🔍 How I create consistency in multi-site hospitality operations

Consistency in multi-site hospitality operations is crucial for sustained performance and growth. 

Often hospitality owner/operators grow to a point where they have multiple venues running the same way they used to run a single one. 

Usually this requires them making heaps of mini decisions every day, and creates anxiety when things happen without them supervising.

Without them in the thick of it, the business really suffers.

This usually leads to stunted growth, quality, service, and profitability issues. 

Often, owner/operators burn out due to the strain of managing multiple sites without proper systems in place.

There comes a point where things need to change, either with further scale or maintaining existing to a good standard.

What once worked, suddenly there are issues, even with basic tasks/standards.

Issues come thick and fast, burnout ensues, and suddenly it’s not fun anymore.

I'm super lucky. I started at scale in the world's best scaled up restaurant companies, then worked into small businesses.

Now I run companies with one venue with a similar systemised approach as I run a large one with multiple venues.

‘Systems’ sounds boring, but in my view there’s a sexiness to a slick systemised organisation.

Systems create:

- Consistency in operations 

- Improved productivity and results

- Improved team and customer retention

- High performance culture

To clarify, by 'system' I don’t mean expensive software or hardware necessarily.

Example systems which cost hardly anything and are effective when properly configured:

- Job description

- Targets - KPIs and OKRs

- Staff onboarding

- Create a budget

- Loyalty-focused customer journey 

- Team quality reference guide

- Team incentive

- Using accruals in the P&L

- Create a vision and share it

- Training manual

- Training syllabus

- Performance review schedule

- Sales reporting

- Wastage recording

- Holiday request

- A customer loyalty program

- Approved suppliers list

- Purchase sign-off process

The point is to prevent reactive/daily quality management issues.

This creates headspace for owners and managers to think creatively and critically about current, future, growth, exciting projects or proactive problem solving. 

Working ON the business.

When key people work ON the business, this is where the magic starts to really happen.

A business can go from being average to being exceptionally good.

Team can go from being exhausted and fed up to being engaged and enthusiastic.

🌟 Key Takeaway

- Systems help to create consistency, improved productivity and results and high performance culture

- Most systems are inexpensive when configured correctly;

- Organisations really can grow sales AND reduce costs, AND use fewer resources to do it;

Don't believe me? I've proved it several times over.

💬 What do you think? Share your views in the comments.

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