Food waste is a massive problem in the US. The EPA estimates that more food reaches incinerators and landfills than any other single material in our everyday trash, constituting a whopping 22 percent of discarded municipal waste. The restaurant industry is an unfortunate contributor to this issue. A Food Waste Reduction Alliance (FWRA) study reported that 84.3% of untouched food in American restaurants ends up in the trash.

Food waste obliterates a restaurant's bottom line as well, with businesses throwing away billions of dollars of potential profits in the trash. However, there's hope that restaurants can reduce their food waste in ways that will have positive effects on the environment, their customers, their employees, and their profit margins. Since food costs usually end up being 28-35 percent of restaurant sales, dealing with food waste can make a substantial difference.

Let's dive into how restaurant management software can reduce food waste to increase your restaurant's profitability and show more concern for the planet.

Manage Your Inventory To Reduce Your Waste

Restaurant inventory management platforms are your secret weapon when it comes to staying on top of inventory tracking. These solutions help you strategize what items to order to cut down on waste while allowing you to control your budget and spending. They can provide actionable data into how you're performing financially. You can use them to calculate food cost percentage and reduce over-buying, so you're less likely to have to throw out unused food at the end of the week.

You'll receive reports on inventory that goes out, such as menu items and ingredients sold and waste produced. This technology keeps you up to date on daily waste production, so you can create actionable strategies to reduce it. You'll also be more up-to-date on if food is stored improperly at any stage, so you are sure of its integrity and safety.

This type of information will reduce the need for staff to throw food items away (and any ingredients next to them) out and start with fresher ingredients. See, food waste can be easily avoidable!

Reduce Food Costs with Accurate Waste Reports

MarketMan’s waste tracking capabilities helps restauranteurs stay proactive and reduce food costs through increased visibility into where your waste is coming from. You can use the Waste Reports feature to analyze and understand where your waste is coming from, how it is trending (hopefully with this report it will be decreasing!), and how your purchases and waste are connected.

You can quickly input waste events on any device, which will show up in an organized waste report for you. Filter your reports by time period, location, category, or item, and gain maximum insight into inventory variance to better understand how to minimize it.

Portion Dishes Appropriately to Prevent Food Waste

One of the leading functions of MarketMan's Cookbook feature involves accurate menu planning. This feature allows restaurateurs to get better insights into their costs. They'll also have an easier time tracking inventory and analyzing things like which items yield the most profit, which items need adjustments, and which ones you should take off the menu.

The insight on inventory from the menu planning feature will trigger reorders and alert operators when stock is low on a particular item. It will also alert operators of any 'shrinkage' like waste or theft.

With Cookbook, you can easily ideate new recipes within the app and make shopping lists from the menu items you dream up. As your menu changes seasonally, the recipes can dynamically update ingredients as you need them.

You can also easily import recipes from other programs and websites whenever inspiration from outside sources strikes. Plus, your chefs and kitchen staff can follow the recipes you create to a T—every ingredient is portioned out perfectly to your specifications. Expertly portioned dishes in the kitchen means your customers are less likely to leave food lingering on their plates at the end of their meal, thus reducing food waste.

Cookbook can also help your chefs find ways to use a food item in multiple dishes, so you can move stock more efficiently to ensure it ends up on customer's plates—not the trash as a result of spoilage. You'll save money by buying these items in bulk, which will help you reduce that item's DOH ratio, too.

Let's say you only use radishes in one salad recipe, and you find yourself throwing out a substantial portion of the unused vegetable because it's gone bad. You can use Cookbook to change up some recipes to find new ways to use them before they spoil, such as in tacos or an appetizer, or create a variety of seasonal offerings that feature radishes.

Swap For Seasonality With Your Vendors and Suppliers

You may have a food item that usually does well in your restaurant, but you notice you throw away more than expected at specific times of the year. The seasonality of produce could cause this to happen. For example, the peak season for avocados is May to August in the US. If you're buying avocados from the same supplier all year long, there may be some deliveries that go bad quicker than others, resulting in wasted product.

You can make sure you waste less food year-round by designing your menu for seasonality or buy less produce that's out of season. You can easily swap out or order new items anytime you'd like with easy coordination with vendors and supply through your restaurant management platform. With MarketMan, you can reduce order handling time, communicate with vendors, control your spending, and better manage as many suppliers as you'd like simultaneously. This strategy will allow you to throw out less unused food and always ensure you're offering diners the freshest items.

Waste Less, Earn More With MarketMan

Less food waste means more cost savings and a healthier bottom line. You can also use sustainability as an effective marketing tool to attract millennial customers who want to eat at restaurants with sustainable practices and shared values. The National Restaurant Association reported that around half of customers say they are starting to consider restaurants' efforts to reduce food waste and recycle when choosing where to dine. MarketMan can help you reduce waste at your restaurant with software to track your inventory, portion your dishes perfectly, and more.

Automate your inventory management, control food costs, and streamline back-of-house processes effortlessly with MarketMan's restaurant software. MarketMan enables restaurateurs to eliminate manual tasks, reduce waste, and drive success through strategic insights. Experience a new level of restaurant efficiency. Schedule a demo now to learn how MarketMan can revolutionize your operations!