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.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
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.
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.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Things that will make life easier for a restaurateur
If you happen to be a restaurateur who is not really trained for the business, the best solution would be to get a good restaurant manager.
However, if this is not your option and you choose to run the restaurant yourself, here are a few worksheets that can help you.
DAILY SALES REPORT
If you don't have this, you probably don't care about your business. Sales should be known everyday with a monthly and a annual summary. Why? In a month, any drastic changes in your figures should be call for action especially if the sales is lesser than the previous month or the same month last year. Of course, exceptions would be reasons like Olympics happening in your city or terrorism or some economic contractions.
MENU MONITORING OR TALLY
You should be able to tell which items are selling and which are not. This can help you strategize your menu offerings.
AVERAGE GUEST CHECK
How do you get average guest check? First and foremost, your orderslips should indicate how people there are in that order or table. Divide your total sales by the total number of guests. That is your average check. Why do you need this figure? You need it in your next menu costing. For example, given a guest orders one soup and one main dish or main dish and a dessert, the total amount of these orders should be around yoru average guest check figure. Why again? Because that is what your usual guests usually order.
FOOD COST
Do keep an eye on ingredient prices or even restaurant supplies as this will mightily affect your net income. Review your food costs twice a year. This will also avoid excessive addition of buffer on your selling price since it increases the price unnecessarily.
However, if this is not your option and you choose to run the restaurant yourself, here are a few worksheets that can help you.
DAILY SALES REPORT
If you don't have this, you probably don't care about your business. Sales should be known everyday with a monthly and a annual summary. Why? In a month, any drastic changes in your figures should be call for action especially if the sales is lesser than the previous month or the same month last year. Of course, exceptions would be reasons like Olympics happening in your city or terrorism or some economic contractions.
MENU MONITORING OR TALLY
You should be able to tell which items are selling and which are not. This can help you strategize your menu offerings.
AVERAGE GUEST CHECK
How do you get average guest check? First and foremost, your orderslips should indicate how people there are in that order or table. Divide your total sales by the total number of guests. That is your average check. Why do you need this figure? You need it in your next menu costing. For example, given a guest orders one soup and one main dish or main dish and a dessert, the total amount of these orders should be around yoru average guest check figure. Why again? Because that is what your usual guests usually order.
FOOD COST
Do keep an eye on ingredient prices or even restaurant supplies as this will mightily affect your net income. Review your food costs twice a year. This will also avoid excessive addition of buffer on your selling price since it increases the price unnecessarily.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Food Consistency
What makes McDonald's a great company and what they have been known for is consistency. The good food that they sell all over the world come out the same wherever it is in the world.
Now, I have not worked at McDonald's to tell you how they do it.
In the restaurants that I have worked with, food inconsistency is almost always a problem. Why?
When you look at some guest complaints, some of them pertain to the food smaller or lesser than the last time we ordered or the food wasn't as good as the last time.
If your restaurant wants to make a name for itself, it is not just all about good dining area designs and explosive marketing campaigns, it is also about stabilizing your kitchen. Restaurants are all about food. Therefore, at least 60% of your effort should go to improving food.
Food consistency is achieved when your kitchen crew knows how each and every menu item should look and taste when they come out of the window. I have gone to the extent of takign photos and putting them in an album where the cooks can refer to.
I have seen restaurants do it without any documentation. That is fine for the time being. But what if one of them or even your kitchen head resigns, how do you teach to a new staff or get the info from the head?
Small or big, fancy or laid back, your restaurant should aim for consistently great food everytime.
Now, I have not worked at McDonald's to tell you how they do it.
In the restaurants that I have worked with, food inconsistency is almost always a problem. Why?
- No standard recipes
- No solid kitchen leader or monitoring
- Supplier inconsistency
- Lack of cooking staff training
When you look at some guest complaints, some of them pertain to the food smaller or lesser than the last time we ordered or the food wasn't as good as the last time.
If your restaurant wants to make a name for itself, it is not just all about good dining area designs and explosive marketing campaigns, it is also about stabilizing your kitchen. Restaurants are all about food. Therefore, at least 60% of your effort should go to improving food.
Food consistency is achieved when your kitchen crew knows how each and every menu item should look and taste when they come out of the window. I have gone to the extent of takign photos and putting them in an album where the cooks can refer to.
