 12, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at the North Conway Grand Hotel.The seminar, presented by Mount Washington Valley Economic Council and the Small Business Development Center, is designed to help restaurant owners, managers and supervisors develop cost-control strategies that they can pass on to their employees.The attendees will learn many strategies on how to control food costs as well as where their food costs should be as a percentage of sales, Daniel says. They will leave the seminar with many ideas, therefore having the tools to improve their restaurant.The presentation is quite interactive, Daniel says.Most all the attendees will have restaurant experience, and they add a lot of value to the discussion, he says.Some of the other topics to be covered include importance of cash flow and budgeting; customer service; how to price out a menu; and security.In the restaurant industry, internal pilferage and theft of food is a big issue, as is theft of money because it is predominantly a cash business, Daniel says. I review ways to cut down on both problems.Work flow in the kitchen also will be discussed.To be efficient in the kitchen, as in any workplace, there has to be a certain flow of work, Daniel says. Although I will not discuss that exact flow, I will be talking about work stations and keeping areas well stocked and walking to a minimum whenever possible. Also, the importance of convenience of equipment will be addressed.Cost to attend the seminar is $75, which includes lunch and a packet of information. To register, or for more information, call Carol Stansell at the Mount Washington Valley Economic Council at (603) 447-2516.