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The 5 Rs of Training Success
You’ve probably already heard about tuning servers in to WII-FM to increase sales and raise tips. When you show servers “What’s-In-It-For-Me?” to improve performance, everyone makes more money. You can use the same WII-FM strategy to improve training success....
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The 5 Rs of Training Success
You’ve probably already heard about tuning servers in to WII-FM to increase sales and raise tips. When you show servers “What’s-In-It-For-Me?” to improve performance, everyone makes more money. You can use the same WII-FM strategy to improve training success....
Recent Articles
How to Get New Guests to Come Back
New guests are trying your restaurant all the time. Do you know who they are and, more importantly, do you know how to bring them back? Brush up on your service and sales training and make a commitment to get completely involved in meeting—and pleasing—new guests....
Train Waitstaff to Serve Customers with Food Allergies
When it comes to protecting your customers from bad allergic reactions, waitstaff training is a must. Most people with serious food allergies are alert and cautious when ordering, but what happens when they’re misinformed? Many servers—especially younger, less...
Communicating with Teens
“Helllloooo!! Is there anybody in there?” It’s been a long night and you’re starting to feel like a parent. You’ve told the teen what to do and when to do it more times that you can count, but still Table 5 hasn’t been bussed and the dirty trays aren’t anywhere near...
Improve Communication with Your Spanish Speaking Employees
If you have Spanish-speaking employees in your restaurant, show them how important they are to you and your operation by making an effort to communicate with them in their own language. You may not want or be able to become fluent, but it's not hard to learn some...
Turn People Issues into Restaurant Leadership Opportunities
As a restaurant manager, you’ve undoubtedly faced people issues. How you handled them – and continue to handle them – will have a profound impact on your entire waitstaff, not just the servers you’ve counseled. The last thing you want to do is promote turnover in your...
The Ultimate Question
By John Brandt, Jr., The Brandt Group, Ltd. For most restaurants, this is the time of the month where managers and owners are reviewing their profit and loss statements for the previous month. A “P&L” is an essential tool in running any successful restaurant. ...
Close to Open Management
It’s easy for one manager or several employees to overlook key tasks required for a successful close – and a successful close means a successful opening the following day. Start by listing each job position by category and add one for management. Then look at tasks...
Workplace English – Communicating Effectively with Your Spanish-speaking Employees
Spanish-speaking employees are often critical members of a restaurant team, and learning to bridge that communication gap is an important skill. Keep these tips in mind: Focus on communicating the main idea - keep phrases and sentences as simple as possible. Don't use...
Restaurant Management Tip – Take a Lap
Few actions can place you in a positive light better than leaving on a positive note at the end of each working day. As you depart for the day, take a lap around your entire restaurant, shaking hands and thanking employees, by name, for the good efforts and support....
Contests for Your Restaurant Kitchen Staff
Contests for the heart of the house can be hard to find. Here’s one designed exclusively for cooks. It’s easy to implement and can help stimulate creativity and pride among your kitchen staff. It will also benefit your menu merchandising efforts. To pull this off, all...
Improve Service with the Fine Art of Table Talk
Guests are — first and foremost — people. They want to be treated like individuals, not just nameless customers. The best way to initiate table talk is to ask polite, but not too personal, questions. Here are some safe topics: Appearance: “That’s a beautiful tie.”...
Improve Service by Managing the Wait
The “Please Wait to be Seated” sign creates anxiety when the host staff isn’t present. Teach your servers to look for and then acknowledge every waiting guest with a smile and “Hi! The hostess will be right with you!” if he or she is off seating other guests. Make...
