Restaurant Operations
Restaurant Operations: Leverage
Leverage in the broadest sense is an assisted advantage. As a verb, to use leverage means to gain an advantage through the use of a tool. For example, you can more easily lift a heavy object with a lever than by lifting it unaided.
The term leverage is commonly used in a metaphorical sense. As a frequently used business or marketing term, leverage means any strategic or tactical advantage. Business executives sometimes use it as a means to exploit an opportunity, just as the use of a physical lever gives one an advantage when moving or lifting an object to a new location.
These are some examples of leverage applied to your operations and employees:
The term leverage is commonly used in a metaphorical sense. As a frequently used business or marketing term, leverage means any strategic or tactical advantage. Business executives sometimes use it as a means to exploit an opportunity, just as the use of a physical lever gives one an advantage when moving or lifting an object to a new location.
These are some examples of leverage applied to your operations and employees:
Attracting the best workers available in your area, happy and motivated to work for you.
Training programs for your employees that multiply their effectiveness.
Improving your workflow and processes so that there is a consistent, efficient way of doing things. You need to make sure that everybody is clear about their roles and responsibilities, and there is not overlapping, miscommunication or delays because your processes are not clear, defined and understood by all your employees.
Your leadership - the greatest source of people leverage - that supports and encourages the staff, which multiplies the efforts of and magnifies the results from your entire team.
Sharing your Vision, Purpose, Values and Strategy with your employees, distributors and clients.
You need to optimize your people and processes until you become a well-oiled restaurant sales machine. The best way to do this is to create an Employee Training Program. In my book, Restaurant Marketing Strategies, I teach you step-by-step how to do it.
Operations in a restaurant are all the actions that happen from the moment that you open your doors in the morning, until the moment when you close them at night.
For simplicity purposes, I will split the operations in two separate components:
Operations in a restaurant are all the actions that happen from the moment that you open your doors in the morning, until the moment when you close them at night.
For simplicity purposes, I will split the operations in two separate components:
Your front of the house: whatever is visible to your customers.
You back of the house operations: what happens behind your restaurant doors that your customers are unaware of, but that it is essential for the smooth working of your restaurant.
Restaurant Operations: Front of the House
In this section I will focus only on number one: the front of the house operations that covers from the moment than a customer makes a reservation (online, on the phone or in person) to the moment that they leave your place and everything between.
Every single aspect of your operations should work like a well-oiled machine; without hiccups and without your staff needing to wait and think how to act in each moment that something unexpected happens.
Often, restaurant owners and managers spend an incredible amount of time troubleshooting problems and dealing with customers complains and issues.
So what can you do to avoid this trap?
First, you must document all your current processes. I know that this may sound like a tedious task but trust me; it is important. You can’t improve your current processes if you don’t know what they are.
Just sit at your computer start writing down how do you currently handle your bookings:
Every single aspect of your operations should work like a well-oiled machine; without hiccups and without your staff needing to wait and think how to act in each moment that something unexpected happens.
Often, restaurant owners and managers spend an incredible amount of time troubleshooting problems and dealing with customers complains and issues.
So what can you do to avoid this trap?
First, you must document all your current processes. I know that this may sound like a tedious task but trust me; it is important. You can’t improve your current processes if you don’t know what they are.
Just sit at your computer start writing down how do you currently handle your bookings:
Online from your site: do you have an easy and efficient way to manage online bookings? If not you should consider one. You should check BookingAngel , ResOs, or some other online reservation system.
On the phone: Does your staff have a consistent and polite way to answer the phone? Create a nice message and write it down. Make sure that you include the following points:
- “Hello, this is restaurant XXXXX” (Pronounce clearly the name of your restaurant), “How can WE help you?” (It is better to use we than I since it creates a sense of community)
- Make sure that you capture their names (ask to spell to make sure it is correct), contact's phone number, AND ask the reason of the visit and if they are coming for any special occasion. This is very important. Most of the times when I make a reservation, the host(ess) don’t ask me why I am visiting the restaurant. If this is a special occasion, (birthday, anniversary, some celebration, etc.) make sure to write it down in the reservations book or online system so that you can greet and compensate your clients as appropriate.
- Repeat back to the clients the booking information: their names and phone numbers, the date and time and the reason for their visit. Not only this will avoid you misunderstandings, but your prospects will be happy to know that you are acknowledging the reservation, and you paid attention to them.
In person: Basically, follow the same rules than on the phone. Make sure that your people are friendly and professional.
IMPORTANT: Make sure that the person answering the phone or taking the reservation in person is smiling to the prospects. Even thought the phone, one can detect when somebody is genuinely happy and it makes the whole experience more pleasant.
By the way, if you are serious about impoving your restaurant operations, you should check the many resources available in the Restaurant Management Toolkit.
Just click on the link and you'll find:
Just click on the link and you'll find:
- Restaurant Management Forms
- Restaurant Software
- Business Plan Templates
- Marketing & Promotions For Restaurants, Cafes And Hotels
- Etc.
Restaurant Operations: Back of the House
(coming soon...)