How to Craft an Effective Restaurant Operations Plan

An 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.

1. Objectives
2. Organizational structure
3. Standard operating procedures (SOPs)
4. Inventory management
5. Staffing and Training
6. Technology and Equipment
7. Quality Control and Continuous Improvement

Define Your Objectives

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.”

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 (additional duties and responsibilities).
• 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 (Host job description).
• Dishwashers: Clean dishes, utensils, and kitchen equipment (Dishwasher job description).

Check out this article for additional job descriptions of key team members.

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.

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.

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. Check out this article for sample interview questions.
• 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.

An operations plan is more than just a section of your business plan; it’s the blueprint for your restaurant’s day-to-day success. By clearly defining objectives, establishing SOPs, and investing in technology that boosts your efficiency, you can create a seamless operation that delights customers and keeps your restaurant running smoothly.