aboikis/Shutterstock Restaurant Operations 7 Learning Outcomes After reading and studying this chapter, you should be able to: • Identify key aspects of a restaurant manager’s job. • Describe restaurant operations for the front of the house. • Outline back-of-the-house operations. • Calculate basic food, beverage, and labor cost percentages. M07_WALK4919_04_SE_C07.indd 129 06/11/17 3:12 PM The job of restaurant general manager or managing partner, if they 5. Evaluate progress of employees during training. own a stake in the business, is very challenging and demanding, 6. Supervise on-site training of employees that is conducted and requires strong leadership and organizational skills. First, let by another manager, employee leader, trainer, and so on. us analyze the job by examining the key areas of the job. 7. Conduct payroll signup. 8. Complete reports or other written documentation on Restaurant Manager successful completion of training by employees. Job Analysis Scheduling for Shifts 1. Review employee work schedule for shift. Learning Outcome 1: Identify key aspects of a restaurant 2. Determine staffing needs for each shift. manager’s job. 3. Make work assignments for dining room, kitchen staff, The National Restaurant Association (NRA), the largest industry and maintenance person(s). association, which represents over 500,000 restaurant busi- 4. Make changes to employee work schedule. nesses, has formulated an analysis of the foodservice manager’s 5. Assign employees to work stations to optimize employee job by functional areas and tasks. This analysis follows a natural effectiveness. sequence of functional areas from human resources to sanitation and safety. 6. Call in, reassign, or send home employees in reaction to sales and other needs. Human Resource Management 7. Approve requests for schedule changes, vacation, days off, and so on. Recruiting/Training Supervision and Employee 1. Recruit new employees by seeking referrals. Development 2. Recruit new employees by advertising. 3. Recruit new employees by seeking help from district 1. Observe employees and give immediate feedback on manager/supervisor. unsatisfactory employee performance. 4. Interview applicants for employment. 2. Observe employees and give immediate feedback on satisfactory employee performance. Orientation/Training 3. Discuss unsatisfactory performance with an employee. 4. Develop and deliver incentive for above-satisfactory 1. Conduct on-site orientation for new employees. performance of employees. 2. Explain employee benefits and compensation programs. 5. Observe employee behavior for compliance with safety 3. Plan training programs for employees. and security. 4. Conduct on-site training for employees. 6. Counsel employees on work-related problems. 7. Counsel employees on nonwork-related problems. 8. Talk with employees who have frequent absences. 9. Observe employees to ensure compliance with fair labor standards and equal opportunity guidelines. 10. Discipline employees by issuing oral and/or written warnings for poor performance. 11. Conduct employee and staff meetings. 12. Identify and develop candidates for management programs. 13. Put results of observation of employee performance in writing. Restaurant Operations Restaurant 14. Develop action plans for employees to help them in their performance. Paul Maguire/Shutterstock Paul 15. Authorize promotion and/or wage increases for staff. The job of restaurant general manager requires strong leader- 16. Terminate employment of an employee for unsatisfactory CHAPTER 7 ship and organizational skills. performance. 130 M07_WALK4919_04_SE_C07.indd 130 06/11/17 3:12 PM Financial Management Marketing Management Accounting 1. Create and execute local establishment marketing activities. 1. Authorize payment on vendor invoices. 2. Develop opportunities for the establishment to provide 2. Verify payroll. community services. 3. Count cash drawers. 3. Carry out special product promotions. 4. Prepare bank deposits. 5. Assist in establishment of audits by management or Operations Management outside auditors. 6. Balance cash at end of shift. Facility Maintenance 7. Analyze profit and loss reports for establishment. 1. Conduct routine maintenance checks on facility and equipment. Cost Control 2. Direct routine maintenance checks on facility and 1. Discuss factors that impact profitability with district equipment. manager/supervisor. 3. Repair or supervise the repair of equipment. 2. Check establishment figures for sales, labor costs, waste, 4. Review establishment evaluations with district manager/ inventory, and so on. supervisor. 5. Authorize the repair of equipment by outside contractor. Administrative Management 6. Recommend upgrades in facility and equipment. Scheduling/Coordinating Food and Beverage Operations 1. Establish objectives for shift based on needs of Management establishment. 