Restaurant Management

Restoran Yönetimi

RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT

Professional restaurant management is not only opening the doors of a business and making the staff work. Restaurant management means managing kitchen production, dining room service flow, guest experience, menu sales power, cost control, staff performance, storage order, purchasing accuracy and the daily reputation of the brand at the same time.

Restaurant management, within our service areas, is different from general business management. Business management is a broader concept; it includes finance, staff, sales, marketing and administrative decisions. Restaurant management includes all of these, but also includes live service pressure, kitchen production, table turnover, guest satisfaction, recipe standards, product waste, daily supply, food safety, service speed and instant operational decisions.

This must not be forgotten: Business management is not restaurant management.

Restaurant management is more sensitive, faster and more connected to the field. Because in a restaurant, mistakes cannot be postponed. A delayed plate in the kitchen, a waiting guest in the dining room, an incorrectly priced menu, uncontrolled waste, missing staff, weak greeting or poor stock management affects the profit and reputation of the business on the same day.

Successful restaurant management is management with a system, reports, control, standards and an understanding of the guest.

WHAT IS RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT?

Professional operation setup supports the management process used to plan, apply, measure and improve the daily, weekly and monthly working order of the restaurant. In this process, not only revenue but also service quality, cost, kitchen efficiency, staff performance, product standard, stock order, service speed and guest satisfaction are managed together.

If a restaurant is managed correctly:

The kitchen knows what to produce

The dining room team knows how to serve

The staff know their duties

Storage knows how much stock to keep

Purchasing knows which product to buy and at what price

The menu shows which product creates profit

The cash register gives a clear daily result

The business owner sees the real picture

The guest experiences the same quality at every visit

Restaurant management is not done by guessing. Restaurant management is done with data, observation, discipline, training and the ability to make the right decision in the field.

HOW IS A RESTAURANT MANAGED?

Restaurant management happens when every department is established correctly and works together. If the kitchen, dining room, storage, cash register and purchasing are considered separately, the business becomes fragmented. In successful restaurants, all departments work toward the same goal: quality product, correct service, controlled cost, satisfied guest and sustainable profit.

Restaurant management must answer these basic questions:

How many guests are expected today?

Which products will sell more?

Is the kitchen preparation enough?

Is there any missing product in storage?

Is the number of staff suitable for the expected intensity?

Are profitable menu items being highlighted?

Is service speed being controlled?

Is table turnover time being tracked?

Are daily revenue and cost measured correctly?

Are guest complaints recorded?

If these questions are not tracked daily, the restaurant is not managed; it only survives the day.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT AND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Business management manages the general structure. Restaurant management manages both the general structure and the live reality of service.

Business management includes finance, human resources, marketing, sales and administrative decisions. Restaurant management includes these areas, but also includes special areas such as:

Kitchen production flow

Recipe and portion standards

Service sequence

Table turnover speed

Cover tracking

Average check

Product waste

Daily stock usage

Purchasing price changes

Guest greeting

Complaint management

Hygiene and food safety

Plate output time

Staff service behavior

Menu sales performance

For this reason, restaurant management is not managed only from a desk. Numbers are reviewed, service is watched, the kitchen is listened to, guests are understood, staff are directed and the system is constantly improved.

HOW ARE RESTAURANT DEPARTMENTS MANAGED?

The success of a restaurant depends on the correct management of its departments. Every department must have a duty, report, responsible person, standard and checklist.

KITCHEN MANAGEMENT

With professional kitchen consulting, the kitchen becomes the strong production center of the restaurant. If the kitchen is not managed well, service slows down, product quality declines, cost increases, staff become tired and guest satisfaction decreases.

In kitchen management, the following points must be controlled:

Daily production plan

Mise en place preparation

Station task distribution

Recipe standard

Portion control

Plate output time

Product quality

Waste and loss tracking

Cold chain control

Hygiene rules

Equipment use

Staff discipline

End-of-day kitchen report

A well-managed kitchen does not only cook food. It manages time, product, cost and quality together.

DINING ROOM AND SERVICE MANAGEMENT

The dining room is the area where the restaurant meets the guest face to face. The guest often evaluates the restaurant through the behavior of the dining room team. For this reason, service management is one of the most critical parts of restaurant management.

