Defined Systems of Service

I was consulting for an upscale restaurant awhile back, and after a few days on the job, asked the owner if I could be let in early one morning, two hours before any other staff arrived, to have a look around.  I was shocked at the lack of basic organization and cleanliness that I encountered.  The hot food window had wilted lettuce firmly stuck upon the

Ray Charles via last.fm

stainless steel, day old coffee was left in the shuttles, hardened rice and various other debris was swept into small piles in the corners, soiled towels were left out on counters, sugar caddies and condiments were halfway filled - it was a real mess.  I requested that the owner join me for a walk-through and promptly asked him if Ray Charles had closed the night before.
The owner seemed to believe that things weren't as bad as they looked, and commented on how the night before had been extremely busy.  He then said that he'd really need to talk to the kitchen crew and service staff about tightening it up a bit.  
I told him that it might be time to update the sidework and closing duty lists, and to reevaluate check out procedures.  He then explained that none of those things were ever created.  I then told him, with all due respect, that the problem wasn't with the staff but indeed lay with the owners and management team.
How can employees live up to the expectations of operators if they don't know what those expectations are?  Clearly defining duties and putting systems in place to ensure that they are being carried out properly truly is a core lesson in Running Restaurants 101.  
Specific cleaning and organizational needs vary from business to business, but it's safe to say that they need to be carefully assessed, documented, and related to all members of staff.  Duties that go undone often breed resentment among staff`members, and can sometimes lead to unnecessary, unproductive conflict. Not to mention the fact that disorganization and lack of proper cleanliness can substantially increase costs.
The use of checklists for prep, sidework, and opening/closing duties can help make your restaurant a better business with relatively little work.
As always, more information is available through my business, so please feel free to contact me if you have any questions!  Next time we'll examine the usefullness of pre-shift meetings.  Until then...mangi bene e sia bene! Grazie!