Resources for your kitchen staff to increase productivity

It’s opening shift—the lights flicker on as fresh-faced workers walk through the door of the kitchen. Rolling up their sleeves, they begin the diligent work of ingredient preparation as the ovens preheat. Their eyes occasionally roll up to the clock, checking the time before the front doors open and the real work and artistry begin.

The truth is, life working in the kitchen is not always quite as poetic as this; indeed, it comes with its own set of unique challenges. Line cooks and sous chefs alike can find themselves easily overwhelmed by the number of tasks in front of them, such as:

For new hires and seasoned vets alike, a kitchen environment can be chaotic when not properly regulated. This article offers several areas of improvement where point of sale (POS) technology can help smooth out those rough edges, including:

KDS integrations
Labor management integrations
Modifiable menus

KDS integrations

Traditional handwritten notes are notoriously unreliable; handwriting can be of varying legibility and the paper ticket is easily damaged or destroyed. This can result in incorrectly prepared orders, further resulting in unhappy customers.

The mark of a well-functioning kitchen, however, is in its ability to recognize these shortcomings and accommodate for them with the latest in POS technology that includes:

Digitizing orders also has its benefits on the front end of your restaurant as well. Since waitstaff no longer needs to use their own shorthand, they can get orders to the kitchen (or the bar) much faster. this ensures that meals are prepared in a timely manner and keeps your customer base happy.

Labor management software

A common problem that kitchens face daily is a constantly rotating staff that often leaves responsibilities unfulfilled and duties unperformed. Particularly in the COVID era, restaurants and kitchens find themselves in dire need of good employees. In the worst cases, this can lead to short-staffed shifts in which orders are delayed getting out of the kitchen.

Most modern POS solutions offer answers to this question by integrating with labor management software. These Integrations help fight the employment crisis with:

Shift coordination tools that allow employees to check schedules and trade shifts.
Team communication resources for employees to ask for help when they need it.

One of the most important things when it comes to your staff is keeping everyone on the same page. In addition, it’s about giving them the ability to ask for help when they need it. Integrating your POS solution with labor management software such as Homebase gives them the ability to do exactly that. This keeps your business running smoothly and your employees showing up for work.

Modifiable menus

A problem inherent to any restaurant of any size or type is the volatility of the industry. One second, everything is going fine, and the next you are running out of items or you get an order with a dozen modifications on it. When that happens, your staff needs to be able to keep up with the changing pace created by the restaurant environment.

This is best done through technology provided through a centralized POS. The features are designed to accommodate a number of changing elements, such as:

Changing gears is a critical skill set in the restaurant industry. As a result your menus should reflect the ability to do just that. By giving yourself the ability to Pivot at a moment’s notice, you keep your kitchen running smoothly as possible while maintaining a positive experience for customers on the front end.

Kitchen management tools sharpen your proverbial knives

Managing your kitchen isn’t just about getting through the day-to-day of owning a restaurant; instead, you should think of it as a long-term investment in your business’s future. Resources such as KDS integrations, labor management integrations and modifiable menus take that investment and centralize it through your POS, which your employees use everyday. These results impact everything:

Easier workloads for employees
Clearer instructions for kitchen staff
Improved customer experience
Improved bottom line

Sometimes the best kitchen management tools come from a trusted partner. POS solutions like talech specialize in technology resources for restaurants of all sizes. We create focused POS systems tailored to the ins and outs of your business, specializing in integratable software to regulate your daily operations. Reach out today about a free demo and more information about how we can meet your POS needs.