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Running a restaurant as a single mom has pitfalls but added benefits as well. This article wants to share helpful tips that will reduce pain points running a restaurant. A single mom/entrepreneur can always benefit from good information. Firstly, mom can position herself well with quality set-up. For example, purchase the best point of sale system for your money – (POS). Hire good staff who are aware of mommy responsibilities. A single mom, due to constraints not seen from other owners, carries more weight with purchasers and merchants. Bargains can be negotiated well for capital items, food, beverages, and miscellaneous items to run a restaurant. The mommy factor plays well (in a good way). Be sure to include a Home First Aid Kit within the restaurant. A posted emergency number list for mom and staff is important, as well as a emergency first aid training course, as relevant.
Specific operational tips are important, as the single-mom must strategize well across restaurant activities. Some single mom restaurant tips:
- Outsource back-end functions like reservation systems and credit card processing
- Set up a safe play area for kids at the restaurant
- Delegate tasks to free up kid time
- Use trusted family members whenever possible
- Set and maintain personal on-site schedule
- Shop SMART for bulk purchasing incentives
- Replace human with technology as possible
As women entrepreneurs flourish within the restaurant industry, positive visibility and accountability are key. Historically, traditional restaurateurs and chefs were male. Old-school restaurants even hired only male waiters. Now owners, chefs and wait staff are women, and well-represented. A side tip for the single mom might be to hire female staff as possible, sharing mom experiences, and cognizant of time constraints on mom. Who else is better suited for time management, conflict resolution, empathetic listening, and multi-tasking?
A single mom restaurant owner, can always benefit from tips, recipes, and information to avoid pitfalls. The more useful information the BETTER, for a mom juggling kids and restaurant ownership on her own. Moms juggle the long restaurant hours, help mop the floors, unclog the bathroom toilets, perform the bookkeeping, and perform miscellaneous restaurant activities in a pinch. Many times, kids are brought to work. Safe zones for their kids is important. A single mom owner laughs later that clean food storage bins functioned as both a crib and playpen! Kids can help chef and prep staff safely, and perhaps learn tricks of the trade if the restaurant is passed down to family. Kid social development is accelerated. Who knew?
So, moms can find ways for family time in the midst of business management. Though a single mom restaurant owner historically experienced more pitfalls than success, the tables can certainly be turned with good information, process digitization and use of good technology for business operations. Single moms are expert at juggling life anyway. Running a restaurant, and making a profit, should be seamless.
