The Restaurant Biz Blog

What Makes a Restaurant Manager Great?

A great restaurant manager is a good communicator and a good supervisor. They have the ability to understand and anticipate the patron's wishes before they've been expressed. The manager will also have a good sense of smell and taste so that she may be able to tell if everything is right with the dishes coming out of the kitchens.

A manager has the overall responsibility of making sure the restaurant is operating as efficiently as possible and at a profit. All aspects of restaurant activities are the manager's responsibility. In most small restaurant settings, the manager is also the owner and handles the business end of the operation. The manager takes care of advertising, hiring staff, ordering food and supplies, and does the accounting. In other words, the restaurant manager is in charge of the smooth running of the restaurant. They may also greet guests, seat them, serve as cashier, and even cook when need be. While the chef or kitchen manager is responsible for food preparation and the back of the house, the restaurant manager directs and coordinates the efforts of the rest of the staff or the front of house. The restaurant manager must have a thorough knowledge of the food service inside and out. The Manager is also responsible for all the equipment used from lighting, to ventilation, to ovens, to cooking utensils. He needs to know the cost for installations, and maintenance of such equipment, all that besides accounting, banking methods, budgeting, and credit.

Tips for a good restaurant manager

1. Communications: Implement the use of a log book and restaurant communication book. It can be as inexpensive as a spiral notebook, or as elaborate as giant diary. This can be a valuable tool for communicating, and data collection to be reviewed at a later date.
   
   Managers may not work together due to days off, and scheduling. Log books create a means to stay on the same page, keep on track, review goals, and implementation steps to reach them.
   
   Do not use this book as a place to place blame and point fingers but as a tool to proactively resolve issues. Communication is key to building trust, and in team building. Make it a practice to build up you team with positive feedback, and clear expectations.
   
   
2. Be proactive! Before your shift begins, sit down and plan your day. What are the tasks of the day? What employees are on the schedule and what times are they expected to work? What food orders need to be placed? Are there any catering orders to plan for? What time is the plumber coming to repair the sink? You will be amazed at how many things you can accomplish. Make it a habit. This is a sure way to increase your productivity.
   
   
3. Lead by example: Conduct regular shift meetings with the staff. This is to review expectations and communicate upcoming changes that may be occurring. This is a daily opportunity to remind the staff of the standards, and arm them with the information to help them to perform better. Expect all the managers to do the same. They can be as brief as a 3 minute meeting. Review the daily specials, its an opportunity chance for the staff to understand your priorities and standards.
   
   Jack Welch was the master at leading by example. "He had great energy, sparked others, had incredible competitive spirit, and had a record of execution that was second to none. This is a key of the Welch phenomenon. Had he been lacking in any of these traits, he would not have commanded such acclaim." He was GE's number one cheerleader and called himself "the advertising manager of our company." He had the zeal and the optimism and a lexicon of a winning football coach: "exciting", "remarkable", "staggering", "incredible". These are the words Welch employed to describe one of the most powerful enterprises in the world.
   
   As W. James McNerney Jr., head of GE Aircraft Engines, noted: "The excitement comes from within him and is extremely contagious. He's a tremendous motivator. He's excited and he gets you excited and you're always moving forward. He keeps it simple. The differentiator between GE and many other companies is that there are more people moving in the same direction and with the same enthusiasm. Jack might like this on his tombstone. 'I wasn't smarter that anyone else, but I helped 270,000 people make me look smarter than most.' "
   
   While we cannot all be Jack Welch, we can learn from him and apply his teaching to any company and to any job. Remember, to spark others to perform, you must lead by example.

Sometimes the complexity of the operation can be daunting, and managers can lose themselves, get sidetracked easily, and be in a reactive mode in the managing their business. This lack of focus can cause chaos, which is very bad for the business.

Its always easy to find fault so make sure to positively reinforce good behaviors to build morale. Always look for what your staff is doing right! It is important to point out errors your staff is making, but the way you teach is by positive feedback, consist training, and policy enforcement. If you are proactive, communicate well, and continually train your staff to expectations, you will soon reap the rewards and enjoy a very efficient restaurant that you will take pride in!

 

 

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