In Europe, it’s quite common for a waiter to ask a customer if he/she wishes to take their left overs home. In the future, we might even get used to not having our bread served to us unless we specifically order it. Here are some initiatives and anecdotes that some restaurants are trying in order to avoid wasting food. We want to give you some ideas for your business today.
More and more restaurants show their concern for the issue of food wastage and adopt creative measures to avoid it.
In some establishments, groups that make reservations with a pre-chosen menu are asked to pay in advance. This way the restaurant can supply a precise number of services instead of having to cover the average extra 10 % in waste from cancellations that most restaurants have to face when dealing with group reservations. In other places, a client may be able to choose how large his portion is, depending on how hungry he is. Another accepted rule of law is that restaurants include previous (un-eaten) dishes in their menus throughout the week, avoiding wastage.
Make it part of your branding strategy to give your clients the option to take home what they have not consumed. When food is put in biodegradable containers it’s even more appreciated.
Some European governments are proposing laws regarding the use of food surplus with the aim to reduce the annual wastage of good food in fine condition. One of the measures suggested is to encourage restaurants to have containers available for their customers to take home their left overs in.
Feel Green bags can be used to transport American boxes and other containers where you pack up left overs.
Doggy bags and containers with lids
The word doggy bag comes from the United States where it’s very common for customers to ask for their left overs to be packed into a bag and taken home “for the dog”. It’s assumed that if what is left on the plate is a portion of rissotto with truffles or something equally delicious, it will obviously be the dog owner who will continue enjoying his food at home 😉
In other countries like China, it’s culturally accepted for restaurants to serve huge portions, much bigger than what any customer can eat. An intrinsic part of the service is therefore providing containers for the left overs.
Advise your staff to check with clients what they wish to do with their left overs.
An esential habit to aquire is to ask your client what he/she wishes to do with their left overs. If they want to take them home, it’s a good idea to have disposable containers available (biodegradable material from our BIONIC range is also available). Containers with lids prevent sauces and other sloppy ingredients from being spilt.
What do you do to avoid wasting food in your business?
