No-Crisis Planning for Restaurants & Cafes

Crisis and drama seem to be part of daily life in hospitality – something most of us learn to put up with. But with some thought and planning, you could thrive instead of just surviving. Life would be less stressful, costs would be lower and your businesses more profitable. And your mobile phone bill would go down! Start your crisis planning for restaurants and cafes by going through the ‘one list’ to see where you are vulnerable.

Are some people better at managing a crisis than others? The cooler heads are better at making the plans, and the pushy types are usually better at handling the emergency when it strikes.

Every business has to face a crisis at some point – even if it is simply the unexpected, happening at the most inconvenient time. Key staff resignations, equipment breakdowns, people issues, a kitchen fire, or industry disputes—one way or another, your turn will come. Put a plan in place, and you can minimise the damage.

Any time the number ONE is beside a system, you could face a problem.

Make a note of the potential ONE factors you have in your business and identify a few you can fix right now:

• One person with password access to key websites and social media
• Only one phone & internet provider – in Australia (Nov. 2023) when one of the major providers went down for eight hours, business was thrown into chaos
• One PC platform (Windows) – a big problem when it failed in July 2024.
• One person who knows how to use important software
• One person who know how program the Point of Sale
• One set of keys
• One supplier for key ingredients
• One person who handles the ordering
• One person who knows how to cook your most popular dish
• One person with the patience to organise the rosters
• One staff member trained in First Aid
• One exit door
• One functions coordinator who knows how it all works
• One ageing deep fryer or other old equipment
• One over-stocked bar refrigerator
• One shared staff locker
• and a lot of ‘one person who knows how to…’ procedures!
• What other ‘one factors’ come to mind?

Potential problems usually fall into three areas:

• People problems – a factor that can impact your business severely. Who hasn’t had to deal with unreliable staff, workplace accidents, sudden resignation, illness or drug addiction?

• Equipment and system problems – maintenance, capacity problems, fire, refrigeration failure and computer crashes seem to be part of a day’s work.

• Neighbourhood issues – road closure, blackouts, floods, earthquakes and weather are beyond our control but can impact our bottom line.

While there’s no point in fretting over all the ‘what ifs’, methodical crisis planning for restaurants will ease the stress in the worst possible scenario. Here are some quick fixes and planning ideas that will make a difference…

• Check the fire equipment and walk-through an evacuation with staff.
• Food-safety rules need to be documented and enforced.
• Responsible Service of Alcohol courses are compulsory, and processes being followed.
• Sign up for a second phone and internet provider – a cheap plan is OK on a spare phone, if it can be upgraded as needed in an emergency.
• Have alternative POS and website access through iOS, Mac or Android in case of Windows failure.
• First Aid training for at least three staff.
• Equipment checks before your busy season.
• Quality equipment that can handle a rush.
• Regular computer backups – onsite and offsite (cloud-based) systems that run automatically every hour.
• Recipe records and cards – ‘if we cook it, it’s written down’.
• Keep an eye on the neighbourhood news.
• Staff rostering systems that enable rapid contact with replacement staff.
• Become more rigorous with staff selection – if in doubt, don’t hire.
• Emergency phone number lists on a laminated sheet.
• ‘Here are our policies, our logbooks, our posters’… have your policies and rules on display for any inspections that may happen by surprise.
• Adequate Insurance coverage – does it cover current risks and equipment?
• Practice emergency procedures as a quick training activity – people remember when they physically do it, instead of just reading or talking about it.

Our guarantee – if you do even three of those changes you’ll have more money in your pocket and less stress!

See also Preparing Your Restaurant for Emergencies and Extreme Weather

How to Set Up Strong Administration Systems for Your Restaurant

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