Back of house: what you need to know about hiring and promoting a sustainable BOH culture

If your restaurant has a greater need for back office (BOH) staff like chefs and line cooks, you're not alone: ​​it's a major problem in the restaurant industry. restoration. And you can't run your restaurant without them, so you need to know exactly what it takes to hire and foster a sustainable BOH culture.

There has been a growing labor shortage in BOH roles over the past few years, and while restaurants are fighting this by offering higher salaries and more incentives to attract new talents, that is not enough to make up for the lack of a healthy BOH culture.

While the widespread shortage of BOH staff is not in your control, creating a sustainable BOH team can be. In this article, we'll talk about what you need to know to hire the right BOH employees and create a great BOH culture to avoid the risk of turnover and retain a top-notch team for the long term.

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What does the back of the house mean?

"Back of the house" refers to areas of a restaurant or cafe that customers cannot see, such as the kitchen, storage area, break rooms and offices, and where all operations take place behind the scenes.

Backroom staff typically includes anyone involved in menu planning, food preparation, BOH staff management, and cooking (such as kitchen manager, executive chef, sous chef , line cookers and dishwashers).

Back of the house versus front of the house

The biggest difference between front desk staff and front desk staff is the interaction with the customer. Front of House (FOH) areas include your waiting room, dining room, bar, and pass counter where servers pick up food. FOH employees typically include servers, hosts, general managers, and bartenders.

There are also some hybrid staff members like food runners, bussers, and barbacks (or bar bussers) who work as intermediaries for BOH and FOH staff.

Unlike their back-of-the-house counterparts, front-of-house staff, such as servers and bartenders, are usually tipped and, as tipped workers, often only earn a standard minimum wage $2.13 per hour. They therefore rely on tips as their primary form of compensation. compensation.

If your restaurant uses a tip pooling system and distributes tips equally to staff, back-room employees like line cooks and dishwashers, but not managers or supervisors, may also receive tips. In this case, an employer cannot claim tip credit from them and must pay all employees a minimum hourly wage of $7.25.

How to Hire the Right Staff for BOH Operations

Even if they don't have direct contact with customers, your kitchen staff are essential to creating a great dining experience for customers. But the BOH can be a stressful environment that requires quick decision-making and collaboration. It is therefore important to think about the qualities you are looking for in your team members when hiring.

Your BOH needs will also depend on the type of restaurant you run. In an upscale restaurant, you may need a saucier and a sommelier. But in a small bistro or casual cafe, you'll probably only need a head chef and a few line cooks to handle your smaller volume of diners.

Chefs and managers

At the top of your BOH food chain are the chefs and managers who execute the restaurant owner's vision, manage restaurant operations, plan and evaluate dishes and menus, manage inventory, and oversee the daily preparation of food. food and cooking that takes place in the kitchen. .

When hiring for these positions, it is best to find candidates with at least five years of restaurant experience and a culinary degree or...