Managing a successful restaurant isn’t easy. It was never easy, but in year’s past a manager could get by on charisma and luck alone. Today, that is far from the case. From customer service to finding the best front and back of house staff to never-ending marketing – making sure your restaurant is a smooth-running operation takes a lot of skill.

That’s where Creative Coaching comes in. We know what it takes to launch and grow your restaurant brand. More importantly, we know what it takes to launch and grow any business. We have decades of experience helping entrepreneurs of all kinds find new levels of success.

Find some of the most effective restaurant management secrets below.  Learn them and start putting them into practice today. Don’t forget to check out our webinars for even more secrets to success too!

Communication is Key

This one is obvious, right? Wrong. You’d be amazed by the number of restaurant managers and owners who think its their way of the highway. They don’t communicate with their staff (unless you count yelling) or their patrons (unless you count taking photos with famous diners). They think they can coast by. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Communication is key to effectively managing a restaurant. This is true for internal communication, external communication, and all marketing communications. You should have regular staff meetings to help understand and address employee concerns. You should regularly listen to customer feedback, and we mean really listen. You should maintain an email list where you let subscribers know what’s going on with your restaurant.

Not only will these types of communication help improve the workplace for your employees and help your restaurant run smoother, but they’ll also begin to create a sense of brand loyalty among your patrons. That alone is worth its weight in gold.

You’re Only as Good as Your Staff

The tendency for managers of all kinds, from the food and hospitality industry all the way to the world of corporate business, is to take credit for their employees’ success. This isn’t done on purpose, it just sort of happens. Make no mistake, though, effective restaurant management secret number two is that you’re only as good as your staff.

Your staff is the backbone of your restaurant. This is true for front of the house and back of the house staff. Your job is to make sure they’re trained properly, doing their jobs correctly, and receiving instruction on how to improve and grow in their positions. Perhaps even more importantly, you need to make sure they’re working together seamlessly as a team to meet and exceed your diners’ expectations.  

We’re here to help if you need the extra edge on staff training. We have over thirty years of experience in creating and optimizing teams. We can take your staff and turn them into a well-oiled machine.

Customer Service = Growth

Effective restaurant management secret number three isn’t much of a secret at all. It’s a new way of looking at an old concept: sales. You may think sales don’t apply to your job. You’re running a business. You’re not booking clients. You’re not closing deals. You’re not upselling customers on a new wine or an expensive steak.

This is true…to a point. Delivering excellent customer service is your version of sales. Making sure that each and every individual who walks through your doors has an exemplary experience is how your restaurant grows. Sure, you can create strategic business partnerships and brand collaborations. Real success, though, will always be determined by your patrons.

Innovate at All Costs

When we say innovate, we don’t just mean make sure your menu or design is on the bleeding edge of hip. That’s important, but so is making sure your marketing and branding is innovative. This is easier said than done, of course, and can lead to any number of restaurant marketing mistakes.

Part of this is through the specific marketing channels and tactics you choose for your restaurant. A more important part, in our opinion anyway, is by creating unique experiences for your audience. Consider this: your brand is the connection your audience has with your company. If you want to create a lasting, memorable brand, then create lasting, memorable experiences.  

Know that you know our top effective restaurant management secrets, it’s time to put them into practice. Take advantage of your free one-on-one consultation with our business coaching experts today!