In restaurants, the "back of the house" refers to areas unseen by guests, including the kitchen, storage, and staff-only areas. It's where meal preparation occurs, and operations are managed, including food inventory, meal cooking, dishwashing, and other behind-the-scenes tasks crucial for restaurant functioning.
Labor shortages, wage increases, and supply chain issues have wreaked havoc on restaurants and kitchens over the last several years. In 2022, according to Datassential, 89 percent of operators saw an increase in food costs and 75 percent saw an increase in labor costs. That is why it is more and more difficult to maintain back-of-house efficiency.
Nate Goetsch, a chef and outside sales consultant at AFS Reps, led a 15-minute Quick Bites session during the 2025 Wisconsin Food & Hospitality Expo discussing the necessary and easy-to-implement steps to improve back-of-the-house or BOH efficiency.
Here are his tips.
Stay Organized
Stay clean
Create and consistently update order guides
Assign opening and closing duties
Assign cleaning responsibilities
Utilize prep guides
Standardize recipes
Mise en Place or “Everything is in its place.”
Communicate
Define Inventory
Know your menu
Know your inventory
Keep storage areas organized
Take inventory
Prepare the Environment
Know your facility
Efficient and effective equipment placement
Keep “high traffic” areas clean and clear
Efficiency through fewest steps and not wasting movements
Limit crossing of foot traffic
Do not forget about safety
Listen to your Employees
Good managers create good employees and people who care
Their experiences are everyday
Use discernment, have patience
Utilize individual skillsets
Allow your kitchen to become a classroom
Optimize for Profit
Minor improvement for major streamlining
Without profit, you’re limited
Wasted effort is wasted money
Keep cost in check