Standardising food service operations: best practices with Andy

December 8, 2024

Today, we’d like to take you to a doll factory.

No, you are not in the wrong place. This is indeed an article about food service operations…

Just humour us 😊

Imagine this: As the dolls move along the assembly line, a gentle voice records, ‘I love you, mommy’ into each one.

But when that worker’s shift ends, a much deeper male voice takes over, repeating the same phrase with a completely different tone over and over again.

The result?

Many shocked children…! And a product that’s inconsistent and very disappointing.

This is exactly what can happen in your food service business.

Without standardised processes, the customer experience can vary wildly, damaging your reputation and bottom line.

In this guide, we’ll explore why standardising food service operations is crucial and how to implement it effectively, from ingredient selection to final plating.

What does “Standardising Food Service Operations” mean?

Standardisation in the restaurant industry is the process of clearly and concisely defining and documenting the procedures and criteria to be followed at every stage of food preparation and service.

From ingredient selection to plating, every step must be precisely defined and repeatable at any time by any team member, in any establishment within your chain.

This involves creating detailed guidelines for everything from ingredient sourcing to final plating, so that every dish, no matter where it’s prepared, is identical.

Standardisation is essential for maintaining a strong brand reputation and customer loyalty.

Why is importat to standardise food service operations?

Standardisation isn’t just a set of rules; it’s the foundation for building a successful and sustainable food service business.

By establishing clear and concise procedures, you can reap the following benefits:

Consistent quality: Customers expect a uniform dining experience every time they visit. Standardisation ensures that each dish is an exact replica of the original, regardless of who prepares it.
Efficiency: Streamlined processes reduce preparation time, minimise waste, and increase team productivity.
Food safety: Adhering to standardised procedures reduces contamination risks and guarantees food safety.
Effective training: New employees can learn processes quickly and easily, reducing onboarding time.
Regulatory compliance: Standardisation ensures compliance with health and quality regulations, avoiding fines and penalties.
Continuous improvement: With documented processes, it’s easier to identify areas for improvement and make adjustments to optimise kitchen operations.
Improved cost control: By optimising processes and reducing waste, operating costs can be reduced.
Better inventory management: A well-managed inventory system prevents shortages and reduces storage costs.
Increased customer satisfaction: Consistency in quality and service increases customer loyalty.

Which type of food service business needs to standardise its operations?

Every single one!

Standardisation isn’t a luxury reserved for large restaurant chains.

In fact, it’s a fundamental tool for any food service business, regardless of its size or cuisine. From small cafes to gourmet restaurants, everyone can benefit from implementing clear and consistent procedures.

Why is it crucial to standardise operations in restaurants from the get-go?

Scalable growth: By establishing clear procedures from the start, you create a solid foundation for future growth. When a business begins to expand, standardisation makes it easier to open new locations and train new employees.
Increased efficiency: Streamlined processes reduce preparation time, minimise waste, and increase team productivity.
Improved quality control: Standardisation ensures that each dish is prepared the same way, resulting in higher customer satisfaction and a better reputation.
Easier training: New employees can learn processes quickly and easily, reducing onboarding time.
Cost reduction: By optimising processes and reducing waste, operating costs can be reduced.
Increased profitability: The combination of increased efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction leads to higher long-term profitability.

Which food service operations can and should be standardised?

Below are the primary food service operations that can and should be standardised to ensure efficient and safe kitchens:

Food preparation

1/ Ingredient Reception: Establish clear protocols for verifying the quality and quantity of ingredients upon receipt. This includes checking expiration dates, transportation conditions, and storage, ensuring that only products meeting established standards are accepted.

2/ Storage: Define the optimal storage conditions for each type of food, specifying temperatures, humidity levels, and organisation methods (FIFO – First In, First Out). This guarantees the freshness of ingredients and reduces waste.

3/ Pre-preparation: Establish standardised procedures for cutting, chopping, cleaning, and sanitising food, ensuring uniformity in the presentation and taste of dishes.

HACCP Management

1/ HACCP System Implementation: Establish a HACCP program that identifies biological, chemical, and physical hazards at every stage of food preparation. This system should include the documentation of procedures, employee training, and the establishment of corrective actions.

2/ Monitoring and Record Keeping: Define methods for the constant monitoring of critical control points, such as cooking and storage temperatures. Maintaining detailed records of this data is vital to ensuring compliance with food safety regulations.

3/ Internal Audits: Schedule regular audits to evaluate the effectiveness of the HACCP system, ensuring that established protocols are followed and making adjustments as needed.

Cooking

1/ Time and Temperature Controls: Define precise time and temperature controls for each cooking method and type of food. This is essential to ensure that foods are cooked properly and harmful pathogens are eliminated.

2/ Cooking Techniques: Establish appropriate cooking techniques for each dish (sautéing, braising, roasting, etc.), ensuring that the organoleptic and nutritional characteristics of the food are maintained.

