Posted by: Jay Bandy | August 9, 2018

Service and Restaurant Success


By Colin Kopel, Operations Consultant, Goliath Consulting Group

When I was a teenager securing my first table waiting job, my future boss told me, “No experience, no problem.  Waiting table is so easy I could train my cat to do it.”  Mr. Feldstein was partially right.  We can train almost anyone to follow a simple outline on service.  “Just greet them within two minutes of the hostess seating them, get them some drinks, and take the order.”  That was the extent of service training we received at that deli and it highlighted what the owner prioritized.  Service was more important than hospitality.

Have you ever looked at your OpenTable, Google, or Yelp reviews and noticed a diner left a comment like this:

“Service started out promising, but soon dropped off.  Our server was attentive but seemed distracted.  It’s like he didn’t want to be working tonight.”

Your first impulse as a manager/restaurateur may be pull the employee aside and discuss what caused the table to go sour.  And sometimes it is one employee having a rough day.  It may also be time to update how your restaurant integrates hospitality into every aspect of a guest’s experience.

First, let’s define Service and Hospitality:
Service is what your employees provide to guests in a quantifiable form.  The physical steps they take from a moment a guest enters the building to when they leave to go home.  It includes the greet, the order, the food delivery, financial transaction, and farewell.  Every restaurant uses a training method for these steps in some form, be it a training manual, printout on the steps of service, or in-person employee training.

Hospitality is the atmosphere and environment that your employees provide for your guests.  It’s the smile and positive attitude that exudes from your staff.  It shows itself when employees walk guests to the restrooms instead of pointing, deliver fresh napkins when a guest drops theirs on the floor without being asked.  Hospitality is the general feeling that it is your staff’s pleasure to take care of all their guests’ needs…not their job.

Training hospitality is not about printouts and manuals, it’s about culture and leadership.  Restauranteurs and managers must prioritize it in their every action at the restaurant and it will trickle down through servers and bartenders, bussers and food runners, and even back of house staff.  Employees notice when management lays down their inventory clipboards to happily lead a guest to the restroom and they certainly pay attention when restaurant leadership interrupts a side conversation with them to open a door for a guest.  These are simple, yet effective, methods in showing your staff that hospitality is the primary focus of any restaurant.

For the month of August, Goliath Consulting Group’s blog will focus on three main ways you can train your staff to make hospitality the centerpiece of all they do.  We will hone in on the following topics:

  1. Hospitality from the top.  Ways Management can consistently cultivate and promote an atmosphere of hospitality first.
  2. Hiring for Hospitality.  What key attributes should you be looking for during the recruiting process to promote a guest-focused culture in your restaurant?
  3. Cultivating lasting guest relationships.  How can your restaurant use hospitality as a tool to create enduring, positive relationships with your guests for years to come?

If you would like to learn more about our innovative Hospitality and Service training programs, reach out to us at GetResults@GoliathConsulting.com.  We offer customized solutions to help build teamwork, efficiency, check averages, and more.  Get more information on Goliath Consulting Group on our website: goliathconsulting.com

 

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Posted by: Jay Bandy | July 16, 2018

Restaurant Staff Recruiting in 2018


Finding restaurant workers today is one of the biggest challenges for restaurateurs

By Colin Kopel, Operations Consultant, Goliath Consulting Group

How long have you been staring at the door to your restaurant for the perfect server, line-cook, manager or, even dishwasher, to strut in, place a golden resume in your hand and inform you of all the restaurants in the city, he/she would like to be your employee?  How many times have you settled on a less than perfect candidate after sifting through resume and resume that was less than impressive?

Staffing is a different animal than it was a decade ago when there were fewer restaurants and a large pool of hospitality employees to draw from.  The United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics pins the median age of Food and Beverage employees at between 29-34…also known as the Millennial Generation.  When the employment pool is composed of a younger demographic, recruiting techniques must align with that demographic’s media intake.  As Goliath Consulting’s recruiting manager, allow me to share a few tricks we’ve learned to target the right audience.

