FOOD & BEVERAGE STAFF ORGANISATION

Staff organization plays a major role in the success of any establishment .It helps determine the right person is
deputed for the right job at the right position. While working for an organization structure first of all the formal
groupings of staff such as stewards, senior stewards and their activities should be established. This is done to
achieve the organizational goals of an establishment.

Purpose of organizing

1. Identification, division and distribution of the tasks to be done by the person

2. Delegate authority and responsibility for decision making to accomplish the assigned tasks
3. Establish work relationships among persons, groups or departments for efficient implementation of
plans and policies of the establishment

Advantages of Organizing

1. Analyze and design goals

2. Define authority and responsibility
3. Foresee areas of conflict and mange them more effectively
4. Establish effective management information systems

CATEGORIES OF STAFF

The F & B Service personnel can be categorized into 3 levels

1. MANAGERIAL / Top management – This category of staff are on the top of the organization
chart and are the ones who participate in decision making. This category fills about 5 percent of
the total number of staff. Few in number yet responsible for the overall performance of the
establishment.
2. SUPERVISORY/ Middle Management – This category of staff takes the middle part of an
organizational chart. This category fills about 15 percent of the total number of staff. Their main
responsibility is to supervise the lower staff and communicate them the decisions, made by the
top-level management.
3. OPERATIONAL - This category of staff is at the bottom end of an organizational chart. They
are the ones who actually have hands on the job. Most of the physical work is performed by
this category. They make about 80 percent of the total staff.

TYPES OF ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURES (ORGANIGRAM)

A. TALL ORGANISATION STRUCTURE – this type of structure has various levels of management
between top to entry levels and have long chains of command and due to this decision making is slower
B. FLAT ORGANISATION STRUCTURE - this type of structure has fewer levels of management with
wide spans.
C. MATRIX STRUCTURE –this is a combination of the product and functional organization and is
usually created for executing a project. It operates under a dual authority i.e a manger is accountable to two
bosses at the same time , one is to the usual boss and another boss is the project head . Problems arise in this
system due to the conflict between roles and authority

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ORGANIZATIONAL CHART

 An organization chart is a diagram or format in which the job positions are arranged in an order of their
level of hierarchy.
 The organization of the food and beverage department has evolved over the years and assures proper
distribution of work in the food and beverage service.
 The authority and responsibility delegated ensures that the work is completed satisfactorily.

HIERARCHY

Hierarchy is a term that denotes the task and authority relationship in a organization. It clearly shows the
reporting relationships of the members appointed at various levels of responsibility and also shows formal lines
of communication. Hierarchy is a system in which grade, or class of positions or authorities are ranked one
above the other in an order.

Need for Hierarchy: Hierarchy basically deals with decision-making power, responsibility, authority, and
relationships, between two positions. It helps in introducing delegation level of management, and span of
control. Without hierarchy, it is difficult to function smoothly and fulfill objectives of a business. Hierarchy
or/and organizational structure is made based on the duties and authority.
Duties: This is a list of activities to be performed by an individual under the conditions of employment. The
duties are determined by the employer and may change from one organization to another. It becomes the
responsibility of the individual to deliver or perform as agreed in the employment contract.
Authority: It is a right to acquire action from others and the ability to get things done. It is only possible
when the individual has sound knowledge, skill, and personal attributes. The level of authority is determined by
the employer based on the above qualities.
    One should clearly define the chain of command or the line of management when framing an organizational
structure. In other terms, this is called hierarchy. This helps in better assignment, integration, and delegation of
responsibilities, and duties.

DESIGNING ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

Make a Fact File first

 Where is the outlet located – metro city or small city?

 Is it an independent unit or part of a hotel?
 What are the hours of Operation?
 What are the meals served with timing– breakfast / Lunch/ dinner?
 What is the style of service?
 Does the outlet have a bar?
 Anything additional?

