Restaurant Staff Training 101

Have you ever walked into a restaurant, excited for a great meal, but the server can’t answer your questions about the menu?

There was a time when 70% of F&B employees didn’t receive training for customer service. Without the right training, even the best menu or ambiance can fall short due to poor service, leading to dissatisfied customers and lost revenue.

A well-structured restaurant training program will let you turn this around. Proper staff training keeps your team knowledgeable, confident, and able to provide the kind of customer service that keeps guests coming back. 

How to create a restaurant training program

Creating your own restaurant training program makes sure you address the specific needs of your business. From onboarding new hires to upskilling existing staff, a comprehensive training program can improve customer service, boost efficiency, and foster a positive work culture. 

Step 1: Evaluate your restaurant's needs

Before you can create an effective restaurant training program, you need to know the skills and knowledge your restaurant staff needs to succeed in their roles and responsibilities.

Each restaurant has unique staff roles that require different types of training. Front-of-house (FOH) staff, like servers and hosts, will need customer service training, upselling techniques, and communication skills.

Back-of-house (BOH) staff, including chefs and kitchen assistants, will focus more on food safety, food handling, and kitchen equipment use. When creating a training plan, you must distinguish between these two areas.

For example, FOH staff may require service training on how to handle customer complaints or suggestions for upselling menu items, while BOH staff will need detailed instruction on food safety procedures and hygiene standards.

The complexity of your restaurant’s menu is another factor to consider when evaluating training needs. Restaurants with large or intricate menus will need to allocate more time to staff training on the ingredients, preparation methods, and food handling procedures.

Fine dining establishments may require staff to have in-depth knowledge of each dish, including wine pairings and ingredient sourcing, while a fast-casual restaurant may focus on quick service and consistent food prep.

Restaurants should periodically review and update their training program to align with any menu changes or new offerings. A well-informed team improves service, enhances the dining experience, and reduces errors in the kitchen.

Step 2: Develop role-specific training plans

Tailoring training programs to specific roles helps employees perform their jobs more efficiently. When restaurant employees understand exactly what is expected of them, you reduce confusion and errors.

Focused training also speeds up the onboarding process. Both restaurant owners and workers want to contribute to the restaurant's operations faster. Ideally, operators want new employees to be deployed in 12 days, while 55% of restaurant employees admitted they want shorter training periods that take only one to two weeks.

Let’s say you run a fast-casual restaurant. First, you must have a dedicated training plan for cashiers that covers using the POS system, handling payments, and managing customer queues to reduce wait times during peak hours.

If you have a bar, bartenders who are trained in specific drink preparation techniques and bar management will deliver faster and more consistent service, which enhances the overall customer experience.

When each member of your staff is fully trained in their respective roles, they can work together more effectively. A kitchen staff member who understands the timing needed for each dish can better coordinate with the serving staff so that food is delivered promptly and at the correct temperature.

It’s also important to develop specific training for restaurant managers. In fact, 80% of learning and development leaders say management and leadership skills are their top training priorities.

Managers are responsible for overseeing the entire staff and ensuring that the restaurant operates smoothly. By providing training that covers leadership skills, conflict resolution, and staff management, you can empower managers to handle day-to-day operations more effectively.

7shifts has developed its own hiring and training course for restaurants to help you with the entire recruitment and onboarding process. Our program includes resources for creating a job post, evaluating candidates, and equipping new hires with the skills they need for their roles.

Step 3: Set standards for the training process

Consistency is vital when it comes to successful restaurant training. Setting clear standards across all staff helps each restaurant employee stay on the same page as everyone else.

Meanwhile, inconsistent training can lead to misunderstandings, mistakes, and a breakdown in communication among your restaurant staff. When everyone receives the same level of training, they’re better equipped to handle their tasks with confidence, which results in smoother operations.

Consistent training also ensures that every customer gets the same high-quality service, whether they’re dining at your flagship location or a smaller branch.

To keep your training process consistent, create standardized materials like training manuals, checklists, and digital resources. These tools serve as a reference for restaurant employees, ensuring they know what’s expected of them and how to perform their duties.

Step 4: Allocate resources and budget for training

Without proper planning, your training program may lack the tools and support needed to effectively onboard and develop your restaurant staff. By setting aside the right resources—whether financial, time, or personnel—you can ensure your training program runs smoothly and delivers results.

One of the first steps is to determine how much budget you need for your restaurant training program. While every restaurant's needs are different, it's essential to consider the costs associated with training tools, materials, and the time spent by managers or senior staff conducting training.

Companies that prioritize comprehensive employee training see a 24% higher profit margin, which means they’re getting a significant return on their investments.

Aside from the financial investment, allocating time is just as important. Training takes time away from regular restaurant operations, and scheduling this time effectively is crucial.

