SPECIAL OCCASION, EVENT AND HOLIDAY PLANNING GUIDE FOR Operators

Consistency is key in the restaurant and foodservice industry – from the recipes to the plating style, and from portion size to the care of service and hospitality.

This spans from back of the house to front of the house, so Food Fanatics^® Chef Sylvia Oliveira and Restaurant Operations Consultant Darin Redwine share their must dos for your special occasion and holiday staff training plan to create that consistency for your diners:

• Training Back-of-House (BOH)
  • It is key that the staff understands the ins and outs of each special occasion menu item, especially since they are often new recipes or even new products
  • Many special occasion menus feature more costly ingredients, so training on portion control is key to keeping costs in line
  • Make sure your staff understands food safety guidelines to properly prepare, heat and cool and store all menu items
  • The increase in to-go, family-style meals for special occasions means that packaging must be done consistently and with care to use the right disposables for each application for the best customer experience
    
    
• Training Front-of-House (FOH)
  • Your FOH is often the first to field questions from customers on upcoming events and all of the associated details. It is important that you provide them with complete details, so they are empowered to answer questions and don't have to wait to get back to someone. These types of communication delays mean you risk losing the customers' interest
  • If possible, hold a menu tasting with the whole staff, so they know how to properly describe the meals and can sell with conviction
  • Let them in on your goals for the event, and encourage active participation in sales by implementing server contests

^*Pro-tip – Our CHECK^® Business Tools partner ExpandShare features a digital staff training platform that can assist you with training your staff for special occasions and beyond.