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JOB DESCRIPTION & JOB SPECIFICATION

JOB DESCRIPTION - This term describes the duties and responsibilities of a particular job position. In order
terms, job description is a list of ‘things to do’ of that particular job.
For example, the job description of a restaurant manager is a follows:
 Responsible for the overall performance of the outlet
 Complaint handling
 Keeping track of guest history and database
 Ensuring smooth operation
 Making day-to-day sales reports
 Checking stock and inventory
 Maintaining service standards
 Other duties such as staffing and safety

JOB SPECIFICATIONS - This term describes the necessary qualities one should have to occupy a particular
position. It means minimum qualities and qualifications one should posses to perform in their area of work.
For example, job specifications of a restaurant manager of a five-star hotel are as follows:
 Degree in hospitality.
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  Minimum 3 years work experience at supervisory level in service department
 Should posses sound knowledge of the subject.
 Should have good communication skills.
 Should have man management and public relation skills.
 Should have a pleasing personality.
LOGO & NAME OF ORGANISATION
SAMPLE FORMAT FOR JOB DESCRIPTION
DEPARTMENT – F& B SERVICE
JOB TITLE Position / Designation e.g Captain, Restaurant Manager etc.
JOB CODE Designates level / position in organization structure
REPORTS TO Designation of the senior person whom this person will be
reporting to
RESPONSIBLE FOR The junior positions to whom this person is responsible for foe e.g
the restaurant manager is responsible for the job performed by the
bartender and head waiter
JOB SUMMARY Concise detail of duties & responsibilities
DUTIES & Expansion of Job Summary. Written in Points
RESPONSIBILITIES
LIMITS OF The level of authority given by the senior management to this
AUTHORITY particular post . it varies from organization to organization for e.g
the restaurant manager may be authorized to making decisions in
case of VIPs, KOT cancellation, Offer discounts etc
COORDINATES Clearly spells out the coordination required with other departments
WITH for e.g. a restaurant manager requires to coordinate with Food
production, kitchen stewarding, HR, Accounts, Maintenance ,
marketing etc along with the specific purpose
JOB Listing of personal qualifications considered necessary for
SPECIFICATION satisfactory performance – Educational qualification, Professional
qualification, Experience , Skills & Competencies
SALARY Includes Salary and other benefits / incentives given by the
STRUCTURE organization
PHYSICAL Age, Sex, Age Group, Height, Weight, Eyesight, complexion
PROFILE required for a particular job
SIGNATURE

ASSIGNING DUTIES

It is very important for the smooth functioning of a department that one should perform their duties confidently.
So, duties must be assigned based on the capabilities of a person.
Some points to be considered while assigning duties
1. Gender must be considered
2. Responsibilities can be distributed evenly to avoid discrepancies and complaints. - All service stations
should have the same number of covers and each station should be allotted to uniform number of staff.
3. Duties must be rotated at least once every week to prevent monotony. Change in responsibilities help
motivate the staff members, resulting in high productivity. It also helps the new joiners explore all the
areas of work and get trained. For example, a waiter should be rotated through various duties such as

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 linen change, store pickup, station holding, and food pickup. It is also necessary that staff must be
rotated though different areas of work.
4. The allocation of staff to a station should be on the basis of the number of covers it contains. There are a
few standard rules to calculate the staff and guest ratio. Different stations must be allotted to the staff on
a rotation basis .
There should be one supervisor per station, one waiter for every 20 covers, and one assistant waiter per
station. An idle station contains approximately 45 covers.
5. The person assigned to the bar must have good knowledge and experience of beverages.
Note - The above is just a guideline. The numbers may change based on the type of service and staff
productivity.