In dining room management, the following points are controlled:

Greeting standard

Reservation order

Table plan

Table turnover time

Waiter section distribution

Service sequence

Product explanation

Suggestive selling language

Beverage service

Guest tracking

Complaint management

Payment and farewell process

Dining room cleaning order

Good service does not only feed the guest; it makes the guest feel valued. This feeling is often what brings the guest back to the restaurant.

PURCHASING MANAGEMENT

In a restaurant, profit begins to be protected through supply management at the purchasing stage. Wrong product, wrong price, wrong quantity or uncontrolled supplier selection increases the cost of the restaurant.

In purchasing management, the following points are important:

Supplier selection

Price comparison

Product quality control

Order approval system

Daily and weekly purchasing plan

Price change tracking

Delivery control

Invoice and delivery note control

Alternative supplier plan

Seasonal product planning

Purchasing is not only buying products. Purchasing means managing quality, cost and continuity.

STORAGE AND STOCK MANAGEMENT

If storage is not controlled, the money of the restaurant disappears invisibly. Spoiled products, over-purchased materials, incorrectly stored food, unrecorded exits and unplanned stock melt the profit of the business.

In storage and stock management, the following points are tracked:

Goods receiving control

Dry storage order

Cold storage order

Deep freezer control

Expiration date tracking

FIFO application

Minimum stock level

Maximum stock level

Daily storage exits

Stock count

Waste records

Product turnover speed

Good storage management is the hidden profitability area of the restaurant. When storage is managed correctly, cost decreases, product loss is reduced and menu continuity is protected.

COST AND FINANCE MANAGEMENT

A restaurant may be full but not profitable without professional cost analysis and control. For this reason, one of the most important subjects in restaurant management is cost and finance control.

The main cost headings that must be tracked are:

Food cost

Beverage cost

Staff cost

Rent expense

Energy expense

Maintenance expense

Cleaning expense

Waste and loss cost

Commission expenses

Marketing expenses

In restaurant management, looking only at revenue is not enough. Revenue is not profit. What matters is how much of the revenue remains in the business.

MENU MANAGEMENT

The menu is the sales plan of the restaurant. If the menu is not managed correctly, the kitchen becomes tired, stock increases, cost rises and guest preferences are read incorrectly.

In menu management, these questions are asked:

Which product sells a lot?

Which product creates profit?

Which product does not sell?

Which product slows down the kitchen?

Which product creates stock burden?

Which product increases brand value?

Which product needs a price update?

Which product should be removed from the menu?

In a restaurant without professional menu management, products simply stay on a list. In a restaurant with menu management, products serve sales, profit and guest loyalty.

STAFF MANAGEMENT

Restaurant staff are not only employees. Staff are the representatives of the brand in front of the guest. Without professional staff training and correct staff management, the restaurant works with different quality every day.

In staff management, these points are tracked:

Job descriptions

Shift plan

Day-off order

Staff performance

Product knowledge

Service training

Hygiene training

Uniform standard

Behavior standard

Internal team communication

Motivation

Discipline

Well-managed staff increase the speed and quality of the restaurant. Poorly managed staff weaken even the strongest concept.

GUEST RELATIONS MANAGEMENT

In our business, there are no customers; there are guests. Guest relations management plays a decisive role in the long-term success of the restaurant.

In guest relations, the following points are important:

Greeting

First impression

Reservation tracking

Special day records

Complaint management

Thanking and farewell

Returning guest tracking

Guest comments

Online reviews

Loyalty practices

A satisfied guest does not only return. A satisfied guest talks about the restaurant, recommends it and becomes a voluntary representative of the brand.

HYGIENE, QUALITY AND FOOD SAFETY MANAGEMENT

Hygiene is an area where no compromise can be made in restaurant management. Hygiene is necessary not only for inspection, but also for guest health, brand reputation and business safety.

The points that must be controlled are:

Kitchen cleanliness

Dining room cleanliness

Staff hygiene

Handwashing order

Cross-contamination risk

Cold chain control

Product storage conditions

Cleaning schedules

Pest control

Waste management

Equipment cleaning

Professional quality management means protecting the same standard every day. If the guest was satisfied today, they must find the same quality tomorrow.

