(4 minute read)
We first introduced the breakdown of the restaurant management endeavor as one that could be divided into three main areas in a previous edition(read here).
A following article came out, exploring in depth the first of those areas (read here).
This is the second part of this idea which looks to share our vision of how we run our place and make decisions.
When managing a restaurant operation, there are three elements in common to every point of contact between the experience and the customer, which basically you are in charge of: time (all of it, in all its dimensions), the human element, and the technical details. These three, are the lighthouse of what you are really to be following up, in case you get lost in the tide of the rush of wanting to do everything, sometimes even at once.
Time is the key element that defines everything, from obvious things like opening hours or duration of shifts by law, to the peculiarities of how long does one dish cook for or the amount of time an infusion of a spirit for a cocktail takes to reach its peak flavor. It gives you all the markers you could need for decision making, the average time a meal takes which determines turn over, the minutes each dish take to come out in order to coordinate orders efficiently, the number of drinks sold per hour, etc. Make time your tool and your ally.
Structure a strategy to reach and sustain technical requirements, the nitty gritty of what is done and how it is presented, do it based on a growth mindset. Define goals and draw the tactics to reach each, ensure that all is in alignment with the brand promise, integrity is fundamental.
The quality of what is delivered at every step is defined by the brand’s values, its ethos. Obsessing with details to every component of the experience and holding a No-shortcuts policy within the restaurant, will give way to consistency and trust.
These are some of the concepts and operations that take place in most restaurants that benefit from solid structure and expertise. You don’t need to know them all deeply, however must all be familiar and several of them to some degree you must be really good at. Here is a brief description of each concept, however you can jump into any subject and learn further online:
For a healthy economy
- Cost: The money spent on ingredients, supplies, and operations is crucial for profitability, as it helps in setting menu prices and controlling spending. The amount itself doesn’t say much, what is important about this relationship is the ratio, the percentage spent on ingredients vs. the price of sale.
- Expenses: Tracking all costs, like utilities and rent, is vital for budget planning and ensures the restaurant stays within its financial means while also keeping functionality and quality.
- Payroll & benefits: Fair compensation, including salaries and perks, keeps staff motivated and reduces turnover, enhancing employee satisfaction and great service delivery. This line will usually be one to be obsessed over. When a business’ volume grows, it is important to not increase the manpower right away, rather implement systems or procedures to enhance efficiency. Monitor the results and be mindful when to add someone in order to prevent stretching too thin.
- Investment: Investing in the restaurant, infrastructure or equipment, for growth or upgrades is necessary for maintaining and improving the establishment, driving growth, and improving the customer experience.
- Taxes & permits: Paying mandatory government taxes and operating licenses ensures compliance with laws and avoids legal issues, allowing smooth business operations.
- Budgeting: Planning how to allocate money across various expenses helps prioritize spending and saving, maintaining financial health and preventing overspending.
- Revenue: Income generated from sales of food and beverages is essential for covering costs and achieving profitability, serving as the primary source of income.
For efficient logistics
- Sequence of service: Structuring the order in which customers are served ensures smooth operations, enhances satisfaction, and reduces wait times.
- Shifts: Designating working hours for employees ensures adequate staffing throughout the day, preventing burnout and maintaining consistent service. Get creative and see it like a game of Tetris. Distributing different start or finish times amongst shifts could be the answer to getting something done.
- Task distribution: Allocating activities, assigning them and have a quick meeting to distribute them (PreShift Meeting or Daily Briefing). This allows staff productivity, reduces downtime, and improves operational flow.
- Labor laws: Adhering to regulations that govern working conditions, pay, and employee rights ensures fair treatment of employees, building a positive workplace culture and avoiding legal issues.
- Supplier relationships & delivery schedules: Managing interactions and negotiations with vendors ensures a steady supply of quality ingredients, reducing costs and ensuring consistency in offerings.
Ensuring profit
- Purchase and procurement: Assign minimum and maximum stock per item per bracket of work load, this will ensure that the purchases are done in an according volume, preventing spoilage yet ensuring availability for sale.
- Storage: Keeping ingredients and supplies inventorized allows for tracking of consumptions and allows proper ordering.
- Mise en place: All the steps previous to opening, for all areas. Work them backwards, start with how is the opening expected and reverse to all the steps that need to take place for that vision to be consistently attained upon opening for service.
- Proper Records: Keeping track of sales, expenses, and all other important data provides insights for decision-making, helping in monitoring performance and planning for the future.
- Menu Engineering: Designing the menu to highlight profitable and popular items gives a good combo of sales and profitability, it also allows for numbers to speak about the dish or drinks’ customer acceptance rather than personal opinions. This drives decisions of what changes does the Menu require to perform better.
- Cost Control: Monitoring and reducing waste, crossing ingredients and giving some leftovers from a product a second life in another prep.
It is preferable to have experience or knowledge in all, most, or some, of the activities around the above list. Learning their specific composition and proper usage ensures the optimal way to perform certain tasks and use them as tools. If not, if you have very little or no notions of most of what is listed, we are blessed to live in the era of internet where it is possible to learn virtually anything. There are tutorials, courses, podcasts, you name it.
For all that you haven’t had the chance to learn, make the time to find out and understand. For all you don’t know you don’t know, make time to read newsletters and industry related articles that could bring about new concepts or inspiration. There are no excuses.
For every procedure, set up systems for follow up and supervision, spend time imagining and researching how something could be better, an improved version of itself.
Ensure people are over processes, always, technical knowledge and processes are meant to enrich and nurture the human experience of both the back and front of house, not to take away from it.