Facebook.  You may have read in some business weekly or internet article that the social media giant is losing its relevance, and that’s true, among younger audiences.  As it stands today, 88% of Americans aged 29-33 are active on the social network, checking for updates multiple times a day.  In the past year, Facebook increased its presence on the job hunt scene by pushing their “Jobs” page and sending users daily openings and recommendations.  Cities are organically developing their own Facebook communities for hospitality employees to connect with local openings.  Here in Atlanta, the “GK Restaurant Workers/Metro Atlanta” Facebook group is nearing 10,000 members and sees multiple employment posts each day.  These posts provide employers with free opportunities to reach out to the established hospitality community and receive a quick turnaround on resume submissions.

Online recruiting websites like Monster.com and Indeed popped up on employers’ radars over a decade ago.  Hardly a Super Bowl went by where the public wasn’t introduced to the hottest new headhunting site.  Eventually, employers and jobhunters were left scratching their heads wondering which site will net them the best applicants or the best positions.  There are recruiting solutions that focus on the restaurant industry. Founded in 2012, Harri is one of those solutions for restaurant staffing.  Harri integrates a social network feel with sleek restaurant profiles and phone apps to connect prospective employees to employers.  Employers utilize “swim lanes” to organize and schedule applicants and can even email them onboarding paperwork to streamline and condense the orientation process.

This year at Goliath Consulting, we have seen an uptick of clients seeking our recruiting services to outsource this time-consuming process.  The average job opening requires a minimum of 20 hours of dedicated labor to fill and hospitality managers are finding there is not enough time in their weeks to perform an effective talent search.  Through our website, Goliath Consulting Restaurant Jobs, we’ve created an online portal to connect our clients with top talent.  We utilize a series of metrics to rank potential candidates on standards ranging from qualifications to personality to potential career longevity.

Reach out to us at GetResults@GoliathConsulting.com to find out how Goliath can optimize your recruiting and help you find your next all-star employee.

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Posted by: Jay Bandy | July 11, 2018

Does Your Restaurant Need an App?


Apps are everywhere and it seems there is an announcement of a new restaurant app weekly for both national and regional brands.

See how the statistics on apps add up:

  • There are over 2.2 million apps available on the IOS marketplace and over 3 million Android Apps on Google Play
  • “Games” are the most popular app download category ranging from 21-25% of the market share
  • The average user will only use 9 phone apps per day
  • $60 – average hourly rate charged by professional app developers
  • 131 – average amount of hours to develop a successful app
  • Too Many – amount of individual restaurant apps

After years of customers attempting to recite coffee drinks with more modifications than ingredients, Starbucks decided a mobile app would help make ordering simpler.  The customers who downloaded the app received perks such as quick ordering, gift card/loyalty card storage, and mobile payment options.  While customer after customer downloaded their app, Starbucks received endless data on customer trends and engagement.  Seems like a win-win scenario.  This led many smaller restauranteurs to wonder: Does my concept need a stand-alone app?

The simple answer is No.  Consider the stats presented above.  The average cost for a presentable v1.0 app (first version app) is $7,860.  After the money is spent on app development and testing, restaurants then must compete for screen-time with the millions of other apps available to consumers.  Often, customers will download a restaurant’s app while inside the restaurant and never reopen it again.  The next time the customer’s memory is running low, restaurant apps are among the first to be purged from users’ phones, leaving the restaurant with a hole in its budget and very little return on the investment.

What is a viable solution to remain relevant on customers’ smart phones and increase traffic to a restaurant’s website?  Mobile Optimized Websites.

Mobile Optimized Websites enable customers to view your website on their smartphone or tablet without the clutter of a desktop version.  Yes, the beautiful flash graphics you scrutinized and edited look beautiful on a laptop or desktop, but mobile users want streamlined content that is easy to navigate.  When a customer Googles “restaurants near me” and your site pops up, a long load time or difficulty located a menu will almost immediately end in the user tapping the “back” button and finding a different restaurant.

