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 Food cost has a profound affect on profitability in full service restaurants. Solid control systems are important to food cost control,
 but proper training of the food preparation staff is equally critical.

 In my experience, as many as 10 points can lie between the theoretical (ideal) food cost and the actual food cost generated from 
 physical inventory. For many restaurateurs, these dollars make the difference between success and failure (or between making 
 the bank payment or not!).

 A restaurant kitchen is a manufacturing plant. Raw materials are purchased, broken down, processed and fabricated for retail
 sale. If you believe your specifications and portions are correct and appropriate, the next place to analyze is the procedures used
 in preparation.

 Don't look over the shoulders of prep cooks to see if an 8 ounce fillet of fish really is 8 ounces and not 9 ounces. And don't
 personally check to see that raw carrots are trimmed to ensure maximum yield. If you had that kind of time, you'd do the job
 yourself.

 Instead, modify your employees' behavior. You want to ensure that prep cooks break down raw products correctly because ,
 whether you're there or not, they know their work will be checked.

 How can this be done? Remove the garbage cans from your kitchen! In their place, substitute plastic bus tubs, and place them
 strategically throughout the prep area. Instruct the prep crew to deposit all trimmings and cuttings and paper waste in the tubs.

 Put a tub rack or baker's rack in a conspicuous place and have employees  place their filled tubs in the rack. At the end of the
 shift, you or your kitchen supervisor personally checks the contents of the tubs to ensure proper preparation procedures are being
 followed and raw products are being correctly cut and trimmed.

 This changes the psychological mindset of hourly preparation workers. They no longer throw food waste into a deep, dark garbage
 can, never to be seen again. They become accountable for their work because it can be monitored.

 Showing a prep cook or meat cutter the amount of usable waste in their bus tub has a dramatic impact. This direct feedback on
 performance positively affects behavior, work attitude and morale. It also serves as an excellent tool for performance evaluations.

 The best result? I've found that this technique can lower your food cost by 1%-2% almost immediately. This proves it - there's gold
 in those garbage cans.