Cost Control
Menu Planning and Strategy
Most of the menu analysis and menu engineering models were built during a time of solid annual growth for our industry. These models focus on high gross margin items. Today, blindly using these models to adjust menu prices may hurt your bottom line.
Twenty-one food cost tweets
Food cost expert Joe Dunbar with a ‘best of’ list:
twenty-one points of food cost advice.
In 120 characters or less.
Finding your way: adjusting budgets
Food cost expert Joe Dunbar discusses recession. How to adjust costs when sales fall, including answers to questions about NOI, EBITDA, EBITDAR, etc.
How to trim the business, in tough times.
Forecasting errors = spoilage
Food cost results will improve if spoilage is kept to a minimum. Once you start keeping a record of the waste, you will see trends and make adjustments.
Food cost expert Joe Dunbar explains.
Determine the cost of each item
Whether you running a restaurant, bakery, or other food factory, you need to know what each retail or wholesale item costs you. Period.
Moving ahead: earning liquidity
Today, after years of being spoiled by easy credit, we’re seeing liquidity dry up in many sectors.
Now more than ever, we have to take deliberate steps to generate liquidity for further investment.
Get a grip on popular and unpopular items
Food cost expert Joe Dunbar: Now’s the time to review and trim your menu.
Reporting on inventory variances
Joe Dunbar’s tips on reporting inventory variances to the management group.
The #1 cause of high food cost
Improper ordering is exposed during down months. Food cost expert Joe Dunbar warns: take control of your ordering.
2008 Harvest Review
A review of current wheat trends:
The world crop for wheat this season is yielding a surplus that can be used to replenish inventories and/or soften price...
Keeping an eye on commodity prices
It used to be that only the Nestles and Pepsicos of the world kept close tabs on commodity yields and price trends. No more.
High commodity prices: What’s a baker to do?
Podcast with Dan Ettling on the cost challenges for bakeries, and positive responses to economic downturns.