ALLOCATION OF DUTIES
This shows allocation of service duties to a team of staff members. The main objective of allocating duties is to
ensure that all necessary tasks are covered and assigned, so that service may be carried out effectively. And it
also ensures that the tasks are assigned in rotation. It can be made weekly or fortnightly.
An example
Day/ Mr A Ms B Mr C Mr D Ms E Mr F Mr G
Steward
Monday 1/Day Off 7 6 5 4 3 2
Tuesday 2/ Linen change 1 7 6 5 4 3
Wednesday 3/ Store Pickup 2 1 7 6 5 4
Thursday 4/ Arrange Sideboard 3 2 1 7 6 5
Friday 5/ Dispense bar set up 4 3 2 1 7 6
Saturday 6/ Back Area Operation 5 4 3 2 1 7
Sunday 7/ Food Pickup 6 5 4 3 2 1

DUTY ROASTER / STAFF SCHEDULE

Duty Roaster or Staff schedule is also known as ‘shift rota’. It is a format in which the staff members are
distributed into different shifts of a day. It also enables to rotate day offs evenly. Any special requests for days
off or shifts should be granted as far as possible, unless it effects the operations. There are a few points to be
considered when making a shift rota.
1. Maximum and most efficient staff must be assigned during the peak and rush hours.
2. Whenever necessary, overlapping of shifts should be done.
3. Off days must be evenly distributed throughout the week.
4. Staff must be rotated through all shifts, being impartial to all.
5. Days of rush should be kept in mind while staffing.
6. Consider leaves

The rota must be duly signed by the restaurant manager, and it should be prepared and displayed at least two
days before it becomes effective
An example of shift rota
Day/ Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Steward
Mr A Day M M M M M M
Off /R1
Ms B M Day M M M M M

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 Off /R1
Mr C E E Day Off /R1 E E E E
Mr D E E E Day Off /R1 E E E
Ms E B/D B/D B/D B/D Day B/D B/D
Off /R1
Mr F B/D B/D B/D B/D B/D Day Off /R1 B/D
Mr G – M M E E B/D B/D Day Off /R1
Reliever 1

M – Morning Shift E – Evening Shift B/D - Breakfast Dinner shift / Break shift
MANAGING FOOD & BEVERAGE OUTLET
Supervisory function is an essential activity performed by the supervisory staff to check if all the tasks of F&B
service are carried out according to the standards set, so as to satisfy the customer and make them feel that they
have received the money’s worth. This will ensure repeat customers and help build a brand image.

Supervision may be defined as “Getting work done through people”

In the organisational hierarchy a supervisor is at middle level, which means the employees reporting to the
supervisor are not manager. The supervisor’s role is implementing the decisions of & reporting to managers. At
the same time a supervisor is responsible for the quality performance of his subordinates with the right to
recommend employment, promotion, demotion, discharge & other personal actions.

Focus of a Supervisor should be on

1. Increasing Efficiency - Frederic Taylor, the father of scientific management, believed that in
order to improve efficiency, it is important to consider the best way in which a job could be
completed. By applying scientific knowledge to the study of production, it was feasible to
maximize efficiency.
2. Functions to Be Performed - All managers have primary management functions to perform in
organizations i.e. Planning, Organizing, Leading, Controlling
3. People - Because they deal directly with employees and have knowledge about an organization’s
customs, supervisors emphasize on people orientation. This focus recognizes that the quality of
an organization is often affected by the quality of interactions among its members.

TYPES OF SUPERVISORY SKILLS

1. Technical skills - the specialized knowledge and expertise used to carry out particular techniques
or procedures.
2. Human relation skills - the ability to work effectively with other people.
3. Conceptual skills - the ability to see the relation of the parts to the whole and to one another.
4. Decision-making skills -the ability to analyze information and reach good decisions.

RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF TYPES OF SKILLS FOR DIFFERENT LEVELS OF MANAGERS

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JOB OF A SUPERVISOR
A supervisor has to plan the tasks and organise the workforce available in a manner that they are utilised
effectively so that the organisational / departmental goals are achieved. The main job of the supervisor thus is to
get the work done through team effort.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF SUPERVISORS

 Recognize the talents of each subordinate.

 Share your vision of where the organization wants to go.
 Treat employees with dignity and respect.
 Conduct necessary meetings efficiently and ensure they accomplish their intended tasks.
 Keep your staff informed and up to date.
 Be accessible to those under your supervision.
 Conduct periodic evaluations of your group’s progress.
 Provide an opportunity for employees to evaluate you.
 Praise your staff for their accomplishments.
 Keep in touch with your industry.
 Be able to perform the duties of those you supervise.

