When you are running a busy restaurant, any number of little issues can cause you to slip up or can cause the night to become a disaster. But the reality is that you cannot afford to make these mistakes, and so you will need to tighten efficiency by investing in equipment to speed up processes, such as chip cutters and deep fryers for faster preparation and cooking times.
You should invest in chip cutters and other equipment to improve the efficiency of your kitchen. For the front-of-house, you should aim to improve table management, ensure that staff members update what ingredients have been ordered, and that all food kept in refrigeration is correctly labelled according to when they were stored and when they will expire.
If all of this sounds like a little bit much for you, below we give some top tips for improving restaurant efficiency.
Ensure You Have The Right Equipment
One of the major issues that restaurants have when it comes to inefficiency is that they have the wrong equipment or do not have enough equipment. Both commercial and gourmet restaurants need kitchen equipment that will help them to operate efficiently, so invest in chip cutters for cutting the perfect fries every time, electric or gas fryers for quickly and evenly cooked food, and a dough mixer for perfectly even dough for whatever your needs may be. Having the right kitchen equipment will help to maintain the efficiency of your kitchen staff.
Make A To Do List
Having the right equipment can help immensely, but you should also have a daily to-do list for your kitchen and waiting staff to follow. Be sure to prioritise tasks that need to be done urgently, such as cleaning the chip cutter and other equipment, setting the tables before customers arrive, and prepping the ingredients. Following this list will ensure that your restaurant operates smoothly on a daily basis and will ensure that every important task is completed on time. Check in with your staff each morning to keep them updated about their tasks for the day.
Improve Table Management
While it is important to ensure that your kitchen operates at optimal speed, you will also need to look at improving the table management and front-of-house side of your establishment. Start by identifying how many tables you have in your restaurant and how many people will comfortably fit, allowing your waiters to give accurate estimates to walk-in diners for how long they will need to wait. Arrange the dining room so you are able to accommodate larger parties or for impromptu guests.
Invest In Staff Training
When you purchase new kitchen equipment, such as a chip cutter or a chip dump, you will need to invest in training your kitchen staff in how to use the equipment. This training should be ongoing, too, so that they are always up-to-date with the equipment they use on a daily basis and with the processes that have been put into place. Efficiency will improve as well as staff morale, as you are allowing them to upskill themselves and boost their career trajectory. Your waiting staff should be trained in all aspects of the business, such as how to use the point-of-sales machines, and how to effectively take orders.
Make Stock Purchasing Easier
Purchasing stock can become a cumbersome and even confusing process for anyone in the restaurant business, so be sure to tell your staff exactly how to order stock, like a chip cutter or other equipment. You will also need to let your staff know when to order ingredients, what to order, and who exactly to order from. Make this a more streamlined process by having a document on a computer with all contact details as well as a checklist to tick off all items that have already been ordered, if they are already stocked up, or if the supplier does not have any stock.
Put It All Together
While choosing one of the above tips to focus on will help to streamline your restaurant and make it more efficient, you should put it all together to ensure optimal performance from all sectors.
Choose kitchen equipment such as a chip cutter, chip dump, or deep fryer for quicker prep and cooking processes, make a simple but detailed to-do-list for your staff to follow daily, and train your staff as much as possible, especially if you have new equipment. If you would like to make the most of efficient kitchen equipment, contact Caterwize today for more information on our offerings.
