15 Ways to Improve Productivity in a Restaurant

As a restaurant manager or operator, you are the driving force in productivity –  leading your staff and keeping customers happy. However, productivity is more easily trained than managed.  

Staff productivity plays a big role in restaurant revenue. Having an efficient and productive team lets you save on operational costs and pay them as fit, which is one of the top ways to retain restaurant workers.

Taking a closer look at your operations and implementing strategies can transform your restaurant’s performance and create a more positive and successful work environment.

1. Set SOPs and resources for daily and weekly tasks

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) provide clear guidelines for your staff, helping them understand their roles and responsibilities. It can improve productivity by removing confusion and reducing time spent wondering what to do next.

Start by listing all the tasks that need to be completed every day and week. This includes opening and closing procedures, cleaning schedules, inventory checks, and customer service protocols.

Write down each step required to complete each task. Be specific and clear to avoid any confusion. For instance, an SOP for opening the restaurant might include steps like turning on the lights, checking reservations, and prepping the kitchen. Clear instructions make employees 53% more efficient.

Additionally, specific employees should be assigned to oversee the adherence to SOPs. Your manager can monitor inventory checks, while a server team leader can oversee cleaning schedules. When staff know they are accountable, they are more likely to follow procedures diligently.

2. Empower and engage your staff

When your team feels valued and involved, they work harder and provide better service. Provide opportunities for personal development to help them learn new skills and improve their performance.

Letting your staff have a say in how things are done also makes them feel a sense of ownership and responsibility. Ask your servers for feedback on the menu or suggestions to improve service.

It’s a win-win since they’re in the FOH and would likely know the best ways to enhance customer experience. Plus, it shows how you respect their input and expertise.

Don’t forget to show appreciation for your staff by recognizing their hard work. One of the best ways to motivate restaurant staff is to give credit where credit is due. Appreciate their efforts through verbal praise, small rewards, or performance bonuses. 

Regular recognition and feedback don’t just boost employee productivity. In our restaurant employee engagement report, we found that 68% of employees also said they’re more likely to stay with a company if their efforts are noticed.

3. Adopt tech solutions

Using the right technology can help your team work more efficiently and provide better service to your customers. For instance, restaurant menu costing can be incredibly time-consuming for owners. It can be difficult to stay on top of deals and prices, especially when you have to juggle 300+ ingredients each week.

With the slim margins, there’s tremendous pressure to pour through each of your supplier’s catalogs in an attempt to alter your menu items to make sure you don’t order when prices are high.

Luckily, there are restaurant management tools that can help you with different BOH tasks. For example, BlueCart, an online and mobile ordering/inventory management platform, offers restaurants the opportunity to gain insights into their on-hand inventory. The tool also allows you to see deals/specials offered by your suppliers, so you’re always ordering what will net you the most profit at the end of the day.

Reservation and POS systems, like SEVENROOMS, Toast, Lightspeed, and TouchBistro, help you track table availability and manage reservations efficiently. When integrated with your POS, these tools reduce order mistakes and speed up the billing process. As a result, you can provide faster service and have happier customers.

A task management app like 7shifts also makes the process of creating daily, weekly, or one-time tasks easier. Plus, it lets you see the progress of each task, so you can track employee productivity, increasing task completion rates by 37%.

4. Set up online reservations

An online reservation system helps FOH restaurant staff manage bookings efficiently and reduce wait times, which enhances the overall customer experience.

Start by selecting an online reservation system that fits your restaurant’s needs. Look for features like real-time table availability, automated confirmations, and integration with your POS system.

Next, make it easy for customers to book a table by adding a reservation widget to your website and linking it to your social media profiles. This integration allows customers to book directly from platforms they already use, which reduces the chances of missed reservations.

Use the data from your online reservation system to track metrics like peak booking times, average party size, and no-show rates. Understanding this data helps you make better decisions to track table performance and staff productivity.

