How to Answer: What actions will you take to ensure our food costs stay below 30%?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Restaurant Manager job interview.
1. What actions will you take to ensure our food costs stay below 30%?
How to Answer
Profit margins are slim for restaurant owners, and one of the main culprits is food costs. A restaurant owner needs to know that the manager they are hiring is just as invested as they are when it comes to cost savings and profitability. Some options for reducing food costs may include cutting portion sizes, streamlining the menu, simplifying dishes, or creating more cross-ingredient dishes.
Written by Rachelle Enns on July 21st, 2020
Entry Level
"Here are some ways that you can reduce food costs in a restaurant kitchen:
- Reevaluate the menu plan. What is the cost to serve your customer versus their final bill?
- Create menu loss leaders to attract customers to spend more on appetizers, desserts, or drinks
- Only buy food in bulk that will not spoil. Buying in bulk can save money but only if you use the product in full
- Work with the chef on their menu plan and work on creating dishes that use the same ingredients"
Written by Rachelle Enns
Answer Example
"Keeping food costs low is crucial to the success of any restaurant. If food costs are creeping up, I will first look into waste and how we can avoid occurrences. Secondly, I will work with the chef on creating more cross-ingredient dishes, so that food ordering becomes simpler."
Written by Rachelle Enns on July 21st, 2020
Experienced
"In my current role, we have kept food cost under 30% for the past three years, ever since I took over. I work closely with our chef to ensure that our ingredients are used in multiple dishes. We only order bulk for non-perishables and frequently used ingredients. Also, I have strong connections in the industry which gives me excellent buying power with suppliers."
Written by Rachelle Enns