3 Strategies to Combat Skyrocketing Restaurant Labor Costs

Picture this: a bustling restaurant kitchen during the dinner rush. Chefs are expertly manning their stations, waitstaff gracefully duck and weave with plates of steaming food, and every movement is optimized for maximum efficiency. Despite this carefully orchestrated chaos, a hidden challenge is growing behind the scenes.

Since 2019, restaurant labor costs have skyrocketed by 31%, putting intense pressure on already razor-thin profit margins. When paired with a 29% increase in food costs, restaurant owners are often left with difficult decisions: raise menu prices, compromise on quality, or risk closing their doors altogether. Balancing profitability with affordability and exceptional service has never been more challenging.

In this high-stakes environment, innovation isn’t just helpful — it’s essential. The good news? Smart, tech-driven tools can help restaurant owners combat rising labor costs while maintaining the standards that keep customers coming back. Here are three practical strategies leveraging ThermoWorks tools to reduce labor costs and protect your bottom line.

1. Automate Daily Line Checks

Daily temperature checks are a cornerstone of food safety, but manually recording them is labor-intensive and prone to human error. Automating this process not only saves valuable staff hours but also improves accuracy, enabling employees to focus on the customer-facing tasks that really drive business growth.

ThermoWorks’ Thermapen® ONE Blue, TempTest™ 2 Blue, and Therma K Blue — integrated with ThermoWorks mobile app and desktop cloud — allow real-time, accurate monitoring and instant logging of temperature data. This seamless automation ensures that line checks are completed quickly and corrective actions are taken immediately if temperatures fall out of range. The result? Enhanced food safety and more staff time dedicated to creating an exceptional dining experience for your guests.

2. Implement Continuous Cold Storage Monitors

Maintaining safe temperatures in cold storage is essential for protecting your valuable ingredients and preventing food safety incidents. However, relying on staff to perform frequent manual checks can be time-consuming and inefficient.

Enter ThermoWorks NODE®: This innovative tool provides 24/7 monitoring of cold-holding areas, sending instant alerts to your smart device via ThermoWorks mobile app if temperatures do drift out of range. By automating cold storage monitoring, you not only reduce labor demands but also ensure your inventory stays fresh and safe.

3. Empower Staff With Faster Thermometers

Fast, accurate temperature readings are a must for ensuring food safety and quality. Outdated thermometers that require lengthy wait times or frequent replacements can lead to inefficiencies and increased costs.

Thermapen® ONE, ThermoWorks’ best-selling instant-read thermometer, delivers precise temperature readings in just one second. Its commercial-grade durability ensures long-lasting performance, eliminating the need for frequent replacements. By using Thermapen ONE to regularly check food temperatures during preparation and storage, you can reduce spoilage, minimize the risk of foodborne illnesses, and improve overall operational efficiency — all while cutting unnecessary costs.