If you’re considering opening a restaurant, creating a thorough restaurant staff training plan is essential for setting your employees up for success. After all, a restaurant’s staff members are the face, heart, and soul of the business. A well-trained cook can ensure each order is prepared exactly how customers requested them, and in a timely manner. A server who knows what they’re doing can make recommendations customers will love and enhance the overall dining experience.
Download our training plan checklist for restaurant staff to set the foundation for a strong team, then keep reading for our expert insights on creating a training program for restaurant staff.
What Is Restaurant Staff Training?
From front-of-house roles like hosts and servers, to back-of-house positions like cooks and managers, restaurants require many different kinds of roles to operate smoothly. All of these positions require specialized knowledge and skills to perform their functions.
Restaurant staff training is the process of teaching employees how to do their jobs in a restaurant. It involves everything from familiarizing new team members with the employee handbook to teaching key technical and soft skills.
Why is Restaurant Staff Training Important?
Training for restaurant staff is critical because it sets your employees up for success. Proper training for restaurant staff gives them the skills and resources they need to excel in their roles. It also provides them with shadowing and mentorship opportunities that will ensure they continue to learn on the job and grow professionally.
One tool that can be helpful for operators during the training process is a server training checklist. It includes a list of onboarding tasks and service skills new servers must complete and have a thorough understanding of.
What You’ll Get in this Restaurant Staff Training Plan
When you download our sample training plan for restaurant staff, you’ll get access to an in-depth guide that highlights various aspects of onboarding employees – all formatted in a handy checklist. Here’s what you’ll learn:
Step 1: Create a Restaurant Employee Handbook
First things first, you’ll get the steps you need to develop an employee handbook for your restaurant. Checklist items include things like:
- Determining staff priorities
- Reviewing labor laws
- Defining behavioral expectations
For a more in-depth resource all about this step of staff training, check out our restaurant employee handbook template.
Step 2: Staff Your Restaurant
This downloadable resource won’t just help you train staff after you’ve hired them. It also has tips for finding the right talent. The second part of the checklist is all about hiring restaurant staff and includes tasks such as:
- Making a list of front-of-house staff
- Making a list of back-of-house staff
- Designing a training program for restaurant staff
Creating a training manual is an important part of this process. For helpful hints for how to make one, download our free restaurant training manual template.
Step 3: Develop New Restaurant Owner Skills
This sample training plan for restaurant staff isn’t just about your employees. It also has steps that will help you develop skills in your role as a new restaurant owner. Checklist items like these can help you establish a solid foundation as a restaurateur:
- Subscribing to restaurant management blogs
- Learning restaurant terminology
- Reading restaurant management books
Laying the groundwork for a thorough employee training process now will save you time, money, and stress when your doors open. Ready to get started with your entrepreneurship journey? Download our free restaurant staff training plan checklist today.