The secret sauce happens 'back of house' meaning the area that customers don't see. This article unpacks the back of house in hospitality business and retail settings, its roles, significance, and challenges, providing insight into the invisible force that propels restaurant and retail success.
The back of the house (BOH) is all the areas away from the customer's view. It is a bustling environment where food is transformed into dishes and stock is converted into products. It's where the back of house employees, from line cooks to the back of house staff manager, work diligently to get everything ready for customers. The BOH is indeed the lifeblood of the restaurant and retail business, a vital cog in the wheel.
Dive deeper into the BOH, and you'll discover a network of specialised areas, each contributing to the seamless operations. The kitchen is the heart of the restaurant BOH, where food is stored, prepared, cooked, and plated. Here, the kitchen manager plays a key role in overseeing operations, ensuring food safety, and managing inventory, while line cooks are crucial in preparing and serving food, and ensuring orders are executed correctly.
In the retail sector, the stock room plays a critical role in the overall success of a store. It is the central hub for inventory management, where products are received, organised, and stored until they are needed on the sales floor. A well-managed stock room ensures that products are readily available, which is essential to meet customer demand and maintain a streamlined shopping experience.
The BOH also houses the manager's office, a hub for critical administrative work, from scheduling to inventory management. And let's not forget the break areas, crucial spaces for staff to relax and recharge, away from the hustle and bustle of the dining room and the restaurant floor.
The BOH might be hidden from the customer's view, but its operations directly impact the dining experience in a restaurant. From the freshness of ingredients to the presentation of the dish, every aspect is governed by the workings of the BOH. Efficient management of the BOH operations is, therefore, critical to customer satisfaction and a restaurant's reputation.
With the right equipment and an emphasis on customer service, the BOH can truly make or break a restaurant, especially when it comes to managing their own tables. Efficient BOH operations are essential in creating a positive dining experience for guests, highlighting the significant impact of BOH on customer satisfaction and the overall reputation of the restaurant.
Food quality and safety are paramount in the restaurant business. The BOH is where these aspects come to life. All staff members are trained in food safety and sanitation, ensuring every dish served meets the highest standards. Their adherence to food hygiene and safety standards is essential to prevent food-borne illnesses and safeguard customer health.
Efficiency and workflow are the backbone of BOH operations. An efficient kitchen workflow includes an organised kitchen, clear staff roles, strategic layout, timely dish preparation, enhanced service speed and ensuring food is delivered in a timely manner. These elements are essential for achieving functionality and efficiency in a kitchen or dining room.
While we have focused on the restaurant industry, it's worth noting that the concept of BOH extends to retail as well. Retail BOH operations involve inventory management, stockroom organisation, and logistics management. Just like in a restaurant, efficient BOH operations in retail are crucial for maintaining customer satisfaction and overall business success.
In retail, BOH staff are responsible for managing inventory, handling deliveries, organising the stockroom for easy access and working closely with front of house staff to ensure a smooth shopping experience for customers.
From the executive chef to the line cooks, each position within the BOH staff has specific responsibilities, forming a clear chain of command. Teamwork is very important, and these roles are often very busy with many jobs to be done at once.
At the helm of the kitchen is the executive chef. They oversee menu creation, food ordering, and inventory costs. It's the executive chef who gives the restaurant its culinary identity, developing menus and creating recipes that define the establishment's offerings. But the role goes beyond the creative. Ensuring food safety, managing food quality, and supervising kitchen staff are also key responsibilities under the executive chef's purview.
Next in command is the sous chef. They hold significant responsibility for kitchen operations and staff oversight, acting as the right hand to the executive chef. The sous chef's role is vast, spanning from supervising kitchen staff to scheduling work shifts and training new employees. However, a sous chef's role isn't confined to management alone. They assist the head chef in food preparation, menu development, menu knowledge, and recipe creation, thereby playing a crucial role in the restaurant's culinary journey.
The line cooks are the foot soldiers of the BOH, responsible for the actual cooking and assembly of dishes. Following recipes and instructions from the head chef, they transform raw ingredients into edible works of art. In this process, the line cook and food runners play a crucial role in ensuring that the prepared dishes are delivered to the customers efficiently, with the food runner being a key team member. Line cooks have a variety of responsibilities, including preparing and cooking a variety of menu items, working at specific stations and collaborating with dining room staff to ensure timely and accurate plating of meals.
Inventory specialists ensure that all necessary items, from ingredients to service wear, are adequately stocked. They possess strong organisational skills and a clear understanding of the business's budget and inventory requirements. Inventory specialists have several key responsibilities, including monitoring spending, managing inventory turnover, working on minimising losses within the establishment, handling the placement of orders for inventory and supplies, and maintaining communication with both staff and management regarding inventory levels.
The stockroom manager's responsibilities include overseeing inventory and managing the stockroom, ensuring all stock management procedures are adhered to, maintaining a safe working environment for both staff and customers, and planning the use of storage space to ensure the BOH operates smoothly.