Hiring the Right Restaurant Team: Building a Strong Staff Base from Day One

Hiring the right restaurant team is the most vital decision when launching your restaurant, eatery, café, or bar. Before the doors open and guests walk in, your staff is the driving force behind every meal prepared, every cocktail crafted, and every smile delivered.

Whether running a boutique bistro or a bustling gastropub, hiring the right restaurant team sets the tone for everything, from culture and efficiency to consistency and reputation.

Hiring the Right Restaurant Team: The Foundation of Your Business

For hospitality businesses across New Zealand and beyond, building a strong staff base from day one isn’t optional; it’s essential.

If you want to stand out in a competitive market, you need a team that aligns with your vision, thrives under pressure, and delivers exceptional guest experiences every time.

People dine out not just for food but for the whole experience. If you’re serious about creating a standout venue, your top priority should be investing time and energy into hiring the right restaurant team.

That journey starts with one thing: hiring the right back-of-house and front-of-house team.

Key Positions to Fill – Who Do You Need Before Opening

Understanding the key roles needed before opening is crucial to building a strong staff base. These foundational hires set the tone for service standards and operational flow.

Back-Of-House (BOH) Positions

Start with a dependable head chef or kitchen manager. This person shapes the menu, ensures kitchen efficiency, and leads food preparation protocols.

Supporting roles include line cooks, prep cooks, dishwashers, and potentially a pastry chef or butcher, depending on your concept.

Front-Of-House (FOH) Positions

Your restaurant manager or maître d’ acts as the face of your operation and a bridge between the kitchen and customers. Essential team members include servers, bartenders, baristas, bussers, and hosts.

Recruitment Strategies – Finding and Attracting Top Culinary Talent

Attracting top culinary talent isn’t just about advertising a job. It’s about positioning your restaurant as an exciting workplace where people are respected, challenged, and proud to be.

Start by creating compelling job descriptions that outline expectations, opportunities for growth, and your core values.

Showcase your restaurant’s mission, cuisine, and workplace culture. When hiring the right restaurant team, you’re selling them on your vision as much as they’re selling you on their skills.

Leverage platforms like local hospitality job boards, culinary schools, and social media. Word of mouth is powerful in the industry, so let your network know you’re hiring.

Creating a Positive Workplace Culture – How to Retain Staff in a Tough Industry

Retention is just as necessary as recruitment. In a high-turnover industry, creating a positive and engaging work environment is essential for keeping your top performers.

To attract and keep top culinary talent, focus on building a strong staff base that feels heard, supported, and valued.

Foster open communication and make feedback a two-way street. Establish clear boundaries, roles, and expectations from the outset. Create a space where creativity is welcomed and burnout is minimized.

Offer recognition for a job well done and create opportunities for growth and promotion. Host regular team meetings or staff meals to foster camaraderie.

Training and Onboarding – Setting Up Employees for Success

Hiring the right restaurant team is only half the job—you must train them well. Effective onboarding is the secret weapon for long-term success and consistency.

Develop a detailed training program that covers service standards, health and safety protocols, brand values, and communication expectations.

This applies to both FOH and BOH staff. Training should be hands-on, consistent, and reinforced regularly.

Setting up employees for success means giving them the tools, resources, and confidence to perform their roles from day one.

Checklists, shadowing, and performance reviews can help ensure consistency. Don’t just focus on the technical skills—teach soft skills too, like handling complaints, working as a team, and showing initiative.

Managing Payroll and Labor Costs – Balancing Quality and Budget

Finding the right balance between hiring quality staff and maintaining your labor budget is one of the toughest challenges for any new restaurant owner.

Balancing quality and budget starts by hiring efficiently. Avoid overstaffing during slow periods or understaffing during peak hours. Use scheduling software to analyze labor trends and optimize your rosters.

Hiring the right restaurant team doesn’t mean hiring the most expensive candidates. Look for rising talent, multi-skilled staff, and those eager to grow within your business. Train in-house where possible and cross-train team members to cover multiple roles.

While cutting costs by reducing wages or training is tempting, this often leads to poor performance, higher turnover, and ultimately lost revenue.

Instead, focus on setting up employees for success through smart scheduling, fair compensation, and long-term career opportunities. That’s the key to building a strong staff base while staying financially healthy.