“All operational aspects within the 4-walls of the store which the BM can have a direct and immediate effect on day to day”

Intro

Becoming a Senior Bar Manager is about enabling you to achieve even greater Operational Performance by developing and optimizing your leadership skills using Sustainable Processes and Situational Leadership.

At BM Junior, you should have already mastered Store Structures and most essentially DCWF! The focus now is to combine everything you’ve learned up until this point (JQ – BM) and use it to become more operationally aware inside the 4-Walls of the store. One of your core aims at this level, is mastering your abilities to recognize and react to current situations in the bar. 4-Wall Operational Performance is about knowing what needs to do be done in every moment and every situation. Not what needs to be done when we perform Shift Change or PreClose – we already know this.

Combining the following module with your learnings from Sustainable Processes and Situational Leadership; your next step is to learn how to fine-tune 4-Wall Operational Performance in the daily situations BTC through your Sustainable and Situational mindset.

Inside a JOE store, there are many different episodes throughout the day, which you cannot plan for or foresee. Hence, it might initially appear an overwhelming task to have a full overview of all the different performance features. However, achieving 4-Wall Operational Performance is simply about combining all the Key Principles, then implementing them in the store with Situational awareness and through Sustainable Processes.

In this module, we have compiled all the key operational aspects you need to be aware of and react to within your 4-walls, with the purpose of guiding you to create Operational Sustainability.

Remember that Activating-on-the-Go has taught you how to balance, react, or adjust to situations BTC? Use the below list of principles as a reference for building your operational awareness and master your abilities by activating these in the appropriate situations to accomplish 4-Wall Operational Performance.

4 Wall Matrix Card (See at the end of the page)

The Matrix is a tool you can use as a reference when managing and optimizing daily situations. The list of Trouble Areas is common situations we all experience in the store. The Matrix creates an overview of which Operational Principles you need to be especially aware of if these situations occur. The list of Trouble Areas is only exemplary, and you might experience entirely different situations or variations which require a different approach than we’ve outlined in the matrix.

Remember, we trust you to be the 4-wall expert of your operation and it is your responsibility to identify the relevant Trouble Areas and handle them appropriately. To do this you must keep a Situational mind-set to ensure good and Sustainable Processes.

The 17 Principles for 4-Wall Operational Performance

1) ‘The Look’

Is extremely important as it’s the first impression for any guest considering visiting our stores. The Look involves all of these areas;

• Outdoor Furniture
• Customer Area, Trash Bins, Lights, Cushion, Furniture, Magazines, Dusty Ledges
• Customer Toilets
• Fruit Display
• Till Display
• Counter Products
• Dishwasher Area – no dirty canteens
• Shift Change – The Bar / Customer Area / Customer Toilet
• Pre-Close – The Look / Guest Perception

Typical Trouble Areas to keep an eye out for:

• During the morning, Juicers often tend to prioritize prep and cleaning tasks before the guest’s point of view = not setting the ideal Customer Area.

• Juicers who take a break without first tidying the Customer Area and outdoor furniture.

• Juicers who set up the fruit display at the Juice station without setting up the Till Area and Counter Products.

• Clean or dirty canteens, elderflower & pesto bottles placed under the menu.

• Juicers neglecting weekly cleaning tasks outside of the bar, such as lamps, seating & trashcans, etc.

• Juicers tend to often place cleaning equipment such as spray bottles, cloths, and fruit fly traps out on display instead of moving them out of sight.

• After the rush finishes, Juicers tend to relax and talk to each other before prioritizing the refresh of stations and Customer Area.

2) The Product Quality Principle

Product Quality is the first Brand Principle which needs to be in place. The quality of our products is the foundation of the guest’s experience, and it is what can make our guests most irritated with us. It is what can make us fail as a Brand, which is why this always needs your focus and follow-up.

Typical Trouble Areas to keep an eye out for:

• A guest complains about the product quality.

• Juicers not following IMS during a rush, thinking it they will be able to finish products faster.

• Juicers using bad ingredients, such as dark avocado.

• Juicers not following the proper prep or extra topping guides. Ex. Cutting a banana in 6 instead of 4 pieces, not adding the appropriate amount of ginger in a juice or ‘Spicy’ in a sandwich.