Using restaurant scheduling software can make sure everyone, from the new hires to the staff and trainers, is aligned on when training is scheduled. This way, you make sure training happens consistently without compromising service. 

Restaurant training methods and best practices

One-on-one, group, online or blended, and simulations each have their own advantages and can be used to create a comprehensive training program. Using a mix of these methods provides your staff with well-rounded training that prepares them for their roles.

One-on-one training

Pairing new restaurant employees with an experienced team member for shadowing is a highly effective way to onboard staff. One-on-one training makes sure that new hires learn by watching and participating in real-time situations.

During a shadowing session, the new employee follows an experienced staff member throughout their shift, observing how they handle tasks such as customer service, food handling, and order management. This way, they see firsthand how the restaurant runs smoothly during both busy and quiet periods.

For example, a new server might learn how to manage multiple tables, upsell items on the menu, and handle customer complaints in a practical setting. It allows the new employee to ask questions in real-time and gain confidence by seeing how tasks are performed correctly.

One-on-one training also improves collaboration by having new staff experience the restaurant’s culture and join its operational flow right away. When new employees are trained by their peers or managers, they learn technical skills and also how to work seamlessly with the team.

Group training

Group training speeds up the onboarding process, especially for restaurants with high staff turnover or frequent new hires. Instead of repeating the same information one-on-one, you can save time and resources by training multiple employees at once.

Additionally, working together during training encourages collaboration from day one, which is necessary for smooth restaurant operations. When staff members go through training as a group, they begin forming connections and learning how to communicate and cooperate effectively.

Online and blended learning options

Using online platforms or courses like our free restaurant management courses can be game-changers, especially for larger businesses that need to train multiple employees efficiently. 

With online training, restaurant operators can guarantee that all staff receive consistent, high-quality instruction. This method works well for covering foundational topics, such as food safety, customer service protocols, or how to operate the restaurant's POS system.

A great benefit of online training platforms is that they reduce the burden on your managers and senior staff without compromising the onboarding process. You and your team can create a library of training materials, such as instructional videos, quizzes, and checklists, that staff members can access whenever needed.

On the other hand, blended learning combines the flexibility of online training with the effectiveness of hands-on experience. It gives restaurant employees the opportunity to learn theoretical concepts online and practice them in real-life situations.

Blended learning also enhances engagement because of human interaction. The combination of digital resources and real-world experience keeps employees motivated and better prepared for their roles.

Role-playing and simulations

Role-playing gives restaurant staff the chance to step into different roles and tackle potential issues that may arise during a shift. With it, you can simulate real-life interactions, such as handling difficult customers, managing order errors, or addressing special dining requests. 

Practicing these situations during training helps restaurant staff develop the communication skills and quick thinking needed to deliver excellent customer service.

For example, one staff member could play the role of a dissatisfied customer while another practices resolving the issue professionally and efficiently. This could involve calming the customer, offering solutions, or processing a refund.

By running through this scenario during training, the employee becomes more confident handling similar situations during actual shifts, minimizing stress and errors when it matters most.

Which training method is best for restaurant staff?

Choosing the best training method for your restaurant depends on your staff size, operational needs, and the type of training required. That’s why you need to assess your current needs and resources to figure out how you can combine them for your training program.

One-on-one, group, or online training has its strengths. One-on-one training is ideal when you need to provide personalized attention to new hires.

Meanwhile, group training works best for restaurants with larger staff volumes, such as chain restaurants or those preparing for busy seasons. Online training is flexible and scalable, which helps you provide ongoing training that staff can access on-demand. 

How long should restaurant staff training be?

Restaurant staff training depends largely on the new hire’s role and task types, along with your restaurant’s operational needs. Some roles, like servers and hosts, may require only a few days of training, while specialized roles, like line cooks or bartenders, may take weeks or months. 

Restaurant employee training duration

You can get servers, hosts, and bussers up to speed with a short-term training program that takes between one to five days. These positions already require basic knowledge of customer service and POS systems, so you just need to introduce your menu to them.

A five-day program can look something like:

• Day 1-2: General introduction to the restaurant, customer service basics, and menu knowledge.

• Day 3-4: Shadowing a senior server to learn order-taking, upselling techniques, and handling POS systems.

• Day 5: Hands-on experience with supervision, allowing the new server to handle tables on their own.

Short-term programs are best for roles that rely on repetition and hands-on learning, such as FOH positions where staff interact directly with customers. These programs ensure that employees can start contributing quickly without sacrificing service quality.

For positions such as kitchen staff, bartenders, or supervisors, you’ll need a more comprehensive training approach. These roles require greater technical skills and knowledge, such as food preparation, kitchen safety, and advanced POS systems, which take more time to master.

