Restaurant Management Flashcards
1
Q
Front of the house
A
- Includes anyone with direct guest contact from the host/hostess to the busser.
- Usually the restaurant is run by a general or by a restaurant manager.
- The type of manager would depend on the scale of the restaurant. (e.g. if it has multiple sections then it’s run by a general manager)
- More managers with special responsibilities depending on the size and volume.
2
Q
FOH restaurant operations
A
begin with creating and maintaining curbside appeal (attractive and welcoming)
3
Q
Curbside appeal
A
- is the responsibility of the restaurant manager.
- most important thing is to pay attention to the looks of the restaurant, especially at night.
(e.g. the lighting, the name and logo and making sure they’re large and not missing anything)
4
Q
Host/Hostess
A
- Holds the door for guests
- Greets and escorts guests appropriately
- Seats them at the table
- If there is a wait - they will take their names and ask for table preference.
- Present menus and may explain special sales promotions
- May also remove excess covers from the table.
5
Q
Host/Hostess pt2.
A
- They should rotate guests among sections (sometimes ask guests to wait even if tables are ready- to spread kitchen work-load.
=> Rotation is when the host/hostess rotate the guests to the tables to fill them up. - Maintain a book/chart to show what tables are occupied.
- Host/hostess need to take reservations and call before a day to confirm and before half an hour to also confirm that they’re attending on time.
6
Q
Servers:
A
- Allocated a number of tables
- Introduces himself
- Offers beverages and specials
- Helps in menu selection (suggestive selling)
- Taking orders from a designated point (clockwise)
- Brings entrees
- Checks on guests
- Maintains clean tables
- May clear tables with bussers
- Suggest selling desserts-coffees after meal.
7
Q
General seven steps in table service:
A
1) Greet the guests
2) Introduce and suggestively sell beverages
3) Suggest appetizers
4) Take orders
5) Check everything is to the guests liking within two bites of the entrees.
6) Ask if the guest would like another drink
7) Bring out the dessert tray and suggest after-dinner drinks and coffee.
8
Q
Things to keep in mind:
A
- It is prohibited to sell anything or put anything on the guest first! they have to order or ask for it.
- Servers should be NCO ( Neat- Clean- Organized )
- Servers should ensure that the food is served at the right temperatures.
9
Q
Bussers:
A
- ## Their main duty is to clear the entrée plates and maintain the cleanliness of tables directly after guests check out.
10
Q
Restaurant Forecasting
A
- to forecast = to estimate
- restaurants work on formulating budgets that project sales and costs for a year on weekly/monthly basis.
- sales budgets are forecasts of expected business.
11
Q
Components of forecast:
A
- Guest counts (covers)
- Average guest checks
12
Q
To forecast number of guests for a year
A
A year is divided into thirteen periods:
12 periods = 28 days
1 period = 29 says
(to ensure equal periods)
13
Q
Restaurant forecasting is done by taking into consideration:
A
- meal period
- day of the week
- special holidays
- previous forecast materializations
- Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays provide up tp 50% of the revenue.
14
Q
Average Guest Check:
A
- dividing total sales by total guests covers
(done for each meal)
15
Q
Total forecast sales:
A
- calculated by multiplying the number of guests forecast by the amount of the average F&B check for each meal.
16
Q
Actual Sales:
A
- each day. actual totals are compared with the forecasts.
17
Q
Restaurant forecasting’s aim:
A
- Calculate sales projections
- Predict staffing levels and labor cost percentages.
18
Q
To check if estimation was correct or close
A
- compare the total forecast sales to the actual sales
19
Q
Service:
A
- Diners not only seek good food, but good service as well.
- With increased competition, bad service will not be tolerated.
- A new American service has emerged. A less formal, yet professional (preferred more by guests)
20
Q
Service:
A
- Many restaurants use the American service style: preparing food completely in the kitchen, appealingly placed onto plates in the kitchen, carrying it into the dining room then serving it to the guest, and it is quicker and food is served hot.
- Commitment to service = increased training for employees.
!! key to successful service is training your employees. - Servers are no more only order-takers, they are salespeople.
(undereducated servers about the menus can seriously hurt the business)
21
Q
Server tips for better service:
A
- Learn to try to satisfy guests
- Check to ensure guests needs
- Anticipate guests needs
- Try to remember orders of each guest at a certain table.
