How to Be a Good Restaurant Manager (11 Tips That Work)
Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned pro, you can improve your restaurant management skills by following these 11 tips:
1. Get your hands dirty
Don’t be an administrator in a collared shirt that stands by as everyone else works.
Yes, your job is to oversee operations, but you should still help out when you can. From time to time, put yourself on the front line so that you know what your staff is going through.
Plus, you will remind yourself (and even learn) about the technical aspects of the business. For example, how to do a very specific task.
This knowledge will come in handy when one of your employees needs to step out. You can then take over with ease for the time being.
2. Take care of yourself
You can’t be productive if you can’t physically function. Make sure you get a good night’s sleep, drink plenty of water, and get all the nutrients that you need.
Your job is to be a leader in the restaurant. If you’re mentally and physically exhausted, it will show through your actions and work performance. Staff will notice and morale will go down.
Lead by example.
Stay healthy to keep morale high and team dynamics strong.
3. Perfect the customer experience
Besides delicious food, people eat at restaurants to create memories. Whether it’s a date night or casual hang out with friends, customers want nice experiences.
Thus, put yourself in your customers’ shoes and visualize yourself going through the whole process from start to finish.
Brainstorm and implement ways to elevate the whole experience.
Consider everything from the way customers are greeted at the door to the music playing in the background.
Invest in technology and equipment if it’s going to contribute to convenience.
For example, instead of asking for the check, maybe customers can “self-checkout” using kiosks readily available on the table.
It would be also be cool if every table has a tablet that not only showcases the menu but also displays estimated waiting times after ordering.
If customers have a good experience, they will tell their friends, and everyone will keep coming back.
Therefore, perfecting the customer experience will increase the lifetime value of every customer.
4. Get ahead of schedule
So much stress can be avoided in the restaurant business (and life in general) by simply being proactive. Instead of just responding to situations, you should be making preparations before situations even happen.
For example, when there’s a major holiday coming up and you know there’s going to be lots of customers, make sure you have everything you need for that special day.
Check to make sure all of your cooking appliances and machinery are working properly.
If any piece of equipment needs repairing and/or maintenance, do it sooner rather than later. The last thing you want is for technical malfunctions to occur when the restaurant is packed with hungry customers.
In addition to equipment, check to make sure you have enough supplies and ingredients. Order ahead of time if possible and not when things run out.
5. Be consistent with actions and communication
The restaurant business is unique in that no two days are the same. Even though you can’t control what situations are thrown at you, you can control how you respond to these situations.
Approach reactions and conflict resolution in a systematic way. Be consistent when interacting with customers as well as staff. That way, no one will feel as if you’re playing favorites or treating anyone unfairly.
When you do slip up from time to time (because you’re human), own up to it. Acknowledge your mistakes and pledge to do better next time.
6. Listen to feedback
Good restaurant managers are developed through years of hard work and experience. Be sure to ask for feedback from your staff and higher-ups (if any).
Feedback is crucial for improvement as a restaurant manager. Without feedback, you will keep doing the same things over and over again without knowing that you’re doing anything wrong.
7. Be friendly
Yes, you have power as a manager.
But you should still be approachable.
If you’re a manager who’s feared, then employees will be reluctant to tell you if something is wrong.
If you don’t know what’s going on, then you can’t help resolve problems.
You can’t exercise your judgment as a manager and a leader.
The restaurant won’t be the very best that it can be.
Therefore, be friendly because it will help company culture and accompanying working conditions.
8. Retain your most valuable staff
Just like any other business, restaurants are made up of people. These people can either make or break your business.
Try your best to retain your most valuable servers and chefs.
You will know if servers are valuable if customers ask where they are if they don’t see them.
Likewise, you will know if your chefs are doing a great job if customers compliment on the food that they make.
Never take your staff for granted.
If they don’t feel appreciated, they will look for other opportunities because they know what they are worth.
Regularly give your staff benefits such as raises, promotions, and new experiences. Make working conditions ideal so that they will actually want to stay.
9. Seek mentorship
If you’re a new manager that’s taking over for someone that’s leaving, ask if the off-boarding manager can observe for a few days or weeks as you’re getting the hang of things.
Mentorship will pass on the skill set required for the job. This is a good time for you to ask questions about processes and responsibilities.
10. Study and learn from the competition
A restaurant is just like any other business in that there’s competition.
Therefore, to keep your customers from going somewhere else, you have to find out what makes your competitors so special.
For example, are they using a gadget that you’re not using?
Do they have a dish that everyone is talking about?
Not only do you have to keep up with your competitors, but you also have to do things better than them.
At the same time, you need to preserve core values essential to your restaurant’s identity.
11. Celebrate wins, big and small
Whether it’s someone’s first day or work anniversary, celebrating every occasion goes a long way in the restaurant business.
It shows that you value everyone that contributes to the restaurant’s success.
Plus, it’s fun!
Who wouldn’t want a celebratory drink after service finishes for the day?!
Let your staff know that you are there for them, and will be right there with them.