I’m an enormous believer in measuring how a lot time it takes to finish nearly each job within the restaurant. Should you decide how lengthy a job takes, then you’ll be able to measure it and sometimes enhance the elapsed time to perform the duty.
My POS system had a built-in timer. When the telephone was answered the timer began. My counter folks averaged 48 seconds to take an order. My private common time was 91 seconds. My common in oven instances was 70 seconds. One of many quickest pizza makers I ever educated was Mark Hicks: he may toss, dock, sauce and cheese a 14-inch and have it within the oven in 23 seconds. My common to the- door time for deliveries was 27 minutes. It took two folks to chop, weigh and roll dough balls, then tray them and ship them to refrigeration in 13 minutes.
Realizing how a lot time it takes to finish a job is vital. You’ve a purpose to try for. In my store, new hires have been taught all the shortcuts so they may sustain with the outdated timers. Such a operation has a excessive sense of urgency. Throughout gradual instances, the crew doesn’t again off or slack. After we acquired slammed, nobody acquired nervous — as a result of we have been used to hurry.
I discovered the way to enhance my instances by infi ltrating one of many nation’s quickest supply corporations. They have been placing the harm on my backside line as a result of they marketed they might ship the pizza in half-hour — or it was free. After reorganizing my kitchen fl ow and pre-tossing and cheesing skins in anticipation of the push, I dramatically lowered my common instances. We labored out all the wrinkles and struck again. 29 minutes to your door or it’s free grew to become my supply. Inside every week, my supply enterprise elevated 40 p.c. It wasn’t simple, but it surely was enjoyable.
At present’s shoppers are accustomed to and count on quick service. We now have change into a nation of shoppers that insist on prompt gratification. Assume dial-up or excessive velocity Web. Drive thrus at burger locations. One-hour dry cleansing and movie processing. The record goes on and on. Clients crave velocity and get irritated when they’re compelled to attend.
You as a supervisor or proprietor must steadiness the velocity of manufacturing the meals, however not on the expense of fantastic customer support. Above all, the visitor is king. By making a excessive gear crew you should have extra time to concentrate to your clients. ?
Huge Dave Ostrander owned a extremely profitable unbiased pizzeria earlier than turning into a advisor, speaker and internationally sought-after coach. He’s a month-to-month contributor to Pizza At present and leads seminars on operational subjects for the household of Pizza Expo tradeshows.