Mobile Optimized Websites should feature larger, clearly labeled buttons guiding potential customers to the most sought-after information: “About Us,” Reservations, Menus, Address and Hours, and Contact Information.  By slimming a website down, a restaurant reduces the percentage of users who give up on the site and look for other dining options.  This is also a much more cost-efficient method of bringing a concept to mobile devices than investing thousands in a mobile app that most users view only once and remove from their devices as soon as they need extra space for the newest version of Angry Birds.

To find more information on transforming your digital presence into a sales building tool, email Goliath Consulting at GetResults@GoliathConsulting.com and visit our website goliathconsulting.com.

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Posted by: Jay Bandy | June 19, 2018

UNIQUE DIETS: ACCOMMODATING GUESTS AND THE BIG 8 FOOD ALLERGENS IN RESTAURANTS


“Excuse me, do you have any gluten free options?” “Is this salad dressing vegan friendly?” There once was a time where servers and chefs would snicker in private kitchen corners when they heard questions like these. That was then. Now there are an estimated 7.3 million adults following some form of vegetarian diet and 3.1 million Americans adhering to a gluten-free diet. This is the time for restaurants to embrace specific and alternative diets to shine above the competition.

As more and more Americans are turning to gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan, ketogenic, and low carb diets, restaurants are often asking themselves how to respond. Should a chef stick to his or her time tested classic menu and let guests worry about their own dietary restrictions, or should they use a little knowledge and creativity to stand above the competition and welcome these specific eaters with open arms. Successful restaurants around the country are realizing that these dieters are not one offs but are often part of larger communities and pass recommendations on to their like-minded eaters.

A chef’s ambassadors to his guests are the service team. Servers handle the influx of questions from guests, make recommendations, and communicate the orders to the kitchen with any dietary modifications needed. What servers may not know is: How many menu items already classify as vegan or gluten-free? What do low carb and keto diets look like? Most restaurants already have menu items that fit certain dietary restrictions and it is up to the service team to guide guests to those items. Sometimes the willingness to replace a side dish or a sauce will not only conform a dish to certain diet but make a lasting impression on a guest who has accepted dining out on their diet is a struggle. An educated, confident server will set a guest with a restrictive menu at ease and deliver an experience worth sharing.

Over the last decade lower calorie options found their way on menus across the country. They are usually indicated by an icon off to the side or located in an entirely separate section of the menu titled “lighter fare” or “on the healthier side.” It is time to take this same approach with gluten-free and vegetarian items. Make it easier for your guests to locate the items they can eat, and they will thank you for it with repeat business and positive feedback in their communities. Consider making your daily special gluten-free and you are sure to get an Instagram tag here and there. Diners with dietary restrictions are accustomed to struggling when making menu selections…take the work away from them and they will not forget the experience.

It is important to remember in hospitality we are here for our guests. Guests’ dietary restrictions, whether based on allergies or nutritional preferences, need to be embraced. This is a sector of guests who are used to choosing alternative restaurants or resigning themselves to cook at home to avoid mis-stepping their diet. View their needs as you would any other guest and the lasting impression will keep your tables full and the reservations coming.

Goliath Consulting Group is here to help you reformat your menu to highlight dishes that cater to alternative diets. Contact GetResults@Goliathconsulting.com today for expert advice on menu updates and service training.

food allergy restaurant-poster

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Posted by: Jay Bandy | May 29, 2018

Food Safety and the Summer Picnic


Growing up, nothing made summer feel quite like summer until the annual family BBQ. Family was used loosely as friends, family, and neighbors would gather at the local park pavilion for a game of softball, playground shenanigans, and, of course, to feast on hot dogs, hamburgers, slaw, and potato salad. But how many picnic-goers know how to keep their outdoor meals safe from pathogens and foodborne illnesses? Goliath Consulting Group’s Serve Safe trainer and head chef (also an avid picnic aficionado) Britt Cloud wants to help you and yours keep their summer free of unwanted outdoor dining mishaps.

