Restaurant Operations and Launch Readiness

This unit synthesizes restaurant management skills needed to prepare for opening and sustaining a safe, profitable hospitality operation. Students will focus on compliance and risk management, beverage service and responsible alcohol practices, menu and marketing strategies, and front- and back-of-house operational systems to ensure launch readiness.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze regulatory, insurance, and recordkeeping requirements (health inspection, payroll, alcohol service, and liability coverage) and produce a prioritized compliance plan with timelines and documentation templates
• Apply menu engineering, reservation setup, and digital/social media marketing techniques to develop a launch-ready menu, reservation workflow, and a 30-day promotional campaign
• Demonstrate beverage service competency by identifying beer, wine, and spirits basics, performing safe service scenarios (including refusal and de-escalation techniques), and outlining proper beverage inventory, storage, and cost controls
• Evaluate front- and back-of-house readiness (staff training, sanitation, equipment maintenance, restroom/coat-check procedures, fryer safety, and holiday staffing) and create an actionable checklist to correct deficiencies before opening