Labor and food cost are the two primary
variables which any successful food service monitors continually.
If a foodservice is self-operating, the staff is employed by the county, state, or federal agency. They may or may not have inmate labor. If contracted, all or part of the staff may be employed by the contractor. This varies with contractual requirements, and the type of facility, e.g., a prison versus a jail.
In contractual situations, labor is dictated by the bid specifications or RFP. Again, there may be contractual management or supervisors, or both, with inmate labor in the kitchen. Typically, all prisons have inmate labor in the kitchen. This is not always the case in jails. Labor costs are considerably less when inmates work in the kitchen.
Food cost hinges on a number of factors. Menus, recipes, calories, and purchasing power all play an important role, as does the type and quality of food, and control and supervision in the kitchen. In a self-operated facility, food costs tend to be more liberal than those where the food service is contracted. If inmate labor services the kitchen, food is controlled differently than if no inmates work in the kitchen.
CNC can assess staffing and food cost, offering recommendations to maximize efficiency in your food service.