At some point or another, most servers have heard those hated words — “If you have time to lean, you have time to clean!” While that phrase can certainly get infuriating, it’s repeated so often because there’s a kernel of truth to it. Cleaning, also known as side work, is a major part of any healthy restaurant. But what does restaurant side work look like? How can you get it organized to be done regularly? We’ll dive into it in this blog.
What is Restaurant Server Side Work?
Put simply, restaurant side work is basically the work that isn’t your top priority, but that needs to be done nonetheless. It generally consists of organizational and cleaning tasks, making it relatively boring, but it’s super important to ensure that your restaurant runs well. Both your chefs and servers should have side work that’s clearly laid out for them; today, we’re talking about server side work.
Realistically, the best way that you can set up server side work is in a checklist format. We’ll be sure to put an example of side work in a restaurant below, along with a few checklists of our own, but let’s talk about what makes for good restaurant side work first.
Creating a Server Side Work Checklist for Your Restaurant
As mentioned above, a server side work checklist is an excellent way to ensure things are done regularly. And arguably of more importance, it can help you to see who does what!
How to Tailor a Restaurant Side Work Checklist
Every restaurant will function a bit differently. Brunch and breakfast spots will operate differently than dinner spots or bars, and because of that, it’s hard to build a “one size fits all” approach to server side work in restaurants. However, there are a few rules that we can follow to at least keep a bit of regularity in our life.
First things first, it’s crucial that we figure out what needs to be done in your restaurant. While that may seem obvious, the simple truth is that your side work and cleaning tasks should tackle projects that often get ignored. Whether that’s rolling silverware, cleaning some obscure corner of the restaurant, or polishing windows, there’s always something that you can provide to make sure that your servers are on their A-game each day.
Tips for Organizing the Server Side Work Checklist by Shift
One of the most effective ways to set up a server side work checklist is to organize it by shift. Most restaurants will have an opening, mid, and close shift; these shifts generally have their own unique flow and, as such, should be tasked with different tasks. Your openers and closers, for example, will have the restaurant to themselves for a bit while it’s closed — so use that! Have them do tasks that can’t be done with guests in the building.
Similarly, your mid shift will likely be there for the slowest period of the day, meaning they’ll be able to find quite a few smaller tasks to get on top of while things are slow. Each shift will need to do some side work, but what that side work is will depend on how your restaurant’s flow works. Let’s take a look at a few examples of server side work checklists.
Opening Shift Server Side Work
Your opening shift will generally be the shift that you want working on quality of life and cleaning tasks that take a bit of extra time. Anything that requires moving chairs or tables, deep cleaning areas where the guests will be, and setting up their station for service should be on these lists.
Stocking Stations and Supplies
- Restock all to-go items, such as ramekins, boxes, napkins, and to-go cutlery.
- Stock all service stations with cutlery, menus, and glasses.
- Check the stock of any fountain drink dispensers (syrups, CO2, etc.)
- [If you have a bar] Face all bottles, check all kegs, restock any juices, syrups, or mixers.
- Restock hand towels, soap, and toilet paper in bathrooms and at handwashing stations.
Checking Table Settings and Cleanliness
- Check that all silverware, dishes, and table settings are clean and ready for service.
- Wipe down all tables and chairs.
- Wipe down all countertops or bars.
- Check bathrooms for cleanliness.
Preparing Condiments and Utensils
- Restock all condiments in dispensers or packets.
- Roll silverware in napkins.
- Prepare sauces for service (bottling, putting in ramekins, etc.).
Mid-Shift Server Side Work
Next up is the mid shift. These servers tend to have the worst of both open and close, but get to hang out during the slowest period of the day. Because of this, they should be on top of lots of cleaning and organizational tasks when slow.
Maintaining Cleanliness During Service
- Wipe all tables after bussing.
- Sweep regularly, mop if needed during slow times.
- Wipe down the bar and any countertops.
