Restaurant Manager Mock Interview
Excel in hospitality interviews with 25 Restaurant Manager questions covering operations, staff leadership, and guest service.
Question 13 of 25
What actions will you take to ensure our food costs stay below 30%?
Entry Level
Experienced
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Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
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
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
"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."
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
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.
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
"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."
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