How to Prep Your Restaurant for the Holiday Season

How to Prep Your Restaurant for the Holiday Season

This time of year everybody’s thinking about how to hire restaurant staff in time to be ready for the holiday season. While you are getting your hiring program in gear, there other steps to take now to satisfy holiday demand spikes.

Encourage early bookings

Market your special services early, and provide incentives to clients to get their orders in as soon as possible. Tell everybody that you are ready to take early orders and will offer coupons with serious discounts for comfortably early bookings. If your catering program racks up extra reservations, you have time to staff properly.

Earlier catering orders from your customers will allow strategic moves such as staffing additions, schedule changes and supply sourcing.

Promote early using the social media tools that your community prefers. (Thinking of expanding into another social platform? Do that early, too!) Mention that you offer 10% off on early reservations for holiday party catering on your printed menus and add the pitch to your recorded phone messages, too.

Use annual trends to plan ahead

Yes, you must hire enough people and give them enough time to learn your systems. When restaurant guests wait for long stretches to place an order because you provide only one waiter on a shopping weekend, there’s a possibility that they’ll never come return to your establishment. Understaffed restaurants do significant damage to their brands.

Having those year to year records to compare makes your judgment call much easier. If you know from annual trends that you will need a certain level of help for the holiday season, you can line up quality seasonal staff by starting outreach early.

Understaffed restaurants do significant damage to their brands.

If you have been in business for under a year, or have been open at a particular location for less than a year, be bold and invest in generous holiday season customer service. You can cut back next year, but you may not be able to make up for the diminished reputation that a bad holiday experience can engender.

Start hiring earlier rather than later

Now that you’ve started planning for the holiday season, you should have a better idea of how much additional staff you’ll need and when you’ll need it, so don’t wait until the last minute to actually get the word out.

Also, decide what channels you’ll be using to hire. Online hiring platforms, like Sirvo, are great because they’re easy to use and can increase your reach to potential candidates. Not to mention, having a talent library to search through can help you, the employer, be proactive during the process.

Prevent your staff from getting in the weeds

During heavy demand, your staff will walk a tightrope, having to balance providing great service with turning tables quickly. Conflicting impulses and tired shoppers can create stress and alienation among your servers.

For exceptionally busy times, consider offering a shorter holiday menu to make decisions easier

You can help prevent holiday burnout and even address slowed service during a rush with just a few suggestions to your staff. For example, encourage servers to make compelling verbal suggestions when or even before a menu is presented. For exceptionally busy times, consider offering a shorter holiday menu to make decisions easier.

Keep the kitchen stocked

Running out of advertised dishes is never the mark of a solid restaurant operation, but it is much worse at the time of special splurges and meaningful holiday meals.

Keep a healthy inventory, and don’t run out of your signature dishes. Ordering what you need for increased demand will instill confidence and show that you take the season seriously.

Your employees want to make a good living in a good restaurant. Providing them what they need to keep your holiday diners smiling will help everybody win.

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Sirvo Presents: 2016 Colorado Restaurant Show

Sirvo Presents: 2016 Colorado Restaurant Show

Join Sirvo at the 2016 Colorado Restaurant Show! The Premier Restaurant and Foodservice Conference in the Rocky Mountain Region!

Wednesday, Nov. 2, and Thursday, Nov. 3, 2016
Crowne Plaza Denver Airport Convention Center

Presented by the Colorado Restaurant Association, the Colorado Restaurant Show is the premier networking and learning event for restaurateurs, chefs and restaurant and bar managers in the Rocky Mountain region. Over the course of the two-day event, the leading restaurant suppliers in Colorado and the nation will meet with industry leaders and tastemakers at the Crowne Plaza Denver Airport Convention Center, to discover the newest trends, ideas and products in the business. A selection of panels led by industry experts aim to inspire professionals, and spark collaboration between sponsors, exhibitors and attendees.

Sirvo will have a booth both days of the event so be sure to come by and say hi! We’ll be doing some giveaways and will have a special surprise for all those who stop by! We’ll also be presenting a panel discussion with some of the top thought leaders in the industry on the future of human capital in the restaurant industry. Read below and don’t forget to register!

