7 Tips for Improving Your Restaurant Management
Owning and managing a restaurant can be both stressful and rewarding. If done right, you can foster positive experiences for you and your staff. Managing a restaurant well isn't as complicated as you may think. Here's a simple guide to help you!
1. Be Transparent
Create a transparent culture within your restaurant. Conduct regular meetings with your entire staff and each individual. Make sure each employee feels comfortable coming to you. This will foster a friendly environment.
2. Be Accountable
Everyone makes mistakes, as a manager, you aren't immune. When you mess up, be accountable for that. Allow your employees to see you as a human being. This will make them more comfortable telling you when they make mistakes.
3. Be Consistent
The restaurant business is notoriously inconsistent and unstable. It can be difficult to plan your staff because you never know what will happen. The best way to relieve the stress of inconsistency for your employees is to eliminate it as much as you can. If you regularly need to send people home on weeknights, you could schedule them as on-call rather than working.
4. Celebrate Success
People thrive with positive reinforcement. When something good happens, celebrate it. When someone gets a really good review from a customer or does something well, congratulate them! This will encourage them to work harder.
5. Be Sensitive
Your employees are people too, their lives don't revolve around your restaurant. Be sensitive to your employees' needs and lives. Respect them as people. It may be inconvenient when an employee gets sick or has a family emergency, but as their manager, it's important for you to be sensitive to their lives.
6. Seek Input
The best managers consistently seek input from their employees. Frequently ask what your employees like and dislike about their working conditions. You'll find that your employees will think of things you wouldn't have.
7. Set Expectations
Expectations are a vital part of any job. They allow your employees to understand exactly what you want from them. When they're first hired and at the beginning of each shift, tell them what you expect from them. This will allow them to better prioritize tasks.
Managing a restaurant is a massive and important responsibility. The management is one major thing that can make or break both employee and customer retention. Following these simple tips will greatly improve your restaurant management.
