Restaurant Operations Questionnaire

Allow about 25–35 minutes. Brief answers are welcome. Required questions are marked *. Please leave out passwords, bank details and employee personal information.

01Company information

Tell us a little about the business and how your team is structured.

Restaurant name *Your name and role *Best email for follow-up *Where do you operate, and what is your service model?City or neighborhood, full service, fast casual, takeout or another modelWhat kind of company are you?For example, LLC, corporation, S-corp tax status, partnership or sole proprietorship. Include whether you’re independent or a franchise.How many employees do you have in total, and how many work front of house and back of house?Estimates are fine. Note any overlap.How many managers do you have, and what are their roles?How are tips handled?Describe any tip pool or tip-out, which roles participate and how tips are distributed. If you charge a service fee, explain how it’s handled.

02Operations

Think about a typical week.

Which sales channels do you use, and roughly what share comes from each?Dine-in, takeout, delivery, catering or eventsWhat are your biggest day-to-day bottlenecks, and when do they show up?Prep, ticket times, inventory, waste or vendor reliabilityHow do you handle inventory counts, ordering and daily operating checklists?

03Food & menu

Tell us what you serve and how you manage the menu.

What kind of food do you serve, and what makes your menu distinct?What are your best-selling items? Which items are most profitable, if you know?How do you cost recipes, set prices and update the menu?Note how often you update recipe costs and whether portions are standardized.Which dishes or ingredients create the most waste, prep work or consistency problems?

04Finances

Estimates or ranges are fine. Skip any figures you prefer to discuss live.

What were your approximate annual net sales and how are they trending?Include the period and whether this is one location or the whole businessWhat are your approximate food and beverage cost and labor cost percentages?Include payroll taxes and benefits in labor if availableWhat are your approximate operating profit margin and biggest margin or cash-flow pressures?Rent, delivery commissions, discounts or other expensesHow often do you review the P&L, and which numbers do you track weekly?Who are your top food vendors, and what do you buy from each?Include any major pricing, minimum-order or delivery issues.What reports could you share for a follow-up review?Examples include a recent P&L, POS sales by item, labor reports or vendor invoices. Please list what’s available.

05Team & HR

Tell us how you hire, schedule, communicate with and support your staff.

Where are the biggest gaps in staffing, retention, training or accountability?Do you have an employee handbook, and do you need help creating or updating it?How do employees raise HR concerns, and who handles escalations?Who receives the initial concern? Who handles it if it involves the employee’s direct manager? Please describe the process in general terms.How do you communicate with staff across shifts and teams?Include where staff receive announcements, shift updates and policy changes.How do you build and publish schedules, and who handles coverage or shift changes?Include who owns the schedule, how far ahead it goes out and whether you use sales or labor targets.Walk us through your hiring and interview process, from posting the role to making an offer.Include where you recruit, who interviews, how you assess candidates and who makes the final decision.How often do you conduct employee performance reviews, and who leads and documents them?Do you hold weekly staff or manager meetings? How often does each group meet, and how do you track follow-up?Which responsibilities still depend on you or another owner?

06Technology

List the tools you use today. Include spreadsheets or manual processes where applicable.

What POS system do you use?What do you use for payroll and timekeeping?What tool do you use for staff scheduling and shift swaps?Where do you document standard operating procedures (SOPs), and how do staff access them?Where do you store business files and reports, and who manages access?Examples include shared drives, cloud storage and accounting platforms. Please leave out credentials.What other tools are central to the business?Consider accounting, inventory, online ordering, delivery, reservations, gift cards or loyalty.Which tools share data automatically, and where do you still re-enter data or reconcile it by hand?Include any unreliable integrations or reporting gaps you’d like to fix.

07Marketing

Tell us what brings guests in and what you want to improve.

Which marketing channels or promotions are active, and what works best?Google, social, email or SMS, delivery apps, events or partnershipsWhat do you spend on marketing in a typical month, and how do you measure results?Who are your core guests, and where do you see an opportunity to grow visits or repeat business?

08Working with Underdogs Management

Help us understand what you want to accomplish and what support would work for your team.

What are your top priorities, and what would a successful next 90 days look like? *Consider growing sales, improving profitability or cash flow, reducing owner workload or strengthening the team. Rank your priorities and include any targets you already have.What are the top three areas where Underdogs Management can help?List them in priority order. For each, tell us what you’d like us to own or help your team improve.How much on-site time do you expect from our team?Include days or hours per week or month, plus any shifts or days you want us to observe.When do you want to start, and are there any deadlines or events shaping the work?Who will approve the engagement, and who will lead changes on your team?What budget range have you set aside for outside support, if any?