The restaurant industry is currently facing significant shortages due to rising demand and supply chain issues. As a result, maintaining a reliable inventory has become more difficult - both in terms of price and access to stock.
Luckily, there are solutions to help restaurant owners beat the shortage and provide quality products to their customers, while still maintaining healthy profit margins. In this blog, we discuss some tips to help your restaurant build a more resilient supply chain.
- Increase supplier network
The best way to beat the shortage is to increase the supplier network by establishing relationships with new suppliers. This will help your restaurant source quality ingredients from multiple locations, reducing reliance on a single supplier and improving resilience.
- Invest in inventory management software
Another way to beat the shortage is to invest in inventory management software. These systems allow restaurant owners to monitor their inventory and stay up to date with real-time data. This helps to ensure that you always know what to order, have the right stock levels to meet demand, as well as giving you unique insights that enable you to improve your profit margins.
- Partner with local producers
Instead of relying solely on large suppliers, restaurants should consider partnering with local producers. That’s because small producers are often able to respond more quickly to changes in demand, which reduces the risk of shortages. Plus, local partnerships can help create a sense of community around your restaurant, diversify the supply chain, improve product quality and, as a result, grow your customer base.
- Reduce waste
As a restaurant owner, you should put an emphasis on reducing waste in your operations. Poor waste management can have a significant impact on your supply chain. For instance, if food is wasted because it’s over-purchased or not used, you could be stuck with a shortage in the future. Not only that, but wasted product significantly damages your profit margins.
- Optimize the ordering process
Finally, it’s important to optimize the ordering process. You should make sure you’re using the most efficient ordering system possible to ensure you have the stock you need to meet demand (including any sudden surges) without over ordering. One of the most effective ways to do this is by using inventory management software for your bar or restaurant.
- Don’t be afraid to offer specials
Specials are a great way to work around supply chain shortages by allowing you to create tasty dishes with the ingredients you have on hand. This takes the pressure off of high demand dishes that are experiencing the most impact from supply chain issues and ensures your customers continue to have a great experience.
By utilizing these strategies, restaurants can be better prepared to handle supply chain issues and provide quality products to their customers.
Need more help building a robust inventory management strategy that helps your restaurant overcome the challenges of supply chain shortages? Book a free consultation with the Sculpture Hospitality team of experts today.
