How to Craft an Effective Restaurant Operations Plan

A restaurant operations plan is a crucial component of your restaurant’s business plan. It outlines the day-to-day tasks required to run your restaurant smoothly and efficiently. A well-crafted operations plan not only ensures consistency and quality but also helps you manage resources effectively and achieve long-term success. In this article, we’ll walk through a comprehensive guide on how to write an operations plan for your restaurant, complete with examples.

From our experience, the restaurants that run the smoothest aren’t the ones with the longest operations plan, they’re the ones that make it usable. The biggest breakdowns we see come from “unowned” processes (no one accountable), SOPs that live in someone’s head instead of being written down, and tools that don’t match the workflow (forcing staff to invent workarounds). A strong operations plan should read like a playbook your team can follow on a busy Friday: clear owners for every routine, simple checklists for the highest-risk moments (opening, shift change, close), and a short review cadence (monthly or quarterly) so processes stay current as your menu, staffing, and order channels evolve.

Define Objectives for Your Restaurant Operations Plan

Start by clearly defining the objectives of your restaurant operations plan. What do you aim to achieve? This could include providing exceptional customer service, maintaining high food quality, ensuring a clean and safe environment, and maximizing efficiency. These objectives should be considered as you build out each component of your operations plan.

For example, “Our objective is to deliver a consistent dining experience that delights our customers, achieves operational efficiency, and maintains a high standard of food safety and cleanliness.”

Your operations plan should plug directly into your full restaurant business plan. Download our Restaurant Business Plan Template to organize your operations, financials, and go-to-market plan in one place.

Outline Your Organizational Structure

Outline the organizational structure of your restaurant, no matter how small your team may be. Defining clear roles and responsibilities up front can help your team understand how they work together and avoid having any tasks fall through the cracks. Include specific responsibilities for each position, from management to kitchen staff to front-of-house employees. This clarity ensures everyone knows their duties and whom to report to.

Here is a sample outline of some key roles and responsibilities:

• General Manager: Oversees all restaurant operations, including hiring, training, and financial management.
• Head Chef: Manages kitchen staff, menu planning, and food preparation.
• Server: Take orders, serve food and beverages, and provide customer service.
• Host: Greets customers, manages reservations, and handles seating arrangements..
• Dishwashers: Clean dishes, utensils, and kitchen equipment.

Define Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

Detail the standard operating procedures for each aspect of your restaurant. SOPs ensure consistency, efficiency, and compliance with regulations in front- and back-of-house. Additionally, clear, well-documented SOPs are helpful resources for onboarding new employees.

SOPs should cover everything from food preparation to customer service to cleaning routines. Specifically, make sure you have defined SOPs for the following areas:

Food preparation and handling

Specify the steps for preparing each dish, including ingredient measurements, cooking times, and plating instructions. Outline guidelines for proper storage, handling, and cooking of ingredients to prevent contamination and ensure food safety.

Example food handling SOP: “All raw poultry must be stored in a separate, designated refrigerator at 40°F or below. Hands must be washed for at least 20 seconds with soap and water after handling raw poultry.”

Customer service

Outline the process for greeting customers, taking orders, handling complaints, and ensuring a positive dining experience.

Example customer service SOP: “Upon seating guests, servers must introduce themselves and provide water within the first 2 minutes. Orders should be taken within 5 minutes of guests being seated.”

Health and safety

Specify the protocols and training that will be implemented for safe work practices and adherence to local, state, and federal health and safety regulations. Include what steps will be taken in case of emergencies such as fire, severe weather, or medical incidents.

Cleaning and maintenance

Provide a checklist for daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning tasks, including sanitizing surfaces, cleaning restrooms, and deep-cleaning kitchen equipment. Define regular maintenance schedules for equipment, HVAC systems, and other critical infrastructure.

Describe Your Inventory Management Plan

Describe how you will manage inventory to ensure you always have the necessary supplies without overstocking. Include procedures for ordering, receiving, storing, and tracking inventory.