1. Direct activities for opening establishment. 2. Coordinate work performed by different shifts, for exam- ple, cleanup, routine maintenance, and so on. 2. Direct activities for closing establishment. 3. Complete special projects assigned by district manager/ 3. Talk with other managers at beginning and end of shift to supervisor. relay information about ongoing problems and activities. 4. Complete shift readiness checklist. 4. Count, verify, and report inventory. 5. Receive, inspect, and verify vendor deliveries. Planning 6. Check stock levels and submit orders as necessary. 1. Develop and implement action plans to meet financial 7. Talk with vendors concerning quality of product delivered. goals. 8. Interview vendors who wish to sell products to 2. Attend off-site workshops and training sessions. establishment. 9. Check finished product quality and act to correct Communication problems. 1. Communicate with management team by reading and 10. Work as expediter to get meals served effectively. making entries in daily communication log. 11. Inspect dining area, kitchen, rest rooms, food lockers, 2. Prepare written reports on cleanliness, food quality, person- storage, and parking lot. nel, inventory, sales, food waste, labor costs, and so on. Restaurant Manager Job Analysis Restaurant 3. Review reports prepared by other establishment Ray Kroc, of McDonald’s, once spent a managers. “couple of hours in a good suit with one of his 4. Review memos, reports, and letters from company head- quarters/main office. restaurant managers cleaning up the park- 5. Inform district manager/supervisor of problems or devel- ing lot of one of his restaurants. Word soon opments that affect operation and performance of the establishment. got around to the other stores that manage- 6. Initiate and answer correspondence with company, ven- ment begins in the parking lot and ends in the dors, and so on. 7. File correspondence, reports, personnel records, and so on. bathrooms. ” 131 M07_WALK4919_04_SE_C07.indd 131 06/11/17 3:12 PM 12. Check daily reports for indications of internal theft. the same basic duties plus any special opening or closing 13. Instruct employees regarding the control of waste, portion requirements. sizes, and so on. An assistant restaurant manager does some of the duties of a restaurant manager, and generally there is both an opening 14. Prepare forecast for daily or shift food preparation. manager and a closing manager. Restaurants are traditionally organized by front and back Service of the house. The front of the house comprises the servers, 1. Receive and record table reservations. bussers, wine stewards, bartenders, and cocktail servers, while the back of the house includes the chef and kitchen 2. Greet familiar customers by name. cooks, dishwashers, stewards, dishwashers, receivers, and 3. Seat customers. storekeepers. 4. Talk with customers while they are dining. 5. Monitor service times and procedures in the dining area. Check Your Knowledge 6. Observe customers being served in order to correct 1. Name ways that new employees are recruited. problems. 2. Explain key tasks of administrative management. 7. Ask customers about quality of service. 3. Explain key tasks of operations management. 8. Ask customers about quality of the food product. 9. Listen to and resolve customer complaints. 10. Authorize complementary meals or beverages. 11. Write letters in response to customer complaints. Front of the House 12. Telephone customers in response to customer complaints. 13. Secure and return items left by customers. Learning Outcome 2: Describe restaurant operations for the front of the house. Sanitation and Safety Restaurant operations are generally divided between what is 1. Accompany local officials on health inspections on commonly called front of the house and back of the house. premises. The front of the house includes anyone with guest contact, from the hostess to the bus person. The sample organization 2. Administer first aid to employees and customers. chart in Figure 7–1 shows the differences between the front and 3. Submit accident, incident, and OSHA reports. back of the house areas. 4. Report incidents to police. The general manager or restaurant manager runs the restau- 5. Observe employee behavior and establishment rant. Depending on the size and sales volume of the restaurant, conditions for compliance with safety and security there may be more managers with special responsibilities, such as procedures. kitchen manager, bar manager, and dining room manager. These managers are usually cross-trained in order to relieve each other. This comprehensive analysis of a restaurant manager’s job In the front of the