Harvest America CUES BLOG

So, here’s the thing – knowing how to operate a restaurant is not difficult – executing the steps is a whole other story. The work is relentless, the unpredictability is insanity, the never-ending attention to detail is mind-numbing, and timing is borderline impossible. Yet, millions of people jump in the deep end every day.

The list of “what to do and how to do it” may be long, but it’s basically common sense. When I sit down with those who are novice restaurateurs, or seasoned veterans and walk them through the list, they typically nod their heads inferring that “I know this”. So, why for as many operators who nail it, are there ten times as many that miss the mark? The simple answer (if there is such a thing) is that they really don’t know “how” or they suffer from “lazy restaurant eyes”. In other words, they fail to see the problems or the urgency.

Let’s try on a common story for size:

It’s a busy Friday night at Chez Francois Bistro and the owner/host notices a few cobwebs in the corner of the restaurant. The tables are full, and he is having a difficult time keeping up but makes a mental note to address that once the dining room clears out. The restaurant continues to fill as tables turn throughout the night and by the time 11pm comes around he is exhausted. After clean-up, he turns off the lights and heads for his car in the lot. Suddenly, he remembers the cobwebs and thinks: “I’ll take care of that in the morning”. The next day comes around with the normal hectic start including placing orders, taking reservations, finding replacements for absent employees, and making changes to that evening’s menus. When closing time comes around, the cobwebs are still there. This continues for a few days with the afterthought of addressing this detail never making it to a priority list until eventually, the webs become part of the landscape and are no longer noticed. A small detail, but a signal of lazy restaurant eyes. After time, there are several similar “minor” issues that begin to add up: bathrooms that are not pristine, water spots on glasses, tables not level, and chipped dinner plates making it out to the guest.

It’s easy to see how one little detail missed can snowball into a failing restaurant. Use a critical eye the next time you visit your favorite restaurant and pick up on those missed opportunities for greatness. You will be amazed at how little we see once details become invisible. Have you experienced that once stellar restaurant that begins to lose a step or two? Suddenly, it just doesn’t inspire anymore, and you can’t really put your finger on what happened. It’s oftentimes an accumulation of missed details that eventually change the mojo of the operation.

What is needed? The answer again is simple: RESTAURANT EYES. Each day you (the owner, operator, chef, maître ‘d) need to approach the operation with a fresh set of eyes. Walk through the restaurant as if you were a first-time guest, or better yet – the evaluator for Michelin or AAA. Seek out the details and then prioritize corrective action. It’s never too small to worry about. Now, take it a step further and begin to imbed these restaurant eyes into the culture of the restaurant. The best operators train restaurant eyes and teach their employees to be ambassadors for greatness.  When this becomes part of the culture then no one will ever again accept anything short of great. That cobweb didn’t exist because the owner/host failed to place it on a priority list – it existed because no one thought it was a priority. In their eyes, that cobweb didn’t exist.

SWEAT THE DETAILS must become the mantra of every employee. Trust me, just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean a guest won’t. So let me clear the fog and give you a starting list of details that are frequently ignored in restaurants that failed to use restaurant eyes. See how many are discounted in your operation.

[]       Rusted or wilting lettuce in your salads

[]       Dishwasher water spots on your glassware

[]       Unlevel dining room tables

[]       Empty soap or towel containers at hand washing stations.

[]       Dirty dining room windows

[]       Burned out light bulbs.

[]       Server uniforms that are wrinkled.

[]       Cooks uniforms that are stained.

[]       Chipped or cracked plates in circulation.

[]       Stained menus

[]       Nicked or damaged chairs in the dining room

[]       Entrée plates that are not warm and salad/dessert plates not chilled.

[]       Smudges or fingerprints on rims of plated dinners

[]       Plate presentations that don’t match the intended design.

[]       Empty water glasses at guest tables

[]       Dying plants in restaurant or unattended outside landscaping.

[]       Outside signage in disrepair

[]       Website out of date

The list goes on and on. Just picture the guest experience as a number of these issues add up.  The business of operating a restaurant is defined in the details – we know this, we nod our heads as the above list is reviewed, but how often are the small things ignored because they never make it to a priority list, or our eyes are trained to no longer see them.

We need 20/20 restaurant vision to effectively step towards greatness. It’s not hard, but it is relentless. Think about it and act.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER – SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

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