For a variety of reasons, choosing a Food Service Management company is an important decision for your camp. Your food service provider will not only operate your camp's food service, but will also display one component of your camp's identity to staff, guests, campers, and parents in an indirect manner. Because this vendor would have such a large impact on your camp, it would be wise for the senior management team to select it strategically.
The Advantages of Outsourcing Camp Food Service.
Return on Investment, more free time, and a healthy, well-balanced menu are just a few of the many practical advantages of hiring a professional food service management business to run your camp's kitchen. Partnering with the correct food service provider can contribute to high staff and camper satisfaction, which in turn contributes to the overall success of the camp season. Along with selecting food services for your camp, you may want to make sure that your campers are aware of the options that they will have. This would make it easier for campers and staff to be informed of any dietary or allergy requirements.
Direct Financial Benefits from Controlling Administrative Costs.
Hiring an independent company to handle your camp's food service operations is frequently substantially less expensive then doing it yourself!
In terms of personnel costs, the camp saves not only on salary and benefits, but also on the time it would take to hire and train employees to operate in a camp kitchen. These expenses are simple to track and may be evaluated not just in terms of dollars and cents, but also in terms of time saved by not having to deal with this area of kitchen management. The majority of food service companies will have an onsite manager who will be in charge of the entire operation, including employee management. All wage and salary items, staff hiring and replacement, and various personnel responsibilities will be administered by this manager, either locally onsite or through an administration system at the vendor's corporate office. This boosts the efficiency of your camp's leadership staff by delegating food service chores to your chosen provider.
Furthermore, food management labor laws, as well as municipal and state food service regulations, are vast, need careful adherence, and appear to change frequently. Relying on a third party to keep up with these laws and regulations saves you time and money while also reducing liability and liability insurance premium expenses.
The leadership team is constantly under pressure to provide a high-quality, safe, entertaining, and memorable camp experience. Rather than spending time managing the kitchen/dining hall, food procurement, and food service staff, they can focus on what makes your camp great!
Health & Wellness for Campers and Staff.
Camp food service is shifting toward a greater emphasis on health and the nutritional value of the food served. Your campers and staff expect meal menus to include selections that not only provide diversity on a regular basis, but are also designed to be nutritious.
During a typical day at camp, most campers and staff will consume several meals, as well as snacks and drinks. The food service vendor must provide healthy options for meals and snacks in addition to good, well-balanced, appealing, and affordable menu. Quality ingredients, whole grains, low-sodium, minimally processed, trans fat free, gluten free, vegetarian, and other dietary restrictive foods should be prioritized in the menu.
Healthy eating at camp is a long-term advantage that will pay off in terms of daily staff and camper energy levels, overall general health, and a better overall camp experience for everybody.
Choosing a food service provider.
You'll need to make certain judgments when you understand what the food service provider offers, how they'll provide it, and how they'll work with you. Occasionally, the executive team's choice of vendor will be obvious, and the executive team will agree on the vendor. If the decision between multiple vendors is still undecided, develop a series of follow-up questions to help solidify the decision, or ask each vendor if there is anything else that could be done to lower the initial investment, lower operating costs, or include an additional service without increasing the bottom line.
It's critical that your team selects a food service provider who can meet both your current and future requirements. It's also crucial that the vendor you choose is well-suited to your requirements and capable of providing the services you require. In short, the service you choose should be able to become a valuable long-term partner for your camp.
Take advantage of the advantages of utilizing a food service provider.
Your camp will be ready to enjoy the numerous tangible and intangible benefits after the details have been hammered out and the contract has been signed. From enhanced efficiency and time savings to higher camper and employee satisfaction, you'll quickly wonder why you didn't hire a food service provider sooner. You can and will locate the food service supplier who can assist you satisfy your current and future food service demands by using a careful, systematic approach.
In short, with the assistance of a food service provider, the leadership team may concentrate on the most critical and strategic responsibilities of the camp rather than the time-consuming day-to-day kitchen operations. Leave these operational responsibilities to your chosen food service provider so that your camp may focus on offering an unforgettable experience for campers.