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Once you have your restaurant up and running you will need to make sure everything runs smoothly by ensuring you have good systems in place in your kitchen. The kitchen is the heart of your restaurant so it needs to be properly looked after.

A cleaning schedule is imperative for your kitchen as it is important to maintain a high level of hygiene. You can devise a schedule by listing the tasks to be completed then assigning the frequency which the tasks need to be done. Having an effective cleaning rotation also helps with environmental health officers as it is something they like to see properly implemented.

Another practice which will help your due diligence is taking regular fridge and freezer temperature checks, twice daily should be sufficient to show that the storage of your food is something that you are taking seriously.

When storing food it is advisable to adhere to a strict date labelling system to ensure that food does not hang around in your fridge too long. There are a couple of ways to go about this, you could use a colour code system where each day is assigned it’s own colour sticker. For example if Monday has a red sticker by Thursday you know that all red stickers need to be thrown away as they are too old to be served. Or you could write date labels and stick one on each item with details such as best before date. Personally I prefer the colour coding as it is easier to see which food items need to be discarded.

Another system you will need to have in place is a record of all the cleaning chemicals that you use in your premises and a data sheet for every chemical that would tell you the best way of handling it, what to do in an accident if it is consumed or spilt on the skin etc. This information is also important if you need to seek medical advice it will tell them what the chemical contains and how to treat it. Don’t worry though all of this information should be readily available through your chemical supplier. If you would like more information on restaurant kitchen training check out my website http://restaurantmanual.info Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anthony_C_Summers Article Source:

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Service That Sells!

 Restaurants is one of the leading businesses in the world, but the success of this business, along with the location and the quality of food, depends upon the kitchen staff. In other words, you can say that the kitchen is the backbone of this business industry. Being a place of intensive labor, the kitchen requires a significant amount of skilled talent. In the process of building a team for your kitchen you should take care that people you appoint are comfortable working for long hours. You should make sure that you have a consistent hiring philosophy while screening employees for your restaurant. Here are some tips about that:

1. As soon as you build your team, you should train your staff. Nothing makes your restaurant operate more smoothly than having a well-trained kitchen staff. A trained staff in your kitchen can better understand the importance of quality food and it leads them to work more happily and confidently. It often happens that some of your staff may come and go. Therefore, you should have an ongoing training program, conduct it at regular intervals in-house. Training will not only improve the quality and presentation of your food but it will also reduce the wastage of food in your kitchen. Training gives them better ideas and it slowly develops their skill.

2. Your kitchen staff should be clear about their duties. Sometimes, they may have to go over and above the call of duty! The kitchen staff should make sure that your guests have everything they need. Cleaning up both the dining area and the kitchen is their responsibility of the kitchen staff. You should supervise and ensure that they maintain hygiene within the restaurant and especially in the kitchen.

3. Maintain a high degree of focus on the team manager of your kitchen. Hire someone who is creative and confident enough to handle a team. He should also be capable of inspiring the kitchen staff to exude energy and enthusiasm. He should also be capable of taking the main position of the chef when he is not present in the kitchen.

4. You need to make sure that your staff is properly paid and that they are satisfied. You should acknowledge and respect everyone in the kitchen for his or her effort and his or her contribution to the mission of a successful restaurant.

5. It is very important that you provide a safe working and dining environment to your employees and guests. You should make sure that there is a proper airflow in your kitchen. Even if you have an excellent location and a perfect business plan, if you do not get the right restaurant equipment, you can fail badly. Kitchen appliances for your restaurant kitchen may differ from the appliances that you normally use at your residence.

Apart from knowing how to maintain a restaurant kitchen, your staff should know the basics of fire prevention. On your part, you can make sure adequate fire extinguishers are in place. You need to support your staff to fulfill your mission of delivering the best service and food.

For more information please visit our Restaurant Accounting website. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5477489

                                                       CHEF TRAINING DVDs!!
                                Culinary Institute of America, Cornell University, NY
                                                Highest Quality Chef Training DVDs
                                                    Order Now -  (888) 276-4808

Improve Your Service Reputation and Increase Sales Immediately!
How to Improve Dining Room Service

Service That Sells!

Aug
30

Restaurant Staff Training Tips

Posted by: Guest | Comments (0)

It is widely known that poor service and staff who are difficult to deal with will account for the vast majority of customers who never come back to your restaurant. Staff training is the only way to address these issues properly, and the sooner you implement a program to get your staff up to speed, the better.

One of the simplest and most effective approaches to a café or restaurant staff training program is to ensure that each member of your team has a variety of skills. This is particularly relevant to small to medium size enterprises. While it is unrealistic and impractical to want everyone to be expert in all areas of the business, it is reasonable to aim for a core staff that can collaborate effectively and adapt to whatever situation may arise. One of the most exciting aspects of the hospitality industry is that no two nights are ever the same; this means preparation and flexibility are essential.

The level of competency in your staff will make the difference as to whether your restaurant generally runs smoothly or is a constant source of stress for you, the owner/ manager. Likewise, it will determine what kind of experience your customer has, and as we have said; this can make or break your business.

People who feel incompetent will often behave defensively and unco-operatively, putting strain on other staff members and leaving your customers with a bad taste in their mouth, no matter how good the food is. On the other hand, those who know they have valuable skills will look for ways to use them. Increased job satisfaction, better customer service and loyalty to their employer will likely follow.

Increasing the level of competence in your staff and their sense of pride and interest in their work is not hard to achieve. Very often people don’t know what they don’t know; that is, your staff may not realise that with some minor adjustments to the way they operate, they could increase their own tips and enjoy what they do a lot more. Of course most importantly a team who offers efficiency behind the scenes and great service and skilful up-selling out front will make a real impact on your average takings and to that all important repeat business.

