Employee cafeterias have become a common sight in most companies these days. With the benefits they offer to employees, one can easily see why. You can go to the cafeteria to grab a bite if you feel hungry while working. Or, if you just want to take a small break from work, you can go there to socialize with your co-workers for a bit. So, besides satisfying your workplace cravings, it helps ensure a positive work environment.
Unfortunately, running a cafeteria can be an expensive affair for businesses. It requires proper personnel, materials, and equipment to meet the relevant quality standards. That is where food service management companies come in, for they can help the business save money in this regard. Moreover, there are other benefits to hiring such a company, as we have discussed in this brief guide.
What Are Food Service Management Companies?
In simple terms, food service management companies provide food-related services to people on the go. They can either be commercial or non-profit organizations, and they usually operate establishments like mobile food trucks, cafeterias, and so on.
These establishments are typically run by a food service manager, who oversees the operations and makes all the administrative decisions. The other staff employed by food service management companies are also well-trained in the field of food management. This leaves no room for doubts about the effectiveness of such a company, especially for corporate cafeterias.
How Do Food Service Management Companies Help Employee Cafeterias Save Money?
Like most businesses, a food service management company follows a few clear principles to do their work. One of these principles is to provide value and quality food to their customers at affordable costs. In fact, cost control is a major factor in the food service management industry since it determines the overall effectiveness and profitability of such companies.
That is why food service managers are highly knowledgeable in resource management practices. It allows them to carefully manage their inventory and make the best use of the available ingredients without needing to make additional purchases.
Conversely, the managers need to analyze the budget that is initially provided to them and make purchases according to that. This, in turn, reduces the wastage of food materials considerably. Because of these aspects, they can help employee cafeterias lower operating costs.
What Are The Other Benefits Of Using A Food Service Management Company?
Apart from reducing costs, using a food service management company in corporate cafeterias has other benefits, which have been discussed below:
- Improved Food Safety
If the employees get sick after eating food from the cafeteria, it can disrupt the operational efficiency of a business. That is why companies often hire food service management firms to operate their cafeterias. This is because ensuring food safety and quality is one of the core principles of such companies.
The staff is trained to handle and store food materials in the cafeteria kitchen safely. Additionally, they are well-versed in the guidelines and steps that need to be followed while cooking and serving the food. They also perform the necessary clean-up operations to keep the kitchen sanitary.
- Help To Maintain The Cafeteria
Proper maintenance is of paramount importance in cafeterias and other public kitchens. In fact, it can be considered a key element in food safety, as we have discussed in the previous point. Thankfully, the staff of a food service management company is capable of maintaining such cafeterias.
They follow a highly systematic process when cleaning the kitchen. Any loose debris is cleared using a soft brush and water. Subsequently, the tougher residues, such as grease and oil, are cleared out using suitable cleaning solvents.
On that note, they clean the entire cooking area and all the components of an exhaust hood, such as the filters, fans, and ducts. Special attention is paid to the filter and the fan since they are responsible for sucking out the volatile materials from the kitchen air, thereby reducing fire risks.
- Better Management
Managing a cafeteria is a relatively complex task since there are different processes going on at the same time, such as cooking food, taking orders, serving food, and so on. So, it is important to manage the operations carefully, or else it may become chaotic.
This is where a food service management company becomes useful since a food service manager is capable of efficiently utilizing their staff. They allocate different tasks to different people so that all activities can be handled without a hitch.
- Improve Logistics
With the help of a food service management company, businesses can improve the logistics of food service in the employee cafeteria. For instance, it can source raw materials from reputed sources quickly, which reduces downtime in the cafeteria. In other words, employees will no longer have to face “out of stock” signs when they visit the cafeteria to get something to eat.
Likewise, it allows for a better delivery system, where the cafeteria can send out lunch trays to employees quickly. That, in turn, reduces the waiting time, which means that people can get back to work soon.
Final Words
Setting up a corporate cafeteria for employees is easy enough; what comes afterward is the hard part. Managing the different activities and processes of a cafeteria can be a huge ask for many employers, especially when there are other aspects of the business to consider.
These can be effectively handled with a food service management company. Besides saving costs, they ensure that employees get a clean and hygienic environment to eat and socialize while at work.
At the end of the day, everyone is benefitted, so there is no reason for corporations not to use a food service management company.