Meanwhile, training for managerial positions and highly specialized roles like head chefs should take at least a month. These programs often include leadership development, advanced knowledge of the restaurant's operations, and in-depth training on managing staff and customer service excellence.

Factors that can influence the length of training new restaurant hires

Restaurant owners and managers need to consider the specific demands of their restaurants and their staff’s experience levels when deciding on training duration. It’s important to optimize your program for your operational needs and available resources for training.

1. Menu complexity

Employees need time to learn the intricacies of each dish, from ingredients to preparation methods, as well as how to accommodate special dietary needs. As such, the more items you offer on your menu, the longer you’ll have to train your new hires. 

To put this into perspective, a fine-dining restaurant with a diverse menu that includes wine pairings, specialty dishes, and rotating seasonal offerings will require more time to train its kitchen and waitstaff compared to a quick-service restaurant with a simplified menu.

You can break down the menu into manageable sections and introduce them gradually during training. Train kitchen staff on core dishes first, then move to more complex or seasonal items so that they can master the basics before moving on. 

2. Tools used

You’ll also have to consider the tools your staff needs to learn, from POS systems and online ordering platforms to reservation software and kitchen display systems. The more software you use and the more complex they are, the longer it’ll take to train your employees to use these tools efficiently.

3. Staff turnover

In restaurants with high staff turnover, managers may need to shorten their training programs to get employees ready quickly. However, they mustn’t compromise the quality of training. While managers may expedite training, they should ensure that key safety and operational standards are still covered thoroughly.

4. Role-specific demands

Different roles and their tasks will also affect the time needed for training. As mentioned, servers and bussers may have shorter training periods, while BOH roles like cooks or sous chefs will need longer training to master food preparation, safety protocols, and teamwork in the kitchen.

5. Employee experience levels

Take note of your new hires’ experience levels, too. Experienced restaurant employees will typically need less time to get accustomed to the workflow, while those new to the industry will need more hands-on training.

6. Restaurant size

The size and layout of the restaurant can also impact the duration of the training. Larger restaurants with multiple dining areas or kitchens may require longer orientation periods for employees to become familiar with the layout, service flow, and team coordination, especially during peak hours.

How to track the effectiveness and success of staff training

Restaurant staff training shouldn’t stop at the initial onboarding. You must evaluate how effective your training programs are by tracking the right KPIs and getting feedback from your team and managers, which can help you understand what's working well and where you can make improvements. 

Set the KPIs you want to track

KPIs help restaurant managers and owners measure the effectiveness of staff training. Tracking the right KPIs will show how well training improves performance, customer satisfaction, and overall restaurant efficiency.

• Service time: How quickly staff take orders, deliver food, and turn tables.

• Customer satisfaction: Review online ratings and surveys for feedback on service quality.

• Employee retention: Measure how long staff stay with the restaurant after completing training.

• Sales performance: Track changes in average order values and sales growth after training.

• Error rates: Monitor the number of order mistakes or customer complaints post-training.

• Employee engagement: Check in with employees to see how confident and engaged they feel in their roles after training.

Talk with your staff and managers

Aside from tracking quantitative data, gathering feedback from both your staff and managers can also help you improve your restaurant training processes. Open communication allows you to address challenges and make necessary adjustments as quickly as possible.

Ask new hires what they found helpful, what areas they struggled with, and whether they feel prepared for their roles. Their feedback can reveal gaps in the training process that managers might not have noticed.

Use short surveys or informal one-on-one discussions to gather insights. For example, after a week of training, ask employees how confident they feel about using the POS system or handling customer interactions to identify areas needing additional attention.

On the other hand, your managers and experienced employees who handle staff training are on the front lines, so their feedback is equally important. Trainers can provide insights into how well employees are picking up new skills and whether the current training program is working efficiently. 

They can also suggest ways to simplify the training process based on their experience.

Importance of ongoing training

One of the key reasons employees leave restaurants is a lack of growth opportunities. In fact, 90% of workers said they’re more likely to stay in their roles if they receive development opportunities. Offering ongoing restaurant employee training helps employees feel valued and see potential for advancement within your organization.

Schedule regular training sessions that go beyond the basics. For instance, you can include specific skill-building sessions tailored to roles, such as advanced cooking techniques for chefs or upselling strategies for servers.

In addition to job-specific skills, offering staff the chance to advance into leadership roles through training is a powerful motivator.

Building a more effective team

If you want your restaurant to succeed, you should invest in your staff through comprehensive training and development programs. Equip them with the skills they need to deliver excellent service, and they’ll keep your customers coming back.

7shifts can help you simplify the training and onboarding process by offering a complete suite of restaurant management tools. Collect and store essential documents, integrate new hires into the shift rotation, and keep trainees updated on their tasks and progress. 

Build a stronger, more engaged workforce with 7shifts today!