FUNCTIONS OF A SUPERVISOR

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 1. PLANNING - The purpose of planning by supervisors is to determine how the department cancontribute to
achieving the organization’s goals. This includes planning how much money to spend, what level of output to
achieve,and how many employees will be needed.
2. ORGANIZING - At the supervisory level, organizing involves activities such as scheduling projects and
assigning duties to employees. Modern supervisors are increasingly responsible for setting up and leading teams
of workers to handle special projects or day-to-day operations.
3. STAFFING- Identifying, hiring, and developing thenecessary number and quality of employees.A supervisor’s
performance depends onthe quality of results that the supervisorachieves throughhis or her employees
4. LEADING- Influencing people to act (or not act) in a certain way. The supervisor is responsible for letting
employees know what is expected of them and inspiring and motivating employees to do good work.
5. CONTROLLING - Monitoring performance and making needed corrections. The supervisor is expected to
provide employees with the resources and motivation to identify and correct problems themselves.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD SUPERVISOR

SUPERVISORY FUNCTION IN FOOD SERVICE OPERATIONS

1. Briefing: Normally a briefing is conducted before every shift in each F&B Outlet. The objective of Food
and Beverage Service Briefing is to provide and update information for all F&B associates commencing the
shift. Briefing is normally done to check preparedness, sharing of information and motivating / disciplining.
Shortly before the service of a meal period starts (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner) a service briefing must be
organized by the Manager or Captain. The briefing should be short and concise not exceeding 10-15
minutes. A supervisor needs to set an example for subordinates. They need to be absolutely punctual and
well groomed. All wait staff are expected to attend the briefing in proper attire too.
The following is done by the supervisor during briefing
a. Take attendance & find out the reason for absenteeism
b. Verify the personal grooming of the staff to ensure the wait staff is in an acceptable condition.
( Point to remember – wait staff helps in building brand image )
c. Brief the wait staff on number of covers, profile of guests, service procedure, dishes that are to be
concentrated during suggestive selling, & give special instructions if any
d. Discuss about the menu and help improve the staff’s menu knowledge
e. Inform about the non available items for the day
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 f. Explain the promotional offers of the establishment or anything pertaining to the restaurant policies
and food service.
g. Inform about other events / functions in the hotel
h. Discuss about the flaws/ problems of previous operations and suggest ways to make operations
smoother
i. Reiterate the standards to be followed
j. Allot job responsibilities for the day
k. Use the briefing time to train the staff
l. Take feedback from staff for improvement
m. Motivate the staff for better performance

2. Staff Scheduling: A supervisor must be aware of peak days and rush hours to do the staffing
accordingly. Forecasting busy schedules and staffing accordingly is the key to success.
Few points to be kept in mind are as follows
 The schedule should be displayed well in advance
 Staff distribution should be optimal.
 Maximum and most efficient staff must be assigned during the peak and rush hours.
 Whenever necessary, overlapping of shifts should be done.
 Off days must be evenly distributed throughout the week.
 Staff must be rotated through all shifts, being impartial to all.
 Days of rush should be kept in mind while staffing.
 Consider leaves

3. Allocation of Tables & Duties – This is one of the most important duties of the supervisor. He
should see that the maximum tasks are completed with minimum possible staff. The staff should be
assigned equal covers. It is advisable to rotate table assignments everyday to avoid problems like
overburdening of staff.
Sometimes some tables are preferred by guests due to location and are normally occupied all the time
and revenue earned from them is hence higher. If such tables are continuously assigned to one steward
he may feel overburdened.
These tables also fetch more tips and again if allotted to the same waiter may lead to discontent between
other stewards.
Note – refer to chapter 1 for details on Staff Scheduling and Duty rota.
Restaurant Name & Logo
Restaurant Table allocation
Date Day
S No STEWARD TABLE COVERS TOTAL REMARKS
NUMBER
1 Mr A 1 4 16
2 4 City mayor - 9 pm. SPATT
3 6
4 2
2 Mr B 5 6 16
6 6
7 4
3 Mr C 8 4 16
9 4
10 4
11 4

