6 ways to motivate restaurant employees that actually work

If you are hoping to turn your restaurant into a long-term success story, focusing solely on the quality of the food will not be enough.

Although restaurant customers often are firstly tempted by your menu, once in your restaurant, they will look for so much more.

The way they are greeted, the attitude of the employees that serve them and their competence to provide suggestions or be helpful will all play a role in whether or not they return.

To make sure that the overall experience clients receive in your restaurant is unbeatable, there is one thing to consider – employee motivation.

Running your restaurant with motivated and dedicated people guarantees a bright future for your business.

We’ve prepared six useful tips for motivating restaurant employees that we believe will come in handy!

1. Invest in training

One of the best ways to demonstrate to your team that you truly appreciate them and are willing to contribute to their future development is by offering additional training.

Investing in your employees and encouraging them to grow their skillset will help for establishing a long-term bond. In addition, they are bound to improve their performance at your restaurant, which is a win-win scenario for all parties involved. 

Your restaurant will thrive, your employees’ satisfaction will only grow, and your clients will receive exceptional service. 

2. Create a pleasant working environment

If we think about the amount of time we spend at work we might be surprised!

In a lot of cases, it turns out that employees spend more hours at work than at home. This is an important point for restaurant owners and managers to understand.

If you are looking for a way to motivate your staff and make them feel positive at work, it’s best to start from the working environment.

Make sure to lead by example and show your people how well-organized you are, that hygiene is of special importance in a restaurant and everything about your restaurant’s environment is pleasing and enjoyable.

3. Organize group pre-tasting events

When it comes to promoting your delicious food to clients, your employees will be the ones to rely on.

Offering a well-designed and organized menu does, of course, play to your advantage but it is even better if your restaurant staff are fully competent on what you have to offer.

Pre-tasting new menu items or organizing regular tasting sessions of your regular meals can motivate your employees to be more confident when selling your restaurant’s culinary masterpieces.

This inexpensive and simple tactic can stimulate your staff to promote your dishes to customers and feel acknowledged. 

4. Appreciate employee feedback and opinion

You never know where an amazing and innovative idea for your restaurant can be hiding. Showing your staff an appreciation for their feedback and ideas is a nice way to make them feel like an important part of the team.

Let their voices be heard to increase their motivation for work and their sense of loyalty. 

Receiving regular feedback will not only boost your employees’ desire for work but will also help you introduce new models for your business and grow in the future. 

5. Offer financial rewards 

Let’s not forget about financial incentives.

Although there is a wide range of methods for employee motivation, one of the most secure ones is rewarding them financially.

Apart from the basic salary, offer compelling tipping schemes that encourage your employees to do their best and receive a financial “thank you” from clients.

Why not equip them with a modern and portable card machines, where they can directly receive their tips from your restaurant’s clients?

Maybe offer gift cards or other awards for the best performers for the month? 

Let your creativity run wild and watch as your employees’ motivation rises!

6. Create fun competition games

Friendly competition is a smart way to establish bonds between your employees and stimulate them to strive for achieving more.

Competitions don’t always have to be related to financial performance.

You can organize games and offer incentives for the person who’s made the most clients smile, the one who’s been on time every day for the past three months, or the employee who contributed the most with ideas. 

Remind your staff what the purpose of the competition is to avoid misunderstandings and aggressive rivalry.

The main idea, after all, is to help your team improve as a whole and motivate your employees to come to work with desire and a positive attitude. 

Wrapping up

Just like your clients need a little stimulation to visit your restaurant again, your employees need to feel motivated to do their best and help you grow.

Incorporating some of the mentioned above points can support you on your journey to making your employees happy and productive and your business stable and prosperous.