The word “audit” may make you shudder. However, a restaurant audit is more than reviewing finances. It is a useful tool for a restaurant owner that can uncover inefficiencies, streamline services, and play a valuable role in improving customer satisfaction.
What Is a Restaurant Audit?
A restaurant audit is a formal evaluation of your restaurant’s processes and procedures. Restaurant audits can be conducted by an external auditor, like a health inspector. Or you can perform an internal restaurant audit to help you identify what you’re doing right and where you can improve.
During the audit, you’ll evaluate the restaurant’s facilities, practices, and procedures to ensure your business complies with established industry standards and regulations for food safety, hygiene, maintenance, and more. Then you’ll create a plan to improve areas where you fall short.
Why You Should Conduct a Restaurant Audit
Internal restaurant audits are an essential tool for your restaurant business. Regular restaurant audits prepare you for scheduled and unscheduled inspections. You’ll have the time to identify and address problems you know an external auditor would look for.
Regular audits also help you uncover inefficiencies in your processes so you can streamline operations and increase revenue. For example, if your audit reveals you’re consistently running out of a specific item because the supplier never seems to have it in stock, it may be time to switch to another supplier.
Finally, regular audits can improve customer satisfaction. Not only will you ensure your restaurant serves safe food, a more efficient service will make customers happy and improve the odds they become repeat customers.
How to Audit Your Restaurant
Before auditing your restaurant, you need to create a restaurant audit checklist. You can create a single checklist that one person uses for the entire audit. Or you can break the large checklist into smaller restaurant audit checklists that focus on a single area, say one checklist for operations, one checklist for food safety, and so on. You can assign the smaller checklists to individual staff, like the restaurant general manager or sous chef, which allows them to take ownership of their area and be accountable for its audit.
To ensure a successful restaurant audit, your checklist items should be specific and clear. Instead of saying, “Is food stored at the proper temperature?” say, “Is the refrigerator set to 38 degrees Fahrenheit?” and then include another item to test the temperature and verify that the internal thermometer is correct.
Here are the key areas you’ll want to inspect during your restaurant audit and some things to look out for.
Sanitation and Cleaning
Clean restaurants reassure customers that this is a safe place to eat. While ensuring the dining room and bathrooms are clean, you should make sure employees are following proper sanitation and cleaning regulations.
- Are the bathrooms properly stocked with soap and towels?
- Do you have a separate kitchen sink for food prep, handwashing, and dishwashing?
- Do employees wash their hands correctly before returning to work, and is the correct signage about handwashing where it should be?
- Are there signs of a rodent infestation?
Food Safety
Proper cleaning and sanitation are only one aspect of restaurant cleanliness. While handwashing is critical, other food safety areas to audit are:
- Hot, refrigerated, and cold foods are kept at the correct temperature to avoid spoilage.
- Are there procedures to prevent cross-contamination and food-borne illness, and are they being followed?
- Is there a pest control issue, and are the proper pest controls in place?
- Are employees wearing gloves when required?
- Are foods stored somewhere clean, dry, and away from leaks?
Inventory Management
Auditing your inventory management process serves two purposes. First, it ensures your food and other supplies are stored properly and used up before they expire. Second, it helps you track your inventory so you have enough of what you need and don’t run out during your busy dinner service.
- Are food and supplies stored properly?
- Is there a process to reduce food waste and use it before food spoils or expires?
- Do you have a tracking system for monitoring and reordering supplies? Is it working?
Finances
Even though a restaurant audit is more about evaluating and improving your standard operating procedures, a thorough audit assesses your finances. This ensures you’re complying with IRS regulations on gratuities and tipping and helps you see if your food costs have changed or can give your staff a bonus.
- Are you complying with IRS tipping and gratuity regulations?
- Are your financial books in order?
- Have suppliers raised their prices?
- Do you need to raise prices or add fees to the menu?
- Are certain items more profitable than others? Less profitable?
Paperwork
This is also a good time to audit your paperwork to ensure permits are up-to-date and displayed properly, as well as plan ahead for renewals. Auditing your paperwork also allows you to verify staff are trained and certified in food safety and emergency response (like CPR).
- Do you have the required paper trail to demonstrate your staff has received the correct training?
- Do any staff need to renew their certifications?
- Are your permits up to date or expiring soon?
Equipment
Ensuring your restaurant is a safe place to work also includes auditing your equipment. You should check everything to make sure it’s working, meets safety codes, and plan to fix broken items. The audit is also a good time to see if the equipment needs cleaning.
- Are your fire suppression systems in working order?
- Do your ventilation systems function properly?
- Do your gas burners light properly?
- Are vents and hoods clean of dirt, debris, and grease?
Marketing
Internal audits should also include a review of your marketing strategies. Check your social media presence and online reviews to ensure they are positive and determine if your marketing efforts are working.
- Is your branding and online presence consistent and positive?
- Are your marketing efforts increasing sales?
- Are your loyalty programs resulting in return customers and increasing sales?
- Are there negative online reviews that are valid and should be addressed?
Coaching and Training
Finally, the audit is a good way to ensure your staff understands what needs to be done and how to do it. Audits help staff understand why things are the way they are and lets them have a say in how things run. When they actively participate in the audits, they can not only find inefficiencies but may have a suggestion on how to improve things.
Chat With An Expert
Use a Restaurant Audit to Uphold Standards
Conducting regular restaurant audits ensure your restaurant meets the high standards and expectations your customers expect and ensure compliance with local rules and regulations.
For expert guidance and tailored solutions that will elevate your business and drive success, contact Kezner Consulting Group today. We’ll help you find the best way to implement regular audits to streamline performance.
