Drive more revenue – breakfast anyone?

Do you want to increase your sales, but can’t fathom serving more plates than you already do? Look outside your existing peaks – do you have the market for breakfast? Adding hours of operation can add sales if you do it right.

The key to adding breakfast is to manage it into your menu as you would any new items. Evaluate the new items to understand what existing prepped and purchased product you can use versus what prepped and purchased products you are adding to execute the item. For example, if you add an item that has a new sauce, you are adding a full new prep item (and the labor associated with it); on the other hand, if you find a way to cross-utilize a sauce you are already prepping for another item, you are only going to increase the quantity prepped (and therefore only slightly increase the labor). See the chapter on Specials in How to Manage a Successful Restaurant for additional tips on how to add to the menu intentionally and successfully.

How else can you get creative? Are you not in a location conducive to dine-in breakfast? Can you make a great take away offering? Are there days of the week that this will work better than others for you? Are there restaurants in the area offering something you can’t compete with and should stay away from? Are there restaurants in the area trying at something that you can do better?

Don’t guess the answers to these questions. You have two groups of people with all of the answers you need walking into your establishment every day – your customers and your staff. Talk to your customers. Do they commute to your area for work? Or do they live nearby? Are they rushing in the morning to drop kids off at school or do they like to take the train instead of sit in traffic?

Understanding who your customers are and what their day looks like will help you understand what they want and need, and think about how your restaurant might be able to provide it. Talk to your staff. They are the closest to your customers and they know what they’re asking for, but you don’t offer. A great way to do this is have a weekly staff meeting and promote a n open forum (within reason) where they are able to feel involved and don’t forget, they probably live in the area, so they know the community.

Story

Lisa owned a French bistro in a thoroughfare with high foot traffic. When she and her husband opened the restaurant, they were thrilled to bring French cuisine to the area, especially since they were the first restaurant of its kind in the market. They opened with full service breakfast, lunch and dinner, and because there was great traffic from the nearby movie theater, late night snacks and drinks.

 The food was incredible, the service impeccable and the environment a real stand-out. But a few months in, breakfast was still a real struggle. Assuming it was because they were new, Lisa increased marketing efforts to raise awareness, but they were unable to bring traffic in. Then, Lisa started to talk with her staff and customers and found the problem, which wasn’t that people didn’t know about the restaurant. Their location was near more homes and schools than businesses, which meant that in the morning, the customers were headed off to work – in another city – and didn’t have time for sit-down meals.

 Lisa reevaluated her breakfast strategy and eliminated sit-down service, opening in the mornings for already prepared takeaway meals, coffee and tea. Accordingly, she was able to strip down the staff to execute the new, streamlined breakfast. Breakfast traffic, and subsequently profit, skyrocketed, by simply understanding the needs of the community.

 

Are your staff accountable? Best ways to have your staff step up to the plate

Are your staff accountable? Best ways to have your staff step up to the plate
Accountability. The dreaded A word. You want your staff to be accountable to the business, but where to start? As with everything in the building, it starts with you.
Of course you have to role model accountability and show the behaviors that you want. But that’s not what we’re talking about here. In order for your staff to be accountable, you have to hold them accountable. This means that you start by setting standards and expectations. But you can’t stop there. Then, you have to get out there and see what’s going on. Make observations of your team – are they describing dishes to your customers in the way you would expect? Are the kitchen staff following recipes (during shift and during prep)? Is everyone meeting the basics – showing up on time, in a clean and correct uniform?

Then, after making these observations, you need to talk to them about it. Right away. Don’t wait until the end of the week or a review. When someone hits the floor and they are not suitably attired, pull them up. Make sure they understand that by being accountable for how they appear is a reflection on your business and that you expect higher!! And be consistent (there it is again. It is key!!)

In Think Tank: Fix the workplace, not the workers, Daniel Pink, expert on the workplace, change and millennials, points out something quite important about the youngest generations in the workforce (aka likely 95% of your staff) – having grown up with technology and social media, they are accustomed to constant, instant feedback and we have a nasty habit of forgetting that once they’re in the workplace and wait to give them feedback in an annual review, when it’s possibly the least effective.

