The essential guide to restaurant staff duties and responsibilities

Employing reliable and efficient service staff in a restaurant is a fundamental operational requirement for a successful business. Streamlining a restaurant’s various sections can be a complex task, with multiple departments working in synergy towards common goals, while also managing individual responsibilities. To make this easier, it is necessary to clearly define the various roles and responsibilities of restaurant staff to avoid confusion and ensure every aspect of operational management is allocated to the appropriate restaurant positions.

In this article, we have provided a set of clearly defined best practices to help improve activities and relations in your restaurant, including a comprehensive guide to restaurant staff roles and responsibilities to consult when taking on new team members.

Front-of-House restaurant staff responsibilities

Few things are more important to customers' dining experience than the atmosphere of an establishment, and what could determine the ambience of your restaurant more than the attitude of your staff?

As the face of the operation, Front of House staff crucially manage all interactions between the business and its guests and should be brand-representative at all times. As a rule, Front of House staff should be well turned out with a good attitude. The main duties and responsibilities of dining staff in a restaurant are: 

• Greet and seat guests
• Take orders accurately and efficiently
• Provide attentive and friendly service
• Handle customer inquiries and complaints
• Process payments and handle transactions through the restaurant’s POS system.

Back-of-House restaurant staff responsibilities

Back-of-house staff often have to navigate a dual workload of service-related tasks and more general restaurant operations. As a result, there is often more differentiation between kitchen staff positions and responsibilities. Although most restaurants will have a head chef and at least one sous chef, fine dining restaurants may further distinguish between executive chefs, line cooks, and pastry chefs to define particular service roles. There are, however, certain universal operational kitchen staff duties:

• Prepare food to order, following specified recipes
• Maintain a clean and hygienic kitchen environment
• Ensure compliance with food safety and quality standards
• Follow health and safety regulations
• Order and stock inventory

Restaurant management staff responsibilities

Managing a restaurant involves maintaining operational oversight across every aspect of the business and subsequently requires a team of responsible, organised individuals with good leadership skills, a knowledge of food production, and above all, a positive attitude to problem-solving to hold departments together. Due to the scale of responsibility, restaurant management is usually undertaken by a General Manager and a team of Assistant Managers, often with individual specialisations. Together, restaurant management teams oversee the following roles and responsibilities:

• Planning and execution of all restaurant operations 
• All human resourcing requirements, including hiring, training, and scheduling staff
• Managing budgets and expenses
• Ensuring compliance with laws and regulations
• Maintaining a positive and productive work environment.

Additional list of staff roles and responsibilities

Restaurants are easily divided into three main sections: front of house, back of house, and management. However, some restaurants will also require additional staff who don’t easily fit into just one of these staff lists but contribute significantly to the overall dining experience. An additional list of staff in a restaurant might include:

• Hosts: Some restaurants choose to have a specific member of staff to manage reservations, greet guests, and ensure an overall smooth dining experience for every customer.
• Bartenders: Having a bar within your restaurant could prove an excellent attraction to potential customers. Bartenders prepare and serve alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and can customise speciality cocktails for eager patrons. 
• Dishwashers: Sometimes called Kitchen Porters or KP’s, they keep the kitchen and dining area clean by washing dishes and utensils during service. 
• Cashiers: Having a specific staff member to handle cash and credit card transactions could help ease congestion during busy periods and increase table turnover. 
• Chef: Although probably not the staff members you would expect to find on this list, chefs are often expected to bridge the gap between the back of house and management, and therefore have to take on operational requirements such as overseeing kitchen staff, ordering and compliance, as well as their regular duties.
   

The importance of clearly defined roles and responsibilities

Defining restaurant staff responsibilities ensures a myriad of benefits from a management perspective. Not only do clearly defined responsibilities improve efficiency and productivity, they reduce confusion and misunderstandings among staff members, resulting in fewer conflicts, enhanced teamwork and better departmental collaboration. With every staff member feeling secure in their role and understanding their responsibilities, your restaurant will be a happier place to work, boosting morale for employees, and leaving you with satisfied and well catered to customers! 

Tips for effectively managing restaurant staff

To better allocate staff duties and responsibilities in your restaurant, start by developing clear job descriptions and expectations for each position, to communicate effectively with interviewees during future hiring processes. 

For current staff, there are several important strategies to help team members understand and appreciate their role within the dynamic workings of the restaurant. The most effective strategy is to provide regular opportunities for training and development. Having a clear path for career advancement and understanding how different parts of the restaurant function is a key motivation for engaged employees and also a welcome reward for hard work. When combined with a competitive wage and benefits package, staff should feel encouraged by your positive management style and, secure in a healthy work environment.

To streamline your operation even further, why not reduce the potential for confusion and errors during service by implementing simplified processes, backed by technology? With TheFork Manager, staff can benefit from hassle-free functions, including our bookings manager, table rotation widget, and in-built waiting list function. When your team needs support the most, TheFork can alleviate the pressure with a range of features that let your staff get on with the most important job: providing the best possible dining experience for customers.