Science and Art
Posted by estiator at 10 August, at 04 : 38 AM Print
MANAGING FOR SUCCESS By CONSTANTINE N. KOLITSAS Business Coach
I’ve spent the past few weeks looking closely at how my managers function in the front of the house (FOH), and in so doing, the differences in styles have really surfaced. While I suppose it’s true of all areas of management, I’ve found it of particular interest how some managers really understand the science of it, and how others really understand the art of it. And every once in a while, a manager will have a grasp of both of these aspects. So, now let’s get to the point…
As far as the science of FOH management goes, there are formulas, laws of nature, and cause-and-effect consequences that factor into things. Starting with scheduling, the science of FOH considers how many people are needed in each position, and a good manager will not just make a schedule template and adhere to it, but look at sales projections and trends and make scheduling adjustments so that the optimal number of staff are ready on a shift-to-shift basis to provide the right amount of service (and yield the right amount of revenues based on having the time to service each guest, up sell, and suggest). The manager will also review reservations, consider walk-in trends for the week (as well as based on the day of week on a week-over-week basis), and take special events and holidays into account. From there, further cuts or additions can be made. The goal is to achieve balance—to be able to service the guests, optimize revenues, and right-size the shift so that it is not overstaffed and costing the restaurant more labor dollars, which also causes servers to be unhappy with low tips due to not having enough covers-per server.
Beyond scheduling, a manager with a strong sense of the science of FOH will analyze sales trends on a server-by-server basis, looking specifically at: price per person averages (breaking down averages for lunch vs averages for dinner); liquor sales; appetizer sales; dessert sales; and table turn times (again, breaking out lunch vs dinner).
Some managers really understand the science of front-of-house management, and others really understand the art of it. And every once in a while, a manager will have a grasp of both of these aspects.
Because their brains are wired for sequence and order, a manager with a firm grasp of the scientific side of management will probably be more focused on the cleanliness and appearance of each staff member, as well as on the cleanliness and appearance of the restaurant.
As for the art of FOH management, there are myriad ways that this manifests itself, first among which is the ability to inspire a server to provide not just good service that hits all the steps, but “loving” service, where guests feel valued and want to return. It’s about inspiring them to explore in depth the restaurant’s menu and what makes the restaurant special. It’s about inspiring the servers to be tour guides, sales people, and caretakers all at once. Of course, a great manager doesn’t just teach, mentor, and coach but demonstrates behaviors by example, with each and every guest—the ones who make it easy and the ones who can make it difficult.
The art of FOH management is evident when you see an FOH team work tightly, with bussers bringing waters immediately; with food runners making sure that guest needs are met before they return to the line to bring out the next table’s meal; with servers moving into another section to take a drink order for a co-worker’s table while that co-worker is taking a dinner order for a larger party; and with bussers marking a table (replacing forks and knives) ahead of the arrival of the entrée course.
The goal, of course, is to train managers to understand and apply the science while practicing the art of FOH management. After all, there is a reason that this column’s title is Science and Art and not Science vs Art.
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Constantine Kolitsas is a business consultant and president of Greca Hospitality Group, the owners of Greca Mediterranean Kitchen + Bar. He can be reached at dino@grecamed.com.
