Crashing The Kitchen- It's A Process Problem

Perhaps the best setting to view how process impacts customer experience is in a restaurant. Any flaw in service or in the kitchen directly affects the customer at the table – waiting to order, food taking too long from the kitchen, the accuracy of the order – and is immediately quantifiable when the patron leaves less than the expected 20% tip. Perhaps the biggest test for kitchen processes and efficiency is when they get flooded with orders in too short of a window. Kitchens with good processes and strong leadership successfully navigate this pressure, while those without struggle – the kitchen is crashed.

But how can restaurants avoid this situation? For starters, setting up their kitchen for success from the get-go is key. Having clearly defined roles and a leadership structure allows for kitchen staff to operate more smoothly when the heat is on them. This also includes, designing a streamlined menu allows for pre-portioning popular dishes, cutting down on individual ticket times. Finally, restaurants should take advantage of technology to help balance and prioritize orders – particularly helping balance online orders with in-person.