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What do you mean communicate? Like notes for the next shift? Or literal communication throughout the day?
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Oct 10, 2013 19:59
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We use hotschedules--aside from occasional quirkiness from the app it's pretty great, as a staff member.
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Oct 10, 2013 20:00
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Chef De Cuisinart posted:What do you mean communicate? Like notes for the next shift? Or literal communication throughout the day? I'm really trying to solve two problems and see if I can find one solution for them. One is replacing paper logbooks and collating all relevant information coming out of each location - standard log book stuff as well as events, maintenance information, guest feedback, notes for next shift, etc. The other is a collaboration solution for the management team so we can all easily communicate and track various projects as we work. Right now I'm looking at Shift Note for the first issue, and BaseCamp for the second. Does that make more sense?
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Oct 10, 2013 20:37
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Enderzero posted:I'm really trying to solve two problems and see if I can find one solution for them. One is replacing paper logbooks and collating all relevant information coming out of each location - standard log book stuff as well as events, maintenance information, guest feedback, notes for next shift, etc. The other is a collaboration solution for the management team so we can all easily communicate and track various projects as we work. Right now I'm looking at Shift Note for the first issue, and BaseCamp for the second. Does that make more sense? At my work we have just a basic excel spreadsheet that works like a management diary. Check the float and petty cash in the morning, then do a till sweep around 4, then the final count after close, so there should be three sets of numbers each day (in addition to all the proper procedures for banking and wastage sheets etc). It's because we use the petty cash bag as both a change bag and for paying the suppliers that take cash on delivery (instead of just invoicing head office), so we need to make sure the cash and receipts are balanced. There are also columns for anything that gets wasted, if anything gets broken, customer complaints that need to be resolved etc. The idea is that by checking this file at least three times a day, all important information gets loaded into the "top of mind" part of the brain for whoever is running the shift, and managers can just load it up to see where and when money went missing (which it shouldn't), and since the office has the best phone reception if customers call up to complain/make bookings the computer is right there.
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Oct 11, 2013 01:53
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Enderzero posted:What kinds of software do you guys use to organize and communicate with your restaurant/team? I immediately thought of something like BaseCamp, but I'm wondering if there's more specific software for the restaurant industry, like Shift Notes. Anyone have any suggestions? Umm, a whiteboard, a few dry erase crayons (screw markers, they rub off too easy), and word of mouth? Of course, there's all of four of us, so it's pretty easy.
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Oct 11, 2013 04:57
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I posted in the last thread and followed the advice for entry level dishwashing. A year and 2 months ago. Tonight, I was closing cook on grill saute and oven. Myself and my co-worker got beaten down for 9 hours, but the free beer at the end of the night made it worth it. I hate cooking eggs to put on burgers though. That poo poo's weak.
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Oct 11, 2013 10:41
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logical fallacy posted:The restaurant websites I visit are usually for fancier places, but my basic list would be: 1. What is your loving phone number 2. What are your loving hours 3. What is your loving address Put those god damned things on the top right of the main page. 4. What's on your damned menu Put a link to that on there somewhere. Just a nice list, not a loving PDF. Not a loving Flash app. A loving list of foods and prices and pictures if you're a fuckin fancypants. End of loving list. If I can't find those four things within two seconds I hate you, I hate your restaurant, I hate your web developer and I hope you all die.
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Oct 11, 2013 19:12
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I'm sure I've posted this before regarding restaurant websites
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Oct 11, 2013 20:22
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Enderzero posted:About the restaurants: in Chicago, one is 75% delivery, one is a family sports bar, and one is a Poboy shop. What do you like to see, what do you hate, and what could restaurants do better in online marketing? Putting photos of food on a menu might be tacky, but good (real) pictures of food and the place online is probably my biggest deciding factor when I'm eating out in an unfamiliar area. Especially if its something which can vary wildly in quality/style, like take-out food. Idiots on yelp can rant about how great a pre-formed frozen Sysco burger and fries are, practically every place under the sun claims to make a real new york style pizza, but a picture tells the true story pretty drat fast. Seeing the place lets me get an idea of how much of a poo poo the owners give. And yeah Hours, Address, Phone Number and Menu better be on that website and be accessible in seconds on a slow overloaded phone data network.
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Oct 11, 2013 21:26
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pastabilities, lol
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Oct 11, 2013 23:02
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pr0k posted:1. What is your loving phone number This is literally the bare minimum and I can't believe how many restaurants gently caress this up. Hahahaha. Gonna go through this after every major step in the design and make absolutely sure none of it is happening. New questions: POS systems. I'm assuming the $25000 quote for one location is way too high (a $600 firewall? WHAT) but do you guys know where to research info about this loving huge topic? Google is all eaten up with websites representing companies but I don't see much out there to help you make an informed decision. Also, how do people make decisions on Grubhub/seamless? I'm a natural min-maxer so I have some very specific ways I search, but given that nearly every loving restaurant is between 3.5 and 4.2ish review score, what is your standard customer using to make decisions? Does grubhub protect that information so you're at their mercy? Enderzero fucked around with this message at 23:27 on Oct 11, 2013 |
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Oct 11, 2013 23:24
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Does that $600 firewall come with insurance against having hundreds of credit cards per week getting sniffed?