• It is busy, and a product has been standing on the send-out-area for 10 minutes.

• The centrifuge sounds like it needs flushing, but the Juicers continues to make Juice.

3) Music

Is all about having a constant awareness of the current surroundings, atmosphere, intensity, and then matching it with the ideal playlist. Always choose the right music for the situation (Busy vs Slow, Morning vs Rush vs Evening).

Typical Trouble Areas to keep an eye out for:

• Juicers often fail to recognize when to change the music according to the time of day.

• Normally playing slow music during the rush and loud music during quiet afternoons.

4) The Welcome

Always recognize the guest and invite them to feel welcome, showing how happy we are to have them. Always approach each guest individually (businessman vs elderly woman, etc.). The host must adapt to each person who visits and greet them with a name.

Typical Bad Habits – Keep an eye out for;

• Juicers often prioritize prep or cleaning tasks before guest recognition.

• During a busy hour with 2-on-shift, Juicers often fail to recognize a guest entering the store.

• Juicers often get caught up in social talks and neglect to recognize the guest as they enter the store..  

5) The List Workflow

Double Tap to cross out, then send out or go down to the table.

The only order that matters is the order in the making. The team works together to finish that order until it is completely done before moving on to the next order. All orders should be called up in full. Cross off products when they have been made and placed on the counter until the rest of the order is ready. Sandwich placed with the top towards yourself, Juice placed in same order line as written on the list.

Balance the stations if Juice & Sandwich are not in sync (1 station is behind the other) – consider the Team Positioning. For high turnover days, you should appoint a List Captain to have an overview, collect full orders, and send out to guests.

Typical Trouble Areas to keep an eye out for:

• Juicers calling out only the juice, when the guest also ordered a sandwich.

• Juicers forgetting to cross out when sending out. This will create confusion, risking orders to be made twice, resulting in a longer wait for the rest of the guests.

• A line of juice is ready on the counter, but the sandwich station cannot keep up.

6) Activating-On-The-Go

During Rush vs During Slow Periods

We use Activating-on-the-Go to balance, react, or adjust to a situation and it is the tool to activate all of the other principles. It is the key that unlocks 4-Wall Operational Performance.

Typical Trouble Areas to keep an eye out for:

• The rush just finished, and many guests leave the store.

• There hasn’t been a guest for a while and the Juicers are standing around appearing slack.

• It’s 30 mins before the usual lunch rush starts and it’s fairly quiet.

• There are a lot of juices standing at the send-out area because the sandwich station is behind.

• A Juicer is falling behind with orders on the coffee station.

7) Team Positioning Systems

XonJuice
XonSandwich
XonCoffee
XonEggs

Use these systems to balance the stations and enable the team to work together as one organism – not separate operations.

Typical Trouble Areas to keep an eye out for:

• Unbalanced stations.

• A guest receives his/her juice, but the sandwich isn’t ready The coffee station is falling behind.

• A guest complains about the waiting time.

• It’s busy and products have been standing at the send-out area for 10 minutes. • Missing communication between stations can create unbalance as well.

• All stations are busy but there is a queue forming at the till.

8) XonTill

Execute XonTill when you have a queue of 3 or more guests. The purpose is to Kill The Que (KTQ), freeing as many Juicers as possible to focus on products.

The List Juicer’s purpose is to be fast enough to create a long payment queue for the iPad Juicer.

1. The Welcome (say hello to the guest)
2. Activate (question)
3. Take order (write list)
4. Name (ask for the name)
5. Repeat (next guest)

The iPad Juicer’s purpose is to take payment so fast that there is no payment queue.

1. Attention (listen to the order or look at the list)
2. Type (type in on iPad)
3. Activate (say name & amount)
4. Finalize (take payment)
5. Guest Direction (advise where to wait for products or sit down)
6. Attention again (next guest)

Typical Trouble Areas to keep an eye out for:

• All stations are busy but there is a queue forming at the till.

• It has been busy all day, 2 Juicers are casually talking together while they’re making sandwiches and a queue is forming at the till.

• There are 2 Juicers on shift and 5 guests in the queue.

