Staffing a restaurant, café, bar or nightclub is not as easy as it may seem on the surface. Finding someone with F&B experience is one thing, but finding someone with the right F&B experience is quite another.
The truth is, exceptional customer service makes a brand memorable and staff are the lynchpin to this; they hold the key to a customer’s first impression, their ongoing interaction with the brand and their overall experience. You wouldn’t hire a lawyer that didn’t have a law degree or see a doctor without a medical degree, so why do outlets consistently fall short on hiring proper F&B staff?
It’s no secret that an astronomically high percentage of restaurants fail within the first five years, but if you look at those that do make it to profitability, they all share common traits. They’ve built a brand to believe in, they know their purpose and place in the market, they know and understand their audience, and they’ve invested in their staff.
You could hire the best chef in the world, straight from the pages of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants or the Michelin Guide, but without the support of an equally capable GM and floor staff, you will quickly discover your money has gone to waste.
A customer experience is more than just amazing food and drink — it comprises the zero state (how a customer first connects with your brand; usually through your web/mobile site), to them deciding to make a booking, walking in the door, their visit, receiving the bill and making their way out, until finally reviewing their experience on social media.
During this entire experience, front-of-house staff are present at every step, therefore one of the most important things for any F&B brand is to invest time and effort into finding and training the perfect representatives for their outlet.
Just as the perfect chef is backed up by a handpicked kitchen team, the perfect GM is backed up by their chosen FOH team. This sets the foundation for the ideal machine, built with true hospitality professionals whose passion is to cater to a guest’s every whim — people who understand what hospitality is and make it their mission to deliver an unforgettable experience.
Brands can spend thousands, millions even, on creating a concept and ensuring that the identity is aligned throughout. They may have the coolest logo and the sleekest interiors but ultimately without staffing it correctly, the brand’s potential will never be realised completely.
It is not as simple as asking for ‘F&B experience’ when you are recruiting and staffing your outlet, be it a nightclub or a five-star restaurant, should be carried out with care and attention to detail.
Staff should be selected based on their professional experience, educational background and personality. They should be evaluated on their relevance to the brand and their dedication to the industry. Only by having the right staff can you hope to compete with our industry’s best.
As a shareholder in Figjam Hospitality, Sanjay Murthy works closely with investors to set long-term strategies and objectives for individual concepts. With more than 25 years’ experience working with international business, Murthy also plans & executes Figjam Hospitality’s growth. Visit www.figjamco.com for details.
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