Let’s talk about TCS foods. Dangerous pathogens exist in foods that require Time and Temperature Controls for Safety (TCS). Picnic staples like potato salad, sliced melons, leafy greens, meats, fish, and shellfish are all susceptible to invasive bacteria that can ruin any outdoor meal. It is important to remember when foods stay in the temperature danger zone (41ᵒF-135ᵒF) for a prolonged amount of time, these pathogens are provided with the perfect environment to thrive. To prevent the growth of these dangerous pathogens, keep cold foods chilled to less than 41ᵒ until you are ready to serve and dispose of them within six hours. Hot foods must be maintained at above 135ᵒ and thrown out after just four hours.

Temperature storage is not the only time your food is at risk, the food prep process at your home kitchen is equally important. When cooling cooked foods, remember that foods must go from 135ᵒF to 70ᵒF in two hours and finish cooling from 70ᵒF to 41ᵒF within four hours. All fruits and vegetables need to be properly washed prior to cutting or slicing and all raw meats must remain in the cooler until you are ready to toss them on the old charcoal grill. When loading your coolers, try to keep raw meats separated from cooked food (and those fruits and vegetables meant to be consumed raw). Chef Britt also reminds us it is never safe to store raw meats on top of ready to eat food items.

A few more safety guidelines to remember:
• Always thoroughly wash your hands before handling ready to eat food items, especially after handling raw meats
• Separate cutting surfaces must be used when slicing raw and ready to eat items
• Do not allow food to sit in the sun for more than one hour (90ᵒF temperatures can bring your cuisine into the danger zone faster than most realize!)

Following Chef Britt’s safety advice will help you and your crew enjoy a smooth, successful summer picnic.

To learn more about food safety or inquire about our Serve Safe training visit our website at goliathconsulting.com/training or reach out to us at getresults@goliathconsulting.com

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Posted by: Jay Bandy | May 12, 2018

It’s Time for a Tune-up


Summer is just around the corner. It’s time to break out the patio furniture and put the heaters away in storage. With the warmer temperatures approaching, every savvy restaurateur knows to retrieve their end of spring checklist to guarantee this season is as smooth as it can be. Preventative maintenance is key to protecting your bottom line. From refrigeration to HVAC, there are multiple things you can do to ensure your restaurant operates free of preventable mechanical woes that stand in your way of a successful summer season.

When was the last time you had your coolers serviced? It is recommended that all refrigeration is professionally serviced twice a year and the cost of losing refrigeration, even for a few days, can be devastating to any restaurant. May is the perfect time to schedule a refrigeration inspection. As restaurateurs, we like to think we can handle every issue that arises in our buildings, but trained professionals know exactly which problem areas to inspect. Is the motor and compressor functioning properly? Are there any parts with wear that need to be replaced to prevent mechanical failure? Are the thermometers calibrated and the refrigeration levels adequate? These are a small list of services that should be completed on your unit prior to sustained warmer weather. It is also important to keep in mind that DIY repairs can risk your units’ warranties.

With your back of the house refrigeration maintenance scheduled, it is time to take a look at the front of the house preparation. Scheduling an HVAC service and inspection can save you more than you think in money and stress. An HVAC unit that is operating at sub-par levels can cost up to 50% more than a serviced unit! Schedule a tune-up service with your specialist and they will help you reach the optimal operating levels. Also, make sure your filters, coils, and cooling towers are clean and ducts are free of dust and debris. Now is the time to make any repairs to create a hospitable and comfortable environment for your guests and employees.

Is your outdoor dining the most pristine it can be? It’s that time of the year to get down and dirty and deep clean all your outdoor furniture to prepare for the season. Outdoor dining is more than a fad; it’s become an important part of restaurant culture. Are your chairs free of unsightly wear and tear? Do your tables need to be adjusted to prevent uneven sides? Do you have umbrellas, awnings, or shade to keep the experience comfortable for your guests? A modern and polished patio is more than a mere seating area; it’s free sidewalk advertising for your business. Research by the Simons Advisory Group demonstrated that investing in well-designed al fresco dining can increase sales 30% or even more!

