Logan Voss
Restaurants, cafés, bakeries, and other foodservice businesses must have well-trained staff for smooth orders and transactions. The most successful establishments can achieve this because they use the best training manuals available. Still, when these types of establishments fail, it can be due to a lack of strategic management and training. Fortunately, this guide on how to create a restaurant employee training manual will help any restauranteur foster a well-seasoned staff.
Start with a Cover Page and Table of Contents
As with anything, a brief introduction to the training manual will help any new employees settle into their new roles. Start with a cover page and table of contents. The cover page should brand your business, logo, and provide your information (phone number, address, and your personal phone number and address if they ever need to reach you). Then, once employees turn the page, they should see a table of contents. This provides a guide to find exact sections on their respective page numbers.
Write an Intro
After that, your employees should see a well-written introduction that explains the company overview, guest overview, training schedule, legal disclaimers, and other immediate information. The company overview can be a personal written work welcoming new hires to your establishment. Use first-person to establish a stronger connection. Then, mention your history and mission statement. These establish clear expectations from the start. For guest overview, explain who your typical clientele is, their experiences and expectations at your restaurant, and what you as the business owner strive to give back to them. Once you explain this, your employees should know the seriousness and meaning of their service. Also, your training schedule should include essential protocols, like food safety, machine and tool operation, sales goals, and so on. Encourage your new hires to ask questions or ask for help. It’s better they learn from trial and error early on.
Detail Roles, Responsibilities, and Standards
With that said, do not forget to explain the roles, responsibilities, and standards. Present the general job responsibilities and guidelines, health procedures, and kitchen safety and sanitization thoroughly. No detail should go amiss. Explain each responsibility well enough so that dress code, personal appearance, and mannerisms become ingrained. While it’s okay to answer any lingering questions, your employees should understand each expectation well enough to follow them. Also, include both opening and closing procedures, so both teams can know how to operate during these hours.
Add a Section on In-House Technology
Finally, do not forget to include a section on in-house technology. The key to creating a restaurant employee training manual is to include all technological details. Training to use point-of-sales systems, table-side entertainment devices, and kitchen technologies are all crucial for keeping the restaurant active and running smoothly. If at any point one of these devices goes awry, you could face a big disaster. Each employee should know basic troubleshooting procedures in case something goes wrong, in addition to your knowledge of the hardware or software as well.
