Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
The space allocated to each diner also varies depending on the shape of
the tables.
•
Square tables for two: 1.7-2.00 m
2
per diner;.
•
Square tables for four: 1.3-1.7 m
2
per diner;
•
Circular tables for four: 0.9-1.4 m
2
per diner.
We prefer the look of circular tables, although there is a trend towards
long tables where everyone mixes together and this could be the image you
are looking for. It encourages people to interact with each other and provides
the Italian family-look to the facility.
Space between tables should be at least 900 mm and 450 mm between
chairs, although this does change with different cultures; for example, Asian
diners will sit closer together than New Zealand diners. As a general rule
provide 16 ft
2
per diner.
When it comes to designing the kitchen most catering supply companies
have a consultancy service and it is well worth using this facility, it can save
a lot of money.
Manage to make a profit
Restaurants and coffee shops can be profitable ventures, but they do require
a large amount of capital to set up. One of the biggest challenges is managing
food costs. Most small restaurants aim for about 30% of costs to be on food,
although this will vary depending on the offering to your patrons.
The following formula will help you determine what you need to price a
food item at to achieve this goal:
Cost of portion ×
4
= selling price, including sales tax
The restaurant owner should always be looking at plates when people have
finished their meal. The last thing the owner wants to see is food left on the
plate; this could be an indicator that the meal size is too large and shows po-
tential profits that are going in the waste bin. It also means that it is difficult
to add-on sell and offer a dessert to a consumer who is already full. The ideal
scenario is where the consumer has room for the highly profitable dessert
that the team have prepared.
The real challenge in running a restaurant is controlling food costs. Food costs
can only be controlled when the problem is known. Read and understand the
stock sheets and make sure the team who need to, can do the same. The answer
is usually evident if you understand what the numbers are supposed to look like.
Once a problem has been identified, suitable action can be taken. The fol-
lowing list includes areas that can be controlled and monitored:
1.
Theft: cash or stock.
2.
Portion control: over-portioning to customer or over-portioning to staff.
3.
Waste: in preparation, overproduction, incorrect storage, receiving in
poor condition or food drying out on hot plates.
