Restaurant: our tips for dealing with inflation & recruitment issues

Price inflation, staffing constraints, need for differentiation

and sustainability concerns:

overcome these food service challenges with concrete solutions.

Increasing and raw materials price increases, problems of limited or insufficiently trained staff... These are just some of the difficulties that lead you to look for ways to reduce your costs without compromising on the quality of your offer. What if frozen bakery products were a solution?

In foodservice businesses, frozen bread, viennoiserie and pastries are very convenient because they are easy and quick to prepare. Unlike fresh products, they can be kept for several months.

Being supported by a supplier of frozen breads (sandwiches, paninis, focaccia, burgers...) means having the possibility of varying recipes while saving money. It is also an excellent no waste solution, because only the necessary portions are prepared and offered to customers. In fact, the products can be kept for up to 18 months.

Contrary to popular belief, freezing does not affect the nutritional quality of products. Better still, this preservation process maintains all their qualities: appearance, consistency and taste.

With frozen breads, viennoiseries and pastries, it is possible to offer attractive menus at fair prices for the customer. You can also play with different and original meal solutions or portions.

Here are some examples:

·        For  appetisers: nothing better than a board to share, offer homemade spreads such as tuna rillettes, hummus and tzatziki accompanied by a crispy baguette (< 0.5€).

·        For the main: A dish to share like a margherita style focaccia pizza (< 2 €) or with ham, mozzarella and pesto (< 2,5 €).

·        For dessert: the iconic "café gourmand" served with mini pastries such as macarons, or cut-up pieces of large cakes such as entremets, tarts, etc. (budget below 1 €).

Profitable smart solutions for you, while responding to consumer' needs.

Before setting your prices, analyse your customers' habits and define what they expect from your offer. If the traditional starter-main course-dessert formula remains unavoidable, you can also propose original and flexible mealsolutions: a starter (aperitif type) + a main course or a dish + a coffee and a mini dessert.

These smart packages offer more freedom and are particularly effective at lunchtime when customers may have little time.

To counter inflation, price increases and portion size reductions are not necessarily the best solutions; they are often poorly perceived by customers, which can damage your image.

Quality must come first! Frozen bakery allows you to reduce your costs while continuing to vary your menus according to opportunities, seasons, occasions (Christmas, Easter, Halloween...) and especially, your inspiration.

Batch cooking has been very popular for the past few years. The principle is to prepare several meals at once with a limited number of ingredients. What is the idea? Vary the cooking methods, seasonings and recipes to diversify the menu, without increasing costs. Restaurant owners can optimise their budget and save time in the kitchen while using simple and accessible recipes.

With a croissant, it is possible to offer different and original dishes at any time of the day. Here are a few ideas: a croissant sandwich with vegetables for lunch, a chocolate croissant for a snack and a croissant waffle (croiffle) for dessert.

 Also read: Professionals: tips for choosing your frozen croissants

Setting the right price means finding the right balance between your target margin and what your customers are willing to pay. You also have to make sure that the prices of your lunch dishes/meal deals correspond roughly to the daily ceiling of the meal vouchers.

For a customer-centric approach, combine a "smart" meal offer with a psychological price that most of your customers will agree to pay. To keep them loyal, never exceed this threshold

To stand out from competitors, we provide complete solutions that adapt to your constraints while guaranteeing the satisfaction of your customers. You will find all these solutions in our Smart Guide.  

It is a complete guide with many recipes and tips that are affordable but also easy to execute. Whether you are understaffed or have less qualified staff, it will help you offer tasty and quality products to your customers.

We understand that in a competitive market, it is crucial to offer unique products and to stand out. That's why we provide innovative and authentic products: classic or gourmet pastries, a wide range of world breads or even vegan or gluten-free pastries, each product is carefully designed to meet your customers' needs and offer them an exceptional taste experience. Because we are more than just a simple supplier, we have combined recipes and tips that will allow you to stand out from your competitors.