I have seen restaurants do it without any documentation. That is fine for the time being. But what if one of them or even your kitchen head resigns, how do you teach to a new staff or get the info from the head?
Small or big, fancy or laid back, your restaurant should aim for consistently great food everytime.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Waiter's Secret Tool
Most restaurant owners would wonder why certain menu items wouldn't sell when they absolutely think it should be selling on its own and that it's a good dish.
One problem could be be that the way the menu is arranged does not optimize exposure of each menu item. Either you have so many menu items that guests don't really get to read all of them or some design flaw.
If you cannot afford a menu review and redesign yet, one sure way to give due promotion to your slow selling items is by suggestive selling. Definitely, this will be done by waiters or the anybody attending to the dining area. Another means is by just putting a featured menu item of the month on table tops or attached to menu books.
Suggestive selling will give your waiters the task of suggesting menu items which would be complementing a guest's meal or pushing a slow-selling item.
Be mindful of the following when doing suggestive selling:
One problem could be be that the way the menu is arranged does not optimize exposure of each menu item. Either you have so many menu items that guests don't really get to read all of them or some design flaw.
If you cannot afford a menu review and redesign yet, one sure way to give due promotion to your slow selling items is by suggestive selling. Definitely, this will be done by waiters or the anybody attending to the dining area. Another means is by just putting a featured menu item of the month on table tops or attached to menu books.
Suggestive selling will give your waiters the task of suggesting menu items which would be complementing a guest's meal or pushing a slow-selling item.
Be mindful of the following when doing suggestive selling:
- Do not sugest more than twice. Suggesting more than two items might irritate guests already.
- Suggest items that would complement or complete a guest's orders like soup if they have only ordered main dish and dessert if they are done with their main courses.
- Let waiters know the taste of what they are selling. Nothing will be more embarassing than not to be able to describe a dish with conviction.
- Sometimes, it's good to give guests an incentive for ordering your menu feature.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Motivating Employees
Running a restaurant well needs waiters and kitchen staff who are happy about their work and challenged to please guests. Otherwise, it will be a pool of people who will be difficult to coach, rude to guests and who wouldn't mind if a guest is happy or not.
Aside from giving the salary due to your employees, minimum wage that is, what are the other things you can do to motivate your employees?
One major thing to do is talking to an employee and making clear what is needed of them in their jobs. When you have a new hire, make sure he or she is fully oriented about the house rules, what will be his or her benefits and his or her role in the restaurant. The concept and work precess should be explained to them so that they know what is their significance in the operations.
If your budget permits, give employee meals and uniforms for free. Employee meals because it's a restaurant. If he's serving food to people, his tummy should not be empty. At the least, give a discount for employee meals. Uniform because that is an owner's responsibility as part of the consistency and concept of the restaurant.
Service charge? I will suggest it if your pricing permits. You see, you have to add it to your price. At the most, if you do not have service charge, make sure that tips are collected and kept in a safe place and divided equally.
Communicate reminders through meetings and bulletin boards so that employees are up to date of new policies and restaurant promotions. The purpose is to make employees feel involved in the success of the restaurant.
Lastly, conduct employee performance review at least once a year to correct wrong doings and to praise good jobs.
Aside from giving the salary due to your employees, minimum wage that is, what are the other things you can do to motivate your employees?
One major thing to do is talking to an employee and making clear what is needed of them in their jobs. When you have a new hire, make sure he or she is fully oriented about the house rules, what will be his or her benefits and his or her role in the restaurant. The concept and work precess should be explained to them so that they know what is their significance in the operations.
If your budget permits, give employee meals and uniforms for free. Employee meals because it's a restaurant. If he's serving food to people, his tummy should not be empty. At the least, give a discount for employee meals. Uniform because that is an owner's responsibility as part of the consistency and concept of the restaurant.
Service charge? I will suggest it if your pricing permits. You see, you have to add it to your price. At the most, if you do not have service charge, make sure that tips are collected and kept in a safe place and divided equally.
Communicate reminders through meetings and bulletin boards so that employees are up to date of new policies and restaurant promotions. The purpose is to make employees feel involved in the success of the restaurant.
Lastly, conduct employee performance review at least once a year to correct wrong doings and to praise good jobs.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