9) XonShift

1onShift

1. Keep calm
2. Welcome and activate all guests
3. Execute the queue
4. Complete full order before taking the till.

2on Shift

1. Till Juicer
2. Product Juicer
3. 2onTill.

3on Shift

1. Switch between being 2onTill/2onJuice/ 2onSandwich at all times to balance the overall flow.
2. Only works if the team works together and communicates constantly.

Typical Trouble Areas to keep an eye out for:

• All stations are busy but there is a queue forming at the till.

• It has been busy all day, 2 Juicers are casually talking together while they’re making sandwiches and a queue is forming at the till.

• There are 2 Juicers on shift and 5 guests in the queue.

• There are 2 Juicers on shift, 5 orders on the list, and a new guest enters.

10) KTQ – Kill The Queue

Our core value for how we run a high performing operation. The mindset is to have a constant drive for pushing to handle the queue as fast as possible because we understand that the till is our most important station behind the bar.

Typical Trouble Areas to keep an eye out for:

• All stations are busy but there is a queue forming at the till.

• It has been busy all day, 2 Juicers are casually talking together while they’re making sandwiches and a queue is forming at the till.

• There are 3 Juicers on shift, orders on all 3 stations, and 5 quests waiting to order at the till.

11) Juicer Attitude – Juicer Core

The Why = This is your purpose, what motivates you and gives you a sense of meaningfulness. “Why am I here and what do I want to achieve?” – this is a question relevant not only for your work at JOE & THE JUICE but in every aspect of your life. To maximize your own potential, you need a meaningful purpose to give you the direction and the necessary drive towards your goal.

Character = Good character is about being understanding in awkward situations, not losing your temper, being respectful, honest, taking responsibility, and showing care to your surroundings. Your character is defined by your values and attitude which are active choices you make in every situation.

Attitude = Choose your attitude! In every situation you need to ask yourself the questions: “Was I the best version of myself in that situation? Did I make the right decision?”

Perception is Reality = Be Reflective! Use the guest’s perception as our key marker to evaluate and improve ourselves day-to-day. This is key to developing a Situational mindset, not only in your relation to the guests but also the Juicers and the Team.

Care = Have Patience! Observe the situation and have the patience to persistently do the correct thing, no matter what it takes. Always reflect on your patience in every situation. Only by observing and reflecting can you create a Situational understanding, enabling you to act with care and Sustain good processes.

Typical Trouble Areas to keep an eye out for:

• The guest accidentally drops their shake onto the floor.

• A guest comments on the music volume.

• A guest complains about the waiting time.

• A guest complains about the product quality.

• A guest is angry they cannot get salmon in their sandwich.

12) Deflate the Situation

The Guest’s Perspective = If a guest complains, the complaint is substantial. We must respect this fact and handle the customer with great care.

Questioning, Dismissing, or Denying the Issue = Avoid infuriating the guest further and escalating the situation. Do not place blame or express doubt of the complaint’s validity. Consider the guest’s Perceptual Position and accept that you have core responsibility within your 4 walls.

Accept the problem and provide the Solution = Always start by allowing the guest to express their full message before speaking. Then simply accept it and provide them with an instant solution. Whatever the issue might be or whose fault it is, we always have a solution for it. View the situation as a chance to impress the guest with your caring attitude.

If we gave the wrong product to the guest, we make them a new one. If the guest drops their product on the floor, we make them a new one. If the music is too loud, we turn it down to a reasonable level. If you are aware that the waiting time is long, you inform the guest before they pay for their order. If the guest ordered the wrong product, we make them a new one. If the guest doesn’t like their product, we make them a new one. If the guest is allergic to kiwi, we rinse the blender. If the guest wants grape juice, we make it. If the coffee is not warm enough, we make them a new one. If the tables are not clean, we clean them immediately …

Typical Trouble Areas to keep an eye out for:

• A guest complains about the waiting time.

• A guest complains about the product quality.

• A guest is angry they cannot get salmon in their sandwich.

13) The Recovery Principle

Accept mistakes will happen, what is important is what we do when a mistake occurs. It’s our chance to show we really care about our guests. Every problem is significant no matter what it is. We want to give them an experience beyond their expectations. When an incident occurs in the bar, it is an opportunity for us to represent ourselves better.

Typical Trouble Areas to keep an eye out for:

• The guest accidentally drops their shake onto the floor.

• A guest comments on the music volume.

• A guest complains about the waiting time

• A guest complains about the product quality.

