Why they matter
When the head chef is off, the plate should still look the same. When a new starter closes the bar, the cellar should still be safe. Standard operating procedures make quality independent of who happens to be working.
Where to start
Do not write a hundred. Write the ones that protect guests and margin: opening and closing, allergen handling, deliveries and storage, recipe and plating specifications, cleaning, cash handling and the welcome.
Write them for a Friday night
If an SOP cannot be followed in the middle of service, it will not be. Keep each to a single page. Use photographs of the finished plate or the set station. Write them with the people who do the work, so they recognise the reality.
If an SOP cannot be followed in the middle of service, it will not be.
Keep them alive
Build SOPs into induction, refer to them in briefings, and check them on shift. Give each one an owner and review it whenever the menu or layout changes.
- List the five routines that would hurt most if done badly.
- Photograph the correct result for each.
- Name one owner per routine.
Eight Rabbits Kitchen and Culture install a working set of operating standards, connected to training, so they are used on shift rather than filed in an office.
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