According to the UN Environment Programme’s Food Waste Index Report 2024, food service — restaurants, cafés and hospitality — is the second-largest source of food waste after households, at about 28% of all food wasted worldwide, or roughly 36 kg per person a year. In Saudi Arabia, a Saudi Grains Organization study published in 2020 estimated waste at about 184 kg per person a year, worth close to SAR 40 billion — other studies give different figures.
Every kilo wasted in your kitchen is a cost you paid and never sold.
Where does waste come from?
- Preparing more than the real demand.
- Large portions left half-eaten.
- Disorganised storage that spoils ingredients before they are used.
- Long menus with many ingredients that don’t move fast enough.
Steps that cut waste
- Measure before you decide: log what is thrown away every day for two weeks and you will see where the problem is.
- Apply first in, first out in stores and fridges, with clear date labels.
- Review portion sizes: plates that come back full signal a portion that is too big.
- Shorten the menu: ingredients shared across dishes turn over faster and spoil less.
- Plan production from sales: past days’ data should set each day’s prep quantity.
Cutting waste isn’t only good for the planet — it is one of the fastest ways to raise your margin.