Tag: Restaurant

Optimizing A Labor-Lean Kitchen

Operators turn to high-quality prepared foods to address labor challenges

Give credit to the restaurant operators who took all the pandemic’s punches and stayed on their feet. However, reaching full recovery requires managing persistent challenges, none more pressing than the labor shortage.

Roughly 50% of operators in the full-service, quick-service and fast-casual segments say recruiting and retaining employees will be their top challenge this year, according to the National Restaurant Association’s 2022 State of the Restaurant Industry Report.

Now that dining rooms are abuzz with patrons again, hiring staff is more critical than ever. “Consumer demand for restaurant services has come back very rapidly,” says Caleb Taylor, culinary development chef at Boar’s Head. “And these consumers are returning with high expectations for menu innovation and unique presentation.”

Raising labor efficiency

Fortunately, there are proven ways for operators to get more for their labor dollars with menu design ideas for restaurant worker shortages. One is by increasing the use of versatile, convenient, high-quality prepared foods rather than spending time and effort on scratch cooking. Boar’s Head Brand offers a broad line of premium delicatessen meats, cheeses, charcuterie, hummus, spreads and condiments that can serve as labor-efficient springboards for culinary creativity.

All Boar’s Head® pre-cooked foods for restaurants are made with craftsmanship and ingredients of the highest quality. The Boar’s Head® premium deli meats line includes products that are made with whole-muscle cuts of turkey, chicken, ham and beef that are trimmed by hand, seasoned with top-caliber spices from around the world, and in some cases, oven roasted. Pre-cooked foods for restaurants are a huge step ahead of the laborious and time-consuming routine of cutting, seasoning and cooking meat and poultry in the kitchen.

Another menu design idea for restaurant worker shortages and a way to cut labor is to reduce the number of items on the menu and make recipes simpler to prepare. “In the past, a restaurant might have had two cooks preparing the meat portion of a dish,” says Taylor. “But now there are fewer steps in the process.” 

“Reducing our menus the way we did has made it a lot easier to run a restaurant,” says Rick Cardenas, president and chief operating officer of Darden Restaurants, in a Nation’s Restaurant News article about the labor crisis. “The managers spend a little less time on individual items and teaching people on these items that we didn’t produce very often.”

The Boar’s Head® advantage 

When he hosts visiting chefs at the company’s culinary lab, Taylor demonstrates the versatility and labor efficiency of Boar’s Head® premium whole-muscle deli meats, which are ready to be pulled, chopped, sliced, diced, shredded or otherwise fabricated to fit any recipe application.

For instance, take Boar’s Head Bold® Chipotle Chicken Breast, part of the Boar’s Head Bold® line of premium deli meats and cheeses with global flavor profiles. “You could get essentially the same results if you wanted to braise and pull chicken breasts on your own in the kitchen,” says Taylor. “But by using Boar’s Head®, look at the time and work I save and the flavor and consistency I get.”

There are innumerable ways to accelerate and enhance menu development with minimal labor outlay, using Boar’s Head pre-cooked foods for restaurants. Think of the multifaceted culinary explorations possible with Boar’s Head Bold® Peppenero® Garlic Ham. Crafted with a hand-coated spice blend of habanero chili peppers, garlic, ginger and green onion, it combines the robust flavors of Asia and Mexico in one ready-to-use product.

“Back when I was a hotel chef, if I had known the neat things you can do with Boar’s Head® meats, I would have used them when I had labor struggles,” says Taylor.

Innovative menu statements

Boar’s Head® Hummus features the same craftsmanship as the rest of the brand portfolio. It is made from chickpeas, steamed until fork tender, blended with premium ingredients ranging from roasted red peppers to kalamata olive tapenade to apples, and flavored with sea salt, olive oil, tahini and spices.

Serving Boar’s Head® Hummus as a dip is just the beginning of its versatility. It also shines as a sandwich spread, pasta sauce and pizza topping. What’s more, a sweet hummus variation such as Boar’s Head® Apple Pie Dessert Hummus can serve as a ready-made feature ingredient in treats like Apple Pie Hummus Cheesecake Bites.

Furthermore, hummus is an ideal platform for developing plant-based menu items, a growing trend among healthy eaters. “One of the most fun things we’ve done is mix our Boar’s Head® Hummus, which is made with very clean, high-quality premium ingredients, with simple additions like grains and vegetables to make patties for sliders,” says Taylor.

For more ideas about pre-cooked foods for restaurants, winning customers, and saving labor with flavorful Boar’s Head® products, visit https://boarsheadfoodservice.com. 

menu the best

Winning Customers with Craftsmanship

To be competitive, operators need to send an ingredient message emphasizing quality, not shortcuts.

A menu made with craftsmanship and premium-brand ingredients sends a clear message to consumers: the restaurant operator is committed to quality and a memorable dining experience. Learn more about lunch and dinner menu ideas for restaurants that offer the quality ingredients that customers are looking for.

