4 Tips To Help You Manage Your Restaurant Business Better

With the massive hit to the restaurant industry as a result of the CoronaVirus Pandemic, however, restaurants around the world are feeling the pinch more than ever. It is so important during these difficult times that restaurants come together and share their knowledge so that everyone is working to drive the industry on.

To help every restaurant succeed, here are 4 tips to help you manage your restaurant business. 

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1. Use a Top of the Line POS System

Few things can disrupt a restaurant dinner service quite like a pile of poorly written tickets. It confuses the kitchen with the wrong orders being sent out to the wrong tables. To cut out these mistakes, you need to implement a digital POS system so that orders are sent to the kitchen immediately. For those who don't know, the meaning of POS is 'Point of Sale' and these systems can help to increase the amount of time your servers spend with your guests. This will make the customers feel more welcome and will also ensure that their needs are met without any delay. The servers can use smartphones or tablets which are synced with the POS software so that they don't need to take the tickets to the kitchen themselves. The chefs can then send them a message on their device to tell them when the food is ready to serve or to double-check something with them. 

2. Give Extra Responsibility to Capable Employees

Even the smallest restaurants will have multiple employees and as a manager or restaurant owner, you must identify different team member's strengths and delegate tasks appropriately. Some members of your team may have a great eye for detail so you can leave them to dress the tables while others may be great with people and really flourish as a host. Giving your employees extra responsibilities will show them that you trust them and will also provide you with more time to look at any areas of the restaurant which need a little extra attention.

Part of giving employees extra responsibility is being committed to promoting from within whenever possible. Anyone who has ever worked in the restaurant industry knows how tough it is as a junior chef or a busboy, as the pay is usually low and the hours are long and unsociable. You must look out for talent and offer your employees a clear ladder to move up in the industry. This will give them something to aim for so they will continue to work hard and will also benefit your restaurant as they will become more knowledgeable and skilled. When it is time for a new manager, head chef, or sommelier, always check the talent in-house before you look to hire externally. 

3. Automate Payroll and Scheduling

Restaurants will usually have many team members on different work schedules, hourly rates, and overtime agreements. The cleaning staff may come in first thing in the morning, the lunchtime kitchen staff mid-morning, and the servers an hour before lunch. This can be very difficult to manage in terms of payroll if you try to do it manually. The best solution is to use automated payroll software alongside a digital sign-in system. When any member of your team checks in and out, it will be automatically recorded and the wages they are earned will be calculated. When payday comes along, the money can be automatically transferred to each employee's bank account with a payslip and any other paperwork they need to be emailed to them as well. 

4. Ask Customers for Honest Reviews

If your restaurant is struggling it can sometimes be difficult to know why. Many customers will never tell you openly that they don't like the food or service, they just won't come back. This can make it hard to implement changes that will benefit the business. Ask your customers for honest feedback through social media or with anonymous review cards handed out at the end of dinner. This will show you areas where you can improve to ensure that your customers are always satisfied.

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Restaurant management is hard work but there are many ways to make the job a lot easier on yourself. From giving employees more responsibilities to lessen the burden on yourself to implementing the right software and technological solutions, follow these four easy tips and your restaurant will run smoothly day in day out.

David Pac

Update 09 March 2021