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Oct 12, 2013 04:18
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PCI compliance is a bitch, but your systems really shouldn't be storing credit card information at all, so poo poo like a $600 firewall seems silly. Data just needs to be encrypted end to end and you're good to go. Or if end to end encryption isn't good enough for the POS company, find a different POS/merchant processor that will not give a gently caress.
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Oct 12, 2013 06:44
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Are people not just using Square now?
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Oct 12, 2013 07:16
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Stringent posted:Are people not just using Square now? Square and Breadcrumb are the way of the future.
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Oct 12, 2013 09:44
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Enderzero posted:New questions: POS systems. I'm assuming the $25000 quote for one location is way too high (a $600 firewall? WHAT) but do you guys know where to research info about this loving huge topic? Google is all eaten up with websites representing companies but I don't see much out there to help you make an informed decision. Nope, 25k is not at all outlandish. Overpriced? Yes. But that's about standard for a Micros/Aloha system. There has to be a better way, but every time I've been tasked with helping an owner research the subject they get sticker shock when I tell them how much Micros costs, then there's usually an awkward conversation about why I can't "just make one" out of two CRT monitors, an old laser printer and their kid's old Gameboy. I think most of that 25k goes to the extensive psychiatric care needed for anyone who makes a career out of troubleshooting computers and restaurant managers at the same time.
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Oct 12, 2013 13:13
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$25k is a drop in the bucket compared to the potential theft/loss/mistakes by careless staff using an antiquated 'pen and paper pad' system. However, you can find cheaper POS solutions that will work just as well. For the firewall and all that crap, you can bypass all this with using a cloud based POS system. That way, you'll just need a fast and reliable internet connection for all transactions, without the need for a local firewall, server, PCI, and all that troublesome networking. A quick google search: http://www.brinksoftware.com/ http://www.poslavu.com/ http://www.vivonet.com/
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Oct 12, 2013 21:13
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My brother just bought a breadcrumb POS system for 4000$. It comes with 2 physical cash drawers, 2 full size ipads, 3 ipad mini for servers, 2 ticket machines and the entire wifi network. Along with all the associated support set up and maintenance. I'm sure I'm missing something but it seemed like a pretty good deal.
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Oct 13, 2013 02:12
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heyfresh888 posted:My brother just bought a breadcrumb POS system for 4000$. It comes with 2 physical cash drawers, 2 full size ipads, 3 ipad mini for servers, 2 ticket machines and the entire wifi network. Along with all the associated support set up and maintenance. I'm sure I'm missing something but it seemed like a pretty good deal. I use an iPad w/ Square to take credit cards at my (very part-time, non-food-service) business, and it works out ok, but I keep the iPad out of sight unless I'm running a card. With a full-blown iPad POS system, unless there is some sort of enclosure that holds the iPad, I'd be afraid the iPads would walk away. At almost $500 a piece that would not be good.
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Oct 13, 2013 02:55
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heyfresh888 posted:My brother just bought a breadcrumb POS system for 4000$. It comes with 2 physical cash drawers, 2 full size ipads, 3 ipad mini for servers, 2 ticket machines and the entire wifi network. Along with all the associated support set up and maintenance. I'm sure I'm missing something but it seemed like a pretty good deal. When it shits the bed, it does so spectacularly, but they're getting better. Pro tip: don't buy two internet connections thinking that'll insulate you from one failing. Chances are they're on the same network anyway, though that time my friends double backed up breadcrumb uninstalled itself during a Friday night service was hilarious. Almost definitely user error but still, getting my tab comped because "gently caress that" is second best to getting a variety of dicks drawn on register tape.
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Oct 13, 2013 04:20
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Vegetable Melange posted:When it shits the bed, it does so spectacularly, but they're getting better. Pro tip: don't buy two internet connections thinking that'll insulate you from one failing. Chances are they're on the same network anyway, though that time my friends double backed up breadcrumb uninstalled itself during a Friday night service was hilarious. Almost definitely user error but still, getting my tab comped because "gently caress that" is second best to getting a variety of dicks drawn on register tape. It has an entire offline working option to handle the internet being down and auths via cell phone network.
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Oct 13, 2013 05:10
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Soooo, I left my job as a line cook at one of the best restaurants in Nola. I could deal with the stress, but my army injuries were becoming distracting during daily prep, and I was slowing down because of the intense pain(I was sweating from the pain ahh). Now I am a PM kitchen manager at a restaurant where a year ago I was the dishwasher with no knife skills and no experience in kitchens. I get paid less(but so much more because of overtime), its way less physically exhausting, and I get a lot more respect as a human being than the other kitchen. Its nice being a manager and I like being able to use the organizational skills that I learned from the other restaurant to make everything as efficient as possible(often not possible though due to lack of time). I still work the line for a few hours a day because we're down a few cooks, and I work hard to prep what we need. Still don't want to be a chef though, especially not a salaried sous.