For generations, operators have communicated that message to consumers by highlighting Boar’s Head® products on their menus. From its founding in 1905 to this day, the family-owned company has been known for master craftsmanship in premium delicatessen meats, cheeses, charcuterie, hummus, spreads and condiments.

Boar’s Head Brand’s standards for quality have never wavered and it continues to use the highest level of craftsmanship to create products of superior quality, freshness and taste. For example, many Boar’s Head® menu items and premium deli meats are made with whole-muscle proteins that are trimmed by hand, seasoned with top-caliber spices from around the world and prepared in much the same way a chef does in the restaurant. Similar craftsmanship is evident in Boar’s Head Hummus, made from chickpeas steamed until fork tender, blended with premium ingredients ranging from roasted artichokes to dark chocolate and flavored with sea salt, olive oil, tahini and savory spices.

The point is, the guiding principle of the Boar’s Head® menu items product portfolio is quality, not shortcuts. Using Boar’s Head fully cooked, whole-muscle meats simplifies menu planning and execution for busy restaurants. And the time and labor saved by using Boar’s Head products as a platform for menu development can free operators to focus on other vital aspects of business, such as hospitality, marketing and training.

Meeting higher expectations

Today, with dining demand skyrocketing and competition mounting, operators must show what they stand for. The right lunch and dinner menu ideas for restaurants can highlight quality ingredients and keep customers interested.

“Customers have extremely high expectations for quality,” says Caleb Taylor, culinary development chef at Boar’s Head Brand. “It’s essential to have an exciting and innovative menu and to be consistent in your execution.”

However, creating a menu that is engaging yet operationally practical is no easy task for operators struggling to hire enough staffers. To stretch their labor budgets, many are shortening menus, simplifying recipes and cooking with high-quality, ready-to-use ingredients. “You’re seeing more products with quality, innovation and uniqueness in use,” says Taylor. “Look at the varied flavors in the Boar’s Head Bold® line that are great for chefs to use.”

Bold expressions for flavor cravers

The Boar’s Head Bold® line of premium deli meats and cheeses, with flavor profiles inspired by culinary destinations around the world, appeals to the many flavor-craving consumers today. This is a great lunch and dinner menu idea for restaurants that are looking to emphasize quality.

It is important to note that Boar’s Head Bold® meats, like other Boar’s Head whole-muscle, fully cooked and seasoned deli meats, can be sliced, diced, chunked, shaved or pulled as the chef desires for maximum versatility in menu applications. When the innate craftsmanship of such products comes into play with the chef’s talents and inspirations, the path is paved for unique signature menu items.

For example, take Boar’s Head Bold® PitCraft® Slow Smoked Turkey Breast, smoked over mesquite wood chips and seasoned with an authentic dry rub that includes Mexican chilies. As a ready-to-use springboard for smoked meat and barbecue applications, it saves substantial labor and time and ensures consistency. “Because it’s whole muscle, it pulls apart easily,” says Taylor. “It’s a great convenience product and the flavor satisfies barbecue lovers from different parts of the country.”

Likewise, craftsmanship is built into Boar’s Head Bold® BourbonRidge® Uncured Smoked Ham, crafted with bourbon and smoked over charred oak barrel chips for zesty flavor. Taylor suggests nestling slices of Bold BourbonRidge® Uncured Ham and Boar’s Head® Blanc Grue® Gruyére Cheese between pieces of French toast for a twist on the classic Monte Cristo sandwich.

Versatility of hummus

The same quality, convenience and versatility is evident in other Boar’s Head® products. Consider Boar’s Head® Hummus, offered in flavors ranging from Traditional Hummus to Fire Roasted Artichoke & Spinach Hummus to Apple Pie Dessert Hummus and Dark Chocolate Dessert Hummus.

Taylor notes that the savory hummus flavors are versatile for pizza and flatbread toppings, pasta sauces, sandwich spreads and grain-based vegetarian patties. “Using hummus as a pasta sauce is very simple to execute,” says Taylor, citing Boar’s Head® Roasted Red Pepper Hummus and Roasted Pine Nut Hummus as examples. “Just combine the hummus with a little of the pasta cooking water to create the perfect consistency.”

When it comes to sweet applications, Boar’s Head® Dessert Hummus flavors can star as unique pastry ingredients, ranging from Apple Pie Hummus Cheesecake Bites to Dark Chocolate Hummus Cannoli to Dark Chocolate Hummus Heart Sandwich Cookies.

In the ultra competitive post-pandemic restaurant industry, operators need any edge they can get. A menu that communicates craftsmanship and premium brands can be a vital advantage.

For more ideas about winning customers with lunch and dinner menu ideas for restaurants and the craftsmanship of Boar’s Head® menu items, visit https://boarshead.com/about/foodservice.

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