How can I staff my restaurant without being over staffed?
We have the marketing and cooking under control. Mainly we need guidance on staffing and POS systems and such. We are concerned about training and making sure we are properly staffed without being over staffed. Does anyone have any advisement on how I can run my restaurant?
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Mar 14, 2015
You need to find out what typical labor and food costs should be for your type of restaurant. If it's a fine dining restaurant, the ratios may be something like 30% of revenue for labor, 30% for food. You must watch those cost ratios like a hawk. If they edge up even a couple of percentage points more, that was your profit you just spent on over-staffing, portion size too large, food waste, theft, etc. If these ratios slip, your quality of service may also be slipping. You must have a cost-control system capable of tracking these costs every day, and review them each week at your manager's meeting.
Mar 14, 2015
Berry,
You have to know your peak hours and peak season to properly staff your restaurant. It will be a bit of trial and error in the beginning. Give your employees a schedule preference. If you over staff on a particular day/night, start cutting servers you don't need. If you're understaffed, start making phone calls until you can find someone willing to come in. In the meantime, management will have to take up the slack. If you treat your staff fairly they will work with you to make your restaurant a success. Know your staff and know their needs when scheduling. Hire good people and make sure everyone is properly trained to your concept. Make sure you have a training manual specified for your operation and have a day of training for every employee. It's important that everyone is working together...and that is dictated by the talent of management.
Mar 14, 2015
Here are a few places to investigate: 1) http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com/education/restaurant-management-and-operations/how-to-determine-what-staff-you-need/c27996.aspx ; 2) http://www.ctuit.com/us/ ; 3) http://www.averoinc.com/products/view/slingshot/avero-slingshot-labor-module and finally 4) http://www.sba.oakland.edu/faculty/isken/hcm540/session08_scheduling/hcm540-staffingandscheduling-ii.ppt . Hope this helps!
Mar 17, 2015
Don't ask an accountant how to pluck a chicken! :-) Get advice from other successful restaurant owners of comparable restaurants in non-competitive markets. What you are talking about is absolutely critical -- to the efficiency and quality of service you deliver to customers and to your P&L!
Al Shultz alshultz.com/
Mar 20, 2015
I would focus on when your peak hours are and the avenues on your revenue. POS training should be addressed with either your management or someone that can learn quickly. When I was working for a dry cleaning company, we had to switch POS systems and some people were not capable to interpret receipt numbers for example 09-160456 would be an order made in September.
If your POS system has already been installed, take the time to learn it independently. On your down time, try a few experiments with it and see what happens. You might surprise yourself. Good luck and let me know how it's going.
Mar 14, 2015
Bery,
Check with your local score chapter.
We provide free & confidential mentoring services to small businesses.
Most are similar to you - with strong & weak points.
Be specific with your request - as you have been here.
Good luck!
Doug
Apr 2, 2015
You must be knowing well when you have more customers and when you wont. Whenever there is a need for more staff, reach out to local catering institutes, schools and offer their students a full time project work at your restaurant. You dont have to hire them as employees. Have one of your chef, manager supervise them, mentor them. By doing this you are not only getting your work done without having permanent staffs, but the same time you are branding your restaurant as a "coaching center" among students and creating some impact around the catering professionals.
Try it out. All the best!
Apr 9, 2015
Hi Berry,
First, try to optimize your back and front of the house staff. Make the right shifts and arrange them according to peak and off peak times. Make sure your gross staff cost not to exceed 16% of your monthly gross revenue.