Answers
restaurant, café, and bar management questions & answers
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Opening a Restaurant
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Staff Management
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Staff Management
What should restaurant owners track to measure staff performance properly?
Restaurant owners should track a combination of financial metrics, service quality indicators, and operational standards to measure staff performance properly. This typically includes sales contribution, labor efficiency, guest satisfaction, operational accuracy, and teamwork. Using both measurable data and manager observation ensures performance evaluation is fair, structured, and aligned with overall business results.
How can I schedule restaurant staff fairly without hurting productivity or morale?
To schedule restaurant staff fairly without hurting productivity or morale, build schedules around predictable demand first, then apply clear, consistent rules for availability, rotation, and time-off. Fair scheduling is less about giving everyone equal shifts and more about being transparent, consistent, and realistic about what the business needs.
What are the most common staff management mistakes that cause restaurants to struggle?
The most common staff management mistakes that cause restaurants to struggle are inconsistent standards, weak scheduling discipline, and poor training follow-through. They usually show up as higher turnover, slower service, more comped items, and managers spending every shift putting out fires instead of leading.
How do I know how many staff members I actually need to run my restaurant efficiently?
To know how many staff members you actually need to run your restaurant efficiently, match labor hours to your real workload (covers, prep volume, service style, and opening hours) and build schedules around your busiest periods. The right number is the smallest team that can meet service standards consistently without burnout, overtime spikes, or quality drops.
