Should I have specs for my menu?

If you don’t spec out your products, you won’t know the cost. If you don’t know the cost, then you won’t know what profit you’re making.

Without specs, your staff won’t know what portion sizes to use and you’ll most likely end up over portioning and losing money, or under portioning and losing customers (and money). Most importantly of all, you run a higher risk of unknown allergens ending up in the food.

If you don’t spec products, you could be losing money and not even noticing- even on your best selling items.

Any new staff that you take on will most likely become flustered, particularly if they’re on a busy shift. Kitchens and Bars are high-stress environments and adding more stress will lead to quicker burnout.

On the other hand, having specs and actively using them means that when someone starts, they’ll have the tools to hit the ground running. To make things easier, keep spec cards on walls and noticeboards- wherever that menu item is made, a spec card should be next to that station.

Fridge plans are also hugely important and not having them leads to extra prep, higher wastage and menu items being 86’d when staff can’t find what they’re looking for on a busy shift.