How Restaurants Can Reduce Holiday Food Waste (Top 6 Strategies)

Food waste increases by approximately 25% between Thanksgiving and New Year's, according to the Ecology Center.  For restaurants, this excess not only eats into profits but also leaves a significant environmental footprint. 

Fortunately, with thoughtful planning, restaurants can reduce holiday food waste while maintaining excellent service. Here are practical strategies for restaurant operators to minimize food waste during the holiday season. Let’s get cooking (and reducing)! 

What causes restaurant food waste?

Several different factors contribute to restaurant food waste. The four most common reasons for food waste include:

• Spoilage 

• Miscalculated portions

• Food spillage

• Refires

Understanding the most common ways that restaurant food waste is generated better prepares you for knowing how to reduce it.

Understand holiday food waste trends

The holidays bring further unique challenges for food waste management. Special menus, unpredictable customer numbers, and a focus on indulgence can all contribute to over-ordering and leftover ingredients. 

Inefficiencies in the U.S. food system result in nearly 40% of the country’s food supply going unsold or uneaten. And, the food service industry generates approximately 13 million tons of food waste in the United States, which mostly comes from restaurants.

Restaurants should start by identifying common waste patterns during this time. For instance, certain ingredients used in seasonal dishes may go unused once holiday demand slows. Recognizing these trends helps businesses take proactive measures to reduce waste.

How restaurants can reduce holiday food waste 

There are many ways to reduce holiday food waste. Here are six methods that can be implemented to directly address the most common sources.

Optimize inventory management

One of the most effective ways to tackle food waste is by fine-tuning inventory management practices. This starts with analyzing historical sales data to forecast holiday demand accurately. For example, if last year’s data shows a spike in certain dishes during the last two weeks of December, restaurants can adjust their ordering to align with anticipated sales. Likewise, take note of what didn’t sell. 

Just-in-time ordering is another useful technique, allowing restaurants to receive ingredients closer to when they’re needed. This minimizes spoilage and ensures fresher meals. Additionally, inventory management software can track stock levels in real time, providing alerts for items nearing expiration. 

With these tools, businesses can stay on top of their supply chain and prevent overstocking.

Plan holiday menus thoughtfully

A well-designed holiday menu can significantly reduce food waste. Start by creating dishes with overlapping ingredients. For instance, if a dessert and an appetizer both use cranberries, surplus stock can be repurposed for either dish. Flexibility is key: designing customizable menus allows diners to select options that suit their preferences, reducing uneaten food.

Pre-fixed menus are another smart solution. By offering set options, restaurants can better estimate the quantities of each dish they’ll need to prepare. This approach not only streamlines kitchen operations but also cuts down on ingredient overuse. 

Use this menu engineering worksheet to help optimize your holiday menu for profitability and popularity.

Monitor portions and leftovers

Portion sizes can make a significant difference in minimizing food waste. Overly generous servings often result in half-eaten meals that go straight to the trash. Train staff to serve portions that satisfy diners without excess. Offering adjustable portion sizes for online ordering—such as “light” or “heavy” servings—can also empower customers to choose what works for them.

When it comes to leftovers, encourage diners to take their unfinished food home. Simple gestures, like providing eco-friendly containers for takeout, make this process seamless.

Repurpose leftovers 

Even with careful planning, some leftovers are inevitable. Instead of discarding these items, get creative. 

Menu specials - Leftover turkey can be transformed into soups or sandwiches, while surplus cranberries might inspire a tangy vinaigrette or dessert topping. Highlighting such dishes as “chef’s specials” can even draw in curious diners eager to try something unique. 

Staff meals - Leftover ingredients and already prepared items can be used for a family meal feast! Save your daily family meal budget and make your staff something extra special for the season. 

Partner with local organizations

Donating excess food is a meaningful way to reduce waste while giving back to the community. Many food banks and shelters welcome prepared meals and ingredients that meet safety standards. Establishing partnerships with such organizations can turn surplus inventory into a valuable resource for those in need.

To streamline the donation process, consider asking for a staff member to volunteer to oversee food donations and ensure compliance with local regulations. Not only does this reduce waste, but it also enhances your restaurant’s reputation as a socially responsible business. 

Educate and engage staff

Your team plays a crucial role in reducing food waste. Regular training on topics like proper storage, portioning, and waste-reduction techniques can make a significant impact. For example, staff should know how to rotate inventory using the FIFO (First In, First Out) method to minimize spoilage.

However, it’s still important to follow food safety laws and make sure the older food you’re using first is safe for consumption.

Creating a culture of sustainability within the workplace helps reinforce these practices. Consider implementing incentives for employees who suggest innovative ways to reduce waste. This can be a great opportunity for team building! 

How to track food waste in restaurants

Monitoring and documenting every instance of food waste at your restaurant is vital not only for better food cost control but also for overall restaurant accounting best practices. You’ll get much more visibility into why your restaurant's cost of goods sold (COGS) numbers aren’t adding up the way they should and why inventory values are off.

Food waste management initiatives can be as simple as updating a spreadsheet every time a waste event occurs. Simply set a sheet up with columns for the ingredient or recipe that was wasted, the date and time of the event, the name of the employee responsible for the waste, and an area for additional comments or context.

However, manual food waste tracking does not account for the monetary value of what was lost.

Luckily, software for food waste tracking combined with real-time invoice data makes it easy to see exactly how much those mistakes cost the business.

Reduce restaurant food waste with Toast and xtraCHEF by Toast

Toast combines with xtraCHEF by Toast to help empower you to track your restaurant’s food waste. Our platform helps you implement a repeatable process to document every type of food waste, from spoilage to spillage, directly within the inventory management module.

Reducing holiday food waste isn’t just an ethical responsibility;  it’s a smart business move. Using these top strategies, restaurants can tackle this issue head-on. This holiday season, take the opportunity to embrace sustainability and make food waste reduction a top priority. It’s a gift that benefits everyone.

Up next: How Your Restaurant Can Offer Holiday Catering [+10 Examples]