When holding your team accountable, remember that it’s not just about correcting poor behavior, but reinforcing good behavior. Catch them doing it right. Coach in private and praise in public. Without exception. Praising in front of the other staff gives the employee the props they deserve, while coaching in private allows you to give feedback without embarrassing your team. Don’t have a favorite either, love everyone equally. Be sure to share the praise around so the team are felt to be part of a bigger picture.

Read more strategies in the Team Management and Staff chapters in my book How to Run a Successful Restaurant.

A Story from the Floor

The first waiting role I had when I moved to Melbourne was for a prominent wine merchant who owned a high-end restaurant in arguably the best casino complex in Australia. Lots of glam and glitz and a steady stream of high rollers.

It was in this restaurant I learnt about accountability

After “proving” myself I made sure that my intentions were clear as far as my development was concerned to the manager. In our 1 to 1 I expressed an interest in learning so he gave me the task of counting the beverage stock.
Note: The beverage stock consisted of a bar that stocked 17 bourbons, 16 single malt scotches; 4 blended scotches, tequilas, liqueurs and aperitifs. 14 white and red wines by glass, 2 speed bars, and coffee. There were 3 humidified cellars that stocked a total of 1200 odd wines, mixers and beers.

The first count took me 16 hours.

As my manager had been heavily involved in the count till this point he knew it very well so my mistakes were relatively obvious. The count was done on the quietest day of the week a Sunday and he reviewed it Monday.

He had me check almost the entire count twice due to mis-counts on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. This is where I learnt that by being accountable for my role was paramount and that by doing things twice was a waste of time, money and man power.

Sometimes having the simplest of tasks like counting bottles can be the catalyst to having a staff member see the bigger picture.

Food runners/ assistant waiters – the secret to a smoother service

Think of a memorable service experience.

What stands out to you? Usually the answer here is the waiter. They were engaged. Prompt. Intuitive. Friendly. Fun. Non-intrusive. Whichever adjectives you are conjuring to mind, “food-deliverer” is probably not among them.

What’s the easiest way to let your staff focus solely on delivering a great, personable experience to guests? Increase the amount of time that they have to spend in their sections and at their tables. How do you do that? Identify tasks that you can take off of their, (pun intended), plates. Connections don’t happen between customer and server when the server is running around dropping off dishes. Food runners and assistant waiters keep your section waiters in their sections, where they can concentrate on giving the customer the best experience and surreptitiously selling more items, increasing the bill and spend per head.

Adding extra staff seems like a splurge? Think about the value versus the cost of one incremental hourly wage. Even just adding one food runner (the size of your restaurant matters here), at, let’s say $12 U.S/ $18 AUS/ £6 UKP an hour – is it worth it? It pays for itself immediately – you only have to sell two extra desserts per hour, or a few extra drinks, to offset that wage. And who’s best equipped to do that? The waiter, who’s now happily spending more time in their section, taking care of guests, resetting tables faster and better equipped to help manage the customer expectation and experience.

For a more in-depth look at this check out the Sales chapter in How to Run a Successful Restaurant for more ideas on how to use sales to offset the cost of (and profit from) adding a food runner.

Story

When I started working at a new fine dining restaurant in the area, I was so excited at the idea of how much more money I could make than my previous restaurant. I was going from serving at a restaurant with average check of  $50 to a  $100+ per head, so I thought that naturally my tips would double. Score! Then, as we wrapped up training, I found out that we would have only 4 tables per section (at my other restaurant, I was used to 8). My excitement deflated.

