7 Ways to Improve Restaurant Efficiency

When a guest goes to a restaurant they’re expecting high quality and quick service. If you’re not maximizing restaurant efficiency, then delivering on those needs can become challenging. Regardless of the restaurant you work at, fast-paced and organized service will always be a top priority. By increasing the efficiency in certain areas of your business, you’ll have the time to focus on the parts that need a bit more attention. Overall, an increase in efficiency will translate into an increase in profit! If you haven’t started implementing efficiency-increasing methods in your restaurant, then now is the time to do so. Here are 7 ways to improve restaurant efficiency:

1. Be Hands-on

As a restaurant owner, it’s easy to get sidetracked and lose sight of the small everyday tasks that keep your restaurant running smoothly. While these tasks may seem small, they’re the glue that holds your restaurant together. You can train employees to do these tasks, but the best way to ensure they’re efficient is to be hands-on. As an owner or manager, your job is to lead by example. You can’t expect your employees to do the work if you haven’t done it yourself. Being hands-on in your restaurant will motivate your staff and help them get the job done right! When the rush hour hits and you need an extra efficiency boost. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty and step in to help. Not only will this reduce wait times for your guests, but it will also increase the respect your staff has for you. 

2. Motivate Restaurant Staff

An individual with a high level of motivation will be able to work more efficiently. We’ve all been in a position where a lack of motivation prevents us from working our hardest. By keeping your staff motivated and enforcing a positive work environment, you’ll notice an increase in efficiency. Motivated employees tend to work at a faster pace with a lower chance of error. The goal for restaurant owners should be to create an environment where their staff will feel happy to come to work! This can be achieved by showing appreciation to employees in various ways. Giving them praise, compliments, and other incentives will motivate them to keep working hard and produce a more efficient result. 

3. Make it Easy

The best way to see a consistent increase in efficiency is simply to make it easy to accomplish! Getting the job done accurately and timely doesn’t need to be a long complicated process. Make it easy to succeed and hard to fail. This process can look different in every restaurant. The secret to making it easy is testing out different ways to do so. Try out new methods and techniques to get a feel for what works best and what your staff enjoys the best. Stay organized and plan so you’ll never have to worry about unexpected challenges. If you set yourself up for success then you will be successful!

4. Keep it Organized

Staying organized and on top of things is a key ingredient to running an efficient restaurant. When you have a plan and an organizational method set in place, your staff will never have to worry about where something is. By eliminating the chance of distraction and confusion you’ll be increasing your efficiency and reducing stress levels. This will help keep your staff on the right track and set them up for success! When you keep things organized you’ll have less time wasted and more time to focus on the things that need to get done. 

5. Update Technology

A large majority of restaurant efficiency depends on the technology or system being used. In many restaurants, workers rely on a POS system to place and receive orders. If the technology is running slow, you will be too. The best way to keep everything running smoothly is to ensure you have a reliable and easy-to-use system in place. Sometimes the technology itself isn’t the cause of a lack of efficiency. If your staff isn’t properly trained and confident using your POS system and other technology, then they’ll need to take more time when using it. Having an easy-to-use system and trained staff will reduce human errors that cost your business money. Oftentimes little mistakes made by staff can lead to a chaotic environment as they try to solve the problem. Reducing the chance of these errors will help keep everything running smooth and boost efficiency levels. 

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6. Train Staff Properly 

You can’t get the job done efficiently if you don’t know how to properly do it. A lack of training will lead to an unconfident staff and longer wait times. The extra time taken to teach employees the skills they need will result in less time wasted later on as they complete their job on their own. You can’t expect an efficient dinner service if your staff doesn’t feel confident in their role. Propper training for employees is only half of the job. You’ll also need to establish open communication. There should be communication between both you and your workers, as well as between coworkers. To ensure top-tier efficiency, everyone needs to work together as a team. Remember, communication starts with management. You can’t expect your employees to communicate their needs with you if you don’t give them a platform to do so. 

7. Automate Tasks

Anything that can be automated, should be automated. A luxury we have today is the ability to automate tasks that would have taken us hours before. Take back your time by taking advantage of technology and automation. If there’s a way to get the job done right while seamlessly saving time, then you should do it! Automating tasks such as ordering, payments, and reservations will give your staff the time they need to focus on providing the best guest experience every time!