The openness of your restaurant may be more important than you think, especially if it is a relatively sophisticated operation. Most restaurateurs believe that they can correct problems during construction, and this is true to some extent. However, if you advertise a grand opening event that is disorganized, understaffed and disappointing, you may lose the decisive advantage of making a good impression. If your opening is successful, you can capitalize on your success by attracting lots of customers and people who will come back.
The critical aspects of managing the restaurant’s opening are so important that most restaurants try a soft, small opening. If your opening is so crowded that the service is slow or the food is not up to par, many customers will not give you a second chance. Suggestions for a successful grand opening include:
Plan to exaggerate with the staff
It is not essential to optimize the payroll during your opening event. Plan to have enough staff to make it redundant. You could expect to have several “wild cards” trained transversally to work in different key areas.
Employee training
Your staff should know where everything is, be familiar with the menus and have experience using your POS system.
Encourage a Strong Work Ethics
Owners and managers should be highly visible. Although it is important to interact with customers, managers should spend a good deal of time behind the scenes to ensure that things work smoothly. Your future depends on how you manage your early days, so don’t be lazy.