Helpful tips for restaurant Managers

They offered you the position of the Restaurant Manager and you feel a little bit stressed. Understandable , because managing a restaurant is hard and it needs good leadership skills to succeed.


By Vassilios Canellos
This list of essential tips for new restaurant managers can help you succeed in the foodservice industry.

1. Take care of your attitude
Your attitude can seriously affect the mood of your environment. A negative attitude pass through your employees to your guests. Having a bad attitude can brush with pale colors their whole dining experience.

Work on keeping a positive attitude no matter what. Of course you’ll feel tensed from time to time, but try to have in mind the good moments and the appreciation you received from several guests until now. Recalling those good moments can make you feel relieved in certain cases.

 2. Manage proactively
In the restaurant business, sometimes things come at you unexpectedly. You need to be proactive instead of being reactive. This means that you do your best today, in order to have a smooth tomorrow.

Personnel needs, changes and updates to menus, decorations, wine lists are all factors that you need to act proactively. Try making a list of things you need to do in the next period. Then prioritize those items by importance and start.


3. Hands on
If you want your employees to perform always at a high level, you have to be the one that performs like this at first place. You can give them knowledge, or make short seminars, but leading by example make your staff understand exactly what you want and how you want it. If you need your waiters to follow a rule, do it yourself and follow it daily. If they watch you doing it they’ll be more likely to emulate your behavior than anything else.

4. Be a problem solver
Everything is possible when you work in a restaurant, from a cold plate to an insect on the food. It’s crucial to develop and strengthen your problem-solving skills so you can handle any emergencies.

Usually when you face a new problem, just find the simplest solution that solves the problem fast and effectively. Don’t overthink it. At the end of the night analyze it again and think of other possible solutions, so that you can be ready when you face such a problem again.

5. Be tough with the procedures but soft with the people
It may seem like a contradiction in terms, but a great restaurant manager needs to be tough but soft at the same time. You can try to reach your goals and drive your employees to improve by being strict with your schedules and procedures, while at the same time, you can be soft, understanding their needs and trying to be close to them.

6. Staff retention
Make staff retention number one priority. Constantly replacing staff can be a huge expense in your company. Customers in restaurants and generally in Hotels come for the whole experience and a big part of that experience is feeling nice with the staff. When they come again they get disappointed when they see only new faces.


7. Word-of-mouth & Socials
Word of Mouth is the most popular way that people choose a service. They pay attention to what trusted people say about a restaurant or a Hotel. Social media is the second most popular way that someone chooses a service. Online reviews matter. Maintaining a memorable experience that makes people to talk about your restaurant is crucial.


8. Think about you
A very helpful managerial tip is to think about your physical and mental health.

It sounds odd, but it’s realistic: restaurant work is hard work. A restaurant manager is out there on the floor, pulling long hours, standing on his feet, having the adrenaline levels going up and down. It’s exhausting. Physical exhaustment can lead to mental and the opposite.

Take care of your health, and stay fit. You don’t want dizziness and panic attacks get between you and your guests

9. Find someone to ask
Someone said once that the stupid people learn from their mistakes, the clever learn from others. Find someone that has covered the ground you are facing and try to ask him whatever you need. You will also find a lot of professional information on forums, blogs and other media. But nothing is more valuable than an experienced managerial professional that intends to assist you

The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority. - Kenneth Blanchard
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