Good restaurant systems determine future success. When staff members get into a rhythm, repeating the same steps to complete whatever they have to do when they’re on shift, then they’ll soon get the hang of it and perform their jobs more efficiently every time.
We’ve mentioned the general necessity of needing restaurant systems before; as a refresher, here’s what you need to know about what exactly we mean when we say “restaurant system.”
Restaurant systems aren’t as complicated as they sound: They’re simply the way you handle all the necessary tasks your business needs to run at peak efficiency. It’s how you do each job; the way you count the registers at the end of the night, set tables every morning, do inventory and run payroll regularly.
By establishing a top-down system, you’ll teach workers to hold themselves accountable, relieving some of management’s mental load and ensuring business runs smoothly in your absence. Nobody likes micromanagement—you or them.
Support Your Existing Systems
Managing people is hard. Even a team full of driven, genuine individuals will fall easily into disarray if their personalities don’t mesh or they’re ill-equipped for an emergency. These systems are meant to lay out your expectations as their team leader clearly: What they do, how they do it, and everything else they need to know so they can perform to your standards without being asked. The best bosses are also mentors in professional development; thus, giving workers a clear vision of how and why they want things done a certain way, they’re better prepared to perform optimally throughout their entire future career.
Just because you’re introducing new ideas into your existing operation doesn’t mean you have to abandon what already works. A sound system should supplement and streamline what you already do. For each position on your team, draw up a detailed list of their daily expectations, including specific notes on how or when you want the task done. This way, they can always go back and reference the list if they get lost, and you’ve designed it in a way where they’re holding themselves to your standards without you reminding them for the umpteenth time what proper closing procedures entail.
This lets you focus more on what you need to do and less on holding everyone’s hand for day-to-day tasks that you expect them to know by now. They can’t read your mind, and you can’t be everywhere at once; a good system takes away the anxiety and clears the air. Open communication management fosters professional growth, employee satisfaction, and motivation to try their best every day, so your restaurant is spurred to greater success.
….But Just to Be Safe
After developing bulletproof systems and appropriately training your staff, management should be able to handle the day-to-day surveillance that ensures everything runs smoothly and gets done right. If you want to check-in during your monthly budgeting or quarterly performance reviews, though, there are advanced restaurant Point of Sale systems out there that can track relevant KPIs.
Track sales data and get automatic, analytical reports and features like eatOS workforce management when you invest with advanced vendors. Aggregate enough data over time, and you’ll begin to see who are your hardest workers, what changes went very well, and future adjustments that would bolster the bottom line.
Take the time to create strong restaurant systems geared toward workforce management and powered by eatOS technology. Your restaurant will thank you every day that comes next.
