Today, we are going to look at techniques of the management of a Churrasqueria, or a Brazilian BBQ Restaurant.
First, learn what kind of customers that are arriving at the restaurant for that day and night. A restaurant like Fogo De Chao, can do a lot of corporate events during the week. Sometimes they will give us there preferences in meats before they show up. We never run out of what these customers want.
Second, always calculate for the casual customers. The ones that are walking past the restaurant and want a table for the night. We are at Broad and Chestnut in Philadelphia so we can expect an extra fifty customers on a weekday then expect one hundred on the weekend. Plus, the reservations. We never prepare all the meat, since not everyone will eat as expected in large groups. But, if those one hundred extra walk-ins eat as much as a three hundred person reservation, we need to be ready. When three hundred customers eat as much as twenty-five, we are definitely the winners. Either way, each night means meat on the squewers, ready and waiting, in the refridgerator. A good restaurant manager must have every skewer ready, but not in the fire.
Third, the amount of the skewers on the fire is a decision left up to the servers. We also call them Gaucho Chefs. The management of a Churrasqueria is the Head Chef (myself), Restaurant Manager, and the Host or Hostess at the front of the restaurant. They are not the ones to make decisions about how many meat skewers get on the grill. That is a decision left up to the servers. They are responsible for looking at reducing waste while also allowing a customer to receive any food that they may want at the quick and ready.
The Management Of A Churrasqueria Is More Then Just Food And Customers
Three reasons why preparation is key to efficient management of a Churrasqueria. All the ingredients must be ready just like any restaurant. At the moment that they ask us, it is only a moment to deliver the food. It is also very important to take into account all the holidays. When we have a holiday on Monday, we must expect that many people will come in without reservations on the weekend. We prepare more than necessary on these long weekends. At the same time, it is a challenge to keep high quality meat for the customers when your Monday becomes a very busy Sunday.
We must also take into account important sporting events. Customers for such events drink more beer and go to more traditional hamburger restaurants. So, we look at our experience and we prepare less food. Even if it is the Philadelphia Eagles in another Super Bowl, we do not have a Pub or sports bar. We will have a quiet day and we could even close early that day. There are always many factors to consider when you management a restaurant in Downtown Philadelphia.
Daniel Miller
Head Chef At Fogo De Chao