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Operational Consistency: Three ways to get there?

Nearly everyone in the restaurant business has heard a version of this inconsistency nightmare story. You discover a great new restaurant.  You boast to friends about how good the food and service is. Finally you return with friends and family, only to have a horribly disappointing experience. No the management didn’t change! This is simply a classic example of why guests place such a high value on consistency.

Industry luminaries like Joe Lee, former chairman of Darden Restaurants, and Norman Brinker, former chairman of Brinker International, made this a cornerstone of their restaurant empires. Without the ability to consistently deliver on a promised experience, I would even argue, you don’t have a brand. Your brand and your promised experience are one in the same in the minds of your guests. Repeatedly fail to deliver on the promise and your brand becomes worthless.

Now if improving operational consistency or maintaining it during growth are your goals, there are 3 interconnected roads that will lead you to these objectives. These drivers of operational consistency are (1)talent selections, (2)training, and (3)systematization. Depending on your operations you may benefit from one or some combination of each of these approaches.

Talent Driven Consistency

Over the years, as I pursued my passion and training in the culinary arts, I have had the opportunity to spend time behind the scenes of some legendary food operations, including the Waldorf Astoria in New York, Ritz Carlton in Laguna Nigel, and Hay-Adams in Washington D.C., where I completed an apprenticeship. Each of these operations are famous for exceptional quality and above all operational consistency.

Spend a little time in either of their kitchens or dining rooms and the main reason is immediately clear; they attract and hire only exceptional talent. If talent is defined as an existing set of skills and abilities, then such operations, by virtue of their reputation, have the luxury of choosing from the cream of the crop. For example, I cannot envision anyone of the above operation’s kitchen staff not being able to produce a perfect “Brunoise” upon request from the executive chef or anyone in the dining rooms not knowing how to properly control the pace of a meal.

Now, I realize that a small percentage of restaurants operate in market segments that attracts the most elite talent. My real point is this. Hiring the best talent that fits your operation and that you can afford is the first step to building operational consistency.

Training Driven Consistency

Likewise, training is a huge area of impact for restaurants, when it comes to creating consistency. I watched this critical area evolve over the years. When I first started in the industry the “Magic Apron Technique” was still very common. Managers would hand a new employee a kitchen or dining room apron and magically expect the employee to figure out what to do next.

Since those days, we have made great leaps to training checklists, training manuals, certified trainers, regional training managers, and dedicated training departments. While I firmly believe that all of these weapons in our training arsenals are great, I find that the most successful operators create a “Training Cultures”.

These restaurant leaders have developed a unique commitment to ongoing training. Their employees see training not as a weekly or monthly event, but, as a part of everyday business. I recently experienced such a culture during a visit to Ann Arbor Michigan. I had heard of the remarkable service and food quality of a local deli called Zingerman’s, so I decide to see for myself.

The operation, which is best known for it’s focus on employee training was everything that I had heard. The place operated like a well oiled machine, in spite of a line extending outside the front door. More importantly, each hourly employee that I spoke with was so well versed on the food and operation, I could have easily mistaken them as an owner or manager of the business. It is this type of training culture that results in consistency and a competitive advantage.

Systems Driven Consistency

Once you have selected the best employees available and achieved training nirvana, you may still want added insurance. One way to do this is to bake consistency right in to your operation. Your menu, product specifications, and equipment selections are three important areas that can help build systemic consistency.

Ray Kroc the legendary leader responsible for developing the McDonald’s Franchise, leveraged all three of these areas, to create one of the most consistent food operations the world has ever seen. Beyond fast food there are other examples. In the area of menu development the upscale dinner house, Houston’s, comes to mind. Over the past 15 years, I have dined in there restaurants all over the country from Chicago to Orlando, and Los Angeles. I cannot recall a disappointing experience, which is saying a lot for such a large operation. I am certain that their highly focused menu is a major contributor to their success.

Similarly, a sensible approach to product sourcing can relieve pressure on your operations and reduce labor costs. Consider this example. In the 90’s, when infused oils and flavored vinegars first gained popularity, chefs all over the country were producing, storing, and labeling many versions of these products right in their kitchens. Today top quality commercial versions are available everywhere. Larger operations even go as far as have proprietary versions of their best spice blends, sauces, and other key ingredients produced for them.

When it comes to equipment, having the right tools makes a world of difference with operational consistency. I am always shocked when I visit a kitchen and find the only operating portion scale hidden deep in a storage area. Proper tools and equipment for measuring, weighing, producing, and serving your recipes lay at the heart of consistency. Starbucks realized this fact, when it chose to install high quality, automated espresso machines in their operations.

Although there may be varied roads to operational consistency for different types of operators, the big 3 categories of talent selection, ongoing training, and systems implementation stand as proven paths.

About the Author

Shed Wallace is the founder of www.EateryCoach.com and the www.EateryTribe.com blog. His career highlights include culinary and food & beverage director roles with leading hospitality companies like Darden Restaurants and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line..

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