Labor time per portion and volume in foodservice.

A Master Standard Data Quantity Food Production Code was applied to illustrate the use of predetermined production times in estimating production in relation to volume for two standardized entrée formulas. Labor time per portion was shown to decrease as total production volume increased. However, the decrease in time per portion was not directly proportional to the increase in volume; rather, it resembled an exponential relationship. As volume approached system capacity, the decrease in production time per portion began to stabilize. The availability of a universal standard data code fo quantity foodservice could assist management in determining and optimizing the relationship between time per portion and total volume produced for each menu item utilized.