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One of the main problems restaurant businesses face is related to the high turnover rate in the sector. According to research data, the average annual turnover rate among food service businesses is 75%. Thus, in order to offer consistency and high-quality service, eateries need to have a well-developed restaurant training program. It should include important aspects of the food service business but also pay attention to soft skills such as work ethic, attention to detail, and communication skills. In addition to developing a restaurant training program for employees, eateries should also develop the skills of their managerial staff. Professional restaurant manager training programs and courses are considered one of the best options in that regard. In the following paragraphs, we’ll share more about what’s included in a restaurant training program and how to develop one for your business. Make sure to also check our posts on how to achieve restaurant success and the latest trends in restaurant design.

Key takeaway: A restaurant training program includes both position-specific training modules and general knowledge about the company, safety procedures, and soft skills. It’s important for restaurants to have both theoretical and practical components of their training programs.

Characteristics of Restaurant Training Programs

Restaurant training is a process that helps employees in the food service industry learn or develop the skills necessary to prepare food, serve customers, or take part in other processes in a restaurant. Most restaurant training programs have both theoretical and practical parts. Thanks to modern restaurant technology, theoretical knowledge can be gained through videos, AI, or other types of content. Older methods, such as printed-out physical restaurant recipe cards, are becoming less popular thanks to digitization.

What’s Included in Restaurant Training Programs

As the food service sector consists of many processes and operations, restaurants usually develop thorough programs with various modules to cover different topics. Keep in mind that most eateries combine general with position-specific training. Let’s examine the main modules of a restaurant training program.

1. Onboarding training consists of learning about the company values, culture, and organizational structure. This initial training might also include mandatory modules such as workplace safety and legal compliance.
2. POS training includes learning how to work with the restaurant’s point of sale system. Important pieces of knowledge in this module include processing orders, managing reservations, and handling payments.
3. Customer service is also important for eateries. need to teach their employees how to greet guests, upsell dishes and beverages, handle complaints, and create an excellent dining experience overall.
4. Food safety and hygiene are primarily associated with kitchen operations, but most front-of-house staff also undergo such training. 
5. Menu knowledge is crucial for the waiting staff. need to suggest food and beverage pairing options, know the allergens in different foods, and understand different meals.
6. Teamwork and communication are very important in restaurants. That’s why business owners in the restaurant industry often organize training sessions to develop the soft skills of their employees.
7. Bartending, kitchen operations, and other position-specific training modules are also part of a restaurant training program.

How to Create a Restaurant Training Program

Developing a restaurant training program is a difficult process that is individual based on the needs of the business. Here are some of the main steps.

1. Define the goals, objectives, and desired outcomes of the program;
2. Analyze training needs based on staff feedback, performance of different departments, customer complaints, and regulations;
3. Outline key training modules for the different positions in your food service business;
4. Include general training modules related to emergencies, company values, communication skills, and other components that every employee needs to understand;
5. Create training materials. Nowadays, digital ones are preferred compared to physical copies;
6. Evaluate the results and make sure to adapt the restaurant training program. From to restaurant marketing, the food service business evolves and the process of training employees should adapt as well.

Restaurant Training Methods

Restaurants, catering, and other food service businesses might have different approaches to training their employees. Some might opt for classical job shadowing and on-the-job training. Others might rely more heavily on online learning where each employee can learn at their own pace. Innovative approaches such as gamification of the restaurant training program can also help new employees go through the different modules faster.

Generally speaking, the optimal approach is to combine different approaches based on your restaurant’s needs. For example, a sustainable restaurant that pays extra attention to the menu and ingredients might choose to incorporate more job shadowing. On the other hand, a fast food joint with multiple locations and a high turnover rate might opt for a thorough online restaurant training program in video format. This will also be more suitable for young people who are often the main group of employees in the fast food niche market. Combining the right restaurant training methods can significantly improve service and help with restaurant customer acquisition.

Frequently Asked Questions about Restaurant Training

From tips on how to offer restaurant merchandise and how to build an eco-friendly restaurant to advice on B2B sales and trends in the food and beverage industry, there are various resources on ºÃÉ«TVt’s website. Below we’ve answered some common questions regarding restaurant training programs.

What Soft Skills Are Taught During Restaurant Training?

Work ethic, clear communication, and positive attitude are among the most important soft skills in the restaurant industry. Both (BOH) and front-of-house (FOH) staff members need to possess and develop their soft skills. They are crucial in turning a good food service business into a great one. Other important soft skills for the food service sector include attention to detail, adaptability, teamwork, time management, and multitasking. The work environment in restaurants is often fast-paced and dynamic. Thus, soft skills are considered even more important than hard skills and knowledge in the field.

Is Restaurant Training Mandatory?

Although restaurants have the freedom to decide how to train their staff, there are certain compliances and regulations regarding food service training. For example, all employees must go through mandatory training on food safety, hygiene standards, and workplace safety. There are other important topics that should be covered during a restaurant training program. That includes food storage procedures, HACCP regulations and control, and regulations regarding sales of alcohol. Some areas have additional regulations regarding the food service industry and might require additional or more frequent restaurant employee trainings.

What Technologies Help with Restaurant Training?

Although most restaurant technology trends are related to kitchen processes or automation of front-of-house operations, there are various innovations in restaurant training as well. Video-based learning and mobile training apps are among the most common ones. POS-based training and integration of learning management systems (LMS) can also help restaurants, especially those with a higher turnover rate. Keep in mind that technologies are only tools and they should be used to support the training process. On-the-job training is still among the most common methods of training restaurant employees.

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