Resolving Staff Conflict in Restaurants and Cafes: A Guide for Owners and Managers
Conflict happens in busy, high-pressure restaurants and cafes – we’ve all been there! When left unresolved, it harms morale and productivity. Resolving it properly can strengthen teams, improve efficiency, and create a better workplace – this also teaches young managers valuable skills they can use at other venues and even with friends and families.
This article explains a 4-step framework for effectively resolving conflicts: Identify, Set Up, Action Plan, and Follow Up. It also shares real-world examples to show how this approach works, and you’ll have plenty more examples when you discuss it with your team…
Why Conflict Happens in Hospitality
Hospitality teams face a lot of stress. Staff may have different expectations, communication styles, or ways of working. These differences can easily lead to disagreements. Here are some common examples:
– FOH vs. BOH disagreements: A server blames the kitchen for late orders, but the chef feels ticket changes weren’t communicated clearly. – Generational clashes: Older staff may prefer clear roles, while younger employees prefer collaboration. – Cultural misunderstandings: Different views on feedback styles can lead to frustration. – Workload differences: A barista handling peak-hour orders alone might resent a colleague taking extended breaks.
Conflict is unavoidable, but it doesn’t have to be negative. Using the right steps, managers can turn it into an opportunity for growth.
Step 1: Identify the Problem
When conflict starts, avoid emotional reactions or quick judgments. Take a moment to gather your thoughts. Your first task is to uncover the real issue, not just the surface symptoms.
Example 1: Miscommunication Between FOH and Kitchen During a Friday night rush, servers complain about slow food delivery. The chef snaps back, saying the servers aren’t picking up orders quickly. On the surface, it looks like poor teamwork. Investigating further, you discover prep wasn’t completed on time, which caused the delays.
Example 2: Overloaded Staff A kitchen hand is consistently late cleaning up after shifts. At first, it seems like a lack of effort, but a conversation reveals they’ve been assigned additional duties without proper training.
Practical Tip: Use empathy to understand everyone’s perspective. Ask questions such as: – ‘What happened before the issue began?’ – ‘What assumptions might I be making?’ – ‘How does each person see this situation?’
Focus on solving the problem, not blaming people.
Step 2: Set Up the Conversation
Choose a quiet time and place for the discussion. Avoid addressing issues during a busy shift or when emotions are running high.
How to Start – ‘Can we have 20 minutes to talk about what happened yesterday? I’d like to understand what went wrong and find a solution.’
Explain your intentions clearly. For example: – ‘I’m not here to assign blame. I want to find a way to improve the situation.’
Example 1: A BOH Team Member with Attitude A sous chef’s aggressive behaviour has led to complaints from colleagues. Set up a meeting to ask about their perspective: – ‘I’d like to understand what’s frustrating you during service and work out how we can fix it.’
Example 2: FOH Disruptions During Service A waiter repeatedly checks their phone during busy hours, disrupting the flow of work. Speak privately: – ‘Let’s talk about how we can help you stay focused during peak times.’
By showing that you’re listening, you encourage cooperation.
Step 3: Create an Action Plan
After identifying the problem and hearing all views, agree on a solution. Assign specific tasks with deadlines so everyone knows their responsibilities.
Example 1: Improving Kitchen Prep When delays stem from incomplete prep, the action plan might include: – Assigning a staff member to oversee mise en place before service. – Adding a 15-minute pre-shift meeting to check task progress. – Using a checklist to ensure kitchen readiness.
Example 2: Reducing FOH and BOH Frustration If ticket changes aren’t communicated effectively, the action plan could include: – Training FOH staff to double-check order notes before sending them to the kitchen. – Installing a kitchen display screen to show real-time order updates for the kitchen.
Example 3: Supporting Overwhelmed Baristas A solo barista struggles to handle morning rush orders. Solutions might include: – Assigning a backup barista during peak hours. – Rearranging workflow to streamline drink preparation.
