Work overload can be quite a challenge in restaurants. Whether you operate a quick service restaurant or an upscale dining experience, restaurant time management practices are vital.

Restaurant tech, alongside simple, positive habits, can help any restaurant manager streamline restaurant operations and boost the restaurant profit margin. Excessive stress and burnout aren’t good for any business and can quickly impact your restaurant’s success.

Ever wonder how you can simplify the experience for both employees and customers? We gathered several of the simplest tactics to help you out.

Avoid Work Overload With Restaurant Time Management Tips

Work overload can become a major issue no matter how skilled your kitchen and wait staff are. It can lead to feelings of overwhelm for your team and poor customer service for the guests.

By incorporating solid restaurant time management tips, your business will be bound to flourish. Read on to learn about the seven strategies you can begin today.

1. Use An Inventory Management App

When the shift comes to a close, the restaurant manager usually goes through all the inventory to tally it all up. Then, they have to spend hours calling individual suppliers to restock. But what if we told you it could be a much simpler process?

A restaurant inventory management system can help you take inventory and cut excessive costs. For instance, BlueCart allows restaurant owners to purchase all their inventory from various suppliers in one app. Then, they have the option to group ingredients in catalogs to help streamline future orders.

Say goodbye to exceeding your budget, calling countless wholesalers, and inventory shrinkage. With an integrated wholesale directory of different marketplaces, inventory management techniques have never been more accessible.

Book a demo today to learn more about how BlueCart can simplify your restaurant duties.

2. Install Pay-At-Table Devices

Limited wait staff and pay-at-table devices create an efficient balance for a restaurant. Such technology allows customers to view restaurant menus and pay the check without interacting with their servers.

Pay-at-table devices allow customers to handle standard restaurant processes on their own. In the meantime, the waiters can pay attention to more important duties such as larger parties, dietary restrictive dishes, and more.

Pay at-table devices also functions as a cleaner and safer option by allowing contactless payments. With this in mind, check out pay at table restaurants for marketing inspiration.

3. Partake in Mobile Ordering Apps

You may be wondering how opting for delivery and pickup can help manage your time. But if you can lessen the number of people who dine in your eatery, there will be fewer tables your staff will have to tend to.

Mobile food ordering apps team up with freelance delivery drivers. Since you won’t have to hire and assign schedules to such employees, you’ll be able to scale back the overall labor cost while lessening the number of duties to allocate to everyone.

Any consumers who love your restaurant might want takeout or even prefer it. By allowing them to order food online from the comfort of their own homes, you’ll be expanding your reach and decreasing restaurant expenses simultaneously. Then, your wait staff will have more freedom to tend to those dining in, resulting in optimal sales and profits.

4. Require Reservations

An old-school solution to overbooked shifts is to require that customers make reservations. However, this rule won’t apply to every restaurant, so evaluate your busiest shifts first.

Reservations allow restaurant managers to plan accordingly. Not only will they be able to schedule employees more efficiently, but they’ll be able to gauge which ingredients to have in stock. This idea is especially true for holidays, where there will be a much shorter menu.

Do you find that your waiters feel overwhelmed on weekends? If so, this would be an ideal timeframe for reservations. Many of the POS partners within the restaurant industry offer a restaurant POS platform with reservation booking features, which can be efficient in these scenarios.

The host can use their best judgment to dictate the leniency of this rule. For instance, if a party comes in on a weekend that’s slower than usual, feel free to lift this restriction.

Think of reservations as a precaution to work overload. If the shifts end up super busy, you’ll have successfully prevented work overload. If not, then no problem–just assign tables to waiters accordingly.

5. Hire Seasonal Staff

A restaurant’s location can generate much more traffic during certain times of the year. For instance, beach-front eateries are busiest in the summer, while mountain resorts thrive in the winter. In fact, some restaurants don’t even operate during off-season periods.

If your restaurant also operates as a venue, a larger staff might be necessary. Events like weddings and holiday parties can require much attention, so it’s better to prepare in advance.

With this in mind, prioritize hiring more employees for busy seasons. Your year-round staff will appreciate not having to face a work overload, and it will be reflective to customers.

When restaurants serve more parties than the staff can handle, the experience can spiral downhill for customers. From wait times to incorrect meals, the last thing you want is to deliver poor customer service.

Positive customer reviews can naturally elevate your restaurant marketing, so give people a reason to write them. Plus, it’ll quickly generate more traffic to your restaurant.

6. Organize Shift Schedules

It might seem like an obvious task, but ensuring that schedules are efficient and accurate can do wonders for your restaurant. A user-friendly scheduling app can help streamline such tasks.

Organizing shift schedules can also help to cut overhead expenses. For instance, if you know that certain days of the week are less busy, you’ll know when to assign fewer employees. The opposite goes for your busier days.

Conduct a schedule overhaul by confirming times and days of the week with each employee. Require that any days off are approved within two weeks of the date so managers can rearrange the schedule. Inform your employees that not finding coverage for last-minute changes can result in penalties.

Employees are typically respectful of strict schedules. After all, it does work in their favor by providing them with definite time and pay. As a business owner, make the most of it for operations, too.

7. Prepare Food In Advance

Various types of chefs will suggest working in batches, and it’s a useful tip every restaurant should implement. Once you have the proper number of ingredients, you’ll be able to prepare food in large quantities and store it.

Before prepping food in batches, check how long different foods can last until it expires. Not only do you want to ensure customers that they’re eating the freshest ingredients, but expired food like meat and dairy can provoke major health concerns.

Food prep will significantly reduce the time between taking orders and serving meals. Plus, it’ll help to speed up the turnover rate.

Casual dining experiences are notorious for serving as many people as possible. So, this technique is one to consider if you’re trying to boost the number of parties visiting your eatery.

Frequently Asked Questions About Work Overload and Restaurant Time Management

Why Is Time Management Important In Restaurants?

Without time management skills, work overload can easily occur within the restaurant industry. With this in mind, it’s important that systems are in place to avoid stress and work overload.

Plus, restaurant time management practices will translate to positive experiences for the customers. When the wait staff is efficient at their job, they’ll be able to deliver stellar service.

How Do Restaurants Save Time?

Restaurant staff members can save significant time by implementing efficient tips and tricks.

Try the following steps to reorganize your business and save time simultaneously:

• Prepare food well in advance
• Schedule staff for the right shifts
• Order inventory through a digital system
• Expand your restaurant or bar layout to accommodate more guests

How Can Restaurant Managers Handle Stress and Time Effectively?

As a restaurant manager, there are numerous strategies to implement that will lessen stress and work overload. Several of which include the following restaurant time management tips:

• Create realistic and consistent schedules
• Give employees sufficient PTO days
• Make the restaurant a comfortable environment
• Use an inventory management system
• Utilize a user-friendly POS system
• Onboard innovative restaurant technology