• A guest is angry they cannot get salmon in their sandwich.

• The guest doesn’t like the product they ordered.

14) Guest Dialogue

Adapt your welcome depending on who enters the store. Only you have the responsibility to start the conversation. When you have established a good dialogue with your guest, there is less possibility of a bad situation to arise. Your dialogue with the guest can determine their experience and influence whether they want to revisit or not.

Typical Trouble Areas to keep an eye out for:

• There are 2 Juicers on shift, it’s not busy and a guest enters.

• A guest stands near the till station waiting for their order to be ready.

• A guest you have seen before enters the store.

• A regular guest stands at the till about to make their order.

• A guest who visits our store 3 times a week always pays with cash or credit card.

15) Guest Recognition

Always aim to remember a regular guest’s name and their usual order. Is there something you can mention to the guest? The guests are our Brand Ambassadors, and you should value their presence in your store. All guests are people who seek recognition. Develop your relationship with the guest through Guest Dialogue.

Typical Trouble Areas to keep an eye out for:

• There are 2 Juicers on shift, it’s not busy and a guest enters.

• A guest stands near the till station waiting for their order to be ready.

• A guest you have seen before enters the store.

• A regular guest stands at the till about to make their order.

16) Brand Behavior

Brand Behaviour is our concept which is to have a mindset of working in the bar like it is a Saturday Night Dinner in your own home and behaving in the way where you are the Host. Brand Behaviour is our natural behavior in the Store. We give responsibility to the person BTC to make decisions on their own. This makes the guest’s experience more authentic and personal.

Brand behavior should be present in all situations – it is our natural behavior and our wish to include and welcome the guest in our Store.

Before the Guests Arrive
The Ingredients – have all products available
The Home – clean & presentable
The Mood – set up the Living Room, cozy, inviting, comfortable & visual surroundings
The Music – set the mood, ambience, triggers happy, up-tempo & cozy vibes
The Prep – more time to spend with the guests.

Handling the Guest
The Welcome – invite in Guest, The Welcome, individual ways of approaching guests, make them feel welcome.
The Activation – activate conversation, authentic approach, inclusion.
The Menu – guide through menu & show knowledge, be present, you’re the connection between concept & guests.
The Dinner – execute the products, work fast & effective, impress with techniques & tricks, serve at the table, sign out the product/signature.
The 2nd Activation – initiate conversation, product knowledge, proud of the products, Full Cycle in product universe. The Guests Leave The Goodbye The Refresh – Trash, furniture, candles.

Typical Trouble Areas to keep an eye out for:

• Guest enters the store but leaves without ordering.

• The music is awkwardly low during a lunch rush.

• The vibe in the store is chilled but the music playing is high tempo and loud.

• The rush just finished, and many guests leave the store.

• There is only one guest in the store and their order is called out to collect.

• There hasn’t been a guest for a while and the Juicers are standing around appearing slack.

• It’s 30 mins. Before the usual lunch rush starts and it’s fairly quiet.

• There are 2 Juicers on shift, it’s not busy and a guest enters.

• A guest stands near the till station waiting for their order to be ready.

• A guest you have seen before enters the store.

• A regular guest stands at the till about to make their order.

• A guest who visits our store 3 times a week always pays with cash or credit card.

17) The Loyalty

Our Loyalty program is about creating a universe where our guests will want to invest in their future visits. Selling Loyalty Cards are about much more than securing turnover or offering a discount. It is about rewarding our loyal customers and their commitment to JOE & THE JUICE as more than just a simple juice bar with nice coffee.

Selling Loyalty Cards, you need to be aware of three components:

1. Our Universe = First, we need a well-presented store & experience before attempting to sell a Loyalty Card.

2. Have Confidence = Believe in what you’re selling. Know the prices and benefits of each card. Be familiar with the Loyalty App, explain the features and how easy it is for our guests to use.

3. Name = Establish a connection with the guest through dialogue.

Typical Areas to keep an eye out for:

• A guest you have seen before enters the store.

• A regular guest stands at the till about to make their order.

• A guest who visits our store 3 times a week always pays with cash or credit card.

• A family comes in and buys 5 juice and 5 sandwiches.

• You already know what a guest wants to order, because they ordered the same coffee three days in a row.;

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