A New Restaurant

Have you ever noticed that in some restaurants you never see the manager unless there’s a problem? I’ve been to some where I have not seen a manager the entire time I’m there. The other thing I’ve noticed is, these restaurants don’t usually impress me. I see mediocre service, longer waits for food, and meals that are average at best.

There’s a term in management practice called “Management by Walking Around” (MBWA). What is means is, instead of spending your time secluded away in your office, you need to get out amongst the workers to see what’s really happening with your business. For restaurant management, that means spending time in your dining room and kitchen, talking to customers, coaching employees, and keeping an eye on how your restaurant operates.

You and I both know that the majority of the time, if there are problems, the customer will not complain, at least not to you. They will complain to their family and friends, and they show their displeasure by not coming back to your restaurant. Wouldn’t it be better to head off that problem by catching it and fixing it before the customer leaves? You can’t do that by sitting in your office. You need to be out where you can catch small problems before they become huge issues.

Another benefit of MBWA is that your employees are more on their toes if they know they are being watched. This doesn’t mean hovering over them waiting for them to screw up. It’s more about developing a culture where the people in charge are visible and active in the operation, and all of the employees know it.

There are times when you have to be in the office. The paperwork has to get done, but you need to schedule your time in the office so you are available during your restaurants peak business times. Give it a try, you might be surprised by what you see.