You may decide you have the time and resources to implement your restaurant staff training program in house, or you may decide it is worth hiring a consultant. If you decide to seek outside advice, remember that this person is there to give you what you need in your particular circumstances, and should be able to quickly assess your situation and what they can offer you.

For more restaurant staff training tips and restaurant strategy visit http://www.hospitalitycoaching.com/ Hospitality Consultants providing support and advice to restaurant owners and managers.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Louise_Schafer

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Improve Your Service Reputation and Increase Sales Immediately!
How to Improve Dining Room Service

Service That Sells!

Any successful restaurant owner knows the secret to having a profitable business and Hospitality Training forms the cornerstone of that success, however there is often three things overlooked that can make or break your business.

If one of the following three areas is overlooked or not given equal attention as the other two then your business will start to decline and you will lose sales and profit.

So what are these three areas that can save your restaurant? Simply they are PRODUCT, SERVICE and ENVIROMENTALS. All three must be equal in your business.

1. Product. This may sound obvious, you are a restaurant after all, but how often do you dine out and criticise the meal, wine and cocktails.

How often do they get the quality wrong or the flavour combination or the cooking temperatures? How often do YOU get it wrong and turn a blind eye; “Just get the food out, the customer has been waiting long enough!” You and your team must be 100% committed to product quality. If you are not happy with the raw ingredient from your supplier, DO NOT accept it.

Only a manager or Chef competent in checking food quality should accept the delivery. If you have had issues with a particular cut of beef, for example, cook one of whilst the butcher is there and if not happy with the item send it all back and get them to re-deliver. If you receive substandard vegetables send everything back and demand a fresh delivery of everything.

Next time they deliver they will make sure they check you are getting the good stuff. If not CHANGE suppliers.

You or your manager must, at least once a day, carry out a “Taste Test”. This is simply a check list of all your dishes that you should cook off and sample, include dressings, soups, desserts. This may be your last chance to take a dish of your menu and save a substandard dish going out to your customer.

2. Service. This is where Hospitality Training can really make a difference to your business. This is where your team can really engage with your guests and take them through the “Customer Journey”. With the right hospitality training your staff will follow the following routine;

• Welcome

• Salesmanship

• Confidence

• Presentation

• Product Knowledge

• Customer Awareness

• Follow Up

• Farewell

Following these eight steps ensures your customers get the best service at all times.

3. Environmental. This is where you can engage with your customers’ conscious and subconscious mind.

How many times have you stood at a bar and put your elbow in a wet patch? How often do you sit in a restaurant and feel too hot or too cold or the music is too loud or you are sat next to a Hen party on your romantic evening. Maybe the lighting was too bright or too dark and you couldn’t read the menu.

By actually focusing on the aspects of the business that you can control such as music, lighting and heating you will create and enticing and warm atmosphere where your guests are comfortable at all times.

So how do you deliver and focus on these areas of your business equally? Simple TRAINING, TRAINING and TRAINING!

Every day you should engage your team in delivering 100% satisfaction when it comes to Service, Product and Environmental’s through carefully choosing your Hospitality Training program.

Ridding the world of indifferent lousy service through training. When you visit http://restaurant-training.com you will have access to some of the most successful training courses for your restaurant.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_S_Smith

                                                            WAITER TRAINING DVD!!
                                Culinary Institute of America, Cornell University, NY
                       Highest Quality  Waiter Training DVD (Exceeding Expectations)
                                                   $97 -  Order Now -  (888) 276-4808

Improve Your Service Reputation and Increase Sales Immediately!
How to Improve Dining Room Service

Your servers can subtly steer diners’ choices toward happier results while still leaving people, “free to choose.” Here are six pointers for servers to gain larger tips and seven for restaurant owners to help them achieve them. In the end, the customer wins, the server wins, and of course your restaurant wins.

 For servers: Six Points To Get Bigger Tips

 1. Arrive a little early. Ask your manager or check if you can try the special of the day – if they don’t regularly invite you to. Nothing sells like a personal recommendation in a restaurant.

2. Paint a picture. For example, instead of asking “Would you like any dessert or coffee?” describe one dessert with a lot of words to paint the picture. For example, “Tonight we have a caramel glazed country apple pie with cinnamon ice cream that is to die for.” Regardless of whether they order it or not, you have got them seeing dessert instead of hearing.

3. Use emotional triggers. Terms like this tastes “just like Christmas,” “its comfort food,” “it’s warm and cozy,” things like that go a long way to let people emotionally connect to the food they are about to order.

4. Ask permission to describe the specials. That way they are inviting you to talk rather than you forcing it on them. This makes them more receptive to your higher priced suggestions.

5. Find a Window of Contact. A customer who comes in with a shopping bag, a t-shirt from a group you know or a sports team are gold mines! Use these physical cues to share something about yourself quickly. For example to a guy wearing a Yankees t-shirt. “Did you get to catch the Yankees game last night?” (Wait for customer to answer.) “My girlfriend and I were there when A-Rod hit the winning run!” Notice if there were no clues the guest were a Yankees fan how odd that would sound. Your goal is to make a personal, not generic comment that makes you stand out. Quite simply, people tip people they like more than those they don’t.

6. Know the speed of the menu. If there is a theater near by, or movie house, be prepared to know what can come out in the kitchen the quickest. He help with that asked the sheriff’s. They’ll appreciate you steering them to the right items and not having to call you over asking, “Where’s my food?”
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