22
Q
Suggestive Selling:
A
- Suggestive selling is a tool to:
1) increase F&B sales
2) Boost profit margins. - Guests usually feel special when a server suggests new items in tune with their needs (sometimes offended)
- Objective: turn a server into a seller
This will not only add to the bill, but the tips as well. - Suggestive selling comes before upselling.
23
Q
Back of the House:
A
- Areas guests do not come in contact with
- Generally run by kitchen manager
Includes: purchasing, receiving, storing/issuing, food production stewarding, budgeting, accounting, &control. - The kitchen is the backbone of every full service restaurant, it must be well managed and organized.
24
Q
Considerations in operating an efficient BOH include:
A
1) Food Production
2) Kitchen/food production
25
1) Food Production:
- Planning, organizing, and producing food is a difficult task. (especially when of high quality)
- Kitchen chef begins by deciding on the expected volume of business (for next days) - using previous year data.
- Chef checks on line cook's order to bring the prep (preparation) area up to par stock of prepared items.
- Preparations are done in early morning or afternoon (prior service)
- Kitchen size and layout are based on the business projected and menu design ( as per guest preferences and orders)
(Full service restaurants = similar layouts)
26
Food production pt2.
- Layout consists of: backdoor area, walk-ins, freezer, dry storage, prep line, salad bar, cooking line, expediter, dessert station, service bar area.
- Teamwork is a key to success because of the pressure and hectic work to generate good food.
27
2) Kitchen/Food Production:
A- Staffing and Scheduling
B- Training and Development
C- Production Procedures
28
A- Staffing and Scheduling
- Proper staffing = crucial for success (to enable the restaurant to handle the volume of the business)
- Overstaffing is better than understaffing for 2 reasons:
1) Ability to send employees back home.
2) Extra employees enable cross-training and development.
29
Staffing and Scheduling:
- Staffing should be correlated with sales trends ( as per needed levels)
- Should have competent employees-assist in speed and quality.
30
B) Training and Development:
- Because of high turn-over rate, training is crucial.
(Turnover: Staff is constantly changing)
Trainers (experienced chefs) - should be competent (experienced and qualified)
During training: study materials/tests.
- Proper training = less errors for startups
Higher employee retaining (creating knowledgeable staff)
- Development is important/ continuous training, delegation. (sales, ordering, scheduling, training, inventory, etc..)
- Frequent Training allows internal growth and promotion.
31
C) Production Procedures:
- Production depends on:
Existing recipes; and available products on hand to produce the menu.
- Production Control Sheets: helps control production for each station according to daily sales level.
32
Production Procedures:
Par Levels: minimum quantity of an item that business must keep in hand.
When determining production, par levels are changed weekly according to sales trends. (help in controlling and minimizing waste levels as waste is a large contributor to food cost)
- Products have a particular shelf life - if kitchen over produces, and does not sell, it will be thrown away.
Thus production should be on a day to day basis, (Should check leftovers)
33
Steps in Production Procedures:
- Count and determine products
- Calculate production levels and production required
- Hand sheets to cook
- Calculation is done before cook arrives
- Set par levels as to weekly sales trends (to control wastes)
- After lunch, check products sold, products left for night shift.
34
3) Purchasing:
- Operators set up purchasing systems that determine the following:
(5 points to mention)
35
1) Standards for each time (product specification/specs).
When ordering meat, the cut, the weight, size... ae specified by the purchaser. (standardized)
-One person should order and another person should receive. ( Can be storekeeper)
36
2) Systems that minimize effort and maximize control of theft and losses from other sources:
- May be done by computer or manually. However, computerizing a system does not make it theft-proof.
-Employing honest workers is therefore a top priority.
37
3) Amount of each item that should be on hand (par-stock and reorder point)
- An efficient and effective system establishes a stock level that must be on hand at all times. (par-stock)
- When stock on hand falls below a specified reorder point, computer system automatically reorders a predetermined quantity of the item.
- Storekeeper decides on the minimum, safety, and maximum level.
38
4) Who will do the buying and keep the purchasing system in motion.
5) Who will do the receiving, storage, and issuing of the items:
In explanation of points 4 and 5:
- Who will do the buying? Separate task and responsibility between the person that will be placing the order, and person receiving the goods.
39
To avoid losses:
- Have your chef prepare the order
-Manager places the order
- A third person, responsible for the stores, receive the goods together with the chef.
