Found out how much food my diner was really throwing away each week and it blew my mind

So I work at a family diner over on Oak Street, nothing fancy just burgers and eggs all day. Last month my boss made me do inventory and I actually counted every single thing we tossed in the trash for seven days straight. Turns out we were throwing away about forty pounds of usable food every week, stuff like fries that sat too long or bread that got a little stale. I found the stat because I had to write it down for a waste audit thing the health department suggested. Has anyone else ever actually tracked their food waste and been shocked by the number?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_beth4d ago

Were the fries and bread the worst of it, or did you find yourself tossing a lot of stuff like unused produce or prep scraps that could have gone into a soup or stock?

david7014d ago

Whoa, forty pounds a week is no joke, I heard somewhere that restaurants can save a ton just by making smaller batches throughout the day. A buddy of mine working at a bakery told me they cut waste in half by using older bread for croutons and bread pudding instead of tossing it. Did you notice if most of the waste came from one menu item more than others?