8 Habits of A Great Restaurant Manager

Running a successful restaurant can be challenging on even the best of days. With a large staff to manage and customers to feed, your restaurant manager feels the stress.

You want to provide the best tool for your manager to do his/her best. It’s in your best interest to support your restaurant manager and help him/her succeed because ultimately that means your restaurant does better.

Let’s look at this list of eight habits of a great restaurant manager. Whether you’re hiring a new team member or supporting a current one, here are some tips to get you both moving in the right direction.

#1: Lead by Example

A great restaurant manager showcases good habits by modeling them.

Train your staff by leading by example. For example, if you want your staff to come to work on time, your manager should arrive on time. If you want your staff to clean the restaurant properly, the manager should show them how.

It’s good to remember that just because you know how to do it doesn’t mean your employees will. As restaurants commonly employee younger workers and students, this is a great opportunity to train them just how you want them.

#2: Plan Ahead

You walk into work, and you’re immediately bombarded by questions, problems, other things that get you off track first thing.

Let your team know that for the first 30 minutes – hour of your day, you are in your office getting organized for what’s to come.

Take this time to go over the list of things you need to do. For example, in addition to managing your team, you need to place an order and pull payroll.

Start each day with a fresh list. You’ll feel so much better as you’re able to check items off.

In addition, use this time to go over employee work schedules, look at your restaurant’s social media, check out your online reviews, look over reports, assess the kitchen, and consider new training techniques.

Don’t be afraid to shut your door but do give your employees a time frame because they’re sure to have questions.

#3: Celebrates Employees

Your staff is the face of your restaurant. When your team is happy, your customers are happy.

You want to encourage team work and celebrate your employees. Treat them with the same respect you’d treat your customers. Why? When your employees feel appreciated by you, they’ll translate that into better service to your guests.

One of the best things you can do is recognize and comment on the positive things you see your team doing. Celebrate the wins and provide plenty of positive reinforcement.

You’ll find this empowers your employees to want to provide better customer service. They’re also more likely to stick around so your retention goes up.

#4: Encourage Customer Service

Hand-in-hand with treating your staff well is promoting a culture of service.

Show your staff that you value your guests. After all, they are the reason your restaurant opens its doors every day. Your customers are vital to your success. (tweet this)

Train your staff to provide the best service possible. Do this when they start and provide refresher training on an ongoing basis.

You’ll create loyal customers who go on to be your brand ambassadors.

#5: Promote Company Values

Why does your restaurant exist? What are your values? Do you know what your mission is?

Effective restaurant managers can answer these questions. They support the brand and goals of your restaurant. They work to promote your company culture and your values.

For example, your restaurant is a business that’s been in your family for 50 years. You’ve worked hard to create a large family that includes your customers and your employees.

You want everyone who walks in your restaurant to feel like they’re eating at grandma’s house. In addition, you want them to know you care about them and appreciate their patronage.

It’s up to your restaurant manager to help portray these values to your staff. Make sure the manager knows, understands, and can promote your company culture.

#6: Know How to Have Fun

Restaurant work is tough. Your team is on their feet everyday working with the public, and they must have their best face forward for much of their work day.

It’s up to you to keep it fun. Your job as the restaurant manager is to make sure your employees are enjoying their job. If they’re having fun, your customers will feel the magnetic ambiance in your restaurant.

You can also carry over the fun to your customers and bring some fun activities.

#7: Increase Efficiency

There are ways to increase the effectiveness of your team. While managing a restaurant takes a lot of time and mental power, you can use tools to help.

For example, you might use a scheduling app to make scheduling your employees’ shifts easier. It would also let them swap shifts, so you don’t have to deal with multiple slips of time-off requests.

You can also use productivity apps to organize your own day and activities and other apps to keep your team informed.

You’ll find many online apps available, and your restaurant’s POS might have some of these capabilities. Be sure and investigate them and see which ones would enhance your productivity and increase efficiency.

#8: Have an Open Door Policy

The final habit of a great restaurant manager is someone who knows and understands the value of good communication. A skilled manager knows the value of two-way communication.

Start by having regular staff meetings. They don’t have to be long, but they can be a short time before each shift where the manager checks in with the team so, everyone is on the same page.

In addition, the great manager lets his/her team know that the door is always open for a discussion, either positive or negative.

Your restaurant will have more success if your employees feel valued and listened to, making two-way communication vital. (tweet this)

Final Thoughts

It takes a highly motivated and skilled person to be a successful restaurant manager. This person must have the right people skills, leadership capabilities, and administrative know-how to get the job done.

The great restaurant manager is capable of wearing many hats throughout the day and putting new ones on with ease.

Once you’ve found the perfect person to fill these shoes, support him/her, provide ongoing leadership and customer training so they have the best shot at success.

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Image: rawpixel and Wade Austin Ellis on Unsplash

2 responses to “8 Habits of A Great Restaurant Manager”

1. Jerry D. Temple says:

   December 19, 2019 at 2:50 pm

   Great info..thanks.

   Reply
2. Kris Kapoor says:

   September 16, 2019 at 7:26 pm

   Very practical and appropriate points, that will help you go a long way, if incorporated in the Manager’s personality and his daily interaction with staff and customers.

   Reply