post image

Keep Your Kitchen and Staff Out of the Weeds

As more people return to restaurants, don't risk overwhelming your kitchen and adding to the stress level in your restaurant. Here are some ways to help improve cook line productivity and enable the kitchen to better handle those inevitable spikes in business.

Big party ticket management
One method for handling large parties is to divide the order tickets into groups of no more than 8-10 (maybe even fewer) guests per ticket. Rather than assign the same table number to each check, the server assigns the table number + 1 for the first ticket, 2 for the second, and so on (i.e. table 30 would be numbered 301, 302, 303, etc.). This tells the kitchen that all of these tickets go together but allows them to process each ticket separately so that other tables can get their food without waiting for the entire big top to get served. Breaking orders into manageable tickets can help keep the plating and holding areas clear and organized.

Switch menu emphasis to another station by creating specials
Identify the nights most likely to be heavy business in short time spans. For example, if your kitchen routinely gets bogged down at the sauté station, then offer several specials that are produced at other stations such as fry, grill, or salad station. Never offer a special that can overload the sauté station on busy nights.

Do a pre-shift line check and prep ahead The most important factor in achieving faster meal production is to prep and pre-portion enough product before the shift begins. Use a line check form before each shift to ensure stations are properly stocked and ready for the rush.

Redesign kitchen line - temporarily
Although this may not be an option for everyone, consider adding a temporary or portable cooking station to prep areas for handling overloads. Many POS can temporarily redirect a menu item to another station. Consider adding a POS printer for the temporary station and, for designated periods of time, send all orders for specific dishes there instead of to the station that typically gets bogged down.

Space your reservations & seating times
Tabletop reservation placards can be used as a tool to offset negative customer perception of empty tables while a waitlist is in effect. If your kitchen design limits the number of dishes that can be prepared in a specific time frame, then the only way to reduce ticket times may be to leave some open tables for a short period in order to increase guest satisfaction and keep ticket times within range.

Better planning and systems will help you dramatically improve your staff's ability to handle large parties and spikes in business. Also, ask your staff for their ideas. Some team members may have valuable insights that you and your management team may have overlooked.

Source: Restaurant Owner