By Menu & Margin editorial team · Published · Updated
Running better
What’s broken this week?
Pick the problem. Each card gives diagnostics, concrete actions, and which tool category helps—before you shop software.
Start with one problem for two weeks. Buying three platforms at once usually means none of them get adopted.
Food cost too high
Diagnose
- Pull last four closed weeks: beginning inventory + purchases − ending inventory ÷ food sales (same period).
- Split variance into price (invoice) vs. usage (theft, over-portion, waste, comps).
- Pick the top three SKUs by spend and check invoice unit price vs. prior month.
Act this week
- Recount proteins and dairy mid-week for two weeks before buying software.
- Lock recipes for the five highest-volume plates; weigh a portion once per shift for a week.
- Require waste codes (spoil, cook error, comp) on every dump.
- Run the free food-cost calculator, then decide if invoice capture software is next.
Tools that help
Labor cost too high
Diagnose
- Compute labor $ (wages + employer taxes + benefits) ÷ total sales for the same week.
- Overlay covers or sales by hour against scheduled hours—look for early/late dead zones.
- Separate OT, training, and salaried draws from hourly floor labor.
Act this week
- Cut one underperforming hour band before cutting headcount.
- Require manager approval for missed punches the same day.
- Write tip and side-work policy so floor coverage is predictable.
- Use scheduling software only after the paper schedule is honest.
Tools that help
Slow service / ticket times
Diagnose
- Time 10 tickets from fire to window during a real rush—not a quiet Tuesday.
- Map station ownership: who fires apps, proteins, desserts, expo.
- Check whether modifiers explode tickets (86 lists, missing 86, long specials).
Act this week
- Cut or pre-batch the three slowest menu items before buying a KDS.
- One expo voice; bump only when food is actually ready.
- Align POS routing to stations so tickets don’t all dump on one printer.
- Add KDS after the paper flow works—software won’t fix a broken pass.
Tools that help
POS is outdated
Diagnose
- List the breakages: offline fails, tax/tip wrong, no handhelds, reporting lag, hardware death.
- Count terminals, printers, and kitchen destinations you must replace.
- Read the current processor contract for early termination and hardware buyout.
Act this week
- Write your ticket flow on paper before demos (order → fire → pay → tip).
- Demand the full rate card and contract PDF—not a verbal “around 2.5%.”
- Test offline mode and recovery in the demo environment.
- Plan a parallel week: old system + new system on soft traffic before cutover.
Tools that help
Scheduling chaos
Diagnose
- Track last month’s call-outs, no-shows, and last-minute shift swaps.
- Check whether availability is stored in one place managers actually trust.
- See if labor forecasts exist or schedules are copied from last week forever.
Act this week
- Publish a written swap/call-out rule (who approves, by when).
- Freeze the schedule 48–72 hours out except for documented emergencies.
- Collect availability once, then enforce it—stop renegotiating every Tuesday.
- Add scheduling software after the policy exists; tools amplify process.
Tools that help
Inventory waste
Diagnose
- Tag every waste event for one week: spoil, cook error, trim, comp, theft unknown.
- Walk coolers: FIFO labels present? Prep dates? Over-prepped lexans?
- Compare theoretical usage (recipes × sales) to actual for two proteins.
Act this week
- Reduce prep pars for anything spoiled twice in a week.
- Move high-spoil items to a visible shelf with date dots.
- Tighten receiving: count cases, check temps, refuse bad product.
- Layer inventory software after weekly counts are real—not instead of them.
Tools that help
Frequently asked questions
- Where should an existing owner start?
- Pick one problem for two weeks—food cost, labor, ticket times, POS, scheduling, or waste. Follow diagnose → act → tools. Buying three platforms at once usually means none stick.