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Oct 14, 2013 18:53
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Welp, looking like I'm going back to night shift. We struck out three times trying to find someone who could handle the solo night shifts, and chef wants me to take 'em back over until at least after the holidays because we're too drat busy doing desserts during the day to be fixing problems. Good to be needed, I guess, but I was getting used to sleeping at night. Think this is a good time to hit him up for a raise?
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Oct 16, 2013 06:33
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Obviously.
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Oct 16, 2013 07:35
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Yup.
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Oct 16, 2013 12:38
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Liquid Communism posted:Welp, looking like I'm going back to night shift. We struck out three times trying to find someone who could handle the solo night shifts, and chef wants me to take 'em back over until at least after the holidays because we're too drat busy doing desserts during the day to be fixing problems. I'd say it's not a bad idea and even if you don't get it then at least you tried really. It's looking like I'll soon have to move kitchens because the place I'm in currently doesn't have enough work to sustain me while I try and work my way up the ladder of casual teaching which is few and far between because the school year is winding up in Australia. The unfortunate thing about where I live is there's only one or two more places that do better stuff than where I'm working and I don't really want to drop down a rung in the game. My question is wheter I should simply drop my resumes at the fine dining places in the hope that something comes up or if I should just go for whatever is floating by work wise?
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Oct 16, 2013 14:59
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Dr. Garbanzo posted:My question is wheter I should simply drop my resumes at the fine dining places in the hope that something comes up or if I should just go for whatever is floating by work wise? Drop resumes off at the fine dining places for sure, but just because overall the food at a place isn't as good as you're used to, doesn't mean you can't learn something. Look for places that'll let you expand your skill set. Maybe a place that does butchery in-house, or a place that does all of its own baking, or a high end ethnic place. That way even if it is a bit of a step down, if you're ever looking to move up in the future again at least you have a reason and some skills to show for that step.
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Oct 16, 2013 17:26
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So I've decided I'm going to be moving cities once my lease is up in 7 months, and I was wondering what goons had to say about staging. How long before being able to work in the area is it reasonable to stage in a kitchen? I'm working on a list of desired workplaces by recommendation from my chef, but I just want to make sure I'm not putting it off too late.
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Oct 17, 2013 15:23
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Invisible Ted posted:So I've decided I'm going to be moving cities once my lease is up in 7 months, and I was wondering what goons had to say about staging. How long before being able to work in the area is it reasonable to stage in a kitchen? I'm working on a list of desired workplaces by recommendation from my chef, but I just want to make sure I'm not putting it off too late. Where are you moving? Staging is illegal in a number of states now.
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Oct 17, 2013 20:08
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reserve posted:Where are you moving? Staging is illegal in a number of states now.
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Oct 18, 2013 04:17
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Plus, when was the last time a restaurant gave a gently caress about labor law.
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Oct 18, 2013 09:10
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What is staging?
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Oct 18, 2013 10:05
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Working for free either as like a working interview or just to get experience and a reference from a well regarded chef or someone with connections. It's the cooking version of the unpaid internship.
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Oct 18, 2013 11:54
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Kenning posted:Plus, when was the last time a restaurant gave a gently caress about labor law. Where I work labor laws are a top priority. It makes sense after you've been sued.
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Oct 18, 2013 19:17
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How would that be made illegal, or does it last longer than a one shift "does dude's skills match his resume" type thing?
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Oct 18, 2013 21:14
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Unpaid stages in the past could go on for a few days, weeks, or months even. It's just the way the industry used to be run.
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Oct 18, 2013 22:05
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bunnielab posted:How would that be made illegal, or does it last longer than a one shift "does dude's skills match his resume" type thing? Simply because it is unpaid labor.
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Oct 18, 2013 22:08
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I did a couple 1-day stages and there was no paperwork or anything involved. I just showed up the day they told me to and got to work. It's all voluntary on my part so I can't see how it's illegal.
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Oct 18, 2013 22:13
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Mu Zeta posted:I did a couple 1-day stages and there was no paperwork or anything involved. I just showed up the day they told me to and got to work. It's all voluntary on my part so I can't see how it's illegal. Insurance is the big problem. Say the chef asks you to strain a big pot of stock and you slip on an ice cube or a spill on the floor while carrying the pot, burning you everywhere on your body. The restaurant's insurance isn't going to cover them if you decide to sue since you weren't an employee and had no business working in the kitchen. Worker's comp isn't going to cover you since you're not an employee, just some guy who wasn't supposed to be there. You're left with a mountain of medical bills and months of expensive litigation with no income coming in. That's all worst case scenario stuff and nothing's probably going to happen 9999 times out of 10,000, but that 0.01% can gently caress up everyone involved. I'd rather hire someone for a 3 hour shift a week at minimum wage just so everyone's rear end is a little more covered.
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Oct 18, 2013 23:42
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They got rid of the stagiers at The French Laundry because of a law suite. You still have to come in and do an unpaid "trail" for employment. The stagiers used to be the scum of the earth. No way I would ever bag stocks and just wander around as help for free in that place.
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Oct 19, 2013 10:01
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