03 · Operate
Create a restaurant that works on an ordinary Tuesday.
Use clear operating rhythms for food cost, labor, inventory, service, cash control and weekly decision-making.
Use menu engineering to improve decisions, not decorate a matrix
Contribution margin and popularity are useful starting points, but preparation complexity, waste, capacity and guest expectations determine the right action.
Control food cost through routines, not one monthly percentage
Purchasing, receiving, storage, recipes, portions, waste and sales mix all contribute to food cost. Each requires a visible owner and cadence.
Plan labor around work, not a single percentage target
Labor planning begins with the tasks required before, during and after service, then adjusts coverage to realistic demand patterns.
Build an inventory system people can complete consistently
The best inventory system is accurate enough to drive decisions and simple enough to survive a busy week.
Write service standards around moments that matter
Useful standards define the guest outcome, responsible role, timing, exception and recovery path without scripting away judgment.
Run a weekly operating review that produces decisions
A weekly review should connect sales, margin, labor, inventory, guest feedback and operational issues to a small number of owned actions.
Working plan