Standard Operating Procedures or SOPs, are a set of written practices and procedures which an establishment follows in its daily operations. Think of SOPs as a script that you and your staff have to follow while conducting business. When implemented successfully, it reduces any chance of unfortunate incidents between the staff and the customers.

Restaurant SOPs cover not only food handling procedures, but also front of house operations. Here are some pointers to help you get a better idea:

1. Back of House (BOH) Operations: SOPs related to kitchen tasks, including cleanliness, hygiene, food handling, inventory management, storage, wastage, etc. are probably the most important set of documents for the kitchen team. The BOH staff, which include head chefs, sous chefs, line cooks and stewards must be provided with these tools to ensure an efficient and smooth operation. For e.g., employees need to be well-acquainted with handling the kitchen equipment and follow the food safety and quality standards that will be maintained in the restaurant.

2. Front of House (FOH) Operations: These SOPs are a guide for your FOH team which usually consists of hosts, servers and/ or bartenders. To ensure a seamless operation, it is critical to clearly define procedures and tasks that each staff member must adhere to. For e.g., how to welcome a guest, how to seat a guest, how to take phone orders, ensuring certain cleanliness and sanitization procedures are complete before providing table services, waiters and staff need to ensure cleanliness and sanitization of tables. Maintaining such standards will ensure your guests have the same experience each time they visit.

3. Inventory Management: Probably one of the most important set of documents in an F&B operation are the SOPs relating to Inventory Management. This includes defining the tasks all the way from selection of suppliers, to purchase of raw materials, order placement, receiving goods and inventory rotation and usage. A well management inventory system is critical for the business as it has a direct impact on the bottom line. Any excess/ shortage, misuse, wastage, etc. of ingredients can be tracked if the right SOPs are in place.

4. Financial Record Keeping: Financials SOPs can help with the process of recording and monitoring the accounts. Once the process is set in place, it will ensure complete and accurate information is reaching the accountant, further enabling him to furnish a monthly report for management review.

5. Growth and Expansion: As the business grows and more branches are set up, having a set of SOPs that can be handed over to the new team will ensure the levels of service by all staff are maintained, resulting in consistency of guest experience. New employees, at new or existing branches can refer to one common document to understand the systems and processes of the business effectively. Productivity levels of different branches can then be tracked, as they would all be following the same standards.

In conclusion, standard operating procedures for restaurants help lay the foundation for the restaurant’s smooth and efficient operations. If you’re looking to set up SOPs for your restaurant, but unsure of how to go about doing this, you can always approach a restaurant consultancy to guide your restaurant on the right path.

At Ribbon, we ensure that your restaurant’s standard operating procedures are set in place, as a part of our specialized restaurant consulting solutions. You can reach out to us at info@ribbon-me.com or give us a call on (971) 4360 5758 and we’ll be happy to help!