3/ Temperature Probing: Implement a system for temperature probing, establishing safe cooking temperatures for different meats and poultry, which helps prevent foodborne illnesses.

Portioning

1/ Standard Portion Sizes: Define portion sizes for each dish, which not only facilitates cost control but also ensures that customers receive a consistent experience.

2/ Presentation: Establish presentation criteria for each dish, including garnish, food arrangement, and accompaniments, contributing to a memorable dining experience.

Storage of cooked foods

1/ Rapid Cooling: Establish procedures for rapidly cooling cooked foods, ensuring that bacterial growth is prevented during the cooling phase.

2/ Reheating: Define appropriate reheating methods for foods, ensuring that organoleptic properties are maintained and quality loss is avoided.

Cleaning and sanitation

1/ Equipment Cleaning: Implement a standardised cleaning and sanitising program for all kitchen equipment, ensuring hygienic conditions at all times.

2/ Personal Hygiene: Define personal hygiene procedures for kitchen staff, including hand washing, glove use, and appropriate uniforms, minimising cross-contamination.

Labelling and expiry dates

1/ Clear Identification: Implement a standardised labelling system for all ingredients and prepared foods. Labels should include the date of receipt, expiration date, and any other relevant information, such as batch numbers or best-before dates.

2/ Efficient Rotation: Utilize the FIFO (First In, First Out) methodology to ensure that the oldest food is used first. This helps prevent waste and reduces the risk of using spoiled ingredients.

3/ Rigorous Control: Schedule regular inspections of stored products to ensure that expiration dates are being adhered to and dispose of products appropriately.

Preventive Maintenance

1/ Maintenance Program: Establish a regular preventive maintenance schedule for all kitchen equipment, including refrigerators, ovens, stoves, and cutting equipment. Consistent maintenance ensures that equipment functions correctly, minimising downtime and the risk of failures.

2/ Detailed Records: Keep a record of all maintenance activities performed, which will allow identification of wear patterns and prevent recurring problems.

3/ Staff Training: Ensure that staff are trained to identify signs of wear or malfunctioning equipment, encouraging early intervention before problems affect daily operations.

Alerts and incidents management

1/ Notification System: Implement a system for reporting and managing alerts and incidents in real time. Staff should be able to communicate any anomalies (equipment failures, quality or hygiene issues) quickly and efficiently.

2/ Rapid Resolution: Establish clear procedures for investigating and resolving incidents, with specific response times depending on the severity of the situation.

3/ Review and Continuous Improvement: Periodically review reported incidents to identify recurring areas for improvement. Based on this, adjust operational and safety protocols to prevent future problems.

Quality control

1/ Visual Inspection: Establish criteria for the visual inspection of food, ensuring that freshness, color, and appearance standards are met.

2/Taste Testing: Define flavour standards for each dish, including the creation of a taste panel to evaluate consistency in quality.

How to create procedure manuals to standardise food service operations

Procedure manuals are an essential tool for ensuring consistency, efficiency, and safety in kitchen operations.

Procedure manuals help standardise food safety operations, ensuring that staff follow best practices, and minimising errors in daily tasks.

Additionally, a good manual provides a clear and accessible reference for training new employees and monitoring quality standards.

Below, we explain how to create effective procedure manuals for any professional kitchen:

1/ Identify key processes

The first step in creating a procedure manual is to clearly define the tasks that need to be standardised.

Create a comprehensive list of all tasks performed in the kitchen, from receiving ingredients to cleaning equipment. This ensures that no important operation is overlooked. The details shared in the previous sections can help you.
Prioritise the most critical processes for food quality and safety. In this step, it’s essential to identify which procedures directly impact the customer experience, food safety, and operational efficiency, such as cooking food, storage, and sanitation.

2/ Break down each process into detailed steps

Once the key processes have been identified, it’s important to break each one down into detailed and clear steps.

Use clear and concise language that is easy for all staff to understand, regardless of their experience level.
Include flowcharts or images to facilitate visual understanding of processes, especially for complex or critical procedures.

Examples of procedures with visual details:

A standard recipe with photos of each step to guide staff in preparing a specific dish.
The cleaning and sanitising procedure for critical equipment, such as a grill or fryer, with images indicating the correct use of cleaning products.
A checklist for preparing mise en place, including the necessary ingredients, utensils, and equipment, as well as the order in which they should be arranged.

3/ Establish quality standards

Each procedure should be accompanied by indicators that allow the evaluation of the process quality and final result.

Define criteria for evaluating the outcome of each task. This includes establishing objective parameters such as cooking point, dish presentation, or expected hygiene levels.
Use clear and measurable indicators, such as minimum cooking temperatures, preparation times, and tolerance margins in the use of ingredients, to ensure that foods are safe and meet kitchen standards.

4/ Organise information

The presentation of the food service operations manual is key to ensuring it is easy to use and understand.

Create a clear and concise index that allows staff to quickly find the procedure they need to consult. Group procedures by categories (e.g., food preparation, cooking, cleaning) to facilitate navigation.
Use a visually accessible format, with legible fonts, well-differentiated sections, and graphics when necessary. Boxes, lists, and highlights help emphasize important points and speed up comprehension.

