Improving restaurant food cost margins: Benchmarks, tips and expert insights

Running restaurants is costly, but effective food cost reduction strategies can help operators protect their margins and cut their expenses.

Restaurant operators face a multitude of challenges, not the least of which involve remaining relevant to customers. There's also the struggle of fluctuating ingredient prices, ongoing labor challenges and keeping menu prices competitive.

Under these circumstances, even small increases in food costs can significantly impact margins.

The good news? An effective food cost strategy can help restaurant operators protect profits and reduce waste, resulting in better pricing decisions, said Deloitte's restaurants and food service leader Evert Gruyaert."Forecasting, prep discipline, order accuracy, cleanliness, speed and staff consistency can protect margins while strengthening consumer value perception," he told FastCasual during an interview used to create this roundup of ways for restaurants to cut costs.