Amy Nutt asked:


It is easy to become overwhelmed when planning the layout of a new restaurant. No two restaurants are the same. The type of clientele, the design of the building and the intended atmosphere can all influence the choice of layout. There are some basic fundamentals, however, which should be followed when planning a layout.

First, do not underestimate the importance of layout. Layout is one area which is frequently discussed in restaurant reviews. Not only is important to the diners at a restaurant, but it is important to the overall operations. If there is not adequate room for the servers to move in, the promptness of the meals can be impacted. On the other hand, there needs to be plenty of seating so that waits are minimized. A good layout can dramatically improve the revenue of an establishment, while a bad layout could have a strong negative impact.

Next, the restaurant should be set up to encourage people to visit the area in which the most money can be made. This will depend on the type of restaurant. Some restaurants gain a large amount of revenue from the bar. Others earn mostly from their seated food purchases. The goal is to move customers from the door to the areas which they will spend the most money. An effective layout allows this to happen without impacting service. There should never be a time where the aisles or walkways become crowded. A good way to handle congestion is to set up several areas in which customers can spend money. This allows you to maximize your space and earn the most revenue without compromising on atmosphere. Remember to allow diners approximately twelve square feet per person. Tables which are appropriate for large or small groups are preferred over rearranging and combining smaller tables.

Besides the main dining and bar areas, attention must be given to several other key areas. The customer service area in the front of the restaurant should be inviting. Simple is best in this area as you do not want it to detract from the flow of the rest of the restaurant. The waiting area should be comfortable and large enough to handle peak wait times. You do not want a large number of people gathered by the front door with nowhere to go. If possible, place the bar area near the front door so that it can also serve as a waiting area. In the kitchen, efficiency is key. An assembly line style layout often works the best. The less cluttered this area is the better. Make sure that your layout complies with all health department regulations.

If your budget can afford it, it is often best to hire an interior designer who has experience working with restaurants. They can often determine the best layout for the particular space. Do not be afraid to adjust your layout if you find that something is not working smoothly. Sometimes a small adjustment is all that is needed in order to increase efficiency and revenue.

Deb Brown asked:


Do you like one kind of restaurant or do you enjoy several? I’m not one to go to fancy restaurants; I’m more of a casual person. I don’t like dressing just to go out to eat.

Well, things changed recently, when I had to do a restaurant review for a magazine. It was a casual fine dining type of restaurant. Not casual enough for jeans, but not dressy enough for a dress. Even though you didn’t have to really dress up, the atmosphere and service was first class. There were people to hold the door and your chair. If you got up to visit the restroom, someone magically appeared to refold your napkin. Can you believe that? My water glass never was anywhere near empty. My silverware was even replaced between courses.

The lights were low, the candles were lit and the table cloths were real cloths. It was such a delight to experience something a little different. The chef even came around to speak with the guest, to see how everything was.

I don’t think it was because they knew I was doing a restaurant review. I watched the staff and they were as attentive to everyone in the restaurant as they were to my table. The food was beautifully plated and politely served. Our server even raked the bread crumbs off the table cloth between the entrée and the dessert. Coffee was served after dinner and we felt like we could sit there as long as we wanted to. No rushing in this special restaurant. I think I’ve bee won over to the nicer side of fine dining.

 

Alvin Starkman asked:


Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B.

 

It took a reduction in Oaxaca’s tourism and an increase in staff to bring La Biznaga back into my good books.  While we never actually stopped patronizing the trendy, relaxed eatery in downtown Oaxaca, the painstakingly slow service coupled with a sometimes snooty attitude of the wait staff was enough to cause us to caution both our house guests and fellow residents.  But word does get around, and that, combined with the reality check caused by the social and political unrest in the latter half of 2006 resulting in empty downtown streets (all now long gone) must have caused management to take a step back, re-evaluate, and act.  And it’s worked.

 

The complacent attitude has disappeared.  Once again waiters have smiles on their faces and interact with clientele with helpful suggestions, even when serving new faces.  The staff complement has significantly increased, and now even includes a school-aged busboy-esque youngster.

 

Drinks and complimentary seasoned carrot sticks arrive promptly, orders are taken when you’re ready to proceed, with appetizers and main courses arriving without table discussion about how much longer to wait before just picking up and leaving.

 

And so a testimony to the always consistent quality and presentation of fare, and welcoming ambience, La Biznaga has managed to maintain a following of residents and tourists alike in the face of its earlier seemingly deliberate shortcomings. 

 

The atmosphere is open courtyard, with a fashionable retractable roof protecting from  mid-day sun and seasonal rains; tables and chairs are wood, á la simplicity of arts-and-crafts vogue, comfort enhanced by wicker seats and backs; a selection of palms willows off to one side, with tall leafy tree mid-court; the bar by design provides a focal point given that its selections are contained on an overhead blackboard; and a rotating selection of gallery art graces the walls.  Music is most often jazz, but eclectically ranges off to other similar genres, thereby maintaining an air of coolness in the beatnik sense of the term. 

