Good day all!
I am wondering how all of you are coping with the economy, your food costs and budgets. I moved to the health care arena 13 years ago and we work on a budget derived from the census at the facility. My current budget is $3.75 per patient day (PPD) . I run a small assisted living with 40 apartments and my only vendor the company allows me to purchase food and supplies from is Sysco with a once a week delivery. This is a very tough dollar amount to make work in this setting as it includes employee meals also which are reimbursed at $1.25 each. My company is consistent for the last three years I have received a nickel a year increase in budget while the food prices have been increasing at a much faster pace and now I am trying to write a new 7 week rotational menu with good food but at budget!
I have for the last 3 years had the best budget in the company always being just slightly under but man is this getting harder to do as costs go up.
I can surely feel for the owner operators and chefs who must continue to stay competitive in this economy in order to have incomes. Also in my case having just one vendor kinda negates the finding better product and better price thing which can be a major part of the food cost control and customer satisfaction.
What I am doing to keep costs down is most all meat fabrication (whole turkeys, Top rounds, Pit hams, pork butts) with a bonus of stock and broths as well as leftovers for other meals and soups. Also a lot of scratch baking and cutting up all fruits and salads.
So how is this lovely economy affecting your world and what are you doing to cope with it? Off to work.................
I am wondering how all of you are coping with the economy, your food costs and budgets. I moved to the health care arena 13 years ago and we work on a budget derived from the census at the facility. My current budget is $3.75 per patient day (PPD) . I run a small assisted living with 40 apartments and my only vendor the company allows me to purchase food and supplies from is Sysco with a once a week delivery. This is a very tough dollar amount to make work in this setting as it includes employee meals also which are reimbursed at $1.25 each. My company is consistent for the last three years I have received a nickel a year increase in budget while the food prices have been increasing at a much faster pace and now I am trying to write a new 7 week rotational menu with good food but at budget!
I have for the last 3 years had the best budget in the company always being just slightly under but man is this getting harder to do as costs go up.
I can surely feel for the owner operators and chefs who must continue to stay competitive in this economy in order to have incomes. Also in my case having just one vendor kinda negates the finding better product and better price thing which can be a major part of the food cost control and customer satisfaction.
What I am doing to keep costs down is most all meat fabrication (whole turkeys, Top rounds, Pit hams, pork butts) with a bonus of stock and broths as well as leftovers for other meals and soups. Also a lot of scratch baking and cutting up all fruits and salads.
So how is this lovely economy affecting your world and what are you doing to cope with it? Off to work.................