Your restaurant is short-staffed during peak hours. How can you maintain consistent quality service?

Always be ready with succession plan. All dining staff should be able to perform multiple tasks when needed. Hence train the trainer is the main tool to be ready when there is shortage of staff. Additionally not only line staff, but managers should be as well be involved in taking up certain roles when needed during staff shortages. This initiative will not only ease the issue but create a positive environment among those staffs in such busy situations

To put it plainly, "train the trainer" is educating individuals who instruct others. Strong training abilities, topic understanding, and know-how are all necessary for being an excellent trainer. Along with having a grasp of how effective training is, you will also need the confidence that comes with experience.

Cross-training is the practice of training your people to work in several different roles, or training them to do tasks that lie outside their normal responsibilities. For instance, you might use cross-training to teach someone who works in Collections how to work in the Billing Department, and vice versa. When someone has a wider skill set, they’re able to work with more employees on different projects. However, a hyper-focused individual may have a more difficult time Outsourcing employment or hiring another employee to staff a position is a waste of money if you already have a skilled staff willing to take on the work. Done well, cross-training does a lot to empower employees to share their knowledge, which removes the need to bring on

Having cross-trained Team Members is a great insurance plan for any shift; not only does it allow for Requested Time Off when rosters were tight but also allows for adjustment when unexpected call-outs occur. Cross-training also creates an understanding of the need for Teamwork, especially when service is challenged. Having competent Leaders whom are the most or among the most proficient in their area of responsibility adds an extra line of defense and support to establish and maintain Service Standards. The most important detail is proper staffing, the second most important factor is proper training.

A cross-trained workforce is a valuable asset in the food and beverage industry. By equipping employees with a diverse skill set, you can enhance operational flexibility, reduce the impact of staff shortages, and improve overall service quality. This proactive approach fosters a collaborative environment where team members support each other, ensuring a seamless dining experience for your customers.

When building your menu make sure that it is well rounded and each food item has multiple outlets. This can create less prep time with more bulk production. Limiting your menu can cause negative affects where a balance and well rounded menus makes working in the kitchen easier and pumping out the food faster. Giving the guest a more well rounded and pleasurable experience, with them coming back to try other items on the menu, which may have similar ingredients yet can be a different experience. Planning proper distribution of the menu is also important so no one area gets overloaded. 6 steaks on a menu may not be the best idea with only one grill. Balance and Smart planning are key.

Utilizing mobile POS units allows the Service Team to be most productive during any service but it is even more impactful when challenges are experienced. By allowing orders to be taken in real-time, there are not any unforeseen delays caused by neighboring tables prior to sending in an order. In addition, the ability to “pause” reservations or “delay” online-ordering systems, allows for the team to focus on the internal guests without pursuing sales which further impact the experience.

To maintain consistent quality service when short-staffed during peak hours, leverage technology by implementing self-ordering systems like tablets or mobile apps, which reduce the need for manual order taking. Use Kitchen Display Systems (KDS) for efficient order management, and integrate your Point of Sale (POS) system to streamline transactions. Communication tools can enhance team coordination, while automated scheduling ensures optimal staffing. These technologies help ease the workload, allowing your team to deliver seamless service even with fewer hands on deck.

Focus on essential duties that directly impact the customer experience. Prioritize taking orders, delivering food, and handling customer requests promptly. Non-essential tasks, such as restocking or deep cleaning, can be postponed until after the peak hours. Simplifying the menu to feature easy-to-prepare, popular items can also help reduce kitchen workload and speed up service, ensuring that your team can manage the rush effectively.

The most important task of a shift manager is floor presence, an inspired leader knows when to oversee and when to imbed in service. Speaking with guests and ensuring an exceptional experience is a basic step of service but necessary to exceeding expectations. In times when the roster is challenged, it is most important that the Leaders are guest-facing, proactively contributing to the experience and ensuring that an issue such as being “short-staffed” is not a burden experienced by the guests entrusting us with their leisure time.

Exhibiting restraint and business maturity is important to achieve sales reflecting maintained value. The greatest negative impact to growing the business is stretching a roster when short staffed. If it means declining take-out to protect internal business or shutting down a section of the restaurant, an operator must do what’s necessary to protect the experience of the guests. It is not our patron’s fault that we are experiencing staffing issues, that burden should never impact the experience. A mature operator will protect the long term experience over short term gain.