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 4 Mr D 12 4 16 Dr Ram – 8pm – Quick Service
13 2
14 6
15 4
5 Mr E 16 6 16
17 6
18 4

4. Checking mise-en-place & mise-en-scène: Mise-en-place means keeping everything required in

readiness for service which comprises list of activities. Mise-en-scene refers to keeping the area clean
and presentable. These activities are carried out prior to service. It is the responsibility of a wait staff to
carry out all the activities to an acceptable level. These activities are assigned to the team of staff and
supervised by the supervisor. The head waiter prepares duty rota to show the assignment of task to staff.
5. Handling of Tips: Tips are the amount given voluntarily by the guest at the end of the meal or
function to the service staff appreciating their good work. In most hotels, tips are taken only by the
service staff and not shared with kitchen staff. It is handled in the following methods

Tipping Individual System Pooling System Point System

System
Explanation Waiter takes the tips Waiters deposit the tips as and Similar to the pooling system but the
whatever he gets at when earned in a locked box, total tip is divided by the number of
the end of the day which will be shared among all points instead of the number of staff.
service staff at the end of the Each designation in the brigade
week / fortnight/ month except the manager and asst manager
is assigned points and the total points
are calculated.

Advantage Staff Highly Equal tips to all Tips distributed as per designation
Motivated to extend No unrest among staff
good service Good cooperation & teamwork
exists
Disadvantage Staff turns greedy & Disappointment in staff since Disappointment in same level staff
self centered skilled & unskilled get same tip. since skilled & unskilled get same tip
Jealousy if some Talented staff won’t put their best
tables have less effort.
occupancy Less motivated staff
Leads to partiality &
unrest among Staff
Supervisors Additional responsibility of the Supervisor to ensure that all tips are
Role collected in the box. The total amount is counted and entered in the “Tips
Register”. The tips distribution is transparent and fair. The amount
distributed to each staff is noted and signature obtained against the same.

6. Stock Taking: The supervisor must maintain the stock of all area under his/her control. It should be
taken periodically at least once a week. Stock taking can be done on weekdays when the business is
lean. This work should be assigned to a team of two or three staff in rotation. Areas of concern include
breaking due to mishandling / carelessness, lost article during outdoor catering or pushed into the waste
bin accidently / intentionally, laundry damages etc.
STOCK SHEET
OUTLET Date Date Date Date
S. ITEM OPENIN 1st 2nd 3rd 4th CLOSING M/B/W TOTAL
No G STOCK Wk Wk Wk Wk STOCK
1 Soup 120 119 119 119 118 118 2M 118
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 Spoon
2 Dessert 150 150 148 148 148 148 2W 148
Spoon
3 Dessert 150 150 150 150 150 150 X 150
Fork
4 Large 130 130 130 130 129 129 1M 129
Knife
5 Large 130 130 130 130 130 130 X 130
Fork
SIGNATURE
*M – Missing *W – Worn Out *B – Broken

7. Requisitions: Supplies required during service are requisitioned from the stores by the supervisor.
a. Edible supplies are like sugar, proprietary sauces, salt pepper, butter etc may be brought from the
kitchen/ stores by requisition method.
b. Miscellaneous Supplies include paper napkin, doily, straws, place-mats, tooth pick etc are taken
from the store.
c. Fresh Flowers from Housekeeping.

8. Sales analysis: This is the most important function of a supervisor. The supervisor must analyze the
sales at the end of the day, week, and month in order to be aware of the following:
a. Actual Sales Vs Budgeted Sales –

Month Actual Budgeted Actual Sales / week Budegeted sales /week

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
Jan
Feb
March

b. Component of Total Sales ( Food, Beverage , Tobacco)

c. Fast Moving / Slow Moving / Dead Dishes – Done manually wherever a computerized system
does not exist. Helps in menu planning and pricing.

