Restaurant Increased Revenue By $1.75M And Reduced Peak Hour Wait Times By 58% With GLSS
Florida
Hospitality
Operations
58%
- The problem: One popular restaurant in Orlando was struggling to keep up. Long wait times were frustrating customers, slowing down service, and leading to food waste. During peak times, customers could wait up to 8 minutes to be served.
- The restaurant turned to GLSS’s Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Training & Certification. With a structured, hands-on approach to process improvement, GLSS helped the team identify bottlenecks, streamline operations, and get results fast, reducing the serve times to 3.3 minutes—a 58% improvement, along with a $145,800 monthly revenue increase.
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Restaurants thrive on efficiency, especially during peak hours when demand surges. Every second counts when customers are waiting for their meals. Unfortunately, this restaurant was experiencing extended lead times, which created several challenges:
- Customer Frustration: Long wait times led to lower satisfaction and reduced repeat business.
- Inconsistent Food Quality: Service delays meant that hot meals sometimes cooled before reaching the customer.
- Increased Food Waste: Inefficiencies in preparation led to unnecessary food disposal.
- Employee Stress: The staff felt overwhelmed, leading to mistakes and slower service.
The leadership team knew they needed a structured improvement plan to keep up with demand while maintaining top-tier service.
A closer look at the restaurant’s workflow revealed several issues contributing to the slow service:
- Understaffed Front-of-House (FOH) Team: The team often lacked enough employees to handle peak-hour rushes efficiently.
- Poorly Optimized Scheduling: Work shifts didn’t align with the busiest hours, leading to bottlenecks.
- Lack of Standardized Processes: Staff members had different ways of handling orders, causing inconsistency.
- Unorganized Kitchen Prep: Essential ingredients and utensils weren’t always easily accessible, slowing down meal assembly.
With GLSS Green Belt Training & Certification, the restaurant implemented process improvement techniques to fix these issues. Key improvements included:
- Optimized Scheduling: Shift times were adjusted to ensure the right number of staff members were on hand during peak hours.
- Streamlined Kitchen Organization: A 5S system was introduced to create a cleaner, more efficient workspace.
- Standardized Training for Staff: Employees received new, consistent training to improve teamwork and service speed.
- Clear Visual Aids for Meal Assembly: Signs and guides were placed in key areas to help staff quickly match sauces, utensils, and sides to orders.
The impact of these changes was immediate and significant. The restaurant achieved a 58% reduction in customer lead time during peak hours, reducing from 7.8 to 3.3 minutes on average. This resulted in:
- Faster Service: Customers received their meals more quickly, improving satisfaction.
- Fresher Food: Hot meals arrived at tables at the right temperature, enhancing quality.
- Lower Food Waste: Better efficiency led to a reduction in unnecessary disposal.
- Happier Employees: A more structured system reduced stress and improved teamwork.
- Revenue Increase: $1.75M annual revenue increase.
with GLSS
This project showcased how targeted process improvements can transform restaurant operations. Thanks to GLSS Green Belt Training & Certification, the team quickly identified and addressed inefficiencies, achieving faster and more consistent results.
With GLSS’s innovative instructional design and practical approach, the restaurant gained skills that will continue driving success. Now, with a faster, more efficient service model, the business is better positioned to handle future growth while maintaining an outstanding dining experience for customers.
*We value our clients’ confidentiality. While we’ve changed their names, the results are real.
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