Teamwork & Total Restaurant Awareness

Welcome back to Running Restaurants 101!  Last time we conducted an overview on the importance of proper training.  Today, we'll be addressing two other crucial aspects of providing exemplary service: teamwork and awareness.

Just like any other team, restaurant staff members need to work together cohesively in order to get th job done right!  Whether your restaurant is focused on "one-on-one" service experiences in which guest contact is primarily limited to their server, or you run a restaurant that uses multi-server systems ( i.e. foodrunners, rovers, bussers), there still needs to be an active and clear line of communication between your employees.
There are few things more frustrating as a restaurant customer the

Image via Wikipedia

n waiting for assistance from your busy server while you observe other members of the staff standing around chewing the fat while they could be refilling your coffee.  For this reason it is imperative that you advise your crew to communicate effectively - asking for help when needed and offering it when able.  
That is where Total Restaurant Awareness comes in.  If your front of house staff is not constantly moving through the restaurant with their eyes wide open not to only their own sections, but the restaurant as a whole.
As I always tell my teams during pre-shift meetings, if one server is sipping tea in the back while another is running around like their butt is on fire and their feet are catchin', something's not right!
There are a lot of ways to foster teamwork and a solid awareness of surroundings, and it is well worth any manager or owner's time to research them.  I incorporate different techniques in the manuals I create, and am available to consult operators on the methods that have proven to be great successes.
Next time we'll be looking at structured service systems and the important roles they play.  Thanks for stopping by, and until next time...mangi bene e sia bene! Grazie!