Restaurant Training & Development

Restaurant training and development involves commitment from all employees.

Restaurant training and development takes place at all levels in fast food, casual dining, mid-scale and fine-dining establishments. General and assistant managers need to be trained in running the restaurant and hourly employees must become familiar with all aspects of their job. Because of the high turnover percentage in restaurants, the ultimate goal of restaurant training and development is to enhance the skill level of employees.

Significance

Restaurant training and development is particularly important among general and assistant managers; or chefs in finer dining facilities. These employees are ultimately responsible for overseeing the work of all employees and building sales. Often, general and assistant managers commence their training by attending off-site training sessions with experienced trainers. The trainers teach the management employees how to select, train, motivate and empower restaurant workers or crew members. These techniques are often practiced through role playing.

Identification

The foremost restaurant training and development techniques entail teaching management and hourly employees the various operational aspects of the restaurant. Management employees must learn how to run shifts, handle banking responsibilities, order and maintain the inventory of food and supplies and create various sales and labor reports. Hourly employees must be taught how to prepare and apportion food for customers, run the front register and drive-thru area and work as a team during each shift.

Function

The focus of all restaurant training is to drive customer satisfaction among restaurant patrons. All employees must learn how to properly greet customers, get their food to them as quickly as possible and ensure that all customers receive the correct order. Speed of service is particularly important in fast food restaurants. Employees that are properly trained through both instruction and on the job will usually handle orders more quickly and accurately.

Considerations

Another goal of restaurant training and development is to promote more experienced restaurant workers so they take on more responsibility. For example, in casual or finer dining establishments, employees who work in food preparation can advance into food service management, according to the Bureau Of Labor Statistics' "Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010 To 2011 Edition. The key to advancement is becoming certified in various stations or functional areas throughout the restaurant.

Prevention/Solution

One crucial part of restaurant training and development is learning the proper sanitation and safety standards in a restaurant. Food that is not served at the right temperature can cause foodborne illnesses like salmonella. For example, restaurant workers will learn through training that a medium steak should be served when the center is a minimum of 130 degrees, according to whatscookingamerica.net. Additionally, restaurant training and development will also better educate employees on how to properly wash their hands before handling food.

References

• Quantified Marketing: Restaurant Management Training
• Scn: Role Playing And Simulation Games
• Bureau Of Labor Statistics: Chefs, Head Cooks, and Food Preparation And Serving Supervisors
• Iowa State University: Impact of Employee Training on Mitigating Contamination
• What's Cooking America: How To Cook The Perfect Steak

Resources

• Federal Drug Administration: Measures To Address The Risk Of Contamination