Why is center of the plate product
knowledge so important? 

 
Let's make some calls on a few restaurants:
 
You call on a BBQ restaurant.  You need to know why a pork butt is called a "Boston" butt.  What is the difference between a back rib, a spare rib and St Louis rib.
 
You call on steak house.  You need to know the difference between a yield grade 2 and a yield grade 3 and how it effects their food cost.  You need to know all the benefits of a branded program.
 
You call on a pizza shop.  You need to know the cost difference between the different slice counts on pepperoni, the benefits of precooked toppings vs. cooking their own.
 
You call on a nursing home.  You need to know why a 22/26 slice count bacon will save them over $500 a year if they are using an 18/22 slice count.
 
You go to a seafood restaurant.  You need to know what causes "mushy" fillets, how much breading is on the shrimp you are selling and what causes "belly burn."
 
You call on a deli.  You need to know the difference between hard salami and Genoa salami, what "cotto" salami is and how much water is in the ham you are selling.
 
Here are 5 more reason center of the plate is so important:

1  Over 50% of your customers food cost is center of the plate.
Most operators build their reputation on their center of the plate theme.  Steak House, BBQ, Seafood, Chicken, etc.
 
2  In every 60 accounts there is between 3 and 6 million dollars in center of the plate products being purchased.
 
3  For every case of green beans purchased, which contains 120 portions, there are 120 portions of meat also being purchased, usually at 10 times the gross profit dollars.
 
4  Many sales people shy away from selling center of the plate and miss out on many opportunities.
 
5  To be a primary supplier for any foodservice operator you must have their center of the plate business.

 

The center of the plate manual is only
a small part of the entire course.

Click here for details on the entire program.

Here are the 10 categories covered in the
Center of the Plate sales program...

Boxed Beef
1 Why do some beef cuts go up while other go down?
2 What meats are not required to be USDA inspected?
3 The percent of difference between a 3/4 and 4/5 yield?
4 Is the yield grade required on boxed beef products?
5 How do the Branded Beef programs get higher prices?
6 How many grades of USDA Choice are there?
7 Which is a better product; a no roll or a select?
8 What happens during the aging process?
9 What 5 cuts make up 90% of foodservice beef?
10 What does it cost an operator to cut their own meats?

Portion Cut Steaks
11 What are eight advantages of portion cut steaks?
12 What is the yield on a 20 lb cooked inside?
13 How do you determine the cost of an 8 oz rib eye steak?
14 How do you determine the cost of an 8 oz top butt?
15 How do you determine the cost of an 8 oz NY strip?
16 Does P S M O mean Peeled Side Muscle Off or On?
17 Is a USDA Select tender as good as a USDA Choice?
18 Why should you avoid market pricing a menu?
19 What is a good portion size for a lunch steak?
20 Are properly frozen steaks as good as fresh?
21 Difference between a ground beef & pure beef patty?
22 How does PDCB & PDBT effect ground beef prices?
23 What temperature does ground beef have to be cooked?
24 Under what conditions can you eat a rare steak?

Fresh pork
25 How are your prices determined?
26 How does the changing pork market effect prices?
27 How much should a true baby back rib weigh?
28 The difference between a spare rib & St Louis rib?

Hams
29 What are the best quality hams made from?
30 What is a tumbler used for when processing hams?
31 How can you tell the quality level of a ham?
32 The price difference between 29% and 25% ham?
33 The difference between a flat and a buffet ham?

Bacon
34 What is the difference between # 1 and # 2 bacon?
35 How can you have better quality bacon & lower cost ?
36 What is a good way to save money on bacon?
37 What is the best bacon for a nursing home?
38 What is the best way to sell precooked bacon?
39 The difference between round bacon & Canadian?
40 Difference between Canadian and Canadian style bacon?

Sausage
41 How did the different types of sausages get their names?
42 The difference between Genoa and hard salami?
43 How much profit from selling 200 hot dogs per day?
44 How much profit selling 250 deli sandwiches per day?
45 How is whole hog sausage processed?
46 What does the term trimming sausage refer to?
47 Difference between pure pork and breakfast sausage?

Chicken
48 The difference between an A & B grade chicken?
49 Is there any difference between a wog and a shell?
50 How important is portion control on a chicken breast?
51 How can you get 1 free chicken with each 5 you buy?

Turkey
52 What factors determine the value of turkey breast?
53 Where is a good place to sell turkey lunch meats?

Seafood
54 What does the term Aquaculture refer to?
55 What parasites are found in fresh fish?
56 What does the term Belly Burn refer to?
57 What is sodium tripollyphosphate used for?
58 What causes a fish fillet to fall apart on the grill?
59 What is glaze used for when processing seafood?
60 What does the term ratpaking mean?
61 What causes fish fillets to be mushy when cooked?
62 How much breading is allowed on seafood products?
63 How is a pressed weight test done on canned tuna?
64 What is the yield on green headless shrimp?
65 What does the term scrod refer to?
66 What does the term surimi refer to?
67 What cost more a shank or regular fillet?
68 What is the difference between a flat and a round fish?
69 What has more value a troll or net caught salmon?
70 What is a 25% water added scallop product?
71 What are the chances of getting sick on seafood?
72 Why are king crabs always sold precooked?

Specialty
73 Why is imported lamb less expensive than domestic?
74 What are the three classifications of veal?
75 What is a product called Foie Gras?
76 Can you put antelope on the menu as venison?
77 Is there an increasing demand for Ostrich and Alligator?

Click here for details on the entire program.


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