Passion is over-rated, anyway. If you're going to cook for a living then it really helps to love it, but speed, consistency, and being able to take/follow direction(s) are more important. What field are you coming from? You usually want food cost 30% or below.
@chromedome and @gfron1 have good advice. Yes, you should do inventory, and meanwhile check your invoice pricing to make sure you're up to date. Salad being un-profitable seems odd. Either they're putting way too many expensive goodies in, or they just need to charge more. Keep a closer eye on meat & cheese portions, and also consider switching a few more expensive ingredients. Now I'm not suggesting you compromise quality, just be strategic. Candied pecans may be a lovely crunchy bit in a salad, but they are expensive. Walnuts cost less, almonds even lower, then peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds. Prices do fluctuate for produce and meat, too. Get to know what is in season, it is usually less expensive than imported or hothouse-grown. Do you offer staff meal? It can be a good way to use up odds and ends and discourage staff from making their own snacks, but it does take time and materials.
What is the chef situation? Is there a chef or sous chef and your role is more organizational, or is it just you and a bunch of cooks?
It takes time, you'll have to look at what comes in and goes out over several weeks - are you doing all the purchasing and receiving for the kitchen?. Maybe do inventory weekly for the next few months. Clean out the freezer and find ways to use excess product. Keep an eye on snacking and waste. Is food thrown away because they made too much and it went bad? Make a smaller batch, only enough for 2-3 days instead of a whole week.