For example, if you notice a high number of reservations during lunch hours, you can adjust your staff schedule to make sure you have enough servers to accommodate the influx of guests.

5. Implement contactless payments

Offering contactless payment options lets you speed up transactions and improve the overall customer experience. Many modern POS solutions now offer mobile and contactless payment integrations. These technologies allow customers to pay quickly using Apple Pay, Google Pay, or by scanning QR codes.

Aside from reducing the time spent handling cash, contactless payments also help boost customer satisfaction. 70% of diners prefer the convenience and safety these offer, especially since they reduce the likelihood of physical contact.

Inform your customers that you offer contactless payment options. Use signs at the counter, mention them on your website, and include them in your advertising materials. 

6. Optimize staff scheduling

Having the right number of people for each shift can boost your restaurant’s productivity. Tools like 7shifts help you create efficient schedules by forecasting busy times using previous data. It lets you track earned vs actual labor hours so that you can be sure everyone is working efficiently.

When you know your busiest times, you can schedule more staff and reduce unnecessary overtime. Overtime can increase labor costs, which should ideally be between 29% and 33% of your total revenue.

It can also lead to employee fatigue since they’ll be overworked some days while being unproductive on other days. Inconsistent scheduling can negatively impact employee morale and restaurant performance. 

7. Simplify your menu

If you haven’t optimized your menu items, you should look into it as a factor to boost productivity. A long menu can confuse staff and slow down service. A simpler menu lets your kitchen staff be more consistent with food quality while also mastering the preparation, reducing serving times.

Keep your menu simple by offering dishes that are easy to prepare. For example, instead of 10 different pasta options, offer three that are quick to make and use similar ingredients.

Look at your menu to see which dishes are the most popular. If your chicken salad is ordered more than other dishes, keep it on the menu and consider removing less popular items.

Menu engineering, or designing menus strategically to maximize profitability, also comes into play. The process involves evaluating dish performance, ingredient costs, and customer preferences, then placing the popular items strategically on the menu.

By featuring your best dishes, you help customers decide quickly, which can help your staff prepare the food right away.

8. Make work communication easier

Clear and efficient communication helps your team work together smoothly and provide better service to your customers. 7shifts has a team communication feature that allows teams to send real-time messages or one-way announcements.

You can also hold short, regular meetings to discuss updates, address concerns, and share feedback. These meetings can be virtual or in-person and help maintain open lines of communication.

For example, a weekly team meeting can highlight what went well, discuss any issues, and plan for upcoming events. Regular meetings keep your staff engaged and informed, leading to better performance and productivity.

More than providing tools to boost communication, it’s important to create an environment where employees feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and suggestions. You can do this by actively listening to your team and acknowledging their input.

9. Consider changing your restaurant layout

If you’ve noticed that food’s getting delivered longer or more accidents have been happening, your restaurant layout might be the culprit. Check your current floor plan and identify areas where staff have to move too much or where customers feel crowded.

For example, if the kitchen is too far from the dining area, it slows down service. Having tables too close together can also make it difficult for servers to navigate the floor efficiently and safely.

Design paths that allow employees and customers to move without getting in each other’s way. Make sure there is enough space between tables and that staff can easily reach all areas.

The space needed for your service area depends on how many meals you expect to serve per day and the type of restaurant you run. It can range between 75 sq. ft. and 200 sq. ft.

When designing your restaurant floor plan, consider factors like your customers and brand, building codes, accessibility, financial capacity, and, of course, flow and efficiency.

10. Listen to what customers are saying

Talk to your customers and listen to what they’re saying about their overall dining experience. Set up ways to collect feedback from your diners, like comment cards or online surveys. You can also check digital review platforms like Yelp and Google Reviews. 

Look at the data you collect to find common themes and areas that need improvement. For example, if many customers mention long wait times, this is a clear sign that you need to adjust your staff schedules or reevaluate your kitchen processes. 