5/ Review and update

Procedure manuals for food service operations should not be static, as the kitchen is a dynamic environment where techniques, equipment, and regulations can change.

Establish a formal process for the periodic review and updating of manuals. It is advisable to do this at least once a year or whenever new technology is incorporated, ingredients are changed, or food safety regulations are updated.
Gather feedback from kitchen staff on the clarity and usefulness of the manuals. This will allow for adjustments in case any procedure is not being followed correctly or is confusing.
Customer surveys: Obtain feedback on the quality and consistency of dishes.
Kitchen audits: Verify compliance with standard procedures.

Standardise your food service operations with Andy

Andy – the leading platform for digitising operational processes and food safety in professional kitchens – is revolutionising the way thousands of restaurants operate worldwide.

Discover how you can easily and efficiently standardise your operations.

Find out how food service businesses worldwide are standardising in their kitchens with Andy.

Simplified HACCP Management

Digital HACCP Plans: Create and manage your HACCP plans intuitively, identifying Critical Control Points (CCPs), setting critical limits, and designing monitoring systems.
Automated Temperature Recording: Automate temperature recording for equipment and food, receiving instant alerts for deviations.
Centralised Supplier Management: Centralise information on your suppliers and their certifications, ensuring compliance with quality and safety requirements.

Operational Checklists

Custom Checklists: Create specific checklists for each task, from preparing a dish to cleaning equipment.
Task Assignment: Assign checklists to different users and teams, ensuring all tasks are completed.
Real-time Tracking: Monitor task progress and receive notifications for non-compliance.

Cleaning and Hygiene Management

Cleaning Programs: Create detailed cleaning programs, including frequencies, products to use, and areas to clean.
Cleaning Product Inventory Control: Manage cleaning product stock and receive alerts when restocking is needed.
Cleaning Activity Logs: Document all cleaning and sanitising activities.

Alert and Incident management

Automated Notifications: Receive real-time alerts for deviations in processes, checklist non-compliance, or equipment issues.
Incident Escalation: Establish workflows for incident resolution, assigning responsibilities and setting deadlines.
Root Cause Analysis: Identify the root causes of incidents to implement corrective measures.

Preventive maintenance

Task Schedulling: Create a preventive maintenance schedule for equipment and machinery.
Activity Logs: Document all maintenance tasks performed.
Spare Parts Management: Control spare parts inventory and request orders when necessary.

Auditing

Audit Template Creation: Design custom audit templates to assess compliance with quality and safety standards.
Automated Reporting: Generate detailed audit reports, identifying areas for improvement.

Communications

Internal Messaging: Facilitate communication between team members through an internal chat.
News and Announcements: Distribute relevant information to the entire team quickly and efficiently.

Library

Document Storage: Centralise all documentation related to quality management and food safety.
Training Videos: Create and store training videos for employees.
Knowledge Base: Build a knowledge base with frequently asked questions and answers.

Additional Benefits of Standardising Food Service Operations with Andy

Increased Efficiency: Automation of repetitive tasks and reduction of errors.
Improved Quality: Guaranteed consistency in processes and products.
Enhanced Food Safety: Compliance with health and safety regulations.
Data-Driven Decision Making: Data analysis to identify areas for improvement.
More Effective Communication: Facilitates communication among team members.

Centralise your food service operations in a single unified control panel

By centralising all operations in a single dashboard, Andy allows food safety and operation managers and administrators to have a complete and up-to-date view of all establishment activities, from the kitchen to customer service.

Benefits of a centralised control panel:

Real-time Visibility: Monitor the status of operations, key performance indicators (KPIs), and alerts in real time.
Informed Decision Making: Access accurate and up-to-date data to make strategic decisions.
Improved Efficiency: Optimise processes and identify bottlenecks.
Greater Control: Have a global view of all restaurant operations.
Ease of Use: Access all necessary information from a single point.
Customisable Dashboard: Create custom dashboards to visualise the most relevant data for each user.
Reports and Analysis: Generate detailed reports on business performance, sales, costs, and other key indicators.
Alerts and Notifications: Receive real-time alerts on important events, such as inventory problems, non-compliance with quality standards, or equipment failures.

Remember the doll factory we mentioned at the beginning?

The change of operator and voice in the doll resulted in a different voice in the product, and undoubtedly, very unhappy customers, damaged reputation, and serious economic losses.

In a foodservice business, lacking standardisation can translate into errors, delays, waste of time and money, many headaches, and a general malaise in an entire team that moves without a vision and overall control.

With Andy, all that changes.

Standardising restaurant operations with Andy is the smartest way to guarantee quality, increase efficiency, and improve the customer experience.

With Andy, you have at your disposal all the necessary tools to achieve optimal management of your business.

Don’t wait any longer to discover how Andy can transform your kitchen!

👉🏽START WITH ANDY TODAY!👈🏽