Rockit Bar & Grill
James Gottwald considers soup one of
the most economical items you can put on
the menu, and this butternut squash soup
is a favorite at Rockit Bar & Grill venues.
2
3
4
5
6
7
chef for Magic Kingdom Park. He advises
to constantly work with your purveyors to
beat the bushes for the best prices, and if
possible, join a purchasing cooperative.
Order sustainably. Buying local has
several benefits. Not only do you support the
local economy and help reduce your carbon
footprint, it’s often cheaper. Deardorff at
Disney World operates under a sustainable
mandate, and trout served over roasted
vegetables and potatoes fits perfectly. Trout
is priced inexpensively and consistently year-round, he says. Local, seasonal vegetables
also make financial sense.
Pair thoughtfully. Well-prepared lesser
cuts of meat, such as skirt and hanger steaks,
shanks and shoulders, are obvious low-cost
choices, but be thoughtful in what you serve
with them. “You can get away from prime cuts
and still make a nice experience and still get
bang for the buck,” Deardorff says. Disney
World's Tony's Town Square restaurant serves
lamb shank with creamy polenta.
winter squash or in summer with zucchini
and peppers, says Marsha McBride, chef/
owner of Café Rouge, Berkeley, Calif. The
almond bread sauce is like a romesco sauce,
only using bread, which is fried and puréed in
to thicken the sauce. “It’s inexpensive, hearty
and sumptuous,” she says. Using beef chuck,
McBride menus Beef Carbonnade with
Mustard Pappardelle.
Cut thin. Contrary to the lesser-cut idea,
consider prime cuts sliced thin. Cinderella's
Royal Table, an upscale Disney World
restaurant, switched up from prime rib
to whole roasted tenderloin cut into thin
strips and paired with simple sides. “Fillet
slices gives a better value perception in
the customer’s mind, when it’s ultimately
cheaper than yielding out for prime rib. It’s
all menu mix,” Deardorff says.
Rethink the center. There’s plenty of
creative opportunity for vegetables and
pasta. Seasonally, roasted acorn squash
cut in half makes a great cup for the center
of the plate to hold smaller amounts of
the more expensive items, says Susan
Goss, chef/co-owner of Chicago’s West
for an occasional use here and there, and
some goes to waste. “Maintaining tight
control is a big way to control food costs.”
Order out. Some of the items you typically
make yourself might be cheaper ordered
already prepared. Aramark at New York
University offers food to students from
several stations. The first food students
see is at the World station, which changes
every day and typically offers lower-cost
fare in hopes that students will select from
it. Sometimes it features Asian vegetable or
pork dumplings with various sauces. With
no shortage of dumpling places in New
York, Babbage says he’s found it’s cheaper
to get it from around the corner than to
make it. Evaluate the cost of ordering out
against labor costs.
Purchase powerfully. Foodservice
operations at Walt Disney World Resort,
Lake Buena Vista, Fla., is charged with the
theme park’s mission of making magical
experiences while remaining economically
viable. That includes the food. “We are
constantly pushing our partners to find the
best deals,” says Michael Deardorff, QSR
Braised pork shoulder with almond bread
sauce works in the winter served with
www.acfchefs.org
