The people who deliver the experience.
WHAT ROLES TYPICALLY EXIST
- Kitchen: preparation, cooking, washing
- Service: waiting, bar, host
- Support: cleaning, security, delivery
WHAT MAKES STAFFING DIFFICULT
Demand varying by hour and day High turnover across the sector Work that is physically demanding Unsocial hours
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
Rotas built around actual demand patterns.
HOW TO BUILD THEM
From records of covers or sales, by hour.
WHY FROM RECORDS
Guessing produces overstaffing at quiet times and failure at busy ones.
WHAT OVERSTAFFING COSTS
Margin, directly.
WHAT UNDERSTAFFING COSTS
Service failures, which customers remember.
WHAT TO TRAIN
Food safety The menu, thoroughly Service standards What to do when something goes wrong
WHY THE MENU THOROUGHLY
Staff who cannot describe dishes cannot sell them.
WHAT DRIVES RETENTION IN THIS SECTOR
Being paid correctly and on time Predictable rotas Being treated with respect Breaks and reasonable hours
WHY PREDICTABLE ROTAS MATTER
Staff plan their lives, and last-minute changes drive departures.
WHAT TO PUBLISH
Rotas, with adequate notice.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH ABOUT TIPS AND SERVICE CHARGES
How they are distributed, clearly and fairly.
WHY
It is a frequent source of resentment and disputes.
WHAT TO MEASURE
Turnover, and why people leave.
