Easy Cost Control Measures you can Implement

Cost control is one task in restaurant management that needs a lot of scrutinizing. In layman's term, cost control is how you keep your expenses at a figure that does not exceed your budgeted expense. It is eliminating unnecessary spending.

Cost control is very critical especially in maintaining wise and optimal usage of ingredients. Controlling how ingredients and supplies are used in the kitchen while the restaurant is in operation is quite difficult so a lot of the cost controlling has to be done while the restaurant is off peak hours.

In my experience as a restaurant consultant, this is where a lot of restaurateurs give up easily only because it is tedious. From purchasing to releasing to inventory, it is a whole department all on its own. Admittedly so, I think that since the ingredients are the roots of the business, it has to be given a lot of attention.

Cost control is not easy to implement but here are quick changes you can do that can help:

• EMPLOYEE EXIT CHECK. Make sure that employees' belongings are checked before they leave the premises. Check for items that could possibly be the company's properties.

• MITIGATION CONTROL. In your stocks or inventory management, the person requesting cannot release the stocks to himself, the person who purchased cannot receive and check the receipts and the person releasing the stocks cannot do inventory.

• REGULAR INVENTORY. Conduct an inventory of all stockrooms at least once a month specially for the purpose of getting a closing inventory. Beverages can be checked weekly or daily as well.

These are just a few things you can do to initiate cost control in your establishment.