WHICH REPORTS SHOULD BE TAKEN IN A RESTAURANT?

A restaurant without regular performance analysis and reports cannot be managed. Reports are the eyes of the business owner. Without correct reports, profit, loss, waste, sales, staff efficiency and guest satisfaction cannot be seen clearly.

The reports that should be taken regularly in restaurants are:

DAILY REVENUE REPORT

Total daily sales, cash, credit card, online payment, takeaway and discounts must be seen separately.

COVER REPORT

How many guests were served daily, which hours were busy and how much was spent per guest must be tracked.

AVERAGE CHECK REPORT

The income earned per guest must be seen. If the average check is low, menu guidance, sales language and pricing structure must be reviewed.

PRODUCT SALES REPORT

Which products sell a lot, which products sell less, which products create profit and which products tire the kitchen must be seen.

MENU PROFITABILITY REPORT

For every product, recipe standardization, cost and selling price must be compared. Products that sell a lot but do not create profit must be identified.

STOCK REPORT

Product quantities in storage, consumption speed, missing items, excess stock and expiration risks must be tracked.

PURCHASING REPORT

Which product was purchased from whom, at what price and on which date must be seen. Price changes must be followed regularly.

WASTE AND LOSS REPORT

Products that spoiled, spilled, were prepared incorrectly, returned or thrown away without use must be recorded.

STAFF PERFORMANCE REPORT

Service speed, sales success, guest feedback, attendance and task discipline must be tracked.

TABLE TURNOVER REPORT

How quickly tables are filled, how quickly they are emptied and how many times tables turn during busy hours must be monitored.

COMPLAINT AND GUEST COMMENT REPORT

Guest complaints, online comments, repeated problems and satisfaction areas must be analyzed regularly.

PROFIT AND LOSS REPORT

Weekly and monthly income, expenses, cost, staff, rent, energy and other expenses must be seen clearly.

WHAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IN RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT?

The most important point in restaurant management is that everything is connected. If the menu changes, purchasing changes. If purchasing changes, cost changes. If cost changes, price changes. If price changes, guest perception changes. If service changes, return rate changes.

For this reason, restaurant management must be done as a whole, not in pieces.

The main points to consider are:

Menu costs must be updated regularly

Staff training must be continuous

Storage must be checked every day

Waste records must be kept

Guest comments must be taken seriously

Service speed must be measured

Table turnover must be tracked

Supplier prices must be compared

Hygiene schedules must be applied

POS reports must be reviewed daily

Profitable menu items must be highlighted

The business owner must look not only at revenue, but also at profit

RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT WITH ŞEF AHMET ÖZDEMİR

Şef Ahmet Özdemir's restaurant consulting and management approach handles kitchen, service, menu, cost, staff, quality, guest experience and operation system together.

The goal is not only to make the restaurant work. The goal is to make the restaurant work with a system, control its cost, manage its team correctly, satisfy its guests and carry the business to sustainable profit.

Some details in restaurant management are not written in books. Which product slows down the kitchen, which staff behavior loses the guest, which table layout reduces revenue, which purchasing mistake increases cost, which service sentence affects the guest; these are understood through field experience.

Correct restaurant management does not only save today. It also secures the future of the business.

CONCLUSION

Restaurant management is a special discipline separate from business management. Because a restaurant is a living system with its kitchen, service, guest, menu, cost, staff, storage, purchasing and daily operation.

Successful restaurant management is built on good food, strong service, controlled cost, trained staff, correct reporting, clean storage, organized kitchen, satisfied guests and sustainable profit.

Managing a restaurant is not only passing the day. Managing a restaurant means producing the same quality every day, controlling cost every day, satisfying guests every day and strengthening the brand a little more every day.

Chef Ahmet ÖZDEMİR

International Restaurant Consultant

International Culinary Consultant

International Hotel Kitchen Consultant

International Restaurant Setup Consultant

* www.restorankurulumu.com

* www.hasascibasiahmetozdemir.com

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