Major Drop In Food Cost

Fall is in full swing and the days are getting shorter in the Northern Hemisphere. Here in the Mid-Atlantic, it is now soup season. Soup sales have a tremendously favorable impact on food cost percentages. There are many ways soup helps the operators.

When I worked in the remote site camps, we always had huge stock kettles full off peelings, bones, trimmings and other bi-products of the prep process. The chefs made highly profitable soups, sauces and gravies with the stock.

Slow cooked roasts and mashed potatoes make a comeback on football game days.

In addition to the favorable seasonal impact, gasoline prices are now in the $2.25 to $2.75 range (down from over $4 per gallon this summer). Lower fuel prices help our industry in many ways.

We should see drops in the fuel surcharges and in the case costs from broad line distributors. Customers will see their disposable income pickup as they pay less for filling their gas tanks.

As corn prices continue lower, we'll enjoy better prices on beef, poultry and pork. These lower prices come to the patient as it is common for beef rib 109 to spike during the Christmas season. Watch the markets for buy signals.

Consumers are looking to save during the week. If you can engineer profitable budget meal options for dining in or for take-out, you'll have an edge.

The stock market just had its best week in years. Some of the people who had their 401K slashed to a 201K will begin to feel better about their retirement years. Hopefully, we'll see less pessimism in the press.