Schedule a consultation with us at getresults@goliathconsulting.com to make this summer your smoothest and most profitable yet. Visit our website goliathconsulting.com to learn more about our company.

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Posted by: Jay Bandy | May 6, 2018

Food Halls Are Back on the Scene and Rising


1 bartending

In other parts of the world, food halls are quite common, particularly in Europe. London likes to take credit for being the first to introduce the food hall experience. Soon, they could be found all over Asia. Now, we see more food halls pop up in the U.S., and the trend appears to be growing as more Americans demand healthier food choices and extensive selections available in unique environments.

Put simply; food halls are a venue where artisan restaurants and food vendors serve food fresh and often cooked in front of you as you order. It comes as no surprise that the trend is finding massive success in big cities such as Los Angeles and New York. However, according to an article in the New York Times, the boom in food halls is anticipated to boom in the coming years, with a prediction of 200 food halls across the nation by 2019.

In fact, even Anthony Bourdain had big plans for the food hall market with his 155,000-sq.ft. facility in New York. Unfortunately, acquiring visas for all his employees and vendors led to many delays that he ultimately had to cancel the project. However, there’s much buzz on social media that The Bourdain Market may still happen sometime in 2019.

People have always loved food. But with the height of social media and the change in consumer behavior, dining experiences mean just as much. From food festivals to food trucks – people are always looking for next big thing. They are looking for variety and innovative eating experiences that are Instagrammable or worth tweeting and blogging.

At some point, the Oxford word of the year was “locavore.” Locavore means someone who prefers to eat food that is locally grown, raised, or produced. And that’s precisely what food halls have delivered to its patrons.

Food halls typically feature vendors who are from the community who source their ingredients from local farmers and suppliers. The fact that a word of the year is based on a preference for food only highlights how people in the past decade alone have become increasingly mindful of their food choices and experiences. They’re no longer settling for fast food chains when they know they can get food just as quickly and much healthier.

Food halls were once found exclusively in the trendiest cities. But with the demand for food halls on the rise, we can hope to see them everywhere. And with the boom, we can expect to see food halls evolve. We expect to see more than just trends in the menu but also food service and overall dining experience.

It will be interesting to see what food hall developers will do with space regarding design and ambiance. Will future food halls offer better facilities, seating, and charging stations? Are you looking forward to seeing how food halls will evolve or perhaps interested in knowing more about how to become a food hall vendor? We’d love to hear about it.

Connect with us at Goliath Consulting Group at getresults@goliathconsulting.com.

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Posted by: Jay Bandy | April 24, 2018

Bartending 101: 7 Tips and Tricks for Better Drinks and Service


 

2 (16) food halls

To be a successful bartender, you need more than just an in-depth knowledge of mixing drinks. While your level of skill and ability to memorize hundreds of drink recipes is important, you also need personality and attitude.

As a bartender, you will find yourself in the center of a crowd of people all simultaneously placing their drink orders. And on slow days, you could be looking after a few individuals around the bar who need your attention as much. A good bartender will care about the art of mixing drinks as well as the connections they make with the people they serve. Sometimes, a carefully crafted cocktail delivered with charisma can have the power to bring customers back who ultimately become loyal patrons.

Here are some seven tips and tricks for bartenders who want to make better drinks and a bigger impact:

Know Your Stuff

Study bar terms and techniques. Some bartenders at smaller establishments learn as they go; however, it doesn’t prepare you for moments when a customer asks for something specific or relies on your expertise to make a suggestion. Also, recognizing the difference between liquor vs. liqueur and shaken vs. stirred are things all bartenders should know if they want to become successful.

Attitude

It doesn’t matter how your day is going, greet your customers with a smile and a positive attitude. People come to the bar for different reasons and how you welcome your customers could make the difference between them having a great time or wallowing in their sorrows over a drink.