TALLY SHEET
DATE/DAY OUTLET MEAL
S.No DISH NAME TALLY MARK Qnty Cumulative Cumulative
quantity quantity
yesterday today
IIII

d. Average revenue per cover = Sales per day / Total number of covers sold in a day. This
information helps in menu planning and pricing policies
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 e. Average Revenue per waiter
i. Average revenue per day per waiter = Total revenue per day / Number of waiters
ii. Average revenue per month per waiter = Total revenue per month / number of waiters.
f. Highest and least revenue generating waiter – Calculated by finding out the sales generated by
each waiter referring to a KOT/ Bill.
g. Sales at the end of every week

NAME OF OUTLET
SALES SUMMARY SHEET
YEAR MONTH
SALES 1st Cum* 2nd Cum*
Mon Tue
Food 20 20 21 41
Beverage
Tobacco
TOTAL
*cumulative

h. Revenue /sq ft per month = revenue gathered in the month / sq feet area
i. Revenue per table or cover = revenue of the month / number of tables or cover
j. Most preferred and least preferred tables – Found by referring to KOT / Bill. Helps supervisor
while allocating duties to staff.

9. Cost analysis: Cost refers to expenses incurred in producing or serving goods. In food service
business it includes all expenses that occur right from procurement of raw material to washing the soiled
plates of the guests. Every employee should be committed towards containing of cost so as to earn more
margin of profit. The supervisory staff must have an intensive knowledge on the terms used for various
types of profits and method of calculating them
Gross Profit = Sales – Food Cost
Gross Profit Industry Norm - 65-70%
There are basically three types of cost
a. Food Cost – It is the cost of ingredients involved in dish preparations. Industry Norm is 30-35%.
Food Cost = (Opening Stock + Purchases made in the month) – (Staff Meals + value of
complimentary dishes served + Closing Stock)
OR
Food Cost = (Opening Stock + Purchases made in the month + Transfer In) – (Staff Meals +
Value of complimentary dishes served + Transfer Out + Closing Stock)
*Some dishes use wine or spirits for dish preparation which are taken on a requisition from the
bar. The Value of items taken by kitchen from the bar/ other department is called “Taken In” and
this adds to the food cost. The Value of items issued by kitchen to any other department is called
“Taken Out” and this is deducted from the food cost.
Note
 Opening Stock – Value of stock in the store at the start of the month
 Closing Stock - Value of stock in the store at month end
 Staff Meals – Value of ingredients used for making staff meals
Value of complimentary dishes served can be calculated referring to the standard recipe or
cost sheet.

12 | 1 7
 b. Labour Cost – expenses incurred for the employee – Salary & Wages, Cost of incentives &
employee welfare like staff meals, accommodation, transport, medicals, training, laundry etc.
Industry Norm 22-25%. Labour cost is higher in specialty restaurants.
c. Over head Cost – includes cost of Gas, Water, Electricity, Rent, Depreciation, Telephone &
internet etc. Industry Norm 22-25%.

Note - BREAKEVEN POINT CALCULATION

Break-even point is the point at which there is no profit no loss. It is expressed in units or volume of
sales. Profits are realised only after break-even point.
Break-even Point = Fixed Cost / Profit Volume Ratio
P/V Ratio or Profit Volume Ratio = (Contribution / Sales) * 100
Contribution = Sales – Variable Cost
BEP (units) = Fixed Cost / Contribution per Unit

10. Handling Complaints: Success of food and beverage operations is ensured when the needs and
them expectation of the guest are met. Today’s guests prefer restaurants based on the meal experience
they have.
Factors that contribute to a meal experience are
 Parking facility
 Ambience
 Menu choice
 Level of service
 Attitude of staff
 Quality of table ware
 Food Quality & Portion Size
 Value for Money
Complaints from food and beverage operations are basically of two types
a. Food related
b. Attitude related
It is the duty of the service staff to analyze the root cause of the problem for the complaints and take
necessary actions and ensure complaints do happen again. All complaints made and action taken should
be recorded in a notebook.

