The main problem which causes many F&B businesses to go out of business is the ineffective management of day-to-day operations. When the restaurant is about to open, the menu, design place, branding, everything is well thought out and the completion is carefully monitored.

However, when the restaurant has opened, does the business owner still make a checklist and carry out daily operational checks? This is what is often forgotten. Even so, to keep your business ahead of the rigorous F&B industry competition, you need to design and conduct a structured and comprehensive operational audit.

Don't want your F&B business to fall in the same hole as 60% of businesses that go out of business in the first year? Check out the aspects you should check on a daily basis from your F&B business in this article!

In the audit of the F&B sector, you need to know which aspects are important for you to regularly record. The reason is, these aspects determine the development of your F&B business. The following are some of those aspects:

Cleanliness & Functionality of the Kitchen

In the food aspect, there are several things that need to be prepared before the food reaches the customer's table. The quality of food is one of them. Not only limited to the taste, but the inspection can also include kitchen cleanliness, the functionality of kitchen utensils, how food is arranged on the plate or platting, and the time it takes to prepare the food for the customer.

Sample questions:

• Is the refrigerator working properly?
• Has the fryer drain been cleaned?
• Has the knife been sharpened?
• Has all work surfaces disinfected regularly?
• Are the cutting boards used for cutting vegetables and meat different?
• Is the fire extinguisher placed in the proper place?

Cleanliness of Service Area

This aspect is indeed very important and crucial, especially in the F&B business. A clean place shows that the quality of the food served is also healthy and hygienic. Thus, if you do the operational audit, don't forget to record all cleaning equipment, from brooms to trash cans, whether all the equipment is available or not.

Check the cleanliness of every corner of the kitchen, service area, and food preparation. Not only the kitchen and serving area, but the cleanliness of the toilets also greatly affects the customer's impression of the cleanliness of your F&B business.

Sample questions:

• Is the floor clean and dry?
• Are tables cleared immediately after customers leave the restaurant?
• Are the tablecloths, cutlery, and tissues available on the table?
• Is the trash piling up in the trash can?
• Is the toilet clean?

Availability of Ingredients & Sales Predictions

Poor inventory management will cause serious consequences for the financial health of your F&B business. You may lose sales because your ingredients are out of stock. Conversely, buying ingredients in excess will make a lot of leftover ingredients and food wasted. Thus, you need to carry out periodic stock checks.

From this data, you can predict which menus will sell more and when the sales will increase so that you can determine which ingredients you should buy more and which should be limited. Therefore, no customer will be disappointed because they can't eat their favorite dish at your restaurant and no more ingredients are wasted.

Employee Performance & Customer Service

No matter how delicious the food is made in the kitchen, if it is not served in a good way, it will definitely reduce the sales rates. For that, you need to regularly monitor the employee's performance and customer service in your F&B business. The Information from the inspection results can also be used as materials for employee evaluation and incentive programs.

Sample questions:

• Are employees wearing aprons, masks, and hats?
• Do employees arrive on time?
• Do employees smile when serving the customers?
• Do employees give the receipt to customers?

Promotion and Marketing

Good promotional activities are promotions that benefit both customers and business owners. This kind of promotional activities must be planned and followed by proper execution. Therefore, you need to create a checklist to ensure that the promotion and marketing plans have been carried out properly from upstream to downstream.

Sample questions:

• Has the special Valentine's menu promotion been uploaded on social media?
• Has the banner of Valentine's special menu been installed in front of the cashier?
• Do employees offer promo products to customers?
• Do employees convey the promotion term correctly?

Hal yang dapat dipelajari

Those are the important aspects that must be present in the operational audit of your F&B business. By monitoring the five aspects above, you will gain a thorough insight into your business operations. You can also find out what strategies and tactics you can build to advance operations, sales, and the customer experience.

Utilize digital checklists such as Nimbly to make your F&B business operations management process more efficient in just one app. Consult your business operations management with the Nimbly team for free.