SMART TACTICS

By James Kahler

Have you dreamed of opening a restaurant ? Strategically building on your passion is a big part of the equation when aiming for great results . Matching it with knowledge , tools and resources turns that passion into a reality .

Successful restaurant operators and managers focus on five key areas when opening and running restaurants . Here are the building blocks to help your venture get started and flourish .

1 ) Know and share your culture . What is the vision , the mission and the purpose of your company ? What are your core values ? How do you expect your team to treat each other and your customers ? What are your expectations of how you treat your team ? Is the entire team aligned with it ? Do you have a system in place that recognizes successes and accomplishments ?

Your culture should resonate throughout your team and restaurant and not be just talking points . Lead by example so that the culture is seen and heard .

2 ) Know your numbers . Know your key performance indicators ( KPIs ) and business metrics . You need a system that provides easy access to data such as cost of goods sold , labor ( broken out by hourly and management ), product mix , comp growth ( net sales and transactions ) week over week , month over month , quarter over quarter , year over year , etc ., to name a few .

Keep in mind that bad data inputs always lead to bad data outputs that could potentially lead you off course and down the wrong path . When you have good data coming in , you will hopefully have good , actionable data coming out for sound decision making . needs . Connecting to and interacting with guests on a name-by-name basis allows you to ask for honest feedback while breaking down barriers of approachability if something with their experience were to go wrong .

Get involved with your community and chamber of commerce . Volunteer with local charities or non-profits . Gather insights as to what brought your guests in and or made them come back .

Digital platforms can help anonymously survey your guests ’ experiences and provide actionable data . This information will help guide your business on how to continue best serving guests , whether it ’ s through loyalty rewards , catering , third-party delivery , takeout , dining in , drive-thru , speed of service , order accuracy , cleanliness , quality products , flavor profiles or atmosphere .

4 ) Know your operations manual . If you don ’ t have one , create one . If you have one , update it regularly so it aligns with current standards .

These standards may include vendor contacts , day-to-day operational execution covering safety and sanitation , recipe guides , build charts , inventory reports , guidelines that cover financial reporting , hours of operation , holiday closures , uniform standards , ordering guides and product standards , daily temp charts , roles and responsibilities , human resources , marketing , equipment standards and whatever else that calls for standardization for operating the restaurant .

Documenting the who , what , when , where , how and why you operate the way you do helps with training , consistency and time management , among other things . Disseminating the information to your team helps reduce your time as being the resource so you can focus bigger picture tasks and strategy .

5 ) Know your safety and sanitation standards . Leaders in the building must have a good understanding and practice of safety and sanitation standards . No one wants to eat in a dirty restaurant . No one wants to work in an unsafe environment .

If you don ’ t have someone consistently developing and guiding the team on these expectations , this can quickly take a restaurant down the wrong path . Numerous resources can help with knowledge sharing .

The National Restaurant Association Education Foundation ( NRAEF ) has several certification courses for food safety and sanitation that are required by many health departments . At Full Course , we also consistently update our library with courses specific to restaurant operations that help bridge the gaps between classwork and real-world scenarios .

3 ) Know your customers . Be “ the mayor of your town .” Be visible , engaged and focused on your guests and their

James Kahler ( MBA , CFE ) is chief operations officer at Full Course , a restaurant investment and development group .

www . cheersonline . com Spring 2023 • 9