How to 86 Your Kitchen Menu
When a dish or drink is “86’d” from the menu, it means that the main ingredient used to make that item has gone out of stock. This is especially common with seasonal dishes and specials that are served only a few times per year.
It’s a popular term in the restaurant industry, but it can also cause customer frustration and upset when an item is removed from the menu. This is why it’s important to keep a streamlined inventory management system in place at your restaurant.
If you have a strong supply chain, then you can easily prevent this issue from happening. With a system like BinWise Pro, you can easily track your inventory in real-time. This gives your bartenders and owners the ability to make changes on the fly to ensure your restaurant always has the ingredients needed to serve the best possible product.
A 86ing can happen for several reasons, so you need to be prepared and have a plan in place to avoid this from happening. For example, you can try to avoid 86ing items if you know they’re going to sell well in the future.
Keeping more inventory than you think you will need can also help with this problem. This is because items that sell well often tend to go fast, and the more you have available at any given time, the better off your restaurant will be.
In addition to 86ing items, it’s also important to monitor the quality of the ingredients you use. Having poor quality ingredients will not only affect the taste of your food and drinks, but it can also affect your bottom line.
When you need to 86 an item, it’s a good idea to notify customers as soon as possible and let them know that they can try another dish or drink instead. This can help avoid a lot of stress and confusion for your staff and guests.
The term 86 is also a great way to communicate with your staff when they need to stop serving an item or dish. This can help save you a lot of money, especially on food that doesn’t sell as well, and will allow your staff to get back to work quickly so they can focus on serving other customers.
It’s also a good idea to have a quick reference for your staff when they need to know what to 86, such as a list or an email address. This way, they can easily communicate this to their coworkers and managers.
A 86ing can be frustrating for both front of house and back of house teams, as it can lead to lost sales or even angry patrons. Having a streamlined inventory management system in place and a well-designed menu will help your team stay on top of this issue.
The term “86” has multiple etymologies, but there are some things that seem to be the most likely to be responsible for its origin. For instance, many people believe that it was inspired by a speakeasy in New York City called Chumley’s. This bar was located at 86 Bedford Street in Greenwich Village during the Prohibition era. When police showed up to shut down the bar, guests were allegedly told to 86 it or leave immediately.