🍽🎉 2024 F&B Predictions That Will Never Happen

Welcome back to yet another edition of "On The House" the newsletter that makes you smarter without making you look dumb.

Let's jump right in and whip up some excitement in the world of hospitality, shall we?
On today's quick and tasty menu:

Turns Out “Everyone is Replaceable” Isn't Right

Think about it! How many times in 2023 did you encounter difficulties on your job just because that colleague who was your partner in crime wasn’t there anymore?
How many times did you struggle with suppliers, venues , marketing , to understand each other just because your go to person was no longer with that company.

Just because the place doesn’t burn down when someone leaves , doesn’t mean its not on fire.

In 2023 everyone witnessed how the job market dictated the rules and outcomes for a lot of F&B businesses, the combination of bad relationships, and unsupporting management with booming new openings created a sizable shift in the F&B scene. Suddenly your go to players arent there anymore , and new faces are taking over.

Once again Dubai entrepreneurs didn’t manage to show maturity in this sense.
Of course, plenty of business shined through all of this, but at what cost?

The cost was probably - no growth. Not growing in Dubai is a serious consequence, it’s almost equal to falling apart. And we are not talking about quantity, we are talking about quality. Many brands opened more outlets, but the quality declined. However, this decline is not limited to F&B and affects all industries.

Expected that this trend will continue in 2024, we are afraid that our loving homegrown concepts will not survive second half of the 20s.

Remains to be seen..

Simple Tips to Tackle Food Cost Calculations with Ease!

It's crazy how little they teach about the money side of the hospitality biz, you know?

We're not accountants we know, but it's still a crucial part of the job and the whole business. Like, 90% of chefs and restaurant managers didn't even finish college, so you'd think they'd include some basic education on this stuff in courses and high schools.

And here's the kicker: even when people start working in hospitality, they don't give a hoot about this part of the gig.

To make matters worse, it's just basic math, nothing complicated, but man, is it ever boring. Compared to a hectic service, doing a food cost feels like watching the paint dry.

But check this out, We've got a simple formula you can use:

The quantity of ingredient times the price of ingredient equals the cost of the ingredient

Yeah, and make sure you calculate the whole shebang, wastage, and all.

Then just add up all the ingredients that make a dish, and boom, that's your food cost.

Now, to figure out the Food Cost %, use this formula:

(Cost of the ingredient divided by the price of the dish) times 100 equals Food Cost %

As a general rule, try to keep that percentage below 25. Easy peasy.

Not that heavy of a lifting right ?!

Whether it's a professional obligation or not, this skill provides a unique perspective on the products or services you create and offer. Your understanding of the ingredients and their worth enhances your appreciation and dedication.

Over time, this becomes ingrained even at a subconscious level.

2024 F&B Predictions That Will Never Happen

We are not going to try and convince you that we have a crystal ball and know what will happen in this pivotal 2024, instead, we decided to let you know what exactly will NOT happen and give you some sense of certainty in the new year.
Here are our 2024 none predictions:

British guests will reject tea when offered.

Indian guests will leave a tip.

Arabs will compliment the dish and the service.

Philipinos will start dining out in DIFC.

South Africans will eat only vegetarian food.

Lebanese will admit humus isn't their dish.

Chefs will become the most reasonable people ever.

Waiters will start yelling at guests, instead of in their heads, when asked stupid questions.

Bartenders will tell you their problems.

Baristas will start frotting teas.

Managers will ask their staff "How can I help?"… and mean it.

Restaurant owners will stop sending Instagram reels to chefs.

Restaurant investors will stop eating for free in their outlets.

Parents will take care of their children when dining in.

Freelancers will order more than one coffee for their 4-hour table occupancy.

Gym nerds will order a whole egg omelet.

Avocado will become frowned upon food, like kale.

Everyone will admit burrata is just tasteless.

Italians will stop judging people when they make their dishes.

Fast food chains will stop serving obese people.

Sustainable food service will become cheaper and more profitable for businesses.

That’s a wrap for today’s edition, we know you got something out of it so drop a vote down below and forward it to your peers or share it on your social.

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Stay sharp and keep making waves!

Weekly Angry Chef Meme