The first thing any restaurant needs to have in order to succeed is a menu that draws in customers. If you’re not serving up great food, then you’re running a race with cinder blocks tied to your ankles. However, even if you have a killer menu and a great location, there are still other things you have to do in order to succeed.
What things? Well, these, for starters.
#1: Food Safety
One of the primary goals of any restaurant should be food safety. That means you need to be sure everything is labeled, all food is being used within an acceptable time frame, and that you keep your kitchen, tools, and flatware clean. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to keeping everything clean, fresh, and safe.
#2: Management & Work Culture
Everyone has a job to do on your restaurant’s team, and they need to be working together in order to be sure your customers are getting served. That means employees and managers need to communicate with each other, and they need to be able to handle difficulties as they emerge. It also means they need to be able to speak freely and openly about problems, and to solve them together. Mutual respect is paramount, and everyone needs to feel valued.
#3: Costs & Loss Prevention
Running a restaurant is expensive, and you need to identify where your major areas of loss are. If there seems to be a problem getting orders right, you need to come up with a system to fix that. If food is spoiling before you can cook it, then you need to adjust your order sizes to fit your demand. Anything that represents a significant cost to you needs to be addressed in a way that cuts down on your losses, but which doesn’t impact your customers’ dining experience.
#4: Employees & HR
A restaurant needs employees in order to work, and if you want to keep them then you have to treat them right. That means listening when they have issues, helping them be the best they can be, and making sure you provide a positive environment for them to work in. The better you treat your employees, the harder they’ll work for you, and the more likely they are to stay on.
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