How to manage a restaurant efficiently

A restaurant is one of the toughest businesses you can open today.  It’s extremely competitive and location-dependent.  The number of repeat customers can eventually be the indicator of success. 

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But perhaps the most troublesome element of running a restaurant is logistics.  You are constantly re-stocking perishable goods and managing supplies.  To help you manage your restaurant efficiently, here are some tips:

If you haven’t opened your restaurant yet and are currently in the planning phase, make sure you optimize the layout of your business.  The kitchen should be proportional to the dining capacity of the restaurant.  If the kitchen area can’t keep up with the orders, meals will take longer to be prepared.  The floor space should also be wide enough for customers and wait staff to move freely.

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You should also employ efficient workers.  From people who restock the kitchen to kitchen assistants, a restaurant is an active business where there’s zero place for laziness.  You can check if they are efficient by checking their previous employment records for job experience in restaurants, and monitoring them at work.

Lastly, it’s not enough that employees are held accountable for mistakes.  Managers should be held accountable as well.  Whether it’s their inability to follow through in their chain of command or lack of initiative, managers are employees, too and need to be dealt with accordingly. 

Michael Melton is the co-founder of the Culturfied Foundation, a nonprofit that develops and conducts programs to expose children to the different cultures of the world. The organization works with embassies, the United Nations, and the local school systems. For more on Michael’s work and advocacies, go to this webpage.