Setting Corkage Policies

I will be discussing a series of restaurant policies that you should set, if possible, before you start operating. These are policies you should equip your frontliners with especially since there cannot be an owner or manager in the restaurant at all times. Also, these policies are all needed for proper guest interaction.

One of the policies you should set is corkage policies. Corkage fees are what you charge guests who bring in food from other sources to the restaurant. This means that the restaurant will not be benefiting in any way from the food since it's sale opportunity lost to the restaurant.

The first question you should answer is: Should you or should you not allow guests to bring in food from other sources to the restaurant? I would always suggest not to allow guests to bring in food. Why? There is the danger of the food not being good and other people might think that it came fromthe restaurant. It also deprives the restaurant more opportunities to sell some more menu items. It adds to the work of the waiters and some expenses too, without adding any profit for the restaurant. Guests who bring in food will request for extra plates, spoons and the like which you have to buss out and wash afterwards.

At the most, I allow food items to be brought in by guests during functions that the restaurant cannot serve like roasted pig or calf and party or birthday cakes.

The downside is being strict about this policy could be a turnoff for guests.

So what do you do if the guest gets in the restaurant and happens to have food with them? It might be a waste not to eat the food. You have two choices: to allow the guest to consume the food inside the restaurant or charge a corkage fee.

A corkage fee should be set at an amount that will almost pay for the revenue lost to the restaurant or a set amount for different food categories. Example, is a rate for certain mL of drinks, a meat dish, a dessert and such.

This is usually a touchy subject for restaurants who have operated without a policy and have somehow spoiled guests. It is definitely an owner's decision.

Staffing Needs

One of the more daunting tasks when setting up a new restaurant is looking for and hiring employees.

If you live in the city where the restaurant will be located, it might be easier. You can get help from friends or from people in the foodservice industry. The difficulty is hgher when you are not from that place.

This is where resourcefulness comes in.

You can opt to post it in public or community bulletin boards. Local government labor offices, churches, schools are just some of the places you can try to put up some announcements about your hirng.

You can also place an ad in your local newspaper or magazine.

It can also be an option for you to subscribe to job seach websites like Search. You can find work relatedt to food or foodservice in this website. The great thing about this job website is that they cover other fields and professions. Ideal for people who have diverse businesses.

But remember that looking for employees is a little bit like marketing. You have to match where you put up your announcements to the places most likely to be visited by your target market.

Also, be very clear on your requirements and instructions on how to apply.

When your food servers do not like your customers

It's a reality. Some waiters would not be as nice or friendly as we want to. Some of them would even put up a smirk on their face when guests become demanding.

What do you do about them? Specially when you have a waiter who is technically good at waiting. Good at rules but not in relationship with customers.

In my experience, this happens for a lot of reasons.

1) Inadequate hiring procedures
2) No clear and strict rules on how to deal with guests
3) Inadequate guidance and monitoring

If you have this kind of staff in your restaaurant, it is time to call their attention. Call them to a private meeting and lay down the problem in a calm manner.

If your restaurant does not have a schedule of disciplinary action, it is definitely time to have one. A restaurant should not exist with it. An employee handbook should tell employees how they are supposed to behave in the restaurant.

When a disciplinary action is called for, do it promptly and fairly. if there is more than one erring employee, then they should all be reprimanded.

On the other hand, it is also good to put in "control" points. Example would be a random guest comment survey or a reward for the most appreciated server. Encouragement still is my favored means, although, when it fails, a manager is left with no other choice but to implement stiff rules.

Letting your servers know EXACTLY how you want them to treat your guests is vital. Otherwise, employees will always find a way out or a reason since it has never been clear to them.