Practical Tip: Focus on what must happen next. For example: – ‘What steps can we take to avoid this problem in the future?’ – ‘How can we work together to make things better?’
Clear, shared goals keep everyone on track.
Step 4: Follow Up Regularly
Follow-ups are essential to ensure progress and maintain accountability. Without them, old habits often return, and unresolved tensions linger.
How to Follow Up – Schedule a quick check-in to review progress. – Ask: ‘What’s working well?’ and ‘What needs adjustment?’ – Recognise improvements and encourage further changes.
Example 1: Prep Checklist Follow-Up After introducing a new prep checklist, check with the kitchen team after the weekend rush. If delays persist, update the plan based on feedback.
Example 2: Reviewing Communication Improvements After installing a screen for ticket updates, meet with FOH and BOH teams. Ask: – ‘Has the new system made communication easier?’ – ‘What other tools could help?’
Example 3: Addressing Workload Distribution After assigning a second barista during peak hours, review whether the change improved service speed.
Consistency is key. Brief, regular follow-ups build trust and show that you are serious about resolving the issue.
Turning Conflict into Growth
Conflict doesn’t have to be harmful. A manager shared how resolving a clash between an experienced head chef and a younger sous chef improved service speed. By focusing on their shared goal—better service—they learned to respect each other’s strengths and work more effectively.
Another team overcame friction when staff collaborated on a new system for allocating weekend prep duties. They built a stronger, more supportive environment by sharing the workload and agreeing on non-negotiable tasks.
Practical Tips for Managers
– Address issues early: Waiting makes problems worse. – Focus on the problem: Avoid blaming people. – Listen carefully: Use ‘why’ questions to find the root cause. – Be consistent: Regular follow-ups create lasting change.
Conflict happens in every restaurant, but it doesn’t have to harm your team. This four-step framework: Identify, Set Up, Action Plan, and Follow Up – can transform disagreements into opportunities for growth.
Start now by using this framework to resolve a recent team conflict. In the comments, let us know how it works for you!
Conflict happens in busy, high-pressure restaurants and cafes – we’ve all been there! When left unresolved, it harms morale and productivity. Resolving it properly can strengthen teams, improve efficiency, and create a better workplace – this also teaches young managers valuable skills they can use at other venues and even with friends and families.
This article explains a 4-step framework for effectively resolving conflicts: Identify, Set Up, Action Plan, and Follow Up. It also shares real-world examples to show how this approach works, and you’ll have plenty more examples when you discuss it with your team…
Why Conflict Happens in Hospitality
Hospitality teams face a lot of stress. Staff may have different expectations, communication styles, or ways of working. These differences can easily lead to disagreements. Here are some common examples:
– FOH vs. BOH disagreements: A server blames the kitchen for late orders, but the chef feels ticket changes weren’t communicated clearly.
– Generational clashes: Older staff may prefer clear roles, while younger employees prefer collaboration.
– Cultural misunderstandings: Different views on feedback styles can lead to frustration.
– Workload differences: A barista handling peak-hour orders alone might resent a colleague taking extended breaks.
Conflict is unavoidable, but it doesn’t have to be negative. Using the right steps, managers can turn it into an opportunity for growth.
Step 1: Identify the Problem
When conflict starts, avoid emotional reactions or quick judgments. Take a moment to gather your thoughts. Your first task is to uncover the real issue, not just the surface symptoms.
Example 1: Miscommunication Between FOH and Kitchen
During a Friday night rush, servers complain about slow food delivery. The chef snaps back, saying the servers aren’t picking up orders quickly. On the surface, it looks like poor teamwork. Investigating further, you discover prep wasn’t completed on time, which caused the delays.
Example 2: Overloaded Staff
A kitchen hand is consistently late cleaning up after shifts. At first, it seems like a lack of effort, but a conversation reveals they’ve been assigned additional duties without proper training.
Practical Tip: Use empathy to understand everyone’s perspective. Ask questions such as:
– ‘What happened before the issue began?’
