Restaurants are a living and breathing space

Allow them to be just that

We can do our best to control the environment but the truth is - we need to let it breathe. 

This week, I led a restaurant opening. This one in particular is special as I only had 15 hours to teach students who are getting a degree in Culinary Arts. Most of them have zero professional experience in a hospitality business. 

This opening felt different. For many reasons. But after a few days of reflection, I realized I have evolved as a teacher and how I lead openings. A lot has changed for me personally since the last opening, the biggest being my father’s passing. I bring this up because this has redefined who I am as a person and a leader. And I’m proud to share what I’ve learnt from this opening. 

Driving back that afternoon, I reflected. I asked myself what I did differently this time around that make it feel less stressful and more smooth? How did I teach differently than before for the students to be so prepared with LESS hours of training? The guests saw the impact - what was the secret ingredient that I didn’t realize I had added in? 

3 days later - I have the answer.

I released control and allowed the restaurant to be what it is - a living and breathing space for the team and the guests to bring their own spice to the experience. 

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It was incredible how big of an impact this adjustment had on the operation as a whole - both dining room and kitchen teams and guests alike.

But what does it mean to release control? If we do just that - doesn’t everything go haywire?!

The foundation of restaurant systems cannot and should not be pushed to the side or forgotten. These structures (service manuals, SOPs, checklists, recipes, training tools, etc) should never be skimmed over. They need to be trained, reviewed, trained again, and used to hold teams accountable. They create consistency, fluency and confidence to everyone on the team. As a leader, it is your responsibility to ensure that everyone is speaking the same language and practicing the structures to the T in the way you have defined and written them out as the operator. 

Once everyone has practiced over and over, is starting to feel confident, this is when you let the space come alive. Each person on the team, including every leader (leaders, we aren’t superhuman, we come with all the spice too!), brings their touch to the experience while staying in the guardrails. Making the conscious decision to be uncomfortable as a leader and release that control valve results in something rather kismet and magical for the team and guests. 

On the culture topic, it shows the team that you trust them. You trust that they have mastered the structures and guidelines and allow them to bring their uniqueness to it all. This minor shift has a big impact because it also allows the confidence to grow from within the team. 

Below are some tips to release that control valve:

1 - Review all of your training materials and become fluent in them. Add in specifics when some steps are too vague.

2 - Train / retrain the team on the steps and coach them along the way. If there are any adjustments to make from their suggestions, do so promptly.

3 - Ask your team what they are nervous about at your pre-shifts. Create space for a little vulnerability and collect the answers. These are the gems that help enhance service documents in detail to support the team in understanding each step / guideline. 

4 - Open the doors to your guests and stand to the side and observe for a few moments. Watch your team shine and bring their spice to the space.

5 - Smile, observe, walk the room. When you feel the urge to step in, take a step back and allow your team to get to their next step. Sometimes waiting those extra 10-30 seconds to let the team member get to it makes the biggest difference. Remember, you’ve already built the trust - so do that. Trust them. 

6 - Breathe it in. Let it come alive! Acknowledge the difference of energy within the restaurants when you allow your team to bring their spice, let the guests show up as they are, and gently keep everyone in between the guardrails.