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5 Ways to Boost Kitchen Labor Efficiency

Without Sacrificing Flavor or Creativity

Staff shortages, tighter footprints, and rising consumer expectations create a perfect storm for today’s foodservice operations. In fact, roughly two-thirds of foodservice outlets say they don’t have enough hourly cooks, and one in three operators reported a drop in the culinary skill level of kitchen staff compared to one year prior.1 

Scratch-made items like sauces and dips can create an additional time crunch in already-short-staffed kitchens, as they require proper training to maintain consistency and quality—and high turnover rates make it less possible to provide that necessary training.1  

The right ingredients—like sauces and gravies from TRIO®—can do more than inspire and perfect your dishes. They can help drive your operation with the ease, consistency, and creativity your BOH team needs to thrive under pressure.  

Products like TRIO® Alfredo Sauce Mix are turnkey solutions that save you valuable time, inspire menu concepts, and impress diners. They bring superior quality, consistent flavor, and one-minute prep time to work hard across your menu. They’re also an excellent base for soups and can be used as a thickener.  

According to Datassential’s 2025 Foodservice Economic Forecast, the shift to using more pre-made and convenient products is set to increase.2 Whether utilized as classic additions to chicken, vegetables, and pastas or modern menu twists, you need reliable products versatile enough for all dayparts.

We’ve compiled the top five ways that labor-saving, flexible, products from TRIO® can help ease your BOH strain—and keep guest satisfaction front and center:

1. Simple Steps Reduce Prep  

Time-consuming prep can tie up already-limited staff and slow down service. With products like TRIO® Alfredo Sauce Mix, there’s no slurry required—just open, pour into water, and stir. Whether you're training new hires or running short on staff, you need ingredients that empower workers of all skill levels to create consistently delicious dishes—and fast. 

2. Deliver Consistency Across Dayparts 

Guest expectations don’t change from lunch to dinner—and your dishes shouldn’t either. By standardizing key elements like sauces, you can ensure every plate meets the same high standard, no matter who’s on the line. TRIO® products remove the guesswork and deliver consistently high-quality dishes shift after shift—and with a 4+ hour steam table hold time.  

3. Streamline Inventory and Simplify Ordering 

Fewer SKUs means less stress. Flexible sauce and gravy mixes from TRIO® do double duty by reducing inventory complexity, making ordering a breeze. With one product covering multiple applications—TRIO® gravy mixes are versatile fits for beef, pork, poultry, potatoes, pasta, and more—you can lighten the back-of-house load and even reclaim valuable storage space.  

4. Expand Your Menu Without Adding Labor 

Versatility is the secret to menu creativity minus the kitchen chaos. Products like TRIO® Alfredo Sauce Mix, gravy mix, poultry gravy mix, low sodium chicken gravy mix, and cheese sauce mix work across your menu in dips, bowls, flatbreads, proteins, and vegetables. They offer countless applications to help meet consumer demands for variety while keeping operations lean and efficient—and our entire TRIO® line works hard across all dayparts. 

5. Optimize Storage 

TRIO® products are easy to store, and they have a long shelf life of 720 days. With sauces and gravies that deliver this level of flavor and flexibility, they’re a win-win for your guests—and your operation.  

Taste for yourself how TRIO® ingredient-driven solutions are made for the modern kitchen—and how less prep brings more possibilities:  

Get your free sample of Alfredo Sauce Mix 8x16oz* 

*While supplies last.   

 

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