BEST PRACTICES AT KOUZINA KITCHENS
Every kitchen & every member of our organization has a specific way in which they get things done.
Over time, we perfect our work methodology and know what the most efficient ways are to get the
best results. These become our Best Practices. Incorporating the best practices from one kitchen to
another will only lead to an overall growth in performance and productivity of individuals and the
organization as a whole.
Following these best practices will produce optimal results, increase efficiency and develop a
structured process of work flow. It will reduce the burden on people and tangible assets thereby
improving kitchen performance and sales.
BEING THOUGHTFUL
To begin with we must understand that we are in the business of serving food. Every customer
expects to open a bag of great tasting and hygienic food from your kitchen.
Always keep customer sentiment in mind as you would your own while ordering food.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Small actions do not take much effort but they go a long way in keeping your customer happy &
coming back to your store.
1. Be prompt in answering customer phone calls, message and queries
2. All communication with customers has to be polite and courteous.
3. Do not respond to customers in anger. Transfer the call to a colleague or manager if you are
unable to handle the customer.
4. Always call the customer if Message on Cake is not mentioned in order details.
PREPARING & PACKING THE FOOD
When under pressure, don't forget that the cake you are making is very special to someone or the
food you are preparing is going to nourish someone.
1. Use the right nozzles for cake and cupcake frosting
2. Check all garnishes for the cake
3. Message on cake to be written neatly without mistakes and as per customer request. Call the
customer in case message is not provided
4. Maintain a checklist and crosscheck all items to be provided with the order – knife, candle,
sauce, cutlery, napkins etc.
5. Weigh the cake and click a picture for records
6. Always use appropriate packages and labels for every product e.g. butterpaper wrap for
burgers, stirrers in cupcakes, round branding stickers on jar lids, Mita containers for pastries,
the right sleeves for rolls, paper containers for sundaes etc.
7. Seal all food items ready for despatch
ORDERS AND SALES
Every order has to be perfect from start to finish.
1. Before final packing, KOT should be cross-checked to see if all customer requirements are
fulfilled
2. Follow SOPs of order & KOT processing thoroughly
3. Ensure every stage of the order is marked promptly - Prepared, Despatched, Picked Up etc
4. Weigh the cake and click a picture
5. Portion Sizes matter as they affect your cost, pricing and profit. Maintain consistency in
portion sizes.
KITCHEN & STAFF HYGIENE
Absolutely NO compromise on hygiene!
1. Maintain a strict daily cleaning schedule – it should outline tasks for morning opening hours,
midday and night closing down
2. Follow a deep cleaning schedule - weekly clean up, monthly cleaning and quarterly deep-
cleaning checklists
3. Regularly disinfect & do a thorough washing of kitchen surfaces, chopping boards, utensils,
equipment, cutlery, delivery bags, refrigerator/freezer, oven, kitchen floor, bins. Dry all
washed items thoroughly.
4. Waste disposal - discard wet waste and food scraps on a daily basis without fail. Over flowing
garbage needs to be disposed out of the kitchen immediately.
5. Bins must be washed thoroughly & dried everyday preferably in sunlight. Use alternate bins
everyday if possible.
6. Replace soap bars with automatic soap dispensers
7. Seal food items properly after preparation to avoid contamination. Do not leave prepared
food exposed to dust or insects
8. Install an electric fly killer to avoid insects inside your kitchen
9. Kitchen cloths - use only clean cloth to wipe surfaces. Keep a separate clean cloth for wiping
dishes, utensils, cutlery. Keep separate hand towels for personal use. Wash cloths every day.
Replace with new cloths regularly.
10. Clean work tops should not be compromised. Clean the kitchen through to avoid a pile up of
mess
11. Close for the day on a clean note - organize & clean up at night to have a clean and fresh
start in the morning
12. Ensure kitchen staff is not sick
13. Staff must wash hands frequently.
14. Provide well-fitting gloves and hats
15. No handling of food with bare hands. Always use disposable gloves.
16. Keep your hair completely covered with hats within kitchen premises.
17. Conduct random checks of staff grooming and hygiene.
INVENTORY & KITCHEN ORGANIZATION
Always be frugal of your work place
1. Find the right balance between overstocking and running out. Use the inventory
management system to your advantage - just enough stock to fulfil orders at the same time
ensure no wastage of ingredients or space constraints
2. Ensure FIFO (First in First Out) process with all inventory
3. Take stock of the aggregator menu when going live. Promptly turn off or on any items based
on inventory availability
4. Keep a track of all inventory - food as well as non-consumables.
5. Maintain an easily accessible tracking schedule/inventory sheet with varied timelines - daily,
weekly, monthly - for every item in the kitchen.
6. Food Waste - monitoring food inventory closely will help in reducing food waste. Do a daily
check of amount of food and raw material going to the bins and make conscious efforts to
reduce food wastage. Hold kitchen staff accountable for food wastage.
7. Follow the 4 eye principal to track inventory - two individuals must approve the inventory
count thereby leaving no scope for error or pilferage
8. Check expiry dates of all food items. Discard all expired and stale food/ingredients to avoid
mishaps, spoilage & to keep consumer health in mind
9. Make use of labels for shelves and storage areas to help identify items quickly. It also makes
restocking easier and faster.
10. Arrange your kitchen layout such that the most-used items are kept within easy access of the
corresponding work area and in the same place at all times
11. Maintain a neat and tidy kitchen
12. Organize the work area at the end of every work day to have an organized and chaos free
start in the morning
MANAGEMENT & STAFF
Understand your role in the work environment. Exceed expectation and go beyond the call of duty
if needed
1. Follow company laid out SOPs to perfection. All tasks must be undertaken according to
company policies, protocol, rules and regulations
2. Maintain open channels of communication with all departments - HR, Ops, Procurement,
Maintenance etc.
3. Always seek clarity when in doubt
4. Maintain high standards of work ethics and imbibe the same in your staff
5. Be a supportive and encouraging manager at all times. Seek support yourself and do not
crumble under pressure.
6. Communicate regularly with every member of your kitchen - in a group as well as personally
to set individual expectations, encourage team work and motivate staff.
7. Conduct a daily briefing session for minimum 10 minutes before the start of each shift
8. Conduct/request for regular training programs for your staff to stay updated with product
knowledge. Attend all training programs organized by the company
9. Conduct weekly oral recipe recall to find & fix shortcomings in product or process knowledge
10. Make employees feel valued by recognizing their efforts and rewarding their professional as
well as personal achievements. Gifting on special occasions can lead to loyalty and positive
engagement
11. Be clear about responsibility and accountability of each employee's tasks
12. Conserve energy and resources like electricity & gas to reduce overheads cost
13. Maintain detailed and updated records and IDs of all employees, vendors and riders
14. Train your staff about the importance of high standards of hygiene. Ensure they come to
work in clean clothes and footwear.
15. Treat the riders with respect & they will respect your delivery needs
16. Ensure every rider promptly marks the orders picked up
17. Respond to all calls, queries and clarifications of the riders
18. Maintain good behaviour at kitchen/office premises
19. Cross check your own work. Do not wait for corrections
