Whether you are opening your restaurant or taking over an existing one, you are a proud, new business owner and you want to put your culinary mark in the neighborhood. But, how is this done and what kind of staff do you need to work for you?

Regardless of what kind of eatery you have, some basic positions must be filled, management, the wait staff, the bar staff, dishwashers, and cooks. If your restaurant is along the lines of fine dining, you may want to add bus persons, a host or hostess, and possibly a chef and pastry chef. This article will briefly touch on the main positions.

  • The Manager(s) – It is imperative that the manager works with you and understands what your vision is for your dining establishment. Managers must have experience, and work well under pressure, as well as have a knack for being objective. There will be many issues that the managers face on a daily basis, from workers calling out, to unsatisfied customers, to an understocked pantry. As the owner, you should be easily accessible to your managers, and other staff members, and maintain open and supportive lines of communication.
  • The Wait Staff – The wait staff or servers are usually the first people that your customers come into contact with and therefore, must be friendly, and kind. Servers should have excellent listening skills and a pleasant disposition. If you have a server who is moody or unkind to patrons, they are jeopardizing the success of your restaurant.
  • The Bartenders – Bartenders are also very important to your business because they also reflect your vision and must maintain a friendly environment at the bar. They should also possess a discernable personality because there will be times when they will need to limit a customer’s consumption of alcoholic beverages.
  • Dishwashers – Dishwashers of coursework behind the scenes and see that all utensils and tableware is clean and ready for use. This may not seem important, but it is because clean dishes are part of the presentation that the public will see.
  • The Cooks – Cooks should have experience in the restaurant industry and be able to work well under pressure. They should be knowledgeable about different ingredients that complement each other, in addition to creative presentation skills when placing the meal on the plate before it is served. If your food is not delicious, even if it looks appealing on the plate, you will not have repeat customers. Thus, it is in your best interest to hire cooks who have completed culinary school as they will have the best training and presentation techniques. Depending on the kind of eating establishment you own is what will determine the type of cook or chef you will hire.

To recap, the people that you hire to staff your restaurant should be like-minded, especially the managers who should be able to carry out your vision every day. The other members of your staff should be knowledgeable, contentious, and above all courteous, not only to your patrons but to each other as well. A restaurant cannot operate smoothly if the staff does not cooperate with one another and with the management team. Entrepreneur.com has more information should you wish to look into this subject in the future.