7 Reasons Restaurant Manager Logs Are Critical

Restaurant communication is very important. You can drastically improve communication and reduce stress with a restaurant manager log. Click the video below to watch or keep scrolling to read the seven reasons why you need a restaurant manager log for daily communication.  

When it comes to deciding about what kind of manager log you should use, I will leave that up to you. Just make sure it’s something all your managers can easily access and will use. Three-ring binder work best? Great! Google Sheets? Google Doc? Software? I don’t care what you use only that you use one. They're critical to your operation. I have a great relationship with the creator of COMMLOG and recommend his paper version all the time. 

Here are seven reasons why using a restaurant manager log is critical to your restaurant business: 

Number 1, you get to hold your management team accountable because you are going to set your standards, the things that you want checked off. What were today's sales? How many covers were done? Were there any mistakes made in the business? Did you send somebody home? Did you have a write up? You have these categories that have to be done and things as simple as checked off that all the checklists were completed, the order was placed on time, on budget and so on. You're going to impose your will without being there and a restaurant manager log allows you to verify what you want done gets done.

Number 2, you're going to keep everybody up to date on employee issues. You don't work 24/7. There may be an employee that did something really dumb. The next step is they should be fired. But if you didn't work that shift, you don't know. The manager log can make sure that you’re up the date. 

Number 3, they are also used to keep up the critical repairs. The last thing you want to do is close a restaurant with a toilet that is busted and not leave it in the manager log. Every a.m. opening manager deserves to walk in and see the previous night’s team called the 24-hour service, and they’re scheduled to arrive at 7 a.m.

Number 4, a restaurant manager log allows you to communicate new policies and procedures. Not everybody makes the manager meeting, somebody who's on vacation, whatever it may be. A restaurant manager log ensures everyone is up to day. It can be as simple as you are sick and tired of cell phones, and you have a no-cell-phone policy and you're going to start to enforce that rule and you place it in the manager log that each manager knows. How about your whole team?

Number 5, your team knows the important numbers, such as cover charges, sales, labor targets, actual labor. What's important to you? You can put in your manager logs that these are questions that must be answered.

Number 6, a restaurant manager log fosters improved communication because now everybody's got each others’ backs. No one is just holding this information to themselves. Each person on the team is a part of the team. You’re all going to help each other out, make sure we know what needs to go on.

Number 7, everyone is in the loop. That's from the owner down to the line supervisor. Every shift, every manager must read and initial that they've read it. Every shift they answer those questions. You don’t want to be an owner who has to call up the restaurant and ask the same five questions. And if you miss a call, you just don’t know. Get those five questions answered on a daily basis, whether online or on paper, so you know what's going in your business. But more importantly, everyone on the team knows.

I cover Restaurant 101, putting systems in place and more in my book. Order your copy of  Restaurant Prosperity Formula: What Successful Restaurateurs Do here. 

You can also complete a free restaurant evaluation. It's a great way to identify immediate opportunities where you can make things better in your restaurant. 

Be sure to visit my YouTube channel for more helpful restaurant management video tips.