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Editor’s Note: This is the eighth edition of a regular column on www.elrestaurante.com. Pepe Stepensky, a veteran restaurateur and a long-time member of the el Restaurante Advisory Panel, is offering his advice to any el Restaurante reader with a question. When he does not have a specific question to answer, he will write about the steps to opening and running a restaurant. Click here to email him a question.
Opening a new restaurant is very exciting and challenging at the same time. It is a challenge that you must conquer. A rehearsal can help.
Before opening the doors to the public and presenting your dishes to the world, it is essential to practice and perfect every detail of your new menu. The exercises should be an exact representation of what it would be like to be open to the public. These opening exercises are like a dress rehearsal for a concert or a play. Everything must work in harmony and all employees must know the roles they will play in each area.
These closed-door openings are with all your employees in their position and in uniform according to their role within the restaurant. The restaurant will be dressed with all the elements to open such as tableware, cutlery, tablecloths and even background music. The billing or POS systems will now be up and running in practice mode and orders will be taken from actual attendees whom you have invited.
The guests you invite should not be members of your family or very close friends, so that you receive honest and sincere opinions that will help you improve your menu and your customer service in addition to making it more real. Ask the attendees behind closed doors to make changes to their orders and even in some cases to be late and difficult to train cashiers and the kitchen how to handle these types of our future customers. These potential customers have to be willing to stay at the end after they have eaten their food to give you feedback on their overall experience so you can take notes and make any necessary modifications.
I recommend that when it comes to diners' comments, all your staff should be present and listen to the comments.
I also suggest that the owners not intervene in the closed door operation. Instead, they should observe and take notes about individual successes and failures, as a group and as a restaurant.
These closed door openings are only for a few hours, not the full opening hours and to test the breakfast, lunch and dinner menu.
Here are a few more key points about these rehearsals:
Refine recipes: During practice, you have the opportunity to adjust and improve recipes. You can make changes to ingredient quantities, cooking techniques and presentation to perfect each dish.
Evaluate preparation time: Efficiency in the kitchen is essential to keeping customers satisfied and ensuring fast service. Practicing preparing dishes helps you measure and improve preparation times.
Train staff: Before opening to the public, it is essential that your kitchen team is familiar with the new menu. Practice allows them to learn the recipes and techniques necessary to offer consistent, quality dishes.
Establish presentation standards: The presentation of dishes is crucial in modern gastronomy. Practicing dish presentation allows you to define and maintain visual standards for each dish on your menu. It is advisable to take photographs of each dish so that there are no variations between kitchen shifts and to create a physical file and a digital one.
Identify logistical problems: During practice, logistical problems are likely to arise in the kitchen, such as lack of space or the need for new equipment. Identifying these issues early allows you to address them before opening to the public.
Collect internal feedback: Your team can provide valuable feedback on the new menu. Listening to their opinions and making adjustments accordingly will contribute to a better overall operation of the restaurant.
Once you have done your tests behind closed doors with the general public and have collected their comments and observations, invite friends, family or food critics to taste your new menu before the official opening. Their feedback will give you another perspective and help you make final adjustments.
Announcing that you are practicing a new menu can generate anticipation and excitement among future customers. You can use social media and marketing to build anticipation before the grand opening.
In summary, the rigorous preparation and practice of your restaurant's new menu and the precise cost of each of the dishes are crucial steps that should not be overlooked. You can hold these closed-door practices as many times as necessary, making the corrections suggested by clients, friends and staff.
I recommend opening with limited hours until your staff is sure of what they do and your kitchen and service flow correctly.
This thorough approach will ensure that your restaurant offers a memorable dining experience from day one, contributing to the long-term success of your business.