Streamline To SUCCESS FACT:

By Mike Fernandez

On average, food and beverage operations account for approximately 50% of bowling center revenue.

QUESTION: Is your center’s dining operation receiving 50% of your attention?

Offering quality and profitable food and beverage at your center can be like operating a business-within-abusiness. Besides the attention needed to league-building, parties and special events, customer experience, arcade operations, lane maintenance, human resources, and everything else on your plate, guests today also expect tasty treats and boozy drinks.

IBI’s readers tell us that this can be a challenge for many operators who aren’t restauranteurs at heart. Managing food operations at your bowling center can be challenging if you have a limited staff, budget, space, and lack of food management experience.

Streamlining your food operations can keep things sanitary, increase revenue, and improve the guest experience. Here are some tips to help you out!

System Solutions

There are endless software programs and equipment that can make your food operations more efficient, accurate, and convenient. You can use POS systems that integrate with your bowling software, inventory management, and online ordering platforms. This lets you track your sales, inventory, and orders in realtime while avoiding errors, waste, and delays.

Practical tools include wireless temperature sensors and digital checklists to monitor food safety and quality and ensure compliance with health regulations. Investing in systems like these allows you to communicate with your staff and customers more effectively through text messages, push notifications, or digital monitors.

Booze and Bites

Still using an old oven that takes ages to reach temp, needs ventilation, and kills kitchen space? Modern air fryers are a much quicker and space-saving option. They often fit right on the counter and reach that perfect temp quickly!

Air fryers can also replace your deep fryer. That means less grease build-up around the kitchen and no more playing Rock-Paper-Scissors! over who’s changing the fryer oil. Not only that, but you’re also providing healthier options so bowlers and balls aren’t slugged down with extra grease!

Simplify Your Menu

Are you providing a comprehensive menu that reads like a book? It may seem like a good idea to cater to everyone’s unique tastes and preferences, but it can also create more problems for your food operations. A complex menu can require more ingredients, equipment, time, and labor, increasing costs, waste, and cross-contamination risks.

On the other hand, a more straightforward menu can help you streamline your food operations and keep them sanitary. You can focus on offering a few signature items that are easy to make, popular with your customers, and profitable for your business. You can also use versatile, seasonal, and local ingredients to reduce your inventory and spoilage. Check out our stories on Tex-Mex and margaritas online for more ideas at www.bowlingindustry.com.