If you have been in the restaurant or food service business for any time at all, you know, the struggle is real. Dealing with vendors, staff, customers, equipment and all the paperwork and legal aspects involved can be very overwhelming. You have clients to please, staff to train, a brand to manage and all the while making a profit if you are lucky. If you are fortunate enough to have grown into a multi-unit business, now is the perfect time to start implementing systems that will continue to foster growth for your company.
Managing Staff in Multiple Locations
While there is no specific formula to being successful in the restaurant business, there are a few distinct points that you will need to master if you want to stay ahead of the game. Managing staff members appropriately across your locations can be improved by providing standardization including protocols, streamlined procedures, and proper onboarding and training. You will want to be sure to impose the same systems for shifts, training, and an employee handbook. Apps can help you to manage staff schedules a lot easier. These are incredibly useful because they can be easily updated and are readily accessible.
Keeping Your Menu Up To Date
Next on our list is, of course, is a good quality product. Providing your customers with a meal they will enjoy is key. Because your menu is at the core of your foodservice business, it is essential to keep it up to date, avoid misinformation by actively addressing items that are not available. It is also critical that the staff in all of your locations follow the same recipes to make sure your food is being prepped and served the same way everywhere. Also, be sure to train your staff on how to give recommendations about unique dishes on the menu, or offer alternative suggestions if an item is unavailable.
Standard Operating Procedures
It can be quite a challenge getting all of your staff on the same page. Having a detailed operating procedure available for your staff to review is essential in keeping them in line with the way your company does things. If you find yourself needing to adapt or edit your former way of managing a specific task, it is essential to do it in a way that is direct and that allows everyone to start the change immediately. Technology is a godsend for implementing and passing this information along.
Back of the House Organization
Luckily, there are professional restaurant solutions which allow the back of the house to have quick access to recipes and training videos showing how to prepare specific dishes. It saves time in the kitchen, promotes accuracy in food prep, and ensures that the same dishes are prepared in the same way at any of your locations. All of your staff will have access to a central library full of recipes which can be added to, saved and modified.
Conclusion
Having to balance the stresses of managing a restaurant is complicated enough, finding ways to save time, and create efficiencies by implementing restaurant solutions is the next logical step in your growing business.