Panel Details

The Future of Human Capital: Hiring and Retaining Great Employees for your Restaurant
Wednesday, November 2nd, 2016
3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Panelists:

Craig HakesSirvo
Michael PullmanZuus Workforce
Taylor StonackSnooze A.M. Eatery
Andrew HudsonAndrew Hudson’s Job list
Rayme RosselloComida

Show Schedule

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2 :: SHOW DAY #1

  • 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. Hall open to attendees / educational sessions concurrent
  • 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Hall open to attendees / dedicated expo floor time
  • 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. Hall open to attendees / educational sessions concurrent
  • 5 p.m. Hall closes to exhibitors and attendees

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3 :: SHOW DAY #2

  • 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. Hall open to attendees / educational sessions concurrent
  • 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Hall open to attendees / dedicated expo floor time
  • 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. Hall open to attendees / educational sessions concurrent
  • 5 p.m. Hall closes to exhibitors and attendees

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DiningOut, Sirvo Debut Local Restaurant Job Postings

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Bar Tabs: Dane Hatch, Lead Bartender at ViewHouse

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5 Things That Make Your Profile Look Unprofessional

5 Things That Make Your Profile Look Unprofessional

Good Profile=Hired

One of the great features of online hiring platforms, like Sirvo, is the ability to create a profile unique to you and your accomplishments. Your Sirvo profile acts as a digital resume and is the first thing employers look at when deciding to consider you for an open position. Here are a few suggestions to assist you in making your professional profile stand out from the rest.

Profile & Cover Photo

It’s not necessary for you to upload a profile picture or a cover photo on Sirvo, but if choose to do so, you should definitely use one that shows you in your best light. The hospitality industry is still a fun industry, so we are not suggesting that you should look like you work at a bank. We are just suggesting to maybe not use photo of you and your friends at the bar. Your phone has an amazing camera and plenty of ways to edit and apply filters to enhance your best features.

Completing Your Profile

On Sirvo, your profile acts as a digital resume and is the first thing employers see when you’ve applied to a position. We provide options for you to include your work experience, education, skills and interests. It’s a simple template that can be filled out quickly and is your chance to showcase what you’ve accomplished and why you’re qualified for the position. An unfinished profile is 99% less likely to receive a response from an employer.

Know who you are trying to work for and dress accordingly.

Grammar/Spelling

One would think living in a world of spell-check that simple grammatical or spelling errors would be a thing of the past, but the reality is that the existence of spell-check has made us worse writers prone to simple errors. We see these mistakes being made on all levels, even by major news organizations. We are not casting judgement here (we are guilty of this). But what we are saying is that when you are applying for a position, check your writing and then double-check it. The last thing anyone wants is to be disqualified for consideration of a new job because of a simple grammatical error.

Dress the Part

We live in a pretty laid back culture and as a society we have become a lot more accepting of a looser and somewhat less professional culture in the workplace. The hospitality industry is one of those industries that has accepted this relaxed decorum. That being said, there is a level of professionalism that should be maintained and is expected of applicants seeking open positions. Just because you are applying for that Barista position down the street at your neighborhood’s hippest coffee shop, doesn’t mean you should wear a t-shirt and jeans to the interview. Know who you are trying to work for and dress accordingly.

An unfinished profile is 99% less likely to receive a response from an employer.

TMI

Sharing too much information, be it in within your profile or in a job interview, is also something we suggest not to do. Everyone knows it is an election year, your interview is probably not the best place to get on your soapbox about what you think is wrong with this world. We also recommend not revealing too much about last week’s music festival. Speak to your qualifications and what sets you apart from other candidates applying to the same position.

We recognize that for a lot of our applicants, making a career in the hospitality industry is not the plan. A lot of times the attitude seems to be that some people are just doing this until they find their “real job”. Well the fact of the matter is that for most employers, this is their real job. We should carry ourselves as professionals in all lines and at all levels of work. The same person offering you that Dishwasher position, may be the same person who offers you that Sous Chef position down the road. How you carried yourself in that initial meeting will go a long way.

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Proactive Hiring: The New Age of Recruitment in Hospitality

Proactive Hiring: The New Age of Recruitment in Hospitality

For hospitality employers, especially in restaurants and foodservice, the days of simply posting a job and receiving a large pool of talented applicants are over. In this competitive hiring market the need for another method of engaging job seekers is imminent. The time for active recruitment is here and this is how you can do it on Sirvo using the Search Candidates feature.

Why it’s Time to Recruit

So you’ve posted a job listing that has it all – it explains who you are and what your company represents and describes the available position and the qualifications necessary to fill the role, it’s basically the perfect job listing.

So now you should be able to just sit back and watch the candidates roll in right? Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

It can be confusing sometimes why some job listings receive several great candidates while similar posts by similar companies do not. Often times it is due to an over-saturated market.

So many businesses are hiring right now and looking for the same type of candidate to fill the same position that you are. Plus, with all of the new restaurants opening each week, job seekers have more than enough job opportunities from which to choose.

