Running a business is no easy task, and running a restaurant can feel like triple the burden. The various operations that must be overseen can be overwhelming, from orders to deliveries to tables, staff, and inventory. As such, this is far from a one-man job. That’s why there are a few implementations a business owner must consider for success. On that note, here are the top 4 things to focus on when streamlining your restaurant operations.
1. Teamwork
We’ve all heard it time and time again, but it’s true that teamwork makes the dream work. Without a top-tier team, streamlining your business won’t be up to par. This is where big decisions will have to be made, and you can’t rely solely on technology to handle everything, as brilliant and orderly as it is. If the hands of your operations aren’t providing sufficient effort, everything can begin to crumble.
Finding staff that will contribute to the team, work well with everyone, adapt to the surroundings, quickly pick up new technology processes, and provides excellent service can seem difficult, but if you pay attention to these qualities, they’ll be easy to spot. Remember that customer service is one of the most important aspects of staff training, so rely on word-of-mouth. As the restaurant owner, it is your job to monitor your staff to make sure operations are running the way you deem fit. Restaurants with absent owners usually have the biggest customer complaints.
2. Technology
With the restaurant industry evolving exponentially, you want to ensure you have all the up-to-date technology with all its effective and easy-to-use features to ensure operations run smoothly. Today, the population uses technology more than ever, which is why restaurants will not be able to manually keep up. Although many business owners are hesitant to switch up tools that have worked in the past, they’re actually doing themselves a disservice and hindering their businesses’ growth and efficiency.
For this reason, all business operations from orders and payments to tabs and tables will benefit tremendously by investing in restaurant POS systems to handle everything efficiently. POS or Point-of-Sale systems are used in restaurants and retail stores to make streamlining processes easier. With a digital system, you will not only be able to handle all your operations simultaneously, but you’ll be able to analyze data and profits, track employees’ performance, and it will provide you with full reports on all business functions. You can even expand your form of business, for example by incorporating a drive-thru system that would allow you to serve customers on and off the premises (learn more).
3. Communication
As efficient as technology is in helping you handle day-to-day business operations and keep track of everything happening under your roof, if you can’t provide a clear foundation for your staff, things can go awry. As mentioned above, teamwork is a huge part of a business’s success; therefore, communication must always be a top priority. Miscommunication and misinterpretation cause chaos, especially in the kitchen, which is why you need to make sure every order and direction is clear as day. If you want to improve your operations, you must start with effective communication among your team. Make sure you schedule regular staff meetings and ensure that the front-of-house and the back-of-house are on the same page and check in with each other.
4. Inventory Management
Orders, takeout, and delivery are 3 important things that require inventory management. Most restaurants used to get away with considering takeout and delivery as an afterthought, but today, delivery is very prevalent and needs as much attention as the rest of your in-house orders. Moreover, with delivery being so common nowadays, restaurants rely on technology even more since it can be nearly impossible to keep track of inventory.
You can consider investing in a kitchen display system (KDS) to have everything programmed on-screen and have every order in one place. Poor inventory management will not only increase the chances of mistakes but will definitely harm your profits. In other words, you cannot improve your restaurant operations without prioritizing better inventory management. By going digital, you will relieve your staff of some of the responsibility, so they can focus on the quality of the food and service to keep customers coming back.
Going digital will help a lot of business owners streamline their restaurant operations, and you’ll notice a big improvement when it comes to managing various aspects of a restaurant. However, don’t forget that in order for you to relax and trust your staff to provide excellent service, you must also prioritize the basics such as great communication and hiring an impeccable team of chefs, waiters, cashiers, hosts, and everyone that makes a restaurant the ultimate dining experience.