- Polish windows.
- Wash silverware and/or glasses; restock and roll silverware.
- Consolidate and take out trash.
Replenishing Beverages and Supplies
- Check all beverage dispensers for syrup, CO2.
- Restock all kegs (if needed).
- Restock bottles, syrups, and mixers for the bar
- Restock all to-go items, such as boxes, ramekins, and to-go cutlery.
Assisting with Food Preparation or Running
- Work on syrups and sauces for the bar.
- Cut limes/lemons/garnish for the bar.
- Run food.
- Bus tables.
- Wash dishes as possible.
Closing Shift Server Side Work
Closing servers tend to have a lot of work to do, but they also get the restaurant alone to themselves for at least an hour each night.
Cleaning and Sanitizing Tables and Work Areas
- Fully wipe down and sanitize all tables and chairs.
- Sanitize and wipe down all bar/service areas.
- Clean all drink dispensers/taps.
- Sweep and mop the lobby, bathrooms, and any other public area.
- Vacuum any carpets, roll and store them for next service.
- Organize outdoor seating areas; sweep, mop, deck scrub any problem areas.
- Take out trash.
Resetting Stations for the Next Shift
- Restock all to-go items.
- Restock all beverage dispensers (syrup, CO2, kegs).
- Face all bottles on the bar, replace bottles as needed.
- Take out broken glass/plates.
- Roll silverware.
- Wipe down menus (if laminated).
Completing End-of-Day Inventory Checks
- Check all items that may need to be stocked. Take note of anything that’s low for ordering.
- Check for prep work on syrups, garnishes, etc.
- Cash out register, do end of night numbers.
- Split tips as needed.
Side Work Best Practices for Restaurants
No matter how you organize your server side work, there will always be ways to ensure things go as smoothly as possible. Below, you’ll find a few tips on how best to get restaurant side work to be efficient and standardized.
Streamlining Side Work with Team Collaboration
Restaurant side work is an inherently collaborative process. Each of those checklists would take a single person potentially hours to accomplish, assuming they were working alone. But when paired into teams, this work becomes far easier to accomplish. One server can roll silverware and organize to-go items while the other cleans and the bartender cuts garnish for the bar.
This is why we split the lists into checklists organized by shift, rather than position — the whole opening, mid, or closing shift should be responsible for these tasks, not just one person.
Setting Time Suggestions for Side Work Tasks
When your servers really get into a task, it’s easy for time to kind of escape them. While that means that your servers are taking the work seriously, you need to ensure that they remain on task. In other words, establish how long it will reasonably take someone to accomplish each task and set a time limit to show that. We’ve found that doing the side work yourself a few times gives a great framework to figure out what can reasonably be done — especially when accounting for the fact that servers also need to attend to guests.
How to Assign and Manage Side Work
Generally, we’ve found that assigning side work by shift is the best way to do things. Beyond that, though, you’ll likely know that some of your servers have skills that others don’t. Steve may be great at cleaning tasks, for example, but struggle with organizational tasks. Jillian, on the other hand, is an absolute beast when put onto organizational work, but tends to slow down when tasked with more menial cleaning tasks. You see where this is going?
Lean into the strengths of your servers and, importantly, don’t get too caught up on one specific person doing a job. If the job is done right, it shouldn’t matter who did it! Often, servers will bargain with their peers to get tasks that they prefer or are better at — and that shouldn’t be the end of the world. As long as everything is done, that’s all that matters here.
Incorporating Side Work into Server Training
Side work is one of those things that veterans of the industry know very well. We know that once one task is finished, it’s time to start another — but not everyone thinks that way. When training new hires, do your best to hammer home that side work isn’t an optional thing, but rather a mandatory task for everyone on the team. Don’t say that it’s their job to do these checklists, but rather our job. This creates a sense of camaraderie and teamwork while also making it very clear that side work is still part of the job and needs to be done.
.jpg)
