Advice for Kitchen Managers

I'm a restaurant guy...

and I understand that some things in my (the restaurant) world seem like common sense when you are in it but if you are new to it, ideas and actions can seem foreign.

Today I want to share some insight for Kitchen managers all over the world.

First let me tell you that kitchen managers are not judged by Food Cost or Food Quality. See it seems a little foreign. Food Cost and Food Quality should be innate. Kitchen Managers are actually judged by their ability to organize and keep a clean kitchen.

What is the area I define as kitchen?
Anything behind the swinging doors. This includes drink stations, expo lines, carry out areas, line, prep and storage areas, if applicable office and break room. All of these areas fall in the term "Kitchen" when we talk about clean and organized.

Rule #1: Everything works
Never leave equipment inoperable, missing pieces or unusable. In this economy especially many kitchen managers are focused on profitability so sometimes we just wait to repair or decide that piece of equipment is not necessary. Whenever we make these decisions we put unnecessary stress on our people or other pieces of equipment. which usually leads to accidents or even more needed repair and maintenance due to excessive wear and tear on the equipment that is still working. Even a broken timer can lead to overcooked and wasted product. Helpful hint: If it requires duct tape to use...throw it away and buy a new one.

Rule #2: Everything clean
I often say "If everything we saw with our eyes, came out of our mouths how much more would we get done?" Silent approval is the number one cause for a dirty kitchen. The kitchen endures a daily build up of grease and trash. Weekly cleaning lists can catch most but regardless of day, if it is in need of scrubbing then  it needs to be scrubbed today. The kitchen manager is the leader of the cleaning brigade and follow up king. The kitchen staff hates to work in a dirty kitchen but loves to work in a clean one. Instill the pride in them and give them the tools to keep it up. I have always been a big "elbow grease" guy, but some guys prefer a power wash regiment. Work with your kitchen to find how they like to clean and keep those supplies handy.

Rule #3: Grocery Store Shelves
Ever work in a grocery store? I have for a minute. You would be amazed at the amount of time and money is invested to make the shelves look full and stocked. Daily people re-face all cans so you can read labels, they hire companies to re-align shelves and re-zone product for easy access and functionality. This is what gives you a nice looking aisles when you are shopping. We should take the same approach in our dry storage, cooler and freezer areas. They should always give the appearance of adequate stocking and be well maintained. This requires that you actually spend time in each room daily replacing and rearranging items to give a crisp appearance. A kitchen manager should touch each product daily and gauge pars and stock levels to usage. Functionality is key; if you cooks can get to it or if they can rotate it properly then it has great impact on cost and cleanliness. When you can't find a product you cannot use it or will order too much of it. Think about the impact on organization it would have on your kitchen if we took a grocery store approach.

Rule#4: Well lit areas.
Is every light in your kitchen working? Over the years lighting products have greatly improved. They make brighter and whiter lights for every type of socket and light fixture. The brighter a kitchen is the better. If you kitchen is as dark as a dungeon it is probably as dirty as one. I support investing in brighter lights for kitchen areas so that we can see where to clean and it just makes it a brighter place. Light well all storage rooms too. It seems simple but it is one thing you can do that can have immediate impact in appearance.

These rules are simple and will go a long way in ensuring a great reputation of being a top-notch kitchen manager. Remember that if you are doing things well in the food quality and cost areas then eventually someone is actually going to come look at what you are doing. Follow these guidelines and give them the organization and cleanliness they expect to see from your establishment. If you are suffering in food quality and food cost these rules will also make impact into both those areas. Don't believe it? Try me.