• Ordering: Establish relationships with reliable suppliers and set regular ordering schedules based on usage patterns.
• Receiving: Inspect deliveries for quality and accuracy, and store items according to their storage requirements.
• Tracking: Use an inventory management system, like MarketMan, to monitor stock levels, track expiration dates, and reduce waste.

Reducing waste is one of the fastest ways to protect margins—food costs often run 28%–35% of sales, and restaurants can see about $8 in savings for every $1 invested in food-waste reduction.

Specify Staffing Needs and Training Plans

A well-developed staffing and training plan is crucial for the success of any restaurant. It ensures that your team is capable, well-trained, and prepared to provide excellent service. Training and clear processes also reduce costly churn. It is estimated replacing frontline employees costs around 40% of their salary, making onboarding and SOP-driven training a smart investment.

Outline your staffing needs, including specific job titles and responsibilities, the hiring process, onboarding procedures, and training programs.

Here’s a high-level example of what type of staffing information to include in your operations plan:

• Hiring: Post job openings on relevant platforms, conduct interviews, and check references.
• Onboarding: Provide new hires with an orientation, introduce them to team members, and train them on SOPs.
• Ongoing Training: Schedule regular training sessions on topics like food safety, customer service, new regulations, and new menu items.

Outline the Technology and Equipment You Will Leverage

Identify the technology and equipment necessary for efficient operations. This includes POS systems, online ordering platforms, and software for reservations, scheduling, and accounting.

• POS System: Use a reliable POS system to process transactions, track sales, and manage customer data.
• Online Ordering: Select a reliable, margin-friendly online ordering solution to take orders directly on your website and across the web.
• Kitchen Equipment: Ensure you have the necessary appliances, such as ovens, refrigerators, and dishwashers, and establish a maintenance schedule to keep them in good working condition.
• Software: Utilize software for reservations, order management, employee scheduling, and financial management to streamline operations.

Here’s an example of an online ordering plan overview: “After evaluating several options, we have chosen ChowNow due to its robust features, seamless integration with our POS system, and excellent user experience. The platform also offers a dedicated mobile app, which aligns with our goal of enhancing customer convenience.”

Outline Your Approach to Quality Control and Continuous Improvement

Regularly monitoring quality and gathering qualitative and quantitative feedback ensures that you consistently meet your standards and can implement changes to enhance your operations.

• Customer Feedback: Regularly solicit and review customer feedback to identify areas for improvement.
• Performance Metrics: Track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as customer satisfaction, table turnover rate, and food cost percentage.
• Regular Reviews: Conduct regular reviews of your operations plan and make necessary adjustments based on performance data and feedback.

A restaurant operations plan is your blueprint for running smooth day-to-day shifts. To write one, define clear objectives, map roles and responsibilities, and document SOPs for food prep, service, safety, and cleaning. Then build the systems that keep operations consistent: an inventory plan (ordering, receiving, storage, tracking), a staffing + training plan (hiring, onboarding, ongoing training), and the technology/equipment you’ll use to streamline work. Finally, include a simple approach to quality control and continuous improvement by tracking KPIs and reviewing the plan regularly.

Restaurant Operations Frequently Asked Questions

What is a restaurant operations plan?

A restaurant operations plan is a detailed guide outlining the daily tasks, procedures, staffing, inventory, and technology needed to run a restaurant efficiently. It ensures consistency, quality, and smooth service while helping operators manage resources and meet business goals.

Why is a restaurant operations plan important?

An operations plan is essential for maintaining high service standards, improving efficiency, and training staff. It also helps restaurant owners reduce errors, control costs, and scale operations more effectively by having clear processes in place.

What should be included in a restaurant operations plan?

A comprehensive restaurant operations plan should include objectives, organizational structure, standard operating procedures (SOPs), inventory management, staffing and training plans, technology and equipment, and a strategy for quality control and continuous improvement.

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