Restaurants must run shift-to-shift, day after day. If you have a bad shift, it can easily lead to lost customers in the future. Staff meeting food ideas can become a foundational part of running your eatery.
You want your staff to be on their A-game as often as possible.
Pre-shift meetings can help you set your team up for success. If you've never had one of these meetings before or don't know why they matter, we're going to explain exactly why you need to begin integrating them into your eatery.
What are Preshift Meetings and Why Do They Matter?
You may have held a staff meeting in a restaurant before, and a pre-shift meeting is similar, although different. Managers during a pre-shift meeting will get together with their employees to convey any important information that they need to know ASAP, including:
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Updates to the menu
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Specials of the day
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Sales that are ongoing
If you're out of certain ingredients and can't make specific dishes, it's time to address all of this during your meeting. Any tasks that you need team members to complete that are outside of their normal routine, such as side work, you need to mention.
Managers should also take this time to praise employees for reaching any milestones and discuss any issues that staff need to know about.
Why do pre-shift meetings work so well?
First, your meeting will motivate your staff to work harder and more efficiently. Often, shifts start off slowly, but management can use the meeting to hype everyone up for the shift ahead.
Your meeting can - and should be - motivational. When your entire team is on the same page, it will be much easier to maximize productivity and exceed expectations.
Outlining the objectives for the shift is one of the most important steps that you can take.
How to Run a Successful Pre Shift Meeting
If you want to run a meeting like this, a pre shift template can help, but it's not always necessary. You need a plan, like with any meeting, and then go from there. A successful plan will guide the entire meeting.
What should you plan to do?
Plan Ahead
Create a restaurant pre shift template that lasts for 5 - 15 minutes, depending on the size of your team. Smaller eateries may only need a total of five minutes for a meeting, so feel free to adjust the recommendations below to match your unique needs:
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Provide a general overview and thank team members for being present. You don't want to spend more than a minute on this part.
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Spend 2 - 3 minutes explaining any updates to staff about your menu and the business. If any additional tasks need to be completed, let the staff know about them.
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Add a few minutes of offering any advice for staff to get through the night. For example, perhaps a large party is coming in and you need to explain how you want your team to handle everything.
And, if you have time, don't forget to give out any praise to the staff. For example, if you had a massive party the night before and it went flawlessly, be sure to praise everyone who was involved in making the night a success.
Discuss the Shift Ahead
The first part of your preshift meeting, after introductions and welcomes, is to inform your staff of the shift ahead. These are important points that your team must be made aware of. You may need to discuss:
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Schedule changes
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Chef specials
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Updates to payroll
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Team roles
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Projected volume for the shift
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Whether there are any special events planned or reservations
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Team birthdays
This part of the meeting should be reserved for communicating important details to your staff.
Educate and Inform Your Employees
The "middle" of your meeting should consist of you instructing your employees to help improve their service and confidence. Offer guidance, teach them new skills or provide advice to help them succeed in the shift ahead.
For example, maybe your chef can discuss new changes to the menu, the day's specials or limited time offers. Your bar manager may discuss a featured cocktail, or you may bring in a representative from your alcohol distributor to talk about pairing techniques.
Improving your staff's soft skills can go a long way in improving the quality of your service, but it can also help each member of your team develop skills that will be valuable throughout their careers.
Inspire Your Staff
Preshift meetings are a great way to motivate and inspire your staff before the shift starts. Give a pep talk or share an inspirational quote (without being too cheesy). You could even start a contest to keep your staff motivated. A little healthy competition can help drive more sales, engage your staff and improve your service.
You can reward single staff members or the entire team, depending on what type of contest you plan. For example, maybe the top three sellers of a dish or cocktail receive a paid day off. If the entire team reaches a certain milestone, you might throw them a pizza party.
Make sure the incentive is motivating enough for your team.
Additionally, make sure you're using the last part of your meeting to recognize team members who did an outstanding job. Don't forget to also thank everyone for their efforts.
Be Consistent
Preshift meetings should be a regular part of the routine for management and staff. If you only hold meetings every once in a while, staff may not show up (because they're unaware), and it will be more challenging to ensure that everyone is on the same page.
To ensure consistency, make sure that you hold your meetings at the same time - 15 minutes before the shift starts is ideal - and in the same place.
Final Thoughts
Preshift meetings play an important role in ensuring that your restaurant provides a consistent customer experience, and your staff is working towards the same goal. Make sure that you're holding meetings regularly and that you're using this time to inspire, motivate and recognize outstanding team members. Follow the blueprint above to plan and hold successful preshift meetings with your staff.