Get Your Dishwashers More Involved in Prep Work, and Count the Savings

Keeping your staff busy and on schedule for tomorrow's prep work is the first place to focus on cutting prep costs. Regardless of your restaurant's concept, involving dishwashers is a smart move.

Approached like a mentoring project, many hard-working and dedicated dishwashers can move into prep jobs. They can perform all the busy work that puts prep-ready items into a skilled cook's hands. Peeling garlic, shallots, onions, carrots and potatoes are just a few possible duties. Preparing celery and spinach, de-veining shrimp, cleaning squid and scrubbing clams are others. These are the kinds of tasks that can be delegated to the dish crew with a minimal amount of training.