– ‘What assumptions might I be making?’
– ‘How does each person see this situation?’
Focus on solving the problem, not blaming people.
Step 2: Set Up the Conversation
Choose a quiet time and place for the discussion. Avoid addressing issues during a busy shift or when emotions are running high.
How to Start
– ‘Can we have 20 minutes to talk about what happened yesterday? I’d like to understand what went wrong and find a solution.’
Explain your intentions clearly. For example:
– ‘I’m not here to assign blame. I want to find a way to improve the situation.’
Example 1: A BOH Team Member with Attitude
A sous chef’s aggressive behaviour has led to complaints from colleagues. Set up a meeting to ask about their perspective:
– ‘I’d like to understand what’s frustrating you during service and work out how we can fix it.’
Example 2: FOH Disruptions During Service
A waiter repeatedly checks their phone during busy hours, disrupting the flow of work. Speak privately:
– ‘Let’s talk about how we can help you stay focused during peak times.’
By showing that you’re listening, you encourage cooperation.
Step 3: Create an Action Plan
After identifying the problem and hearing all views, agree on a solution. Assign specific tasks with deadlines so everyone knows their responsibilities.
Example 1: Improving Kitchen Prep
When delays stem from incomplete prep, the action plan might include:
– Assigning a staff member to oversee mise en place before service.
– Adding a 15-minute pre-shift meeting to check task progress.
– Using a checklist to ensure kitchen readiness.
Example 2: Reducing FOH and BOH Frustration
If ticket changes aren’t communicated effectively, the action plan could include:
– Training FOH staff to double-check order notes before sending them to the kitchen.
– Installing a kitchen display screen to show real-time order updates for the kitchen.
Example 3: Supporting Overwhelmed Baristas
A solo barista struggles to handle morning rush orders. Solutions might include:
– Assigning a backup barista during peak hours.
– Rearranging workflow to streamline drink preparation.
Practical Tip: Focus on what must happen next. For example:
– ‘What steps can we take to avoid this problem in the future?’
– ‘How can we work together to make things better?’
Clear, shared goals keep everyone on track.
Step 4: Follow Up Regularly
Follow-ups are essential to ensure progress and maintain accountability. Without them, old habits often return, and unresolved tensions linger.
How to Follow Up
– Schedule a quick check-in to review progress.
– Ask: ‘What’s working well?’ and ‘What needs adjustment?’
– Recognise improvements and encourage further changes.
Example 1: Prep Checklist Follow-Up
After introducing a new prep checklist, check with the kitchen team after the weekend rush. If delays persist, update the plan based on feedback.
Example 2: Reviewing Communication Improvements
After installing a screen for ticket updates, meet with FOH and BOH teams. Ask:
– ‘Has the new system made communication easier?’
– ‘What other tools could help?’
Example 3: Addressing Workload Distribution
After assigning a second barista during peak hours, review whether the change improved service speed.
Consistency is key. Brief, regular follow-ups build trust and show that you are serious about resolving the issue.
Turning Conflict into Growth
Conflict doesn’t have to be harmful. A manager shared how resolving a clash between an experienced head chef and a younger sous chef improved service speed. By focusing on their shared goal—better service—they learned to respect each other’s strengths and work more effectively.
Another team overcame friction when staff collaborated on a new system for allocating weekend prep duties. They built a stronger, more supportive environment by sharing the workload and agreeing on non-negotiable tasks.
Practical Tips for Managers
– Address issues early: Waiting makes problems worse.
– Focus on the problem: Avoid blaming people.
– Listen carefully: Use ‘why’ questions to find the root cause.
– Be consistent: Regular follow-ups create lasting change.
Conflict happens in every restaurant, but it doesn’t have to harm your team. This four-step framework: Identify, Set Up, Action Plan, and Follow Up – can transform disagreements into opportunities for growth.
Start now by using this framework to resolve a recent team conflict. In the comments, let us know how it works for you!
Check the other useful blog posts on the Foodie Coaches website…
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