But then, after a few nights on the floor, I saw I was making so much more in tips, despite the fact that my section was half the size. Why? I got great feedback from my tables – they loved how I took care of them and connected with them. I had the same personality and engagement level at both restaurants, so what was the difference? At my other restaurant, I was constantly running around delivering food, getting drink refills, etc. At my new restaurant, I had a section assistant who took care of all of that. With fewer tables, and someone whose job was to keep me at them, I connected with my guests better than ever before. That meant that I had one of the highest check averages of the staff because I could make great suggestions (menu knowledge), and because of that, I made considerably more tips because of it and I genuinely had more fun at work every day.

As a restaurant owner or manager it is essential that you are able to make a conscious decision relating to the perception of your restaurant. By employing a trainee waiter or food runner for a restaurant that turns tables twice at lunch and dinner this is a must. If you are not at this level yet trial it on a Friday or Saturday night and see how it travels over a 3 month period. Either way it is the customer who must always come first.

Managing in the Unimaginable

So, after some careful consideration I have decided to write a blog on being prepared for the worst. And I don’t mean one of those rough shifts that went sideways, I mean, the actual worst-case scenarios that we hope to never encounter.

No-one ever expects to be held hostage, bombed or be involved in a terror attack, but with the recent events globally I wanted to draw attention to some of the things that you can and should have in place for such a horrid event.

I have been in such an event. I was the General Manager of a restaurant in London during the July 2005 London Bombings. The restaurant was a tenant of the Fidelity Building, just 2 minutes’ walk from St. Paul’s Cathedral. Fidelity was at that point a well-placed American financial institution and a very real potential target for any attack. St. Paul’s is an iconic landmark in London and so, also a major potential target for attack.

It was like every other day. I arrived to work that day around 8.00m. The chef was there and I was in early to catch up on invoices and do the next fortnight staff roster. Some of the staff arrived at 9.00am for the set up and informed me that the bombings had taken place and no tubes were running. All telecommunications had been cut, both mobile and landline.

Busses were still running and by 11.00am all my staff were at work (dedicated I know) and we proceeded with our day. As a manager and anyone who has had military training will tell you, keep the troops working as this helps give a sense of purpose and not incubate the sense of fear.

At noon, we were open and ready.

At 1.15pm the manager of the Fidelity building walked into the restaurant and informed me that the building was being secured due to a possible threat and that all staff, and patrons, were to be evacuated to the bomb shelter 3 stories underground. We had 17 patrons in the restaurant – thankfully nowhere near our usual 110 – plus the staff, so in total 33 people.

At this point there are 2 choices. You either create an environment of panic or you show your ability to manage unfathomable stress. I chose the latter.

I locked the door and promptly started in section one and told the waiter and her guests what was happening and to gather their things and proceed to the emergency exit.  I had one table ask for the bill!!!!

The staff were not permitted their bags and everything was to be left as it was. I proceeded to the kitchen to have the chef stop the gas and usher the kitchen staff to the emergency door. I was the last to leave the restaurant.

We were held for over 45 minutes in the bomb shelter where the conversation was nervous and disjointed.

Once we were given permission to leave, all staff were asked back to the restaurant. I held a briefing and let those who wished to leave, leave.

I was lucky. The building we were in was designed for just that type of threat but many, many are not. So what are you able to do?

First, you should have an evacuation plan and it must be practiced. There is no point having a plan if no one knows about it. Coaching staff in best practice will only benefit you in the long run. Yes there is one for fire but with the chaos of a terror attack that point may not be best suited to a meeting point. Ensure you identify one and have the staff know where it is. Walk them there and go different ways so everyone is informed. AND TAKE THE STAFF ROSTER!!!!!! In a restaurant with 30 staff (yes I have managed that big a restaurant) it is hard to know exactly who is working what days so ensure the roster is with you so you are able to account for all staff on that day.

Second, implement a safe word. Ours was Mr. Sands. If there was a fire in the kitchen, “Mr. Sands has just made a reservation.” This informs the staff of what is happening and to prepare but, it does not inform the customers reducing the risk of panic. You can have safe words for everything; just ensure that the staff know what they are.

Be vigilant. You are in the restaurant every day. A bag out of place or an out of character person need to be addressed. This is not scare-mongering, this is common sense. You are responsible for people and should know what your responsibilities are.

