Alyssa Smith

Dr. Mullen

HT 362

27 February 2013

When Life Hands You Lemons… Better Check the Specs

Discussion Questions

1. What standard purchasing control practices could Sue have followed that would

have prevented the high produce costs?

Sue should have first checked the back room and done inventory to see what produce and

other products they were low on; she also should’ve taken into account that there would

be a homecoming college football game, so inventory in this situation was extremely

important to take. Also, since the price of a case of lemons went down to $14.00 a case,

she should have asked “Why have they gone down in price? Are the same as the fancy

lemons we usually purchase?” Sue could’ve also checked the numbers and products

ordered from last year’s homecoming game to see how many cases of produce and other

items that the restaurant went through to get a general estimate of how many to order.

Lastly, she should have double-checked the purchasing list with the general manager to

see what he thought about the purchasing list.

2. What was right or wrong about the chef’s actions to remedy the situation?

I feel that maybe the chef shouldn’t have barged in when Sue and George were having a

discussion because it was rude and unprofessional; however, it was important that George

knew what they were short on last week and why the produce costs had risen from 9.5%

to 11%. It was also good to know that they had many kiwis to spare so next time they

shouldn’t order so many cases of kiwis. However, the chef should have gone to the

general manager right after this incident started occurring, and not “ratted” Sue out in the

middle of their conversation.

3. What steps can Sue take to reduce produce costs in the future?

Taking inventory at least once or twice a week would limit the waste and reduce the

produce costs greatly. However, Sue is the kitchen manager, and is in charge of many

different regulations. For example, she has to train the kitchen staff and delegate her

employees to their different roles. Sue probably does not have time to do inventory twice

or week so she will need an assistant to help her out with all of the other kitchen manager

tasks. Knowing how much produce there is in excess and how much there is to spare

would allow the restaurant to use their resources more efficiently.