So what can you do to ensure that your positions are filled? Beyond marketing your company’s brand to job seekers, the answer is by actively recruiting industry professionals that you think would be successful in the role you’re looking to fill.

Utilizing Sirvo’s Search Candidates Feature

This tool not only allows you to engage with job seekers based on the qualifications you’re looking for but also, by doing so, you’re showing them that your company can give them exactly what they want in a job – feeling valuable.

Taking the time to identify a candidate’s talents and reach out to them directly is a sign that you care about the people that work for you and that’s a powerful incentive for job seekers.

Getting started is easy, just toggle the “Search Candidates” tab from the main search page and from there, you can scroll through our list of Sirvo users.

You can also search for those that match certain criteria by typing in a keyword such as job title or skill. For example, type “Line Cook” to find users who have that listed in their work experience.

To take a closer look at candidates, view their profiles by clicking on either the name or picture on the search page. User profiles include work experience, education, certifications and more so you can identify who you think may be a good fit for your company and available positions.

We suggest finding at least 5-10 users to reach out to. Remember that a lot of our users may not be currently seeking a position or may be content with their current employer. The good thing is that many are always looking for that next great opportunity or a second job to pay the ever-increasing rent.

Once you’ve selected some potential candidates, reach out by messaging them on Sirvo – simply click the send message link in the header section of the profile.

Don’t know what to say? Start by introducing yourself and your company and expressing your interest. From there, suggest a time to meet or ask them to apply for your job on Sirvo.

Start Your Search Today

Sure, this is a relatively new tactic when it comes to the hospitality industry, but it’s one that is widely used in almost every other industry out there and there’s a reason. Stop relying on job seekers to make the first move and go find who you are looking for!

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Here’s How Much Your Time Actually Costs

Here’s How Much Your Time Actually Costs

When you’re in hospitality or food service, there’s plenty that demands your time and attention. However, what many fail to calculate is the cost of their time. Take a moment to consider this: what does your time really cost? While it’s not a perfect estimate, understanding what you’re sacrificing by trying to do it all yourself can give you a much stronger picture of what you need to outsource to others.

Calculating Your Value

In essence, the value of your time is expressed by your annual salary including benefits divided by the number of hours you actually work each year.

Value = Annual Salary (+ Benefits) / Annual Hours Worked

If you’re starting your business from scratch and its net worth is relatively low, your hourly cost might be as well. On the other hand, if you’re running a successful restaurant or hotel, you might find that your time is worth more than you think.

Examining the Balance

How much does it really cost to complete a particular activity, whether it’s having your taxes done, cleaning out an old storage room, or taking care of the decor for a new restaurant?

Sure, doing it yourself seems like a great way to shave a little money off of your budget, but that’s only true if your time could not be better used in accomplishing other tasks.

If you’re forcing yourself to work overtime, you’re lowering your net worth – and potentially bringing down the net worth of your business.

The Cost of Experience

Hiring experienced professionals to take care of things might have a higher up-front cost, but it also means that you can be sure the job is done right.

From a new paint job that won’t peel off the walls or need to be redone because you chose the wrong kind of paint to an experienced financial professional to oversee your books, hiring a professional means several things:

  • Less time spent cleaning up mistakes later
  • Greater professionalism
  • Higher levels of accuracy the first time
  • Accomplishing the task much faster than you’d be able to do it

Your contributions to your business are many and varied. You’ve done plenty of things, particularly in the business’s early days. The longer you own your restaurant or hotel, however, the more your time is worth–and the more important it is that you bring in professionals who will help make the most of it.

Sending another individual or hiring out a particular task is a more cost-effective use of your resources.

Your Employees’ Time Matters, Too

Accepting that your time is important is just one step in the process of making the most of your business. It’s also important to acknowledge how much your employees’ time means.

Whether it’s the manager who is the absolute best at dealing with customer complaints or the server who always receives glowing reviews from customers, sending them to take care of menial tasks means that you’re paying their current (higher) salary for those tasks.

In many cases, sending another individual–or hiring out a particular task instead of having your employees complete it–is a more cost-effective use of your resources.

Understanding the true worth of both yourself and your employees is the ideal way to increase your business and make the most of every aspect of it. The cliche is, “Time is money!” The truth is, your time is worth your money. Acknowledging that will make it much easier to decide which tasks are truly worth your time and which ones are better moved to someone else’s plate.

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Experience Sirvo for yourself

Sign up now to find hospitality jobs and hire top industry talent.