Setting the Tone Right: Tips for Thriving in The Restaurant Industry in 2024

The restaurant landscape is ever-evolving, and 2024 promises to be another year of exciting shifts and challenges. While some may feel the pressure, savvy operators see it as an opportunity to thrive. Whether you're a seasoned restaurateur or just starting, this guide is packed with actionable insights and strategies to help you adapt, innovate, and thrive in the new year. Let’s dive into the best practices for restaurant operators to navigate aspects of hiring and store operations in 2024.

Hire a new generation of workers

To attract a new generation of workers, restaurants should adopt a system to automate the hiring process, facilitating streamlined communication and setting schedules through digital such as text messages. These groups of new generations, also known as digital natives, are socially conscious and prefer digital communication and technology. They were born in the mid-1990s to early 2010s, they are the ones who dominate the restaurant industry every year. Their involvement will cause a low carbon footprint or the use of local and sustainable ingredients.

Use the career page to expand the applicants

To appeal to these generations, the restaurant could improve the attractiveness of its career page by going beyond job descriptions and highlighting the business's beliefs, mission, benefits, and culture. Aside from that, visual components such as images of enjoyable groups participating in cultural events could catch their attention and broaden the candidate pool.

Forecasting for the new year

Every new year, it is important to do forecasting on a monthly and weekly basis. It involves analyzing customer traffic trends, identifying people’s all-time favorite menu, and adapting to changing factors such as pricing. Last year's usage and sales data will show any significant difficulties or events that might have affected them, such as unusual weather. We should forecast future events and track weather patterns that may have an impact on spending figures. 

Restart inventory management

Reassess inventory management by altering patterns and enhancing interaction among teams. The majority of restaurants are moving to software for full inventory management, as well as daily and weekly counts of critical goods. Frequent counts tend to take more time, but they help to find missing goods quickly. When updating inventory, ensure that all workers are introduced to the new system, which not only speeds the counting process but also minimizes human error and automatically alerts inconsistencies or low-stock goods that require reordering.