📹 How to live your restaurant values

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The future is here and it’s called AI. Should your team be worried about job security? Read on to find out.
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IN THE NEWS

Fans of “The Bear” rejoice! Season 3 of the 13x Emmy-nominated FX show begins production at the end of February, with an expected release later this year. Series star Jeremy Allen White teased the new instalment will return to the “functioning kitchen atmosphere” of Season 1. 

 

Guess that means Carmy will in fact get out of the walk-in?
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BY THE NUMBERS*
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55%

Percentage of operators who plan to use guest data more strategically for marketing and business decisions in 2024.
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71%

Percentage of operators who plan to raise their restaurant menu prices in 2024 (even though 31% feel food costs are more under control compared to a year ago).
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26%

Percentage of diners who plan to order from restaurants more often in 2024.
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61%

Percentage of diners who plan to maintain their current restaurant spend in 2024.

*According to Popmenu’s 2024 Restaurant Trends to Watch
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IDEAS FROM THE FLOOR

Sometimes, nurturing your team means finding small but effective ways to support their development. Operator Ji Hye Kim shares two methods her team uses:

🤔 Like Best / Next Time. Managers huddle the team and ask a question after every shift, like: 

What’d you like the best about ______? [ex: this shift, section, dish]

Next time, as a team what do you think we could have done better?

“It takes the conversation away from focusing on a [singular] person’s performance. It focuses on what we have done systematically that we can make better because—assuming good intention and that everybody’s trying their best that day—if they’re struggling, then there has to be something that’s not working.” 

🏆 Friendly competition. The no pressure, fun kind. Have a server who’s slow at folding napkins? When it’s not busy, Kim plans a staff-wide competition. How many napkins can everyone fold in 3 minutes?

“The person who wins gets bragging rights and the person who’s on the bottom understands where they stand in terms of efficiency, but without having to call them out. My experience is that the staff who are a little slower at tasks, they don’t think they’re slow. They’re going in thinking they’re doing the best they can and how can they do better? But then they see other people actually doing better.”

Listen to Kim’s episode on The Pre-Shift to learn more about the tools she uses to get her teams engaged.
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EXCITING NEW THING

Celebrate your team’s wins with Shout-Outs

Long story short, everyone wins when their workplace culture is one of recognition and appreciation:
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38% of employees would like to receive public kudos
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69% of employees would work harder if their efforts were better recognized
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Proper recognition can result in a 9% increase in productivity and a 22% decrease in absenteeism

7shifts recently launched Shout-Outs exactly for these reasons. 

Try 7shifts free to see it in action!

 
Start my free trial
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DEBATABLE

Q: Can AI and your team co-exist in peace?

A: According to Executive Advisor, Jill Raff, yes—as long as your restaurant has well-defined core values that the technologies align with (BTW here’s a guide for how to make those).

 

Take server robots for example. If one of your restaurant’s core values is to prioritize your people’s experiences, then it’s important to understand the advantage robotics offers not to replace your teams, but to enhance their value. The robot isn’t there to take their job, it’s there to help them get food out faster so they can get a better tip and turn more tables in a shift.
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FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

Performance reviews—they aren’t just for the corporate world.

 

“I think that our industry has not been viewed by itself as a truly professional industry. And I think we really need to work toward creating that professionalism,” says Ellen Yin, Co-Founder and Owner of High Street Hospitality Group.

Regular restaurant performance reviews help:

🔥 Fuel staff growth with constructive feedback for improvement

🤝 Align teams to your restaurant’s vision

💰 Boost morale and profits (because happy, motivated employees = satisfied customers, repeat business, and a healthier bottom line)

Ready to get started? Check out these resources:

📖 Here’s how to create and use a restaurant employee evaluation form.

📖 Don’t want to make your own? Use this free downloadable template instead.