Clean as You Go

Keeping a neat bar shows people how professional you are. Also, no one wants to sit and order at a dirty bar. It’s understandable that things can get hectic when there are a lot of orders coming in; however, it can be managed by cleaning residue, spills, and crumbs as you go.

Make Recommendations

A good bartender knows how to make suggestions. Patrons will come to you seeking your professional recommendations on the best drinks for certain occasions. When you notice that someone is taking a long time looking at the bar menu, offer a suggestion; they will appreciate that you anticipate their needs.

Measure

Don’t be afraid to look like an amateur just because you’re using spoons and jiggers to measure down to the last drop. Not only will drinks taste as they should when they are perfectly measured, but you ensure inventory is monitored. It’s good business sense, and you’re not wasteful.

Don’t Play Favorites

Every bar has its regulars. And while you’ve already established a good relationship with loyal clients, it doesn’t mean you should ignore new customers or give them any less attention. You also shouldn’t play favorites on a busy night when multiple people are clamoring for drinks. Be attentive and treat everyone with the same amount of care.

Don’t Stop Learning

Be ready to level up. To make better drinks, practice and add advanced mixing techniques to your bartending set of skills. Whether you’re just starting out or consider yourself the master of mixology, chances are there’s still something new to learn. Be prepared to step outside of your comfort zone and learn new things; you never know when a customer will come in with a request that will demand your expertise or make you open your drink recipe cheat sheet.

For more information on bartending tips and tricks, contact Goliath Consulting Group at getresults@goliathconsulting.com.

 

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Posted by: Jay Bandy | March 30, 2018

Integrating Technology in the Kitchen


“Work smarter, not harder.” A phrase that is becoming quite popular in kitchen management within restaurants. Technology in the kitchen is changing rapidly, improving kitchen safety, efficiency, and overall restaurant profitability. Restaurateurs are modernizing their kitchens creating more fluid and effective operations. From Bluetooth temperature sensors to robots flipping burgers (yes, it’s really possible), restaurants are embracing the technological revolution with incredible results.

What in the world is IoT?
The internet already transformed your day-to-day life and now it’s changing how kitchens operate. Internet of Things (IoT) is a technology recently introduced that allows restaurateurs to monitor equipment remotely. IoT syncs kitchen appliances to the cloud allowing machines to send mobile alerts when temperatures exceed or fall below the desired level (refrigerators, ovens, fryers, etc.). IoT also alerts staff when oil levels are low, filters need changing, parts need replacing, or when an excess of cooking oil is being used. Restaurant Technologies Inc.(1) has partnered with various clients to test IoT, resulting in a as much as a 40% reduction in oil usage, safer, improved labor efficiencies, and lower food costs.
Smart Machines
Remember the days of “86’ing” items from your cooler that went overlooked while placing an order? New smart refrigerators are drastically improving food purchasing for restaurants reducing those days of human error to a thing of the past. These refrigerators are yet another appliance that IoT syncs with to provide staff vital information for optimal kitchen management. Refrigerators can now record how long certain products have been stored and determine when they will spoil. Alerts are sent from the refrigerators to kitchen staff immediately when ingredients are low or need to be replaced. IoT also allows for refrigerators to alert staff when fridge temperatures are dropping, which helps restaurants avoid premature spoiling of food. Smart refrigerators can even order products automatically when inventory is low! Even more impressive is this technology’s ability to alert chefs when food allergies have been entered by the front of house staff or through online orders. These alerts can also suggest ingredients for chefs to use or to avoid, improving restaurant safety.

Think smart refrigerators are futuristic? Smart pots and pans have been developed that allow chefs to know exactly when food is done. Forget the days of losing an entire prep batch due to overcooking, smart pots and pans allow chefs to consistently deliver on their recipes. Guests are happier. Employees are more efficient. Food cost can be greatly controlled through the reduction of waste.