Show your customers that you value their opinions by responding quickly to their feedback. Thank them for their input and inform them about any changes you plan to make. For example, if a customer leaves a positive review, acknowledge it publicly or offer a discount on their next visit. Prompt responses build customer trust and loyalty, which can lead to increased sales and employee productivity.

11. Check equipment regularly

Equipment breakdowns can significantly disrupt your restaurant’s workflow. Regular maintenance helps prevent unexpected breakdowns that can halt food preparation and service.

Set up a regular maintenance schedule for all your kitchen equipment, like ovens, refrigerators, dishwashers, and more. In QSRs, it’s found that walk-in coolers (18%) break down the most, while ice-makers (15%) and reach-in refrigerators (14%) come in second and third place.

Assign managers or designated employees to perform regular inspections of all equipment. Have them look for signs of damage, wear, or malfunction and keep records, including dates of maintenance activities, tasks performed, and any repairs made.

To avoid costly repairs due to neglected wear and tear, make sure your restaurant staff knows how to use equipment correctly. Show them how to operate each machine properly, like maintaining oven temperatures and cleaning refrigerator coils.

12. Invest in time-saving kitchen equipment

Modern equipment can reduce manual labor time while helping you provide consistent food quality. Consider combination ovens, which can bake, steam, roast, and grill all in one unit. These can reduce cooking time by as much as 70%, which makes them ideal for restaurants that serve multiple cuisines or have diverse menu items.

Automated dishwashers also save time and allow your staff to focus on more critical tasks. Look for equipment with smart features like programmable settings, self-cleaning modes, and energy efficiency.

Meanwhile, a sous vide machine can prepare steaks to the exact doneness required without constant monitoring. Chefs can program precise temperatures and cooking times to reduce human error and multitask more efficiently. 

13. Use color-coded systems

Color-coding is an easy way to organize your kitchen and speed up food preparation. Bonus points for preventing cross-contamination, too.

Assign different colors to your cutting boards and containers, allowing your staff to identify which ones to use at a glance. For example, red is used for raw meats, green is used for vegetables, and blue is used for seafood. For food storage, use yellow containers for dairy products, white for grains, and purple for sauces.

Other things you can color-code are your cleaning supplies and waste bins. You can also set apart different zones, like hot holding areas, cold storage zones, prep areas, and dry storage.

These color-coded systems help staff quickly identify the right tools and prevent potential food safety issues. With this clear, visual organization method, you make food preparation more efficient and safer.

14. Implement prep stations

Having dedicated prep stations reduces movement and minimizes time spent searching for ingredients. Assign specific areas in your kitchen for different tasks, such as chopping, cooking, plating, and assembling dishes.

For example, you can set up a chopping station with all the necessary knives and cutting boards for vegetables. Meanwhile, a cooking station near the stoves and ovens can help chefs quickly transfer prepped ingredients to the heat source.

Place related stations close to each other to streamline the workflow. Doing so allows your team to work more efficiently by reducing movement.

Make sure all ingredients are within easy reach at each prep station. Use labeled shelves and color-coded storage containers to keep ingredients organized and accessible.

15. Train your restaurant staff continuously 

Help your staff succeed in their roles through continuous learning. Develop programs that teach them essential skills, knowledge of efficient service techniques, and menu knowledge.

Use different training methods to cater to various learning styles. Consider hands-on training, online courses, and interactive workshops, which help them retain the information better.

Make training a regular part of your restaurant’s routine. Schedule monthly or quarterly training sessions to keep staff updated on new procedures, menu changes, or customer service techniques.

The importance of continuous training cannot be overstated. By investing in your employees’ professional development, you create a more skilled, confident, and motivated workforce.

Find ways to boost employee productivity and customer service

Transform your team into a high-performing, motivated workforce by helping them understand their roles and potential. When employees know what is expected of them and feel confident in their abilities, they provide better service to their customers.

Optimize staff schedules, improve communication, and boost overall productivity with 7shifts. Our restaurant employee scheduling software lets you easily create efficient shift schedules and fosters open communication for a more engaged and efficient team.