11. Training & Development of staff: All employees of an organization must be trained
continuously so as to deliver the products and services as per the standards set by the organization.
Training increases the level of knowledge / skill of people and helps develop efficiency in performance.
A supervisor responsibility is to perform a training need analysis, identify the areas which require
training, make a training module for their staff and train them suitably. The gap in current and desired
performance can be filled by training.
How to identify training is required or not
 Increased Guest Complaints
 Accidents
 Wastage
 Breakages
 Poor performance
 Frequent Absenteeism
 De-motivated Staff
Advantages of regular training
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  Decreased Guest Complaints & Higher Guest Satisfaction Index
 Improved performance
 Confident Staff
 High Level of Job Satisfaction
 Low Staff Turn Over
 Less Wastage and Breakages
 Lower Accident Rate
It is suggested that Promotions and increments may be linked to staff training performance.

12. Managing Discipline: Discipline is the hallmark of a good hotelier.

Following are some general guidelines to maintain a disciplined team
 Ensure that there are written house rules and code of conduct.
 Motivate staff to follow rules
 A fault committed must be checked at once
 Always be disciplined. Set an example in front of juniors.

Supervisory functions ensure smooth operation of any organization. These functions vary from organization to
another. Supervisors are expected to guide the subordinates towards the attainment of objectives.  A good
supervisor must be approachable, considerate, impartial and knowledgeable.

DEVELOPING EFFICIENCY
 All employees of an organization must be trained continuously so as to deliver the products and services
as per the standards set by the firm to satisfy the customers.
 The organization must also prepare itsemployees to meet the dynamic changesconfidently by identifying
the training needs for them and imparting training accordingly.
Need for training is identified from the following:

 Frequent guests’ complaints

 Poor performances and low level of productivity
 Breakage
 Lack of interest in job
 Accidents
 Wastage
 Frequent absenteeism
 The supervisor must list out all the jobs and prepare knowledge and skill required to perform those jobs
and design the training program accordingly.

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE (SOP)

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are helpful in achieving better performance standards. These are written
instruments that set forth specific recessing actions i.e. they document a repetitive activity followed in an
14 | 1 7
organisation. These are devices by which procedures are standardized and act as a basis of ready reference of
how a task needs to be accomplished.

The development and use of SOP are an integral part of a successful quality system as it provides individuals
with information to perform a job properly and facilitates consistency in the quality of a product or service.

Note - SOP’s are a failure if not written well. A well written SOP also may end up as a failure if not followed
properly hence SOP’s need to be reinforced by the management.

Note – SOPs need to be reviewed and revised periodically to keep them updated ( 6months to 2 years or when
needed )
Note - SOPs should be made available to all employees for reference.

SOP’s comprise the following information:

 The job to be done

  Equipment and materials required
 Procedure of work
  Safety factors
  Time required to do the job 

The goals in establishing SOP’s are as follows:

 To aid standardization
 To help in training
 To preserve surfaces and materials
 To ensure the completion of a task successfully
  To prevent accidents
  To help in training
 To ensure the completion of a task successfully
 To aid the compiling of work schedules and help in staffing requirements

WRITING AN EFFECTIVE SOP

A well written SOP briefly describes the purpose of the work or process and the standards set. It denotes the
sequence in which the work should be followed and the information such as equipment needed, personal
qualifications and safety considerations.
1. An SOP needs to be written by someone who has thorough knowledge about the task and then validated.
2. Write using Simple English in a language that is simple and easy to understand. Use short clear
sentences.
3. It should neither be too wordy or lengthy. It should be simple and short.
4. Use Job Titles / functions and not names of people
5. Follow a logical thought process and number all the steps to complete the procedure.
6. Start each step of the procedure with an action word. For example lift, pour, etc
7. Use diagrams , graphics ,visuals since they are more effective than text
8. Sentences should not be long and complicated
9. SOPs should be written in a concise, step by step, easy to read format.
10. SOPs should be written with sufficient details so that anybody with limited experience or knowledge can
successfully reproduce the work even when unsupervised.
11. Each SOP needs to have a number

