Consistency is key
Published By
Mike Sorrentino
Published On
April 2023
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"In baseball, my theory is to strive for consistency, not to worry about the numbers. If you dwell on statistics you get shortsighted, if you aim for consistency, the numbers will be there at the end." Tom Seaver
Got to have consistency. I used to tell my fry cooks you have to follow the recipe exactly; if someone eats here or at a sister location in South Korea the chicken fingers are supposed to look, feel, and taste the same. Consistency is no easy task, it takes hard work and relentless determination.
It starts with ordering. If the correct ingredients are not on the shelf the cooks will never be able to make the food correctly. Having good Pars and adjusting them based on sales is crucial. Pars are not a fixed thing. You would not want to use the same Pars for valentines week and a slow summer week. You need to take in account last year's sales, your current trend, holidays and also the weather. If last year the holiday was on Tuesday rather than a Saturday or if it snowed the year before will make a huge difference. Also ensuring the Freezer, Coolers and Dry Storage are all clean and organized should be a given. Performing freezer pulls all ensure food thaws safely. Having a full freezer and empty walk-in is almost as bad as not ordering it at all.
Next is recipe adherence. Do all the cooks know the recipes(not just the “good” cooks)? Are the recipes posted or available for reference? If the cooks don't have all the tools and knowledge they need they will never make the product correctly and it would not be their fault. Don’t forget to practice. Featuring an item once a day/week whatever you have the budget for is essential. Having the staff practice making recipes and seeing the gold standard will help build skill and knowledge. If food or drinks are not coming out correctly, look in the mirror first. Does the staff have all the tools they need to make them correctly?
Lastly you need quality control. This can come in many ways, and the more you have the better. A kitchen manager doing quality line checks ensures fresh crisp ingredients. An expeditor is the gatekeeper of quality. Finally the last line of defense, the food runners and servers. This is where the FOH and BOH meet. Having the servers and food runner on your side is essential. If they are on board you will quickly find out where the issues are coming from. All these folks at different levels all need to work together to ensure a high level of quality food being served.
The fastest way to lose sales is by being inconsistent. Would you want to frequent a restaurant where you are not sure if you're going to be able to get that item you know and love. Are you willing to gamble your hard earned money on an inconsistent bet?