If you’re in the restaurant business, you will likely have heard one of your back or front-of-house staff call out “Eighty-six the chicken linguini!”. Or whichever particular item is being removed from the menu.
But there is far more to the 86 restaurant term than most hospitality managers realize.
In this deep-dive into 86 in restaurant lingo, we’ll explore the broader meaning of 86 in the restaurant industry and hospitality sector. We will also look into its origins, and share some valuable tips on how to avoid that dreaded call of “86 the number four!”
Overview of the Restaurant Industry
The U.S. food service industry is set to grow sales to $1 trillion this year. However, according to the National Restaurant Association’s 2024 State Of The Restaurant Industry report, costs are also rising.
97% of restaurants surveyed stated that food costs were higher, and 38% noted that their restaurants weren’t profitable in the previous year.
This means that restaurant owners and managers have to operate more efficiently – from streamlining their staff operations, to having a strong menu that is agile to customer demands. They also have to ensure that their ingredients inventory is on par with what customers are ordering from their menus.
So hearing the announcement of an 86 in a restaurant or bar could be the equivalent of throwing money away – whether it’s due to not having enough ingredients in stock or a customer’s favorite dish being removed.
Importance of Terminology in Hospitality
Making sure that your restaurant operates optimally – and that you don’t get slammed with the 86 restaurant term – starts from the inside.
And that is with your team, and how they communicate potential inventory or related issues that could result in a menu item being eighty-sixed.
As you probably know all too well, time is of the essence in the restaurant business. Communicating timeously is vital to proactively deal with supply/shortage dilemmas and avoid an 86.
This is where terminology can lend a hand. A workforce that is clued up on the relevant restaurant terminology from the back-of-house to the front will ensure fast and efficient communication. You’ll also have proactive management of issues or challenges and instant understanding of a colleague’s or patron’s needs.
The Origin of "86"
As widely as it is used now, the exact origin of the term 86 restaurant lingo is not defined. There are many theories as to where the term originated, from military origins to graveyards, and even shaving powder. But the hospitality and the restaurant industry hold the strongest theories.
Historical Context
Whatever its true history and origin, the term eighty-six has always been used as a slang term for “refuse service”, “cancel” or “nix” something.
In the Prohibition Era, a speakeasy called Chumley’s, located on Barrow Street with a back entrance at 86 Bedford Street, was raided by police. Owners hustled customers out a back door with a call of “86!” – into 86 Bedford Street.
And some theorists put the origins of 86 in the whisky trade. Before the 1980s, whisky was only served in two levels of alcohol content: 100- and 86-proof, so 40% and 50% alcohol content respectively. If a person overindulged in the 100-proof drinks, the bartender would either ask them to switch their whisky to 86-proof or leave the bar.
Regional Variations and Usage
As with many industries, there are variations of food and beverage (F&B) terms depending on the region and context of their usage.
Cultural, operational, and market-related factors can inform the use of 86 – from localized colloquialisms of the actual term, to how individual establishments approach 86’ing. This could be through proactive inventory management systems, or using alternative hyper-localized (to the restaurant and its staff) methods of communication.
Understanding a region’s F&B space and how its food service employees are trained, as well as ensuring that restaurant-specific methods of communicating are understood and used by all staff members, is vital.
This keeps an establishment operating smoothly and avoids a menu item being struck from the menu.
Understanding the Term "86"
There is a common misconception that the use of 86 in a restaurant or bar is only used to indicate the shortage of one or more ingredients. It could also mean the intentional removal of a dish from a menu for strategic reasons, limited seasonal ingredient availability, and even recipe modifications.
Definition of "86" in Restaurant Lingo
The general definition is “to remove an item from the menu because it is no longer available”.
Common Scenarios for Its Use
Strategic removal of a dish may be done should a restaurant wish to promote a less-known, but great, dish on the menu.
It could also be done seasonally, where specific ingredients are more readily available in a certain season.
For example, ingredients that are locally and freshly available in spring could include mushrooms, onions, strawberries, and bananas. While in fall it would be easier to get hold of cranberries, winter squash, sweet potatoes, and yams.
There are some cases where 86 is used to notify the front-of-house staff members that a guest needs to be removed from the venue.
The Role of Kitchen Staff in Inventory Management
The restaurant manager or head chef is most often responsible for the management of inventory. However, the whole contingent of kitchen staff should be aware of inventory levels.
The challenge with having a manual system of managing inventory is that there is a risk of human error.
For example, the sous chef may be so busy with a full service that he or she forgets to note a primary ingredient that is low-in-stock.
This is where many food service establishments are either migrating to a hybrid form of inventory management or opting to go completely automated.
Keeping Track of Menu Items
There are many inventory management software systems available. Each has specific features and capabilities that best suit particular types and sizes of F&B venues.
It’s very important (and can save you frustration and money) to ensure that you opt for a system that isn’t too complex for your business’s needs. But it should also have more detailed features if you’re running a bigger franchise and need more capabilities.
Some systems give you options to upscale or downscale your features, like Perfect Venue, for example. This system gives you the basics such as automating repetitive tasks like updating PDFs and proposals, and allows you to send emails three times faster.
But it can also give you more advanced features like analytics to track your sales, enhanced marketing and branding, and multi-day booking features.
Top Tips for Smooth Operations
- Integrate a proactive inventory management system into your operations.
- Choose the right technology for your establishment and business needs.
- Keep your menu agile and relevant to your customers through regular menu analysis.
- Use historical insights and data to forecast demand for items so you can better manage your inventory.
- Cultivate good relationships with your suppliers so you know what they can supply and when, and they know what you need and when.
- Make sure your staff are well trained in how to communicate in your establishment.
Key Takeaways
86 has a valuable role to play in ensuring that food and beverage service operations continue smoothly throughout a service. Strategic planning and management of inventory and menus are the backbone of keeping 86 to intentional purposes, and not reactive to an ingredient suddenly running out.
This is particularly important when you’re managing a full event, whether it’s a large public event or smaller private event, and have to have your finger on the pulse at all times to ensure your guests have the best experience. Implementing a smart event management system is one of the best things you can do for your food and/or beverage service business. You’ll ensure that all the elements operate smoothly and your event is a success.
Watch this video from Perfect Venue to see what you could be getting out of your system, or try the 14-day trial for free.
