Establish Thorough Job Descriptions

By David Scott Peters

www.therestaurantexpert.com

If they don’t know what’s expected of them, how do they know if they’re succeeding?  Every employee deserves a job description. It provides clear expectations and gives them a guide for performing within to the best of their ability. Without a job description, how else do they know what they’re responsible for and where they can go to grow? A job description is also a no-fail way of conducting job performance evaluations. They go a long way in demonstrating to an employee whether they’re measuring up or not.

David Scott Peters TheRestaurantExpert (1)David Scott Peters is a restaurant expert, speaker, coach and trainer for independent restaurant owners. He is the developer of SMART Systems Pro, an online restaurant management software program helping the independent restaurant owner remain competitive and profitable in an industry boxed in by the big chain restaurants. He is best known as the SMART Systems guy who can walk into any restaurant and find $10,000 in undiscovered cash before he hits the back door… Guaranteed! Learn more at www.therestaurantexpert.com/rdspos.

Visually Check-in Orders

By David Scott Peters

www.therestaurantexpert.com

Are you sure you’re not getting stiffed at the back door? The world is full of honest people, but there are the few that ruin it for everyone. Delivery drivers are no exception. If you’re not itemizing your deliveries, then you have no one to blame but yourself if you come up short in an order. It’s not likely the distributor is going to run over with your “missing” item you claim wasn’t there. If you signed for it, you’re saying you received it. And if you do come up with a missing item when you’re checking your order, then you can assume it was a mistake and the driver will be delighted to run right back with your missing item.

David Scott Peters TheRestaurantExpert (1)David Scott Peters is a restaurant expert, speaker, coach and trainer for independent restaurant owners. He is the developer of SMART Systems Pro, an online restaurant management software program helping the independent restaurant owner remain competitive and profitable in an industry boxed in by the big chain restaurants. He is best known as the SMART Systems guy who can walk into any restaurant and find $10,000 in undiscovered cash before he hits the back door… Guaranteed! Learn more at www.therestaurantexpert.com/rdspos.

If It Doesn’t Move in the Bar, Get Rid of It.

By David Scott Peters

www.therestaurantexpert.com

Liquor that doesn’t sell but takes up space on your shelves is money that could be better used in your bank account. There are a lot of liquors that you have to have on hand for that one request a month (Midori, Amaretto, etc.), but you don’t need three bottles of it. If you have any bottle on your shelves for longer than one inventory period, you better make sure it’s for good reason. Otherwise you are wasting money letting it sit there on your shelves.

David Scott Peters TheRestaurantExpert (1)David Scott Peters is a restaurant expert, speaker, coach and trainer for independent restaurant owners. He is the developer of SMART Systems Pro, an online restaurant management software program helping the independent restaurant owner remain competitive and profitable in an industry boxed in by the big chain restaurants. He is best known as the SMART Systems guy who can walk into any restaurant and find $10,000 in undiscovered cash before he hits the back door… Guaranteed! Learn more at www.therestaurantexpert.com/rdspos.

Each Employee Is Only as Good as the Training They Receive

By David Scott Peters

www.therestaurantexpert.com

Training your staff does not consist of having them follow around your most senior staff member to see how the job is done. Each employee that joins your operation deserves an orientation into your restaurant, your expectations of them, what their job entails, how to do their job, and what they will be judged against when it comes evaluation time. The best way to train employees is with an organized training program that includes an employee manual, job descriptions for each job, preparedness testing and a qualified trainer. The trainer can be you or someone else from your team, but the trainer’s job is to make sure every new employee is fully trained and qualified before they hit the floor to interact with customers or make food for customers. Your business will thank you, and you’ll see an amazing drop in turnover.

David Scott Peters TheRestaurantExpert (1)David Scott Peters is a restaurant expert, speaker, coach and trainer for independent restaurant owners. He is the developer of SMART Systems Pro, an online restaurant management software program helping the independent restaurant owner remain competitive and profitable in an industry boxed in by the big chain restaurants. He is best known as the SMART Systems guy who can walk into any restaurant and find $10,000 in undiscovered cash before he hits the back door… Guaranteed! Learn more at www.therestaurantexpert.com/rdspos.

Tip from the Restaurant Expert: Let Your Bartenders Give Drinks for Free

By David Scott Peters

www.therestaurantexpert.com

Your bartenders are giving away drinks, whether you admit it or not. So why don’t you give them permission to do it and then be able to track it? Empower your bartenders to decide when and to whom the free drink will go, and let them make that decision up to two or three times a shift. They can track it on a comp sheet that asks what the drink was, why it was given and the retail value of the drink. If they need to give more than two or three comps in a shift, then they need to check with you. But if they come to you and ask if they can give a comp drink, you most definitely should answer yes! This process should stanch the theft of liquor and empower you bartenders to make decisions that are good for the business, not for their friendships.

David Scott Peters TheRestaurantExpert (1)David Scott Peters is a restaurant expert, speaker, coach and trainer for independent restaurant owners. He is the developer of SMART Systems Pro, an online restaurant management software program helping the independent restaurant owner remain competitive and profitable in an industry boxed in by the big chain restaurants. He is best known as the SMART Systems guy who can walk into any restaurant and find $10,000 in undiscovered cash before he hits the back door… Guaranteed! Learn more at www.therestaurantexpert.com/rdspos.

Tip from the Restaurant Expert: Quit Letting the Bartenders Run the Bar

By David Scott Peters

www.therestaurantexpert.com

Give your bartenders the recipes you want them to make, right down to how many shots to put in every drink, and you’ll immediately see a drop in your pour cost. If you write it down and train your bartenders to the recipes for your bar, you’ll ensure that your customers get the same drink every visit and that it’s priced right.

David Scott Peters TheRestaurantExpert (1)David Scott Peters is a restaurant expert, speaker, coach and trainer for independent restaurant owners. He is the developer of SMART Systems Pro, an online restaurant management software program helping the independent restaurant owner remain competitive and profitable in an industry boxed in by the big chain restaurants. He is best known as the SMART Systems guy who can walk into any restaurant and find $10,000 in undiscovered cash before he hits the back door… Guaranteed! Learn more at www.therestaurantexpert.com/rdspos.

Tip from the Restaurant Expert: Make Your Menu Work for You

By David Scott Peters

www.therestaurantexpert.com

Sit down and take a long hard look at your menu. Do you know what sells and what doesn’t? The dogs are the ones that don’t sell, or the ones that when they do sell, cost you money. You don’t want dogs. You want stars — popular, high-profit menu items. Get rid of the dogs and let the starts shine. Look into resources for maximizing your menu as a selling tool.

David Scott Peters TheRestaurantExpert (1)David Scott Peters is a restaurant expert, speaker, coach and trainer for independent restaurant owners. He is the developer of SMART Systems Pro, an online restaurant management software program helping the independent restaurant owner remain competitive and profitable in an industry boxed in by the big chain restaurants. He is best known as the SMART Systems guy who can walk into any restaurant and find $10,000 in undiscovered cash before he hits the back door… Guaranteed! Learn more at www.therestaurantexpert.com/rdspos.