7 Ways to Halt Receiving Losses

Compared with food, concept, service and marketing, receiving isn't very sexy. It's repetitive and no matter how well you do it, receiving doesn't generate any more sales. But you gain profit as often from cutting losses as from boosting sales.

When I work with restaurants having food-cost problems, it's not uncommon to discover that more than half of their food losses occur because of what's happening -- or not happening -- on the receiving dock or back door. The manner in which your restaurant handles receiving can have a major effect on your food and beverage costs and how much money your restaurant ultimately makes.

So, if you're tempted to pass over this article because you consider "receiving" to be a basic, boring, low-level, business-101 matter, maybe this will get your attention: Receiving is an area where the combination of poor systems, carelessness, mistakes and old-fashioned greed can add up to big losses in any restaurant. New restaurants in particular need to have a good receiving system in place starting Day One, because what you do (or don't do) at the back door will be observed very closely by your employees and your suppliers' delivery personnel.

Receiving is an area where the combination of poor systems, carelessness, mistakes and old-fashioned greed can add up to big losses in any restaurant -- Jim Laube

The dining room is the area of the house that every customer will see. Unless you have an open kitchen layout, no one sees your gleaming food preparation areas. Only a fraction of your guests will visit the restroom.

To prevent receiving losses you've got to have a system and a set of procedures that are followed consistently. Here are seven practices used by restaurants that effectively plug delivery-related cash leaks. Put them in place today to keep hard-earned money from running out the back door.