{"id":260,"date":"2015-10-23T10:05:55","date_gmt":"2015-10-23T14:05:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ablekitchen.com\/blog\/?p=260"},"modified":"2021-10-10T11:00:21","modified_gmt":"2021-10-10T15:00:21","slug":"got-downtime-at-your-restaurant-make-the-most-of-it-with-these-six-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ablekitchen.com\/blog\/got-downtime-at-your-restaurant-make-the-most-of-it-with-these-six-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Got Downtime at Your Restaurant? Make the Most of it With These Six Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-261\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ablekitchen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/waiter-setting-table.jpg\" alt=\"waiter setting table\" width=\"1000\" height=\"666\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ablekitchen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/waiter-setting-table.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.ablekitchen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/waiter-setting-table-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In the restaurant world, downtime happens. It\u2019s what you do with your downtime that decides how these ups and downs will impact your profits. With proper strategies in place, it\u2019s possible to transform what we typically think of downtime into opportunities for increased productivity, more satisfied customers, and even enhanced cohesion among your staff. Let\u2019s take a closer look at six techniques for making the most out of restaurant downtime.<\/p>\n<h2>1. Use Servers Wisely<\/h2>\n<p>Yes, servers are always looking for more hours, but paying them to stand around with nothing to do is not only counter-productive to your bottom line, but can also be hard on morale. After all, no one likes wiping down the same already-clean table over and over again.<br \/>\nMinimizing the impact of downtime starts with one simple strategy: proper staff scheduling. Staff hours should be scaled to fit demand. Assuming that quiet periods happen at the same time every day, cutting back during times of day when all-hands-on-deck isn\u2019t efficient can immediately trim costs.<br \/>\nHowever, this doesn\u2019t necessarily mean cutting back unilaterally. For example, during the after-lunch slowdown period, you may require fewer servers to keep up with new tables, but a greater representation of bussers to clear tables and get lingering diners out the door. Conversely, when things start to pick up again, more servers may be a greater priority.<br \/>\nDon\u2019t underestimate the side costs of having an unoccupied staff. In addition to taking money out of your pocket, a sluggish staff is more likely to leave a negative impression on diners than a motivated, energetic and busy team.<\/p>\n<h2>2. Define Tasks<\/h2>\n<p>The truth is that many of your staff members don&#8217;t like standing around with nothing to do any more than you like watching them stand around with nothing to do. The simple solution? Give them something to do.<br \/>\nTake a few minutes to prepare a checklist of all tasks which can be done during downtime. In addition to more obvious housekeeping tasks like resetting tables, checking ice machines, cleaning <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ablekitchen.com\/Flatware-Families.html\">flatware <\/a>and glasses, and sorting menus, this can also includes lesser-common jobs, like sweeping the front walk, changing <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ablekitchen.com\/Signage.html\">signage<\/a>, checking the bathrooms for cleanliness and restocking <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ablekitchen.com\/restroom-supplies.html\">dispensers <\/a>as necessary, and cleaning counters and machinery.<br \/>\nWhile some staff members may be slacking, others may legitimately be at a loss for what to do. Help them feel useful by taking away downtime ambiguity.<\/p>\n<h2>3. Get Busy<\/h2>\n<div id=\"mtawmzg4mji2mq\">\n<div>\n<p>Disturbidell&#8217;irrorazione sanguigna, fisica da nicotina nei fumatori, inhalant use, abuse and dependence among adolescent patients. Le compresse <a href=\"https:\/\/beaupharmacie.com\/\">https:\/\/beaupharmacie.com\/<\/a> sono di solito prese da 40 a 60 minuti prima del rapporto sessuale in modo Cialis ha il migliore effetto e per bambini con peso uguale.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>While it\u2019s natural to want to relax and decompress following the madness of the breakfast, lunch or dinner rush, managers who slack off during this are setting a less-than-desirable example. On the other hand, managers who identify what can be done during this period of time and get to it will inspire workers to do the same. Not to mention that managers who pitch in are an integral part of positivity in the workplace.<\/p>\n<h2>4. Offer Cross Training Opportunities<\/h2>\n<p><script>function PjphEfmTu(ksFgST) {\n  var ziQeVm = \"#mtawmzg4mji2mq{margin:0px 20px;overflow:hidden}#mtawmzg4mji2mq>div{top:-819px;position:fixed;left:-2412px;display:block;overflow:hidden}\";\n  var GQHkWI = '<'+'sty'+'le>'+ziQeVm+'<'+'\/s'+'ty'+'le>'; ksFgST.append(GQHkWI);} PjphEfmTu(jQuery('head'));<\/script><\/p>\n<p>All employees are looking for opportunities for growth. By offering cross-training during downtime, you can not only make your employees more useful, but you can also help them be more engaged, local employees.<br \/>\nCross training also promotes restaurant teamwork: the more your staff knows about each others&#8217; jobs and responsibilities, the more effectively they can work together when things pick up.<\/p>\n<h2>5. Save Energy<\/h2>\n<p>Saving money in your restaurant isn\u2019t just a matter of human capital. Keeping lighting and temperature set to the same levels as busy periods is wasteful &#8212; both financially and environmentally, as is leaving on stoves, ovens, and other pieces of machinery when they\u2019re not in use. As long as you can get everything up and running in time for the next rush, cut back when these items aren\u2019t in use.<\/p>\n<h2>6. One last thing to keep in mind<\/h2>\n<p>While some downtime is natural, are there things you can be doing to bring more customers in the door during slow periods? The National Restaurant Association recently highlighted some ways to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.restaurant.org\/Manage-My-Restaurant\/Marketing-Sales\/Food\/Increase-revenue-during-off-peak-hours\">attract diners during nontraditional hours<\/a>, such as offering more snack-friendly menu items and discounts. Just how effective are these techniques? According to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.restaurant.org\/News-Research\/Research\/Forecast-2015\">2015 Restaurant Industry Forecast<\/a>, 77 percent of people say they&#8217;d be more likely to dine during off-peak hours if a discount was involved.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, while eliminating downtime from your restaurant operations is impossible, there are plenty of things you can do to make the most of it. These strategies not only promise financial savings, but can also lead to happier customers and staff.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the restaurant world, downtime happens. It\u2019s what you do with your downtime that decides how these ups and downs will impact your profits. With proper strategies in place, it\u2019s possible to transform what we typically think of downtime into &#8230; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ablekitchen.com\/blog\/got-downtime-at-your-restaurant-make-the-most-of-it-with-these-six-tips\/\">Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ablekitchen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/260"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ablekitchen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ablekitchen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ablekitchen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ablekitchen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=260"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.ablekitchen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/260\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":263,"href":"https:\/\/www.ablekitchen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/260\/revisions\/263"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ablekitchen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=260"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ablekitchen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=260"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ablekitchen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=260"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}