Published: June 5, 2025
Category: Operational Strategy
When most people hear “cost control,” they picture budget spreadsheets and tough conversations about cuts.
But in hospitality, cost control is about consistency, creativity, and operational efficiency.
It’s not about cutting corners — it’s about building systems that protect your margin and your guest experience.
The best part?
You don’t need to make sweeping changes to see results.
You just need to make a few smart ones — and stick to them.
Why This Matters
Rising supplier costs, tighter labour markets, and shifting consumer behaviours have put serious pressure on gross profit.
But we often overlook the everyday habits that slowly erode food margins or inflate labour costs.
As a GM or operator, you already have the tools — you just need a framework that makes them visible, measurable, and teachable.
This is the cost control toolkit I return to every quarter.
1. Label “Kitchen Heroes” on the Menu
These are your high-margin, low-waste dishes — and they deserve visibility.
✅ Identify 2–3 items that consistently perform well on GP
✅ Brief the team weekly: “Here’s what we’re pushing”
✅ Add a visual cue on the menu: a star, a leaf, “Chef’s Favourite”
Guests love suggestions. Servers love having a go-to.
Margins love both.
Menu Engineering Insight: One venue I worked with increased sales of its “hero dish” by 17% simply by adding a handwritten sign on the pass.
2. Use Portion Control Tools That Make Sense in Service
Is your team free-pouring sauces? Using ladles that vary by the shift?
You’re not alone — and you’re not broken.
But this is the most overlooked cause of food wastage and GP slippage.
✅ Calibrate portion tools (jugs, scoops, spoons) to menu spec
✅ Colour-code items for fast pickup
✅ Train FOH on portion visuals — not just BOH
This isn’t about micromanaging. It’s about helping your team hit targets without guessing.
Operational Tip: Portion control also supports better allergen management and plating consistency.
3. Run a 1-Week Waste Audit (No Guilt, Just Data)
Before you tighten anything, learn what’s actually being wasted — and why.
Ask your kitchen and FOH teams to track:
- What’s being wasted
- How often
- Whether it was prep error, poor forecasting, portion size, or customer-driven
Summarise at the end of the week. Adjust accordingly.
Leadership Note: Don’t make this punitive. Frame it as “learning the leaks” - not blaming the team.
4. Rethink Side Pricing, Pairings, and Set Menus
Bundling is one of the fastest ways to protect gross profit while improving perception of value.
✅ Pair premium mains with high-margin sides
✅ Offer optional sides with a strategic price shift (e.g., £2.50 → £3.25)
✅ Build fixed-price menus around items with strong GP and minimal prep
Test pricing psychology.
Sometimes a 50p increase on the right item saves 5% GP across the board.
Example: At one venue, we reduced mains by £1 but increased side orders by 28% - boosting overall spend and GP.
5. Show the Wins - Not Just the Cuts
Cost control doesn’t work if your team sees it as a punishment.
It works when they see it as progress.
✅ Share GP improvements during pre-shift briefings
✅ Translate those numbers into outcomes:
- Better equipment
- Bonuses or incentives
- New hires
- Reduced pressure
Team engagement is the multiplier here.
When people understand the “why” and see the impact, they start owning the systems - not resisting them.
What This Looks Like in Hospitality Operations
When you combine these elements into a consistent, reviewable rhythm:
- Food margin rises without changing your entire menu
- Wastage decreases through visibility, not blame
- Labour costs tighten through better forecasting, not cutting hours
- Operational efficiency improves across the board
You won’t see it all at once - but quarter by quarter, the gains are real.
“We boosted our food GP by 2.8% over 6 months using just these steps - no menu change, no cost cuts.”
In today’s challenging hospitality landscape, maintaining profitability requires meticulous cost control. As highlighted in The Caterer, operators must adopt disciplined purchasing habits and scrutinize every aspect of their operations to stay afloat:
Implementing these strategies can lead to significant savings and improved margins without compromising service quality.
Final Thought: Great Operators Don’t Just Track Numbers — They Improve Systems
Start with what you already do.
Tweak. Test. Share the data.
Bring your team in on the process.
That’s how good venues become great — one smart change at a time.
Explore more on evolving hospitality leadership to complement these cost-saving measures.
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