In addition to these smart technologies, burger flipping technologies have also been developed that can replace what is known as one of the economies most un-specialized, yet frequently needed jobs in the restaurant market. Miso Robotics created the machine called “Flippy” and claims that it can flip 150-300 burgers per hour, depending on the kitchen staff.

Kitchen production is not the only area enhanced with technology. Restaurants are also upgrading their safety procedures. Employees can now rely on advanced LED Alert Systems to help navigate loud and frantic kitchens. LED lights are activated in the event of an emergency, catching the attention of employees to provide a visual warning for staff rather than an auditory one that often goes unheard.

Frequently new technology is overlooked because of tradition. Restaurants are long stereotyped by the mantra “the way we always have,” however, in competitive markets it is important to stay up to date (1) Empire Casino Case Study by Restaurant Technologies Inc. with new advancements to maintain success and create growth. Kitchen technology is creating safer, more efficient, cost saving operations. Restaurants all over the world are embracing these new kitchen technologies simply because they want to compete…to stay on the cutting edge.

Curious about which technologies can fit your concept and budget? The team at Goliath

Consulting Group will help you navigate your options and upgrade your restaurant with efficient, profit-maximizing Next-Gen equipment and systems. Contact us today atGetResults@GoliathConsulting.com

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Posted by: Jay Bandy | March 24, 2018

How to Hire First-Rate Staff for Your Restaurant


You could have a winning menu and an innovative restaurant concept, but without the right people to help you execute either, your business is bound to fail. Your employees are your biggest asset. Unfortunately, finding first-rate staff isn’t always easy. However, because your team is the lifeblood of your business, it’s worth investing in a hiring strategy to attract and hire the best talent from the start rather than suffer losses due to high turnover and negative customer experiences.

Here are some ways to hire the best employees:

Specific and Descriptive Job Ads

Taking the time to craft a detailed job description saves you from interviewing people who aren’t exactly who you are looking for. By describing your company culture and your restaurant’s concept, you’ll attract people who feel they are the right match for your restaurant’s distinct character and service style.

Productive Interviews

Structure and standardize all your interviews to get the most out of each encounter. This means having a set list of questions to ask that will help you create a better picture of the candidate’s prior experience and potential. Lead with these questions and end the interview by allowing them to speak freely. While not all the staff you hire will ever have to face guests, it’s key that all the members of your crew communicate effectively.

Contact Previous Employers and Character References

Many restaurant managers make the mistake of not executing this step especially when they feel an interview has gone well. However, many people can charm their way through interviews, but it doesn’t really prove their work ethic. People are rarely honest about why they left their last job. Calling their former employer may reveal that the candidate had attendance issues, took too many breaks, or was fired for misconduct.  

Different Interview Methods for Different Positions

Your back-of-house staff have very different responsibilities compared to front-of-house; interviewing them in the same manner makes no sense. Once formalities are out of the way, the best way to test positions that require training and skill like line cooks, sous chefs, and bartenders is by having them show you what they can do on the line.  When it comes to back-of-house, you’re looking for experience and ability to execute as soon as they join the team. Some training will always be involved, but it should be more of learning your menu or unique plating style.

Because wait staff and hosts are people you can train to get up to speed on how you do things, a sit-down interview to gauge their personality and willingness to face the fast pace of service is necessary. Prior experience and training are nice to have but because restaurants come in all shapes, sizes, and service styles, hiring wait staff based on potential and the right attitude is better than hiring someone who has years of experience who will a have hard time letting go of how they did things at their last job. In fact, many restaurant managers find that a clean slate is better than hiring an experienced employee who has difficulty deprogramming prior training that doesn’t apply to how you run your business.

When it comes to hiring first-rate staff, your gut feeling and instincts play a big part. The most successful restaurants are those that have teams that gel together well and work in tune. That’s why it’s crucial to establish company culture during the interview process to avoid miscommunications later on.

For more information on hiring the right staff for your restaurant, contact Goliath Consulting Group at getresults@goliathconsulting.com.

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