Call it the warm-up, sound-check or preflight run-through. Young pitching star Paul Skenes doesn’t take the mound to throw heat without a parlez with his catcher. Diva Renee Fleming limbers up her pipes with the orchestra before performing rapturous arias.
Starting each shift in your Food and Beverage operation without a pre-shift meeting or “pep-talk” is to miss a great opportunity to connect, encourage and educate your team. Pre-shift meetings can be the most valuable moments in daily operations, when the staff gathers to open the lines of communication between front and back of the house, offering praise for a particularly hectic shift when the crew rallied for success, or convey the glowing reviews of a member.
Taking just fifteen minutes before the “main event” to focus and motivate the team on the business ahead, the pre-shift will set the tone and direction of service. Gathering staff for a few moments before service for a positive huddle is the perfect time to discuss new menu items, additions to wine and cocktail lists and conduct tastings of daily specials.
The pre-shift meeting allows the team to exchange information before the impending rush of business in an informal and respectful manner. Giving your staff this time, before hectic and sometimes stressful points during a shift, allows for setting a tone of service that is informed and positive.
Managers can maximize these opportunities by preparing meetings that are planned, defined and interactive. A pre-shift template should include:
- Housekeeping topics that affect overall operations, such as a maintenance project that may temporarily impact service
- Upcoming business forecasts, like holiday and seasonal events that will determine business levels
- Interactive mentoring, using a real hands on “show and tell” of specific highlighted menu items, including tasting, preparation and history
- Allowing a teammate to share how they found recent success in upselling cordials with items on the new pastry menu
- What quote or story defines our purpose today
Beginning and concluding the pre-shift on a high note will help carry the positive momentum through service and reinforce the sense of shared purpose. Taking time to create pre-shift meetings that are engaging, educational and efficient will motivate your service team and inspire discussion topics for the next meeting.
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About the Author: Chef Mary Howley
Chef Mary Howley is a former Executive Chef of her own catering company, several privately owned country clubs, and fine dining restaurants. She has studied throughout Europe and honed her skills working with a myriad of culinary styles and foods. At RCS, she is the resident culinary consultant providing guidance on menu engineering, overall food & beverage management, back of house operations, and training. She had the honor to serve as research and development chef for Food Unlimited, and held the position of Pastry Chef in two James Beard Dinner Events. Mary has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Maryland Institute, is a Certified Professional Food Service Manager, a certified TIPS trainer, and a member of the Women Chefs & Restaurateurs Association. Mary is passionate about cross-utilization, seasonality, sustainability, and the precious connection between people and food.
