Whether your restaurant business thrives or fails usually boils down to your effectiveness at managing a restaurant. From finding and keeping good employees to maintaining inventory and controlling food costs, there's a lot on your plate.

It may seem overwhelming to have so much on your shoulders but you can utilize restaurant management services to help you manage the load. Consultants can help with setting goals and coming up with strategies to improve performance. Sometimes just the process of seeking out additional information can help you with new ideas.

Consider the following information about restaurant management to cook up management skills with the ultimate goal of higher profits:

1. Successful restaurant service managers choose a consultant who has worked with a respected peer.

2. When it comes to foodservice management consulting, be picky. Work at it as if you were hiring an employee, complete with references and background checks.

3. Beware of restaurant management service consultants who have obvious connections to specific suppliers. They may make recommendations based on a potential reward from the supplier.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Work with a restaurant management consulting group

With so many facets to managing a restaurant you may find it helpful to hire experts to take an objective look at areas for improvement. There are many consultant groups who specialize in restaurant management so make sure you choose one you can work with over the long term.

I recommend: Food Consultants Group can advise you in a variety of business categories. Click on the client link to compare your business to others they have previously worked with. Qualified Solutions provides profit improvement, marketing programs, one-on-one coaching and other components to help you manage your business to success.

Make your menu part of your restaurant management priorities

It seems fundamental but you can't take an order without a menu explaining your sizzling specialties and providing pricing. Whether its managing your costs or actually designing the menu, don't overlook this important step.

I recommend: Order the "Restaurant Inventory, Recipe & Restaurant Menu Costing Workbook" from Virtual Restaurant to help you with menu issues. Browse the menus designed by Quantified Marketing Group, which specializes in marketing and public relations.

Access restaurant management information

Taking on an attitude of constantly improving your management skills will send you and your business to a new level. With so many books and articles dedicated to the topic, you'll find plenty of ways to feed your mind with the information you need.

I recommend: From how to price menu items to food cost tips, check out Allfoodbusiness.com and bookmark it as a reliable resource for your restaurant management questions. GEC Consultants offer a variety of articles on restaurant development, profitability and marketing.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Much of your work managing a restaurant will focus on the bottom line. Foodservice management consultants will tell you to aim for a total food and labor cost of about 60%. If you exceed that percentage, find out why, and investigate ways to control costs and increase sales. You also don't want your percentage to run a lot lower than that. That's an indication that the patron is losing out on good value, and it could impact business over the long term.