Master Multi-location online ordering: Avoid These 7 Common Mistakes

The restaurant industry faces the special challenge of managing several elements at the same time, such as staff, pay, scheduling, and operations. When you have more than one location, this can become even more complex. This article will help multi-location restaurant operators recognize and avoid seven common mistakes when expanding their business. By being aware of these potential issues, you can begin your expansion process with a solid foundation.

Defining Multi-location online ordering: From Small Operations to Global Franchises

A restaurant that has branches in multiple places is referred to as Multi-location online ordering restaurant. This type of restaurant can range from a small operation with only two locations, to a big franchise with multiple branches globally.

Multi-location online ordering Independent restaurants have the freedom to cook their food in any way they choose. However, chain restaurants face the challenge of making sure their food tastes the same in every branch. They do not have a central kitchen to prepare food for all the locations, so each restaurant must make the food on-site and train its staff thoroughly to maintain the chain's signature taste.

Running a multi-location restaurant comes with its own set of challenges. To avoid any mistakes that can harm your business, here are seven things you should keep in mind:

 

1. Communication Breakdowns - Good communication is key in any business, but it becomes even more crucial in a Multi-location online ordering chain. Miscommunication between departments can lead to a poor customer experience, and can also be dangerous. To prevent this, you should establish clear expectations and responsibilities, use technology to stay connected, and encourage open communication.

 

2. Digitizing In-Person Visits - In a multi-location restaurant, it's important to save time and streamline processes. Instead of visiting each location in person, use technology to keep track of operations and automate tasks like inventory management, time tracking, and scheduling.

 

3. Not Making Data-Driven Decisions - Data is a valuable asset that can aid in making knowledgeable decisions. Without data, you'll be making decisions based on intuition rather than facts. To avoid this, identify your target metrics, gather and analyze data, and act on what you find.

 

4. Putting Your Business at Risk - Multi-location restaurants that operate in different countries face the risk of non-compliance with labor laws. To avoid this, make sure you understand the laws in each location and ensure that your business is in compliance with them.

 

5.  Managing Employee Life Cycle: Managing the employee life cycle can be complex, especially when dealing with multiple locations. It involves coordinating hiring practices, retention strategies, onboarding, and training to ensure everything runs smoothly. Problems may arise such as employees being scheduled at two different locations at the same time, unequal distribution of employees at different locations, confusing onboarding processes, low employee retention, and inconsistent onboarding procedures. To solve this challenge, restaurants are using HRIS systems designed for multi-location restaurants. This technology provides features like applicant tracking, interview templates, and self-onboarding tools, allowing you to efficiently hire and track employee progress.

6.              6. Team and Management Breakdowns: Having a clear team structure is important for operating a successful multi-location restaurant. It helps to avoid service breakdowns and ensures everyone knows their roles and who to reach in case of an issue. A motivated workforce is essential for good customer service and increased sales. It's important for employees to feel their professional growth is valued. To avoid this, Each person on the team should have a clear role in the business. Managers should oversee each location, train their teams, perform inspections, and delegate responsibilities.

Having a clear hierarchy, such as a regional general manager, general manager, and assistant general manager, can help maintain an effective restaurant management team.

 

·         Inconsistent Branding: Consistent branding is important for building trust and relationships with customers, managing costs, and ensuring customers know what to expect from every location they visit. Solution: To start, create a concept, brand visuals, guidelines, and a menu. Then, create detailed operating procedures and train employees to follow them. Use software to hold employees accountable for following procedures and collect data on their actions to improve brand consistency.

 

This list doesn't cover all the mistakes to avoid when running a restaurant with multiple locations, but it's a good starting point.