Popular September 14, 2021 5 min read

5 Restaurant Management Tips for New Managers

5 Restaurant Management Tips for New Managers

Running a restaurant is something you should have great pride in, satisfying the taste buds of countless customers and boosting your profit margins. As rewarding an experience as restaurant management can be, it can also be incredibly taxing. And, that’s just the in-house component. In today’s era where food delivery has been used more than ever before, you’re having to manage fleets and track a higher volume of orders than before. You may have to take an Advil or two to deal with the headaches that will come with keeping track of everything that goes on with day-to-day operations.

Each day, you’re handling a barrage of duties, including community outreach, running inventory numbers and successfully managing the front and back-of-house. Not to mention, you’re handling tip management and mediating any conflicts between your staff members. It’s a lot to manage. However, with the right amount of confidence and an optimized skill set, you’ll find great enjoyment in running your business. Here are five vital restaurant management tips to keep you on track.

Making Your Staff Feel Like They Belong

Your employees need to feel like they’re assets to your company and benefit from the work experience you’re providing them each day. Under normal circumstances, the hospitality industry faces high turnover rates. In the pandemic era, these rates have almost doubled. While much of that turnover can be attributed to low pay or restaurants having to lay off employees because of lost business, some of it can potentially be linked to workers who don’t feel valued at the foodservice establishment they work at.

The average tenure of restaurant employees is around two months, which, from a cost perspective, is harmful to the restaurant business. It’s more expensive to train new employees. It takes more time to interview and follow-up prospective employees as well.

To make your employees feel motivated to work for you, you should consider implementing an Employee of the Month program to entice them, offering bonuses, gift cards or other incentives. This fosters more competitiveness within the workplace as employees want to do their best to get these incentives.

Furthermore, you should be as transparent as possible with your employees. Be honest with them about finances and offer programs to help employees fine-tune skills that need some sharpening. These things show that you’re investing in their development and making them feel like they’re a part of a growing entity.

Thoughtful Marketing

Driving new customers through your restaurant’s doors means putting a thoughtful and resourceful marketing strategy into practice. Restaurants usually allocate 3-6% of their sales budget to marketing.

Social media is beneficial for restaurants looking to make a name for themselves within the food industry. It’s a cheaper and faster way to market your restaurant than traditional options like television commercials. Posting on Facebook, Instagram and other social channels multiple times a week improves your restaurant’s visibility. Additionally, personalized marketing makes customers feel appreciated and that you’re not just after them for money. This builds brand loyalty.

Optimize Sales and Inventory Tracking

Sales and inventory management are critical to day-to-day responsibilities for restaurant managers. Often, such management is time-consuming as you’re tracking sales from various events and reservations, payroll costs, food inventory and much more.

A fully functional point-of-sale (POS) system allows you to access updated information consistently, leading to better online ordering management, updating menus, and forecasting sales trends. Many POS systems in the restaurant industry are cloud-based, allowing you to work from remote locations rather than being married to your office computer. Multiple inventory management software types reduce how much time you’re spending while boosting your profit-making prospects.

Update Your Menu Seasonally

Signature dishes may bring regular customers back. But, you also want to stay trendy and keep up with the times.

Each season, revamping your restaurant’s menu allows you to stay current and provide customers with more varied options. By collaborating with local farms and suppliers who grow seasonal produce, you’re able to get more fresh goods. You can add peaches to appetizers or salads during the summertime. Carrots can boost an entree during the winter. By thinking this way, you also save money on transportation costs because you’re not importing items as often.

Boost the Customer Experience

Restaurant-goers value the experience more than the food in today’s society. Managing menus and food delivery are crucial. Offering customers ambiance and comforting surroundings that make them enjoy their food should be just as important.

Make sure you have TVs and good music around to create relaxing settings for your guests. Ensure your staff is as friendly as can be to customers. Offer fair prices to customers. And, make sure your restrooms are clean too. The better the comfort level and more enticing the atmosphere, the more likely people will come back for more.

Let’s get to know each other and make your restaurant management approach easier with top-notch tip management software.

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