Quick service restaurant team leader

Quick service restaurant team leaders manage operations in a quick service restaurant.

Quick service restaurant team leaders typically do the following:

• Create schedules for each team member and ensure that he or she is working accordingly.
• Provide breaks to each crew member according to specified schedules and fill in as a crew member when necessary.
• Oversee the work of crew members to ensure delivery of fast and efficient service to each customer.
• Assist new crew members in understanding the system and handling points of sales or order-taking machines.
• Monitor wait times for customers, ensuring that no customer has to wait for longer than the time stipulated by the company.
• Train and develop new employees and ensure that they shadow experienced ones during the course of the shift.
• Assist with inventory control procedures to ensure that all needed supplies, kitchen utensils, and equipment are constantly available.
• Create and maintain effective liaison with vendors and suppliers to ensure timely delivery of supplies and equipment.
• Oversee the work of kitchen staff to ensure preparation of quality food items and provide insight into rotating stored items.
• Handle customers’ complaints and ensure that they are resolved in a timely manner.
• Oversee the closing and balancing of cash registers at the end of each shift and ensure that any issues are resolved immediately.

The following job titles also refer to quick service restaurant team leader:

fast food team leader
fast service team leader
fast food shift team leader
fast service shift team leader

A high school diploma is generally preferred to work as quick service restaurant team leader. Prior experience as a crewmember, or a degree in a culinary or hospitality area are significant assets for this position.

Most quick service restaurant team leaders learn the specific skills and techniques they need for their role while on the job. Training for this role typically includes shadowing a current restaurant team leader for a few shifts and learning the restaurant’s specific procedures. Training often also includes learning how to use the point of sale system and cash register.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Quick service restaurant team leader is a Skill level 2 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to quick service restaurant team leader.

barista
head waiter/head waitress
housekeeping supervisor
sommelier
bookmaker

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of quick service restaurant team leader. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of quick service restaurant team leader with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

camping ground manager
head pastry chef
head chef
rooms division manager
pastry chef

These skills are necessary for the role of quick service restaurant team leader.

• Maintain personal hygiene standards: Preserve impeccable personal hygiene standards and have a tidy appearance.
• Comply with food safety and hygiene: Respect optimal food safety and hygiene during preparation, manufacturing, processing, storage, distribution and delivery of food products.
• Greet guests: Welcome guests in a friendly manner in a certain place.
• Handle customer complaints: Administer complaints and negative feedback from customers in order to address concerns and where applicable provide a quick service recovery.
• Upsell products: Persuade customers to buy additional or more expensive products.
• Manage staff: Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.
• Supervise the work of staff on different shifts: Oversee the activities of the employees working in shifts in order to ensure continuous operations.
• Monitor stock level: Evaluate how much stock is used and determine what should be ordered.
• Maintain customer service: Keep the highest possible customer service and make sure that the customer service is at all times performed in a professional way. Help customers or participants feel at ease and support special requirements.
• Work in a hospitality team: Function confidently within a group in hospitality services, in which each has his own responsibility in reaching a common goal which is a good interaction with the customers, guests or collaborators and their contentment.
• Supervise crew: Supervise and observe the behaviour of employees.
• Supervise food quality: Oversee the quality and safety of food served to visitors and customers according to food standards.
• Schedule shifts: Plan staff time and shifts to reflect the demands of the business.
• Maintain a safe, hygienic and secure working environment: Preserve health, hygiene, safety and security in the workplace in accordance with relevant regulations.
• Plan medium to long term objectives: Schedule long term objectives and immediate to short term objectives through effective medium-term planning and reconciliation processes.
• Train employees: Lead and guide employees through a process in which they are taught the necessary skills for the perspective job. Organise activities aimed at introducing the work and systems or improving the performance of individuals and groups in organisational settings.
• Execute opening and closing procedures: Apply standard opening and closing procedures for a bar, a store, a restaurant or a marketplace.
• Process customer orders: Handle orders placed by customers. Receive the customer order and define a list of requirements, a working process, and a time frame. Execute the work as planned.
• Ensure food quality: Pay attention to the quality of the food that is served to visitors or customers according to food standards.
• Manage medium term objectives: Monitor medium term schedules with budget estimations and reconciliation on a quarterly basis.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of quick service restaurant team leader. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Educate customers on tea varieties: Instruct customers about origins, characteristics, differences in flavours and blends of tea products.
• Handle glassware: Utilise glassware by polishing, cleaning and storing it properly.
• Educate customers on coffee varieties: Instruct customers about origins, characteristics, differences in flavours and blends of coffee products.

5246 – Food service counter attendants

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References

1. Quick service restaurant team leader – ESCO
2. Restaurant Crew Leader Job Description, Duties and Responsibilities – CLR
3. Fast Food Shift Team Leader Job Description for Resume – CLR
4. Fast Food Manager Job Description: Salary, Duties, & More – Climb the Ladder
5. Featured image: Photo by Ali Alcántara