How Restaurateurs Make Decisions

Because of the nature of their business, restaurant managers probably face more impediments to decision making than do other types of managers. Interviews with 10 top US restaurant managers revealed insights into the management process. Studying 4 principal portions of the decision-making process provided information on the ultimate determination of solutions. First, the manager must recognize the problem. To do this, restaurant managers tend to use 2 methods: 1. personal intuition, and 2. reports from staff members. Second, the problem must be defined -- through experience or through staff information. Third, the extent to which personal interests and emotions influence the selection and solution of problems will dictate the perspective through which managers define problems. Last, in gathering information, the managers rely heavily on their employees, rewarding those who report problems. Experience plays a principal role in decision-making methods.