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How to Speed Up Service During a Rush

Busy times may be great for business, but they can also test your team's ability to deliver quality food quickly. If they fail, your restaurant may have lost a customer forever. The good news? There are proven ways to speed up service without sacrificing the quality your customers expect.

Photo: TundraFMP

November 1, 2024

Ask any restaurant owner to picture a rush, and they will answer the same: a packed dining room, tickets piling up, a staffing issue, and the clock ticking. Busy times may be great for business, but they can also test your team's ability to deliver quality food quickly. If they fail, your restaurant may have lost a customer forever.

The good news? There are proven ways to speed up service without sacrificing the quality your customers expect.

Simplify Your Menu During Special Events

One of the easiest ways to speed up service is to streamline your menu when you know a rush is on its way, like before a big game. Consider creating a "rush hour menu" that focuses on your kitchen's strongest, fastest dishes. For example, if your chicken marsala takes 25 minutes to prepare while your grilled chicken sandwich takes 12, feature the sandwich during busy periods.

Quick tips:

Remove complicated dishes that slow down the kitchen
Keep your best-selling, quick-to-prepare items front and center
Train servers to guide customers toward faster options during peak times

Set Up Your Kitchen for Speed

Your kitchen layout can make or break your staff’s speed. Imagine your busiest server during rush hour. Are they wasting precious minutes reaching across the kitchen for commonly used items? If so, here are some easy fixes you can make to ensure things run a little smoother:

Keep frequently used ingredients and tools within arm's reach
Create clear paths through the kitchen to prevent staff bottlenecks
Use clear labels and color-coding for quick identification
Store backup supplies nearby to avoid mid-service refill runs

Use Technology to Your Advantage

The right tools can shave precious minutes off your service time. While upgrading equipment requires investment, the payoff in efficiency is worth considering. Here are three quick ways smarter tech can help:

Modern POS systems can send orders directly to the kitchen
Kitchen display screens eliminate paper ticket confusion
Handheld ordering devices let servers submit orders as they are taking them

Invest in Time-Saving Cooking Equipment

Having the right tools can dramatically speed up your service. Consider these essential time-savers:

High-speed ovens and rapid-cook equipment
Quality food processors and slicers for prep work
Enough cooking utensils, pans, and smallwares to avoid mid-service washing
Extra fryer baskets for popular fried items

Train Your Staff for Maximum Efficiency

Your team is your greatest asset in managing busy times. Here's how to help them succeed:

Cross-train staff to handle multiple positions
Create simple checklists for opening, closing, and prep tasks
Hold brief daily meetings to discuss busy period strategies
Teach servers to handle multiple tasks in one trip (clearing while delivering drinks, etc.)

Preparing Your Management Strategies

Your staff aren’t the only ones who can take too much time. Good preparation is any manager’s secret weapon against a rush.

Create detailed prep lists for each shift
Pre-cook items that hold well (soups, baked potatoes, etc.)
Pre-portion commonly used ingredients
Stock and organize stations before peak times

Track Your Progress

Always review what worked and what didn’t to further fine-tune your processes. Keep an eye on these crucial components:

Time orders from ticket to table
Ask staff which changes are helping most
Get customer feedback on service speed
Make adjustments based on real results

While speed is important, it shouldn't come at the expense of quality. These strategies will help you maintain the standards your customers love while making every second count. Start by implementing one or two of these suggestions and build from there. Your customers will appreciate faster service, and your staff will thank you for making their jobs easier.

Need to upgrade your kitchen equipment or stock up on essential supplies? Visit TundraFMP.com for all your restaurant equipment and supply needs. If you need to be pointed in the right direction, our experts can help you select the right tools to maximize your kitchen's efficiency.

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TundraFMP helps foodservice operators do what they do best – by providing fast, flexible and complete kitchen solutions. We offer the most complete selection of restaurant equipment, apparel, smallwares, parts, and accessories in the industry.

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