How To Fill The Perfect Box Of French Fries

So, you want to be a French Fry master! This technique should work well at any restaurant that uses a standard fry scoop to serve fries into boxes: McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Bojangles, and even Arby's. Well, there is definitely an art to it. You want to give the customers what they want, but at the same time you do not want to lose a whole bunch or money on food cost by giving out too much in the box. Oh, what to do, what to do? The solution is simple. You can do both! I will teach you a technique allows the fry box or bag to be full enough for the customer, but not overstuffed like my kid's teddy bear. I have had many customers over the years complement me on my fry handling skills. A couple of returning customers always referred to me as the "Fry Station Ninja". A manager takes what he can get I suppose ...

In order to understand this technique, you have to understand the nature of French fries. French fries are long, golden, misbehaving little creatures. They all want their own ways, which is usually all in different directions, which make it difficult sometimes to get them in the box. French fries are spoiled brats. But, even spoiled brats can be tamed. Here is how to whip those fries into perfect behaving little angels:

1) Make sure that your scoop is cleaned often. A build-up of salt can slow this process. Too much greasy, caked salt will gum up your scoop and slow down the rest of the steps that follow.

2) Scoop the fries. At this point, the fries are all in a tangled bunch. They are screaming and laughing at you. Just ignore them.

3) Give the fries your best sneer. "Ha! Ha!” you say. "You guys are going to behave!"

4) Now this is best part. If you shake the scoop from left to right slowly, while holding the scoop downward at an angle toward you, you will notice they will start lining up and falling through the chute of the scoop. They start behaving themselves, kind of like Kindergarteners after they have been trained to walk quietly down the hallway to lunch.

5) Now try this again, this time holding the box underneath the scoop. (HINT: Do not place the scoop all the way into the box. Lay the chute part of the scoop where is just disappears out of view into the box and lay the back of the chute part loosely against the high cut part of the box. Now, while holding the box perfectly still, shake the scoop from left to right and allow the now-behaving French fries fall in order into the box. I stress again. Keep the box perfectly still. I can't

6) Do NOT shove the fry scoop into the box or hit the fries with the scoop to shove them in there. This will smush and break the nice now-behaving fries and it WILL AFFECT YOUR FOOD COST. This is because it will take even more fries to make the box look full. That is just giving fries away free.

7) Instead of shoving the fries, keep shaking the scoop back and forth until the box appears full. STOP! At this point, all you have to do is gingerly slide the scoop out of the box (Pull straight up) and the fries that were at the top should more or less maintain their straight up and down orientation.

8) There you have it. This technique works best when the fries are just out of the hot grease. With this technique, repeatedly I have been able to make the box of French fries look just like you see on the menu picture or in the commercials.

I wish you good luck and remember, practice makes perfect.

Your Wordsmith,

Matthew Leo

© 2020 Matthew Leo