The holy grail of the bar and restaurant industry is to minimize costs without compromising quality. One increasingly popular way of doing this is to outsource some menu items to third parties. This can also help to simplify your bar and restaurant menu.
There are distinct advantages to this approach—consistency and convenience are two that immediately spring to mind.
The downside is a loss of control over quality and safety standards. However, the good news is that reputable manufacturing companies that utilize food manufacturing software can ensure that each plate you deliver to customers is just as you and your patrons expect.
Let’s look at how software is transforming the journey from farm to restaurant plate.
Balancing the Menu: Fresh Prep Meets Pre-Manufactured Products
In an ideal world, every bar and restaurant owner would love all their menu items to be freshly prepared on-site each day. However, this isn’t always viable for a host of reasons.
Whether it's for cost or efficiency reasons, more bars and restaurants are serving pre-manufactured products. This could be something as simple as bringing in items like burgers, sausages, pies, or desserts, right through to complete meals.
Among the main reasons why this approach is so popular are:
- Cost-efficiency: Using pre-manufactured products can be more economical, reducing ingredient costs and waste.
- Consistency: These products ensure uniform taste and presentation, vital for a consistent dining experience.
- Time-saving: Ready-to-serve items free up kitchen staff, boosting overall efficiency.
- Menu diversity: Easily introduce diverse dishes without extensive training or equipment.
- Supply chain reliability: Established manufacturers offer timely and consistent deliveries, minimizing stock-out risks.
- Safety and compliance: Reputable suppliers adhere to strict safety and quality standards.
While pre-manufactured products are not going to be suitable for every establishment, where they are viable alternatives the benefits are substantial and multifold and can be useful in scaling your menu for growth and consistency.
Importance of Food Manufacturing Software in Ensuring Quality
Ultimately, the hospitality industry is all about putting smiles on the faces of diners. As already mentioned, one of the downsides of outsourcing menu items is the loss of control over factors like quality, consistency, and safety compliance. If any of these are below par, it is unlikely you will find yourself with an establishment full of contented customers.
This means that you have to treat a third-party supplier almost as if they are one of your kitchen team. An aspect that can help determine the reliability of any provider is the processes they use to ensure their products are exactly as you demand.
One of the major telling points is their use of the latest technology in the manufacturing process. This includes the use of modern food manufacturing software.
Benefits of Ensuring Suppliers Use Food Manufacturing Software
Without getting too technical, suppliers that implement this approach have access to a wide range of tools and analytics that guarantee quality, consistency, hygiene, and—above all—flavor:
- Real-time inventory management: Enables suppliers to track ingredients and finished products in real time, ensuring that bars and restaurants receive fresh and available products.
- Farm-to-fork product traceability: Ensures complete transparency from the source of ingredients to the finished product, reinforcing the "farm to fork" journey and building trust with establishments and diners.
- Quality control: Automated checks ensure that every product meets set quality standards, guaranteeing consistency in taste and presentation for patrons.
- Hygiene and safety standards compliance: Ensures products adhere to the latest safety and hygiene regulations, giving bars and restaurants confidence in the products they serve.
- Efficient production scheduling: Optimizes the production process, ensuring timely delivery of products, which is crucial for establishments with peak service times.
- Waste management: By identifying areas of waste, suppliers can operate more sustainably, potentially leading to cost savings that can be passed on to bars and restaurants.
Food manufacturers that utilize cutting-edge software take a responsible approach to their industry. Ensuring your suppliers use such solutions allows you to pass this on to your customers.
Direct Advantages for Bars and Restaurants
For bars and restaurants, the transformation that food manufacturing software brings to the table is immense. Here are a few of the immediate and direct advantages that modern-thinking suppliers offer:
- Food safety assurances: With rigorous quality checks in place, establishments can confidently serve dishes, knowing that every ingredient meets the highest safety standards.
- Consistent product delivery: No more surprises with varying tastes or presentations. Every dish, whether it's a pie, burger, or a gourmet dessert, maintains a consistent quality that patrons come to expect.
- Reliable supply chains: Gone are the days of unexpected stock-outs. With real-time inventory tracking, suppliers ensure that bars and restaurants always have what they need, when they need it.
- Cost savings: Efficient waste management and streamlined production often translate to cost benefits. When suppliers save, these savings can trickle down, offering establishments better pricing without compromising on quality.
Choosing suppliers that prioritize a consistent and safe manufacturing process backed by modern software is like having another trusted hand in the kitchen.
From the Farm to a Satisfied Customer: A Software Journey
From farm to fork is one thing, but it’s what happens after that forkful is consumed that really matters. The hospitality industry is ultra-competitive and an unhappy diner can—with one bad review—dent a reputation years in the making.
By ensuring your suppliers are at the top of their game, you ensure that your diners are happy from farm to tastebud. Modern food manufacturing software helps to make this journey possible.
Are you registered for our Crave and Crave on the Menu newsletters? Sign up today!
Plan to Attend or Participate in the 2024 Bar & Restaurant Expo, March 18-20, 2024
To learn about the latest trends, issues and hot topics, and to experience and taste the best products within the bar, restaurant and hospitality industry, plan to attend Bar & Restaurant Expo 2024 in Las Vegas. Early bird registration is now open!
To book your sponsorship or exhibit space at the 2024 Bar & Restaurant Expo, contact:
Veronica Gonnello (for companies A to G) e: [email protected] p: 212-895-8244
Tim Schultz (for companies H to Q) e: [email protected] p: 917-258-8589
Fadi Alsayegh (for companies R to Z) e: [email protected] p: 917-258-5174
Also, be sure to follow Bar & Restaurant on Facebook and Instagram for all the latest industry news and trends.