As a restaurant owner, you will know that it can be challenging to keep everything up and running. The hours are long, the work is demanding, and there are many different responsibilities to juggle.
Given just how hard it can be to stay in business, it’s no surprise that many operating a restaurant are searching for ways to enhance their efficiency. When it’s a busy night, it can be easy for various points – both big and small – to be overlooked. However, if you can tighten up on your efficiency, there are many rewards on offer, such as greater profits, less waste, and an improved reputation with customers.
No small feat for a business. So, to ensure you can take advantage of these benefits, here are four methods for improving your restaurant’s efficiency:
Upgrade the Way Orders Are Taken
Forget about your servers taking orders with a pen and paper. You need to be implementing modern technology, such as point of sale (POS) touchscreen terminals. These will speed up the ordering process and increase accuracy between the front and back of house.
Alongside terminals, general restaurant management software should also be utilized. This way, you can easily keep track of your staff members, stock numbers, finances, and more. Ultimately, the software cuts down on human error, enhances efficiency, and improves the customer experience.
Recycle Waste
As you will already know, a restaurant needs to deal with an extensive amount of cardboard each day. This is due to deliveries of ingredients and fresh produce, which are contained within cardboard boxes.
As for recycling this cardboard, doing so manually will take many hours – not good for your efficiency. This is where recycling balers come into play. A recycling baler will make short work of that cardboard – plus any other recyclable materials – and condense it into something that is easy and quick to manage.
Train Staff to Improve Communication
When it comes to efficiency, employee performance is arguably the most important aspect. If even one of your staff members is slacking or not fully equipped for the job, it will cause issues for the rest of the team.
With this in mind, you need to train your staff members. As for a particular focus, the training should center around communication. If employees in the front and back of house can communicate with each other without any trouble, this will massively boost efficiency. After all, communication breakdowns will lead to mistakes, tension between employees and teams, and a rise in stress levels.
Don’t Leave Customers Waiting
If your customers have to wait for a table, this can be viewed in two ways. Firstly, your restaurant is at capacity, which is an indication you’re doing something right. Secondly, your customers could become unhappy due to the wait time.
While it might be inevitable that customers have to wait, it’s important you try and ensure their time isn’t wasted. You could do this by setting up a cozy bar area where they can enjoy a drink or two. Not only will their time be maximized, but so will your profit margins.
