RESTAURANT TEAMWORK & RESILIENCY
How teamwork impacts communication and understanding between FOH and BOH
VISUALIZING TEAMWORK
IDEAL TEAMWORK
GUIDING PRINCIPLE #1
How can employees empathize with other roles to ensure restaurant-wide success?
Success Through Empathy INSIGHT #1
Competence in a variety of roles enhances restaurant productivity.
Success Through Empathy
“ The food runner will step in if I leave the expo station.” MARCHESA | ROOSTER | KITCHEN MANAGER
Success Through Empathy When the restaurant gets busy, employees of all positions help each other out. They fill in gaps and try to make things easier for each other. BECCA | FOUNTAIN ON LOCUST | ICE CREAM CAPTAIN
Success Through Empathy INSIGHT #2
A lack of knowledge between FOH and BOH hinders collaboration and camaraderie.
Success Through Empathy Elena was able to name everyone working front of house but not back of house. ELENA | PAT CONNOLLY’S | MANAGER OF THE HOUSE
“ Inexperience on the job can affect both employees and management. If new employees aren’t trained well enough, their inexperience can cause job performance problems for other employees, impact profitability, and drive away customers. Inexperience in management can also be a problem, especially if new management is not sensitive to the experience of long-term employee.” CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY
Success Through Empathy
“ I have no idea how the front of house workers are scheduled or organized.” ANDREW | IBBY’S | APPETIZER CHEF
GUIDING PRINCIPLE #2
How might we broaden the definition of a “team� within a restaurant?
Broadening Teams INSIGHT #1
Employees have different concepts of what their teams are.
Broadening Teams For his map activity, Seth drew an image of the restaurant, and only included the kitchen. SETH | IBBY’S | GRILL CHEF
Broadening Teams Similar to what Seth did, Jenae only drew the FOH during her map activity. JENAE | IBBY’S | HOSTESS
Broadening Teams INSIGHT #2
Go-betweens act as points of communication.
Broadening Teams The food runner is the main liaison between BOH and FOH. MARCHESA | ROOSTER | KITCHEN MANAGER
Broadening Teams INSIGHT #3
Individual teams’ communication systems do not always cross over.
Broadening Teams
“Both waiters and cooks will go to the head chefs for conflicts, but there is no direct conflict resolution.” SETH | IBBY’S | GRILL CHEF
Broadening Teams Depending on the waiter, the order could be listed backwards or forwards, and causes mass confusion for the servers. ANDREW | FOUNTAIN ON LOCUST | SERVER/BARTENDER
GUIDING PRINCIPLE #3
Create a social environment inside and outside of work to promote a sense of “family.�
Think Family INSIGHT #1
Different physical spaces and work schedules add more layers of social division.
Think Family Janae says she was never formally introduced to the people in the back of the kitchen and her post is at the very front, so she never really interacts with them. JANAE | IBBY’S | HOSTESS
Think Family
“[BOH] employees have their own social groups but feel excluded from [FOH] cliques due to spatial divides.” COURTNEY | FOUNTAIN ON LOCUST | HEAD CHEF
Think Family INSIGHT #2
Humor is important to relieving work day stress.
Think Family The kitchen is a small space with 5 or 6 guys working at once. Cracking jokes creates good chemistry. TEE | PAT CONNOLLY’S | HEAD CHEF & KITCHEN MANAGER
Think Family
Seth repeatedly talks about how much fun it is and how goofy everyone is in the back. SETH | IBBY’S | GRILL CHEF
Think Family INSIGHT #3
Strong connections between employees create a welcoming work environment.
Think Family
“ I get to meet and socialize with not only my co-workers, but other Bailey’s employees at our annual holiday party.” LONEL | ROOSTER | BUSSER
IDEAL TEAMWORK
“No one is above washing dishes. They see that and respect that.” LAUREN | ROOSTER | KITCHEN MANAGER