Quality of Food in a Restaurant: Tips to Improve the Meals You Serve

3 min readApr 4, 2019

Food quality is the thing that can make or break your restaurant. If the food you offer is subpar, your doors won’t be open for long, no matter how good the location, atmosphere or marketing is.

Just as there’re different reasons why the quality of meals can be poor, there are also many ways to improve it and convert your first-time customers into loyal patrons.

Learn these eight impactful — yet simple — tips to improve the food served in a way that your guests will notice.

1. Make sure the ingredients you use are fresh

Have you ever eaten a freshly picked tomato or strawberry? The difference in flavor compared to its grocery-bought counterpart is extraordinary. The best tasting foods are always the freshest. Guests will definitely notice the difference in your food quality if you start focusing on using fresh ingredients.

2. Go for natural foods instead of artificial ingredients

According to a report from Technomic, 46% of consumers say the availability of natural items is important when choosing a prepared food item.

Consumers equate natural foods with higher quality. It may not be possible to completely eliminate artificial ingredients, but you can certainly limit them. Here are some ideas:

Offer house-made dressings and sauces using fresh ingredients
Use fresh herbs and spices
Limit the use of processed foods

3. Promote top-notch brands you work with

Promoting branded ingredients will contribute to the premiumization of your menu. Branded ingredients are easily recognized and a simple mention of a brand name can automatically shift customer perception when it comes to food quality.

4. Implement quality control system

Focusing on ingredient quality control will also ensure you serve your guests with better meals. Implement standards to ensure that you use the freshest ingredients possible when preparing your dishes. These standards may take into consideration:

When the ingredient was delivered
The look, feel and smell of the ingredients

5. Feature local and seasonal foods

Demand for local and seasonal foods is high. Many consumers prefer to eat at restaurants that work with local farms and offer changing menus with foods that are fresh and in season.

Be sure to promote the use of local and seasonal items on your menu. If you really want to impress your guests with your quality, consider implementing a rotating menu with new, fresh items each season.

6. Improve your preparation techniques

The quicker the food gets to the table, the better it will taste. The better prepared the chef is, the better the food will taste.

Make sure that you’re using the best restaurant food preparation techniques, and that food is getting out to your tables as quickly as possible.

7. Offer upscale ingredients

Diners want to see premium options at restaurants, and they’re willing to pay more for them. What kind of premium options can you offer?

Premium cheeses, such as Brie or blue cheese
Organic or pasture-raised meats
Sustainably-sourced seafood
Organic vegetables

Upscale, or premium, ingredients will enhance your food and your guests’ perception of your restaurant’s quality.

8. Focus on healthy food

Today’s consumers are more health-conscious. Research shows that a third of customers are willing to pay more for superfoods, or foods rich in antioxidants. Superfoods can also be used to dress up a dish or add a premium finish to an otherwise simple meal.

Source: https://mcdonaldpaper.com/blog/food-quality-improvement-tips