10 Critical Policies for Running a Great Food Hall
These are the 10 most important processes we need to get right when we set up new food halls. Of course, there are other important processes, especially concerning administrative work. But for the purposes of this article, I am focusing on the items that are crucial for guest-facing operations. You might notice that some of these are inherently “back-of-house” processes, but I include them because if they go unmonitored, they quickly compound into guest-facing problems. I’ll stop here to let you read the list, and then we’ll discuss them below:
Food safety/cleanliness audits at least once per month for every vendor, regardless of perceived necessity.
A clearly written list of (good) tenant rules and fines for infractions.
A clearly defined repairs process that is communicated to all parties.
A brief internal newsletter that celebrates wins and reminds all parties of important operational points.
Bathroom standards and routine checks.
Preventative maintenance service agreements for major mechanical systems.
A short rolodex of locally relevant repair contacts that is shared with vendors.
A process for guest recovery during service failures, regardless of fault.
A “no-cell-phones” policy for staff in the dining room.
A guest greeting policy, especially for slow periods.
Firstly, the list isn’t in any order of importance—they are all crucially important. You’ll notice that most of these items are preventative in nature, because if we don’t get them right, things can get messy quickly.
When you read an article concerning the closure of a food hall, they often cite that management “wasn’t responsive.” Points 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8 have to do with communication amongst a large group. Communication is paramount to the success of a food hall, even if the communication is that there is no important news at the moment. Over time, we learned that the communication works best if delivered on a consistent schedule. We keep it to bullet points only and focus on only two key items. Firstly, we list the top 3-5 selling vendors (in order) and offer congratulations to those who are moving up in the rankings. We make special notes for anyone with improvements in specific areas like return customers or upsells. This gives all other vendors an opportunity to congratulate their peers and allows us to focus on highlighting positive momentum. It also allows us to release week-over-week sales movements so vendors can benchmark their own progress. The second section involves the parenting bits (i.e., stop parking in the loading dock, please). Doing the parenting after the wins strikes a balance between progress and accountability. Consistent delivery means that no one is called out negatively, because most announcements can wait for a weekly newsletter. It’s simple, analog, and effective.
Points 5, 9, and 10 usually come as a group and are far too common. How many times have you walked into a food hall at 4 pm on a Tuesday, when it’s comparatively slow, and no one greets you? The staff are scrolling on their phones, and the bathrooms are dirty. This needs to be actively managed by setting expectations proactively and then consistently checking in that the policies are being followed. This is the walk-around management that is ingrained in experienced hospitality operators.
Food safety seems obvious and is probably the biggest departure from routine tenant management, but you’d be surprised how quickly behavior can degrade. If we show our vendors that there is a standard and we stick to it politely and proactively, vendors and staff have no trouble with compliance. Lackadaisical behavior is contagious in a shared setting. We think it’s most similar to parking tickets. If there is no enforcement, people start to park illegally. If the behavior isn’t corrected quickly, behavior compounds exponentially, because legal parking is wholly inconvenient. Few people stop and consider the good of the many.
All of these items should be captured and presented to vendors in the form of a concise list of good tenant rules which should be revised annually. If you want to use ours, contact our consulting department.
—-
Politan Group specializes in operating food halls, bars, and bars within food halls. We also provide remote accounting, HR, and administration for food halls. If you are thinking of building a food hall or need help with an aspect of a food hall you already own, reach out to us. Politan is the most-awarded food hall operator in the industry.