Is Going Out To Eat Going Out of Vogue? A Fast Food Recession Review from Duct Work Cleaning Company Ingot Services

Carrying out kitchen deep cleaning and duct work cleaning within commercial kitchens and talking with our customers, at Ingot Services we are in a prime position to see the results of changes taking place in the hospitality and food services industry, as well as the effects that the economy is having on catering businesses . 

A Change In Choice

While going out certainly isn’t going out of fashion – and in fact more people than ever seem to be taking advantage of a night off and having a sociable meal out – looking for cost effectiveness has become a fact in all aspects of life. Looking at value first and foremost, and expecting it across the menu, the recession has changed the way in which diners choose their restaurants, and therefore their dining experience too. 

This can be seen in the fact that the fast food industry has not been adversely affected by the recession and in fact, has seen something of a resurgence. Having previously been the ‘unhealthy option’ and therefore often shunned in favour of more expensive restaurants, the economic downturn has sent  many people back through their doors. 

Clawing back positive association, big brand names have also used the fact that the spotlight has turned once again to them during the recession, in their favour. Refreshing their identities, creating healthier menus and embracing corporate social responsibility and environmental issues, many more people now feel that fast food offers a safe and cost effective dining option for the family – a new reputation that may well see them retaining a more loyal customer base even once the economy has started to right itself.

Taking this all into consideration, value offers have also become much more common across the board, and we have seen many of our duct work cleaning customers  such as pubs and cafes cutting their prices to the bone in a bid to stay competitive, creating offers for free additional courses or unlimited fries.

Recession Proofing Advice From Our Customers

Many of our duct work cleaning customers across the board are recession proofing their own restaurants and eateries with a variety of offers and strategies, and their tips include:

Targeting

Entice your diners with relevant offers, such as pre-football lunch menus. You should have a packed house at lunchtime, plus the opportunity to engage and enhance loyalty for future dining.

Menu

Offer a set menu as well as a la carte – this will highlight the good value that the set menu offers the customer while also providing you with a financially manageable option.

Social Media

Jump on the social media and deal of the day ‘Groupon’ style websites bandwagons, which can fill your restaurant while allowing you to manage from a limited promotional menu offering. 

Loyalty Offers

Take some guidance from the coffee shops and try a loyalty scheme where diners get, for example, their 6th meal for free – everyone likes something for nothing.

Staff

Don’t cut corners by cutting costs on your staff – while customers want value, they still expect service, and your best staff are also your best salespeople!

Ingot Services – Deep Kitchen Cleaning,  Duct Work Cleaning and More

With our customers’ business interests at the heart of everything that we do, whether you need our duct work cleaning, deep kitchen cleaning, canopy, extract or equipment cleaning services, at Ingot Services we are fully accredited HVAC professionals, with a reputation for high quality work and excellent service. 

Duct Work Cleaning  - Find out more about the full range of professional cleaning services from  Ingot 

Reducing Restaurant Food Waste – Advice and Guidance from Duct Work Cleaning Company Ingot Services

As well as our duct work cleaning services, at Ingot Services we are keen to help our customers succeed in all aspects of their business. Talking with them, we know that food wastage is a big concern for many in the catering and hospitality industries, so we have put together this useful advice and guidance on reducing food wastage within your commercial kitchen and what it means to the environment.

Reducing Food Waste in the Hospitality and Food Service Industry

While for a number of years there have been different organisations set up to help reduce waste in business, reducing food waste is a relatively new topic. In fact, it was only in June 2012 that WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) launched their Hospitality and Food Service Agreement, setting targets for a 5% reduction in waste food and associated packaging , and a 70% increase in the amount of waste food and packaging that is recycled by 2015. However, many still feel that the infrastructure to support this is slow to be put into place.

This support includes the likes of AD (anaerobic digestion) facilities, which break down biodegradable matter such as food waste, releasing energy through fermentation that can be used as a renewable source (biogas), helping to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels too.  

Reducing Food Waste – Good For Your Bottom Line

Reducing food waste is not just good for the environment – research from WRAP suggests that around £720 million a year could be saved by the hospitality industry if avoidable food waste was stopped and unavoidable food waste was sent to AD facilities. Many customers are also now very aware of environmental issues and therefore interested in eating in restaurants that are more sustainable, and this can be seen by the rise of organisations such as the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) supported by leading industry figures such as Raymond Blanc.

Top Tips For Reducing Commercial Food Waste

Taking some time out from our duct work cleaning, we have put together these top tips on reducing commercial food waste:

Planning

• Plan your menus so that you can use all parts of the food item – for instance using chicken carcasses for soup stock
• Train your staff to create as little waste as possible when preparing food  – perhaps serving potatoes with skins on
• Try to order for delivery just when you need the food items to avoid spoilage

Plating

• Offer two different portion sizes – ample and generous – to suit differing appetites
• Make a note of customer eating habits and review your menu to suit
• Offer customers the option to take away their leftovers

Marketing

• Make your customers aware of your commitment to reducing food waste and encourage them to help
• Encourage your customers to tell you if there’s something they’d rather you didn’t put on their plate,  e.g. “I’ll have a salad but please don’t give me any tomatoes”

Waste

• Create a separate food waste bin which can be collected separately and taken for composting or AD
• If there is no provision to take away your food waste separately, consider creating your own on-site composting

Introducing Ingot Services – Duct Work Cleaning and a Whole Lot More

A duct work cleaning company with a passion for our customers’ welfare, at Ingot Services we place great emphasis on service. Working with commercial kitchen clients for over 25 years, offering duct work cleaning, kitchen deep cleaning and more, we have built a firm understanding of the commercial health and safety needs of kitchens within the food service industry.

Duct Work Cleaning (link) - Find out more about how the team of professionals at  Ingot Services can help your business.