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Every organisation has its style of writing a SOP. There are no ideal or correct formats. Following is a sample
format.
TITLE OF SOP
LOGO & NAME OF ORGANISATION
Department - SOP ID Number -
Date of Issue - Date of revision -
Made By - Revision Number -
Approved By -
SOP is written for – ( Task) - Welcoming a Guest
Purpose of SOP / Objective – To ensure our guests have a positive first experience
Policy  All guests receive a warm friendly welcome
 Acknowledge regular guests
 Ensure guest satisfaction is maximized
Steps of the Procedure
Step 1 Welcome the guest in a polite and friendly manner
Step 2 When the guest arrive welcome them with a local
greeting according to the time of the day
Step 3 Use positive body language – eye contact , smile ,
stand up straight
Step 4 Etc.

RESTAURANT LOG
Sharing information is a key function to operating a successful business. Whether it’s letting someone know a
key piece of equipment is broken, or making a history of sales numbers or staffing levels, there are many pieces
of information in a restaurant or food service that, when properly shared with management staff and
employees, can greatly increase efficiency and profitability of the outlet. In today’s information age, there are a
lot of ways to communicate including email, calendars, blogs, websites, hand-written notes, meetings and line
ups just to name a few. However the best tools are restaurant logs.
They give you a place for all the management / supervisory staff to record key pieces of information to give a
history of what happened on a shift, and a list of things to do to plan better for subsequent shifts. More
importantly, they remind staff to save information that they might not otherwise think to share, like amount of
sales per shift; whether the outlet was over staffed or under staffed; whether they ran out of any products that
need to be reordered; who showed up to work on time and who was late.
Some information in the restaurant log is -
 A record of staffing

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  Average ticket times from the kitchen
 Food sales recorded by the meal period
 Alcohol sales recorded by the meal period
 Covers
 Weather information
 Accountability for duty checklists
 Repairs and maintenance needed
 Menu items that were served
 Supplies that need to be ordered
 Employee and customer injuries and accidents
 Customer lost and found
 Employee performance and attendance issues
 Information covered in line ups
 Customer feedback

All of this information is important to communicate to every supervisor. While a breakfast supervisor might not
necessarily need to know how many people ate dinner the night before, having that information may help them
better understand why the previous shift didn’t stock silverware, or why he did not find sufficient key inventory
items. Similarly
 If there was an employee issue, every manager / supervisor is up to date so that the next time something
with that employee happens, they don’t get a pass because the other managers had no idea. Without a
restaurant log, in this case, every manager thinks it’s the employee’s first offense.
 If there is a critical repair, like the ladies room toilets are all blocking up, the next manager who opens
the store knows to call the plumber.
 If there is a new policy or procedure, all the managers can be brought up to date by reading the
restaurant log, even if they were off for days and were offline.
Proper use of restaurant logs not only fosters improved communication, it changes your management culture;
you no longer have to chase down your managers for information. They will know exactly what is important
and will always provide you that information on a daily basis.
Proper communication helps foster a proactive management environment that gets all supervisors on the same
page, lessens finger pointing and rivalry, and gives vital information to plan better for following shifts.
One other major advantage to using a Restaurant Log is having information gathered into one easily accessible
location for supervisors to use to make other reports. From the information gathered in the Restaurant Log, a
supervisor can create a history of food or alcohol sales per shift, track customer counts for each meal period into
a spreadsheet, or update employee personnel files
A restaurant log hence is a useful tool to improve communication in a restaurant / F&B Outlet and to hold the
team accountable (since all people have the same information).
It is a simple tool which has taken different forms over the years – from a spiral note book to a printed format
and now a software e.g. Smart Systems Pro, CommLog or Manager’s Red book etc

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