Line checks are one of the most important procedures you need to complete when getting ready for a lunch or dinner service. A good line check can prevent a lot of unnecessary headaches during a service.
A proper line check ensures that the food quality is up to specifications, the food is being rotated, and that any portioned items are the proper weight. This is not only important to ensure food quality, but also food cost. When performing a proper line check it is important that you taste, touch, smell and weigh all product.
In order for a proper line check to be done, a good solid check list should be in place for each station. The check list should include a list of every item on the station with proper holding temperatures for each item, a brief flavor profile as well as quality points. The proper size for measuring spoons, spoodles, ladles, scoops, or measuring cups should also be listed. Any other utensils or items needed for shift execution should also be listed, such as tongs, towels, pans, sanitation buckets etc…. The cooks can also use this check list to properly set up their station.
Good solid line check sheets are especially important for newer managers as it greatly reduces the risk of not being properly set up for shift execution.
Tag Archive: Food Cost
Food cost is a constant challenge for managers and kitchen managers. Let your guard down and your throwing product away because it was improperly prepared, stored, portioned, over ordered, or rotated.
All menu items should have recipes that have been costed out so you know the food cost of each menu item.
Recipe adherence is a very important aspect of food cost as improperly prepared food can result in an inferior product that must be discarded.
Following proper sanitation and storage procedures must be followed to avoid any unnecessary contamination that can shorten the shelf life of a product.
It is also important that recipe portion sizes are followed. Under portioning affects the quality therefore, you are not giving the guests what they are paying for and over portioning will have a negative impact on your food cost.
Using your product mix history and following sales trends when ordering food is a very important tool to help prevent over ordering. Over ordering can result in product spoilage and also increases the chances of miscounts when doing inventory.
It is important to set expectations at the hiring process as well as during the training process. Most employees these days do not take the responsibility to focus on costs. Therefore, it is very important that management is constantly following up on product labeling and dating to ensure proper rotation of product.