Finally, get in touch with the local enforcement in your area and ask them to speak to your staff. Be proactive. I say this all the time. If you educate your staff they will enjoy it, they will want to work in your restaurant and they will give more. For you, you have happy staff and a happy restaurant.

I sincerely hope that you never have to use any of these tactics in real-life situations, but implementing such practices, and ensuring everyone knows what to do, will go a long way in when action becomes necessary.

 

 

The dreaded OH & S (Occupational Health & Safety)

The dreaded OH & S (Occupational Health & Safety)

Everybody likes going out in a good restaurant, enjoy a delicious dinner with family or friends, but is it always safe? Is the food healthy, is your meat cooked enough or did the waiter wash his hands after he went to the bathroom and served the food?

Dining out for the customer should be a relaxing experience, but the restaurant staff are working under potentially dangerous and hazardous conditions. Obviously, the kitchen staff faces the greatest safety risks in a restaurant. However, the dining room also face some safety issues that need to be addressed. Identifying the potential safety hazards helps you make changes to prevent future problems and enables staff to work in a safe and enjoyable workplace.

Did you know that according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that an estimated 48 million people get sick each year from food borne diseases? Of these, approximately 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die per year.

The role of OH & S is to prevent these statistics and continue to build confidence in the safety of the food served to your customers every day and also to assure employees safety.

Here are some reasons restaurant owners should be serious about OH & S.

Kitchen Injuries

Kitchen injuries present a major risk to restaurant employees and as such should have risk assessments done for all aspect of the kitchen. . Sharp knives and equipment like meat grinders or slicers may cause serious injury if not used properly. Kitchen staff members run the risk of burns from hot cooking equipment, hot pans, and grease to name a few. By implementing risk assessments and training employees on the proper use of the equipment and safety precautions you are mitigating chance for legal action if an injury does occur. Inspect the kitchen frequently to ensure employees consistently use the safety procedures.

Food Handling and Safety

Another safety training point is the safe handling of the food. Meats, in particular, need proper handling to avoid foodborne illnesses. Storage units need to keep the meat cold enough until it is prepared. Employees should follow proper cooking procedures to get the meat to a safe temperature, which they can test with meat thermometers if unsure through lack of experience.

Cross contamination caused by reusing knives or cutting boards is another serious concern. In addition to meats, any dairy products or other cold foods need to remain that way until use. Leaving these ingredients on the counter all night may cause spoilage and potential illnesses in guests. Again, by implementing a methodical process for storage and containment, the minimisation of risk has been made ensuring good food practices.

Tripping

Potential tripping hazards may occur in the kitchen or the dining room, making it a safety issue for both employees and guests. In the kitchen, arrange equipment with enough area to walk through without falling or bumping into one another. If this is not possible, consider the better usage of under bench storage. Appliances under the benches off the floor and dry goods and drinks in another area.

Never run extension cords or other tripping hazards across walkways. Spills need to be cleaned up immediately, so employees don’t slip and fall on hot equipment. In the dining room, tray stands, high chairs, and other items can trip both guests and serving staff.

Position dining tables so the walkways leave room for these items to prevent tripping. Train wait staff to watch for customers who may get up unexpectedly to avoid collisions or tripping.

Sanitation

Sanitation is a key practice at any restaurant to protect the customers. All food and beverage outlets regardless of stature within the industry, require employees to wash their hands frequently, particularly after using the restroom, touching meat or touching dirty surfaces to avoid contaminating the food. Food preparation surfaces and serving dishes also need proper cleaning and sanitation, especially after meat preparation. Public areas of the restaurant also need sanitation and frequent cleaning to avoid contamination or infestation with bugs or rodents.

 

Authorities can close a restaurant if health and safety procedures are not respected. Contact your local authority and request a risk assessment binder. Everything you need t know is in here. Like I said, by doing this the risk of legal action as a restaurant owner or manager has been reduced greatly but equally importantly is the safety and well-being of both patrons and staff.