 

Enormous chalkboards, one at either end of the restaurant, contain the menu selections, print somewhat cryptic … interesting to say the least.  Be sure to bring your glasses, or strain your eyes over the tables of others, or simply get up and walk closer to the cartes du jour and you’ll be fine.  On the other hand, our experience over the past three years has been that one cannot go too far wrong choosing blindly.  Appetizers, soups and salads range from about 35 – 100 pesos, and entrées (meat, fish or fowl) come in at 65 to 200.

 

La Biznaga is known for its cocktails, and in particular its margaritas and mojitos, served as in the case with all other beverages, in classic Mexican blue accented thick hand-blown glassware (vidrio soplado).  The mezcals are also noteworthy for the selections offered. Pretty well all of the bar servings are healthy, and prices across the board are competitive, mezcals beginning at, get this, 15 pesos.

 

But we’re here for dinner.  La Silvestre is a mushroom soup, more in the nature of a light broth devoid of dairy, containing a selection of wild hongos including setas, along with bacon, onion and chile poblano … a must for toadstool enthusiasts.  Rarely does a visit go by when I won’t indulge.

 

Las Calendas is a starter worthy of selection.  While described as tamales, there is no corn, but rather squash blossom and melted string cheese (quesillo) enveloped with tender hierba santa leaf, an herb with a distinct taste used in preparation of many Oaxacan dishes yet not often enough as a single flavor source.  You’re apt to recall, “so that’s  the exquisite essence I’ve been enjoying all this trip.”  The triptych is presented with sides of refried beans and diced spiced tomato, and topped with a drizzle of cream.  Another worthy triumvirate is the Cerro Viejo, crunchy fried tortilla horns stuffed with seasoned sautéed hibiscus (jamaica) flower, presented with a center of guacamole crowned with chipotle peppers.  It would be a mistake to not share each of these two tasters.

 

The grilled salmon is served over a bed of cilantro pesto, with lightly dressed side salad comprised of select lettuce, tomato and pineapple wedges which, together with pine nuts in the entrée provide complimentary crunches.  The tuna, similar to the salmon in terms of a good sized serving prepared to the exact degree of doneness as demanded, arrives on a sea of avocado salsa and is topped with pico de gallo, a flavorful traditional combination of tomato, radish, cucumber, onion, chile and cilantro, with an added tang of lime. Finally, my  own entrée on this outing consists of four filets of chicken ****** each wrapped around a piece of cooked plantain with just enough walnut crumbles to be detected and welcomed, presented on a platter of puréed guava set off with swirls of cream. 

 

The distinctive flavors one has just experienced almost call out for further indulgence, and thus dessert is difficult to neglect:  on this evening healthy scoops of pistachio sorbet (nieve) are served in a margarita schooner, and chocolate truffle-cake (trufa) floats on a strawberry coulis.

 

It’s indeed a rarity for a restaurant to exhibit this level of consistency in quality of cuisine.  Now if La Biznaga can only maintain a degree of humility translating into value-added service, there’s no stopping its continued success, nor reason for patrons to ever again hesitate stopping by. 

 

La Biznaga, Garcia Vigil 512, Centro Histórico, Oaxaca (tel: 516-1800)

 

Richard Saporito asked:


Restaurant Service Consulting, by definition, is a review or evaluation of the restaurant dining room service system. This means, “how the dining room runs” which includes all of the service tools provided (or to be provided) by the management.

These tools include readable floor diagrams, seating coordination, menu descriptions, properly done staff schedules, sidework postings and a whole host of other things.

There are two main aspects to the Restaurant Service Consulting field:

1) On-site Restaurant Dining Service Operations Evaluation and Review

2) Waiter Training

After the dining room service system is organized properly, the waitstaff is now ready to be trained. The big mistake is to train the waitstaff without having understandable and coordinated systems in place.

If there are flaws in the service system, then even the most highly trained and experienced waitstaff will make errors translating into unnecessary headaches and lost revenue. It is plain common sense to train a staff according to that particular restaurant’s procedures otherwise the balance and consistency of customer service will be thrown off.

At times, in my restaurant consulting experiences, I find that owners/operators can be very hesitant to let an outsider do the initial restaurant evaluation prior to waiter training for a score of reasons such as fear of embarrassment, dealing with egos being stepped on during the process, not wanting anyone to be very close to operations etc.

In truth, a restaurant and its dining room service cannot progress over time without experienced, objective, constructive criticism — whether it comes from the outside or within.

Restaurant service system flaws can continue on for years without being corrected

costing time, money, and headaches. And just the same, waiter service technique flaws can go on for years as well.

Sometimes, it’s not necessarily deep rooted flaws, but just a better, faster, more organized and streamlined way of going about procedures — no matter how small the solutions may seem to be. Time is money when it comes to the repetitive nature of dining room service and there are no two ways about it.

To improve restaurant performance, you need to know what areas are in need of improvement. The Restaurant Manager should ask for feedback from experienced staff and repeat customers as well.

Once you know what you are doing right and what needs work, you can develop systems and documentation to improve your establishment.

Many times, it’s simply a matter of confusion as the “left hand” doesn’t seem to know what the “right hand” is doing (or why). You’ll find that clear communication between all staff members and management goes a long way in helping you achieve your restaurant performance goals.