The Restaurant Community » Forums » Restaurant Business

[Lucky's]

I have just been put in charge of the Front of the House of a restaurant & have a few questions! To give you an idea with what I have to work with:

Main Dining: 13 - 4tops
Bar: 18stools +10 @front bar NO outside bar!!! Yikes!
Front Patio: 6 - 4tops
Back Patio: 6 - 4tops
Downstairs Patio: 14 - 4tops
Upstairs Patio: 19 - 4tops

We have only been open since August & our tourist season has not hit yet! When it does I expect to be full much of the time. For now staffing is like this:

Monday - Friday Lunch: 2 servers
Saturday Lunch: 3 servers
Sunday Lunch: 3 servers
Saturday Swing: 1 server
Sunday Swing: 1 server
Monday - Thursday Dinner: 3 servers 1 hostess
Friday Dinner: 6 servers 1 hostess
Saturday Dinner: 6 servers 1 hostess
Sunday Dinner: 3 servers 1 hostess

Monday - Thursday: 1 bartender 2pm-close
Friday & Saturday: 1 bartender open-6pm 2 bartenders 6pm-close
Sunday: 1 bartender open-close

Our servers are on a rotation each one working the entire restaurant. We are pretty much letting our customers sit where they want...inside and outside. This makes a lot of side work for the few servers we have on! I know this needs to change! I would like to break the restaurant into sections for server rotation & side work. The owner doesn't think this will work, because when the weather is nice everyone will want to sit outside. Ahhhh!

Please...please...please help!!!! Any suggestions would be VERY appreciated!

[Jack]

There are a lot of options available too you. But you have to answer some questions first.

1. How long is your main bar?
2. To give your guests the best service, how many bartenders does it take?
3. How is the weather? Are the patios covered or enclosed?
4. How busy are you now?
5. What is the level of customer service that your guests are receiving now?
6. What is your check average?
7. What is the guest feed back on the service?
8. How many turns per shift?
9. What are the service wait times?

If you would like, you may answer me back here or at my email listed on my profile.