12 Restaurant Management Tips to Get Happy Employees and a Successful Business

If you've ever had a frustrating server storm past you in a huff, then you know your restaurant could be doing better to make your staff happier. In addition, when you have a happy team, your customers are likely to be more comfortable, too.

While it may seem like a plausible restaurant marketing idea, it is also a method for boosting your business. Happy restaurant staff increases restaurant management tips and a more satisfied customer base. That says a lot about the effectiveness of this approach.

But what if you don't have the time or resources to make every server and dishwasher in your kitchen feel valued? Or what if you want to focus on more important things, like perfecting your recipes? That doesn't mean creating an environment where everyone knows their role and the kitchen runs smoothly is impossible. Your employees probably do these things. But you can help reinforce them with some simple but effective tips for smooth restaurant management.

This blog post features twelve restaurant management tips to help you get more out of your staff and keep them motivated while producing top-quality food for customers!

12 Restaurant Management Tips That Will Work for You

1. Communicate and Listen to Understand - Not to Respond

2. Enforce a Consistent and Clear Dress Code for All Employees

3. Encourage Your Employees to Give you Game Day News before the Big Game Is Over

4. Reward Employees Based on the Quality of Work and Consistency with a Schedule

5. Making Storytelling a Fun Part of the Job

6. Tell your Team to Relax

7. Rely on Young Employees Whenever Possible

8. Bestowing Praise on Happy Employees

9. Make Sure That Everyone Has a Voice - Encourage Discussion and Feedback

10. Have an Open-Door Policy for your Employees

11. Help your Employees Learn New Skills that will help them Reach Their Full Potential as Team Members

12. Employees are People Too - Treat Them as Such

1. Communicate and Listen to Understand - Not to Respond

When communicating with your employees, focus on what they tell you instead of formulating a response. The more you listen and understand (instead of just responding), the more you will get out of your team.

That is a small but essential way to ensure you constantly connect with your employees. When they feel heard, appreciated, and valued by their manager, they feel loved.

2. Enforce a Consistent and Clear Dress Code for All Employees

A good "dress code" will help your employees feel confident and motivated. Your restaurant may have a unique style that sets it apart from other businesses. But this doesn't mean that you should wear different clothes than your employees.

Show everyone that you are in charge by making sure you have dressed appropriately and by following the dress code of your restaurant.

Sometimes it's easier to enforce a dress code by using a uniform, like the uniforms used by some fast-food chains. So, be creative! If you don't have a uniform, you could ask each employee to pick their look. They can also wear more neutral colors or colors that match the color scheme of your business.

Having a consistent look will help your employees feel at home and recognize that they are team members. In addition, it would help you create good restaurant branding.

3. Encourage Your Employees to Give you Game Day News before the Big Game Is Over

Getting employees to work on game days can be challenging, but it is also critical to have them ready when customers arrive. If you have good relationships with your employees, ask them what they think will happen on game days.

Also, ask them how their families are doing and check in with them regularly, so you know what's going on with their family lives. If they have any news about sales or customer complaints, encourage them to bring it to your attention before your regular business hours.

If they can't find any information, ask them to get it in early so you can address the issue when customers come in. That will help reinforce the idea that you are a team and take care of each other.

4. Reward Employees Based on the Quality of Work and Consistency with a Schedule

It's important to reward employees who give excellent service and follow guidelines. But make sure that the rewards are tied to the quality of work output and not big picture goals like sales volume or time management.

You should also ensure that your rewards are consistent with the work schedule. You can't promise a bonus for an excellent week and then lower the amount or not pay it once you achieve the goals. Ensure you give all rewards immediately, to reinforce quality work and consistency.

Read Also: 15+ Unbelievable Reasons Why Do Restaurants Fail + Solutions to Them

5. Making Storytelling a Fun Part of the Job

Some of the best professional communicators are the ones who tell stories and make people laugh. And let's face it, working in a restaurant isn't exactly the first place you would expect to see someone who makes people laugh. But when you make happy employees feel like they can have fun at work–as opposed to being, you make all your customers more comfortable, too.

Above all, a good laugh is great for everyone. It de-stresses everyone in the room, including your servers and dishwashers. That way, you can get more work done without feeling hurried or distracted. If you have employees who can be funny, encourage them to use their humor to make work fun for themselves and everyone else. If being funny at work isn't your employees' personality, brainstorm ways to find humor in simple things they see every day.

6. Tell your Team to Relax

If you're a demanding boss, you'll always have difficulty keeping your staff happy. So relax with them and find ways to help them relax, too. A quick joke, a funny comment, or a smile can go a long way toward boosting their morale and giving them a moment of relief.

Don't expect them to do their jobs perfectly if they're walking around with knots in their stomachs all day because of how the boss makes them feel. But, if you can change this feeling for the better, you'll be surprised at how big an impact it can have on your bottom line over time.

7. Rely on Young Employees Whenever Possible

When it comes to hiring new people, look for the youngest candidates. That's because young employees are usually great with children. You may hire someone who has experience with children to create a kid-friendly restaurant environment.

8. Bestowing Praise on Happy Employees

Keep your employees happy and motivated by praising them for a job well done. That will help boost their confidence, leading to higher productivity and better performance! Restaurant owners should also be mindful of how they respond when an employee has made a mistake. Check out why do restaurants fail.

Do not ridicule employees who have made a mistake. Instead, take this opportunity as a learning experience that you may want to share with other staff members.

9. Make Sure That Everyone Has a Voice - Encourage Discussion and Feedback

As a restaurant owner, you must promote discussion and feedback from your employees. Restaurant owners should make themselves available for these conversations. That will enable them to get valuable information about the inner workings of their business.

Do not be afraid to ask questions! The more time restaurant owners spend with their staff members, the better they'll understand their needs. This strategy can lead to increased job satisfaction among your workforce. It can also result in a boost in productivity since everyone knows what is expected from them at work.

10. Have an Open-Door Policy for your Employees

One of the most practical restaurant management tips is implementing an open-door policy. It will allow your employees to convey any important information. If you are receptive and willing to listen, you can make necessary changes for all your workers to be happy. The implementation of this policy can make everyone feel more welcomed at work.

That is a great way to get feedback from your staff to work on problems before escalating further. That will help you build trust with the workforce, which results in happy employees and a successful business!

11. Help your Employees Learn New Skills that will help them Reach Their Full Potential as Team Members

Restaurant employees can always learn new skills and develop their full potential as team members. Please show your support for these hard-working individuals. Design creative and engaging workshops!

A shift in how you operate can make your restaurant staff more efficient. However, to build a successful team, all members must work together and learn.

12. Employees are People Too - Treat Them as Such

There's no need for restaurant owners and managers to treat their employees like robots! Treat your employees as real people. Respect them the same way as you respect your customers.

That means you should consider their needs and never forget their lives outside of work. They may also be experiencing hardships at home without letting you know. Don't forget to have a conversation with your staff members frequently.

Final Words

The purpose of this blog post is to help restaurant owners and managers run their businesses more successfully. Restaurant management from the top down should keep their employees happy. In turn, they will deliver better services to your customers. So, make sure you follow these twelve restaurant management tips to run a successful restaurant.