Archived Recently promoted to Cafe TL (Ideas?)

[TheKing]

So I was just recently promoted to Cafe TL about a week ago and am currently undergoing training. I have absolutely no food experience f.y.i. It seems like I am being depended upon for coming up with ideas to drive sales/increase traffic to the cafe. I am looking for any and all possible ideas no matter how little (or big) to assist in this. Whether they are based on training, processes, or service, I'm sure any and everything can be expanded into a great and useful idea. I've worked almost a decade as a hardlines team member so I am trying utilize my experience from the floor and apply it to my new work center. Thanks!

 

[Jack of all Workcenters]

Make sure you have enough coverage and try and break out of cafe as much as possible. It is a good starting point for a person new to TL imo.

 

[redeye58]

Make sure your popcorn machine is popping out the first batch as the doors open.
Yeh, it's early but you'd be amazed at how much traffic that smell can bring over.
Also make sure your food presentation is appealing. We kept a basket of fresh bananas, apples & oranges near the register & an overflowing basket of sweet treats/cookies next to it.
Make sure equipment is clean & in good repair; no one likes food coming out of taped-together/wired-up equipment.
Our FATL had a small clip-on fan strategically placed to blow the scent of pretzels & hotdogs outward.
Keep your cold cases well-stocked & organized; don't wait for expry dates to toss wilted salads or squishy sandwiches/wraps.
If it's dead, make up a tray of samples to pass out to folks waiting to check out.
We'd use the marinara cups for popcorn, cut-up bits of pretzels & smoothies.
Eye & olfactory appeal are the two biggest draws.

 

[Yetive]

Also, Steritech visits will be important. You will go to food safety training, and as you have no previous food experience some of it may be new to you. Common sense really--nothing to worry about. Guests definitely notice if things aren't up to snuff and sales will suffer.

 

[Kartman]

Let's see - no experience whatsoever.... perfect for a TL.

Pretzels/hot dogs have no smell and if Steritech sees a fan blowing across food that's a strike.

 

[redeye58]

Let's see - no advice whatsoever......par for the course.

 

[KillerTL]

Food ave is not a money maker and target knows this. As long as you are green on steritech and pizza hut visit you will be golden. After you get a good routine down, definitely express the interest to do other things because FATL is a black hole that you can get stuck in.

 

[TheKing]

So it seems that I should first cover all my bases on everything regarding a visit by Steritech and then maybe try other things that can help out the overall sales. Thanks for everyone's input!

 

[Kartman]

Let's see - no advice whatsoever......par for the course.

It was a comment on Spots way of training people, not a dis on the OP.

I can't imagine being a TL in a position I wasn't trained for.

Derp?

 

[redeye58]

I worked under quite of few of those, thankyewverimuch.

 

[Kartman]

They've eliminated the FATL position at my SLV store. As far as I'm concerned, I'm the TL but that isn't my title.

I like it better when I'm doing CA/Brand stuff... keeping the store looking good.

 

[buliSBI]

My store always wanted rotating samples each day for the opening shift. I did everything from MP fruit snacks, fresh cookies, chips, and juice.

If you and your team have any down time, make sure they are always cleaning the area or working on the weekly cleaning schedule.

 

[Kartman]

Keeping everything clean is important and the easiest part of the gig. The dickins is staying on top of all the code dates and rotating product properly. I always slap a piece of scotch tape on those 'lil date stickers. They love to fall off, especially when being handled.

Seritech always checks the paperwork. Make sure all your time & temp / cleaning pages have been properly filled out and signed by TMs and LOD. Many times the LOD won't get around to walking FA and signing off on the paperwork. If I don't see (after calling on the walkie) it signed before I clock out, I'll take the paperwork and find the LOD myself.

 

[Jack of all Workcenters]

Keeping everything clean is important and the easiest part of the gig. The dickins is staying on top of all the code dates and rotating product properly. I always slap a piece of scotch tape on those 'lil date stickers. They love to fall off, especially when being handled.

Seritech always checks the paperwork. Make sure all your time & temp / cleaning pages have been properly filled out and signed by TMs and LOD. Many times the LOD won't get around to walking FA and signing off on the paperwork. If I don't see (after calling on the walkie) it signed before I clock out, I'll take the paperwork and find the LOD myself.

Also keep an eye on the pest log, if you submit a mysupport for a bug you gotta also mark it down in the log.

 

[Fasbuxtl]

Make sure you are being trained by someone who knows their stuff and if you think you need more training.. Beg. Two things in terms of sales.. Smell sells. Make popcorn every half an hour. The other thing we do for sales is up selling.. Know how much more it is if they get a soda with their meal.. If they want a small, suggest a medium for however much more it is at your store. The other thing, some stores are better than others at this, ALWAYS have the hot hold filled. Guests are more likely to buy it if it is already made and they don't have to wait. You make more if it is full all the time and you have to qmos more on some days

 

[Kartman]

Make popcorn every half an hour.

Unless your store is DEAD, you will need to make it way more than that... and don't be skimpy on the "butter." Nobody wants white popcorn.

Nobody wants a small drink, unless it's for their kids. Adults always want at the least a medium.

Hot hold filled? PLEASE! It takes 2.5 minutes to bake a FRESH pizza. I never keep pizzas in the holding bin. Spot says they're good for 30 minutes, but I dare you to eat a 30 minute old pizza. Bake them to order! Guests are ALWAYS ready to 'wait' for a fresh product.

Wouldn't you???

 

[Fasbuxtl]

We are an ultra low volume store for food ave. Our oven takes 7.25 minutes so people don't want to wait for that...

 

[Kartman]

We are ULV, too.

Your oven needs to be calibrated or replaced.

 

[Coqui]

I've always heard the FATL and his team telling guests it takes 7 minutes for pasta and pizza to come out of the oven.

 

[Kartman]

Your oven needs to be calibrated or replaced.

This.

 

[Coqui]

This.

I'm going to let the FATL know. Maybe he really doesn't know that it needs to be calibrated.

 

[Kartman]

Fitting that they should be TL.

FATL has been phased out at my store.

 

[Xanatos]

I'm thinking that we're talking about different types of ovens here. Although it's always good to check on things that we assume are correct, just in case we've been doing something wrong for years.

 

[redeye58]

Pretty sure they're different; ours is calibrated at 7 mins.

 

[Kartman]

That's a long dang wait.