18 posts

Management & Operations

Management & Operations

Build a Winning Restaurant Team: How to Hire Great Front and Back of House Staff

In today’s highly competitive restaurant industry, having a strong and cohesive staff is paramount to your business’s success. The hiring landscape has evolved significantly, with a greater emphasis on not just technical skills, but also cultural fit, emotional intelligence, and the ability to adapt to rapidly changing customer demands and...

Management & Operations

Put An End To The Revolving Door: 7 Proven Strategies Restaurants Can Use To Improve Employee Retention

Employee retention is one of the most significant challenges facing the restaurant industry today. With an overall churn rate of 73% in 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, restaurants struggle to maintain a stable and experienced workforce. High turnover can have far-reaching consequences, impacting operations, customer service, employee...

Management & Operations

Restaurant Employee Harassment is no joke! Create an Emotionally and Physically Safe Environment for Your Team

As a restaurant owner or manager, one of your top priorities should be fostering a positive, respectful workplace culture. Unfortunately, the restaurant industry has long grappled with pervasive issues of harassment, bullying, and discrimination. These toxic behaviors not only harm employees’ well-being and morale but can also severely impact your...

Management & Operations

Take Tableside Ordering To The Next Level: How Successful Restaurants Increase Sales & Tips With Wireless Tablets

Nothing compares to the level of care and attention a committed server provides to guests in a full service restaurant. The latest advances in POS technology equip servers to provide an even higher level of service and attention, while streamlining steps in the dining experience. In this article, let’s compare...

Management & Operations

Reality Check: Understand These Principles Before You Consider Opening a Restaurant

So, it’s your dream to own a restaurant? Maybe it’s a shaded outdoor cafe, a corner sandwich shop, a bustling brew-pub or the next Michelin Star experience? Owning a restaurant may seem glamorous, but the reality is it requires major personal and financial sacrifices. This post provides an honest look...

Management & Operations

Training Your New Servers Right: 10 Industry Best Practices to Make Waiting Tables Painless

Waiters and waitresses are the lynchpin that holds together the full-service dining experience. They are the face of your restaurant and the primary determining factor in whether a guest dines with you again. What is Expected from a Restaurant Server? In a table-service setting, the servers play a crucial role...

Management & Operations

Selling Liquor 101: Learn Exactly What It Really Takes To Serve Alcohol in Your Restaurant

With the promise of great margins and happy customers, more restaurants are interested in serving alcohol. This short guide will clue you in on what you need to know before you commit to selling beer, wine or spirits in your restaurant. Topics to Cover: If serving alcohol is right for...

Management & Operations

Run Your Kitchen Like Clockwork: The Essential Strategies Of Effective Restaurant Kitchen Management The Pros Use

For any restaurant to achieve success, efficient and well-run kitchen operations are absolutely essential. The kitchen is the heartbeat of the business, responsible for executing the menu, controlling food costs, and ensuring superior quality and consistency for guests. Effective kitchen management requires a multi-faceted approach that covers everything from staff...

Management & Operations

Evict Unwanted Diners! Pest Control Solutions Every Restaurant Owner Needs to Know Before Their Next Health Inspection

In the restaurant industry, maintaining a clean and pest-free environment is crucial for the success and reputation of any establishment. According to the National Restaurant Association, a staggering 90% of pest infestations occur in commercial facilities, including restaurants. This alarming statistic underscores the importance of implementing effective pest control strategies...

Management & Operations

How to Pass Your Next Restaurant Health Inspection: What to Expect & How To Handle Failure

Restaurants and bars are subject to periodic surprise health inspections by local authorities. Failing an inspection can have serious consequences, from damaging your reputation to fines and temporary closures. As a restaurant owner or manager, it’s crucial to understand the health code standards, common violations, and proactive steps to ensure...

Management & Operations

Do You Know The True Cost Of Food Waste? A Practical Guide For Restaurants To Recover Profits and Improve Ecology

Behind the kitchen doors of restaurants nationwide, roughly a quarter of the food prepped and portioned gets tossed in the trash. For a typical 200 seat establishment, that can translate to $200,000 or more in ingredients wasted annually. Food waste presents both an economic and sustainability challenge to the foodservice...

Management & Operations

Put Your Phone Away! How to enforce effective restaurant staff cell phone policies that work.

Is cell phone use out of control in your restaurant? Are customers being ignored, mistakes being made and overall service degrading due to distracted workers? Do staff members become confrontational when told to put away their phones? This article will provide you with a practical cell phone policy to combat...

Management & Operations

Training For New Hosts: 10 Industry Best Practices to Make Guests Feel Welcome

The host or hostess is the first person customers interact with when arriving at your restaurant. They play a crucial role in creating a positive first impression and setting the tone for the entire dining experience. What Is Expected from a Restaurant Host? The role of hosts and hostesses is...

Management & Operations

Do You Know How Your Servers Should Dress? A Restaurant Manager's Guide to Crafting An Inclusive Dress Code

In today’s diverse workforce and dining landscape, it’s essential for restaurant managers to craft a grooming and dress policy that promotes professionalism while being inclusive and sensitive to individual preferences and identities. This guide aims to provide a framework for creating a policy that strikes a balance between maintaining high...

Management & Operations

Are Animals Allowed in Restaurants? Know Your Rights, Responsibilities and Best Practices Regarding Service Animals for the Disabled

As a restaurant owner or manager, you may have encountered situations where patrons attempt to bring animals into your establishment, claiming they are service animals or emotional support animals. However, it’s crucial to understand the legal distinction between these two categories. While the presence of animals in a food service...

Management & Operations

10 Things You Can Do To Help Make Disabled People Feel More Welcome In Your Restaurant

As a restaurant owner or manager, ensuring your establishment is accessible and welcoming to disabled patrons is not only the ethical choice, but it enhances customer satisfaction, loyalty and your brand’s reputation. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) sets minimum requirements for equal access, but going above and beyond can...

Management & Operations

Right Under Your Nose: How To Stop Restaurant Employee Theft Before It Bleeds You Dry

In the restaurant industry, employee theft can be a significant drain on your bottom line. According to a recent study by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the average restaurant loses an estimated 4% of its annual revenue due to employee theft. That’s a staggering figure, especially when you consider the...

Management & Operations

A Restaurant Manager's Guide to Creating and Enforcing an Effective Drug & Alcohol Policy

The restaurant industry faces a pervasive challenge with substance abuse. Studies show that restaurant workers have some of the highest rates of substance use, with 35% reporting heavy alcohol use and 17% using illicit drugs - nearly double the national averages. This can lead to serious safety concerns, decreased productivity,...