What is the back of house?
The back of house, also known as BOH, refers to all the behind-the-scenes areas and processes that customers typically do not see. It’s the command centre of your restaurant, where food is prepped, cooked and plated before reaching guests. The BOH includes (but isn’t limited to) the kitchen, storage and delivery areas, break rooms and office spaces for administrative work. Even though they’re not customer-facing, all BOH staff should always wear clean uniforms and aprons while on the job to maintain cleanliness and food safety standards.
Back of house locations
From food prep stations to break rooms, the back of house is where most food contact occurs. Anyone who enters the following areas should be trained in food safety and sanitation to prevent cross-contamination, stay compliant with public health guidelines, and keep guests safe.
Kitchen
The kitchen is the largest part of the BOH. It’s often divided into sections: food storage, prep, cooking lines, holding areas and dishwashing or sanitation. Your kitchen layout can make or break the efficiency of your back of house operations, and a well-designed flow is vital to keep operations running smoothly.
Employee Areas
A line cook might show up to work, store belongings in the break room, check out the schedule on a tool like Square Shifts and grab a quick bite before service. When employee areas like bathrooms and break rooms are clean, organized and private, it sets the tone for a successful shift.
Office
The office is where managers step away from the kitchen and dining room to perform essential tasks like inventory management, payroll and staff scheduling. It doesn’t have to be big, but it does have to be quiet, neat and organized.
Delivery Area
A well-run delivery area streamlines operations — it’s where staff members package orders for delivery or pickup and keep track of inventory as stock is received or distributed. You don’t want your delivery area to feel chaotic, as it can lead to mistakes that impact the customer experience.
Back of house jobs
The back of house requires structure and hierarchy to function well. Each employee should have defined responsibilities, as well as clarity around who is in charge of what in the carefully orchestrated flow of prep, cooking, plating and cleaning.
Kitchen manager
Usually, one of the first people you see in the back of house is the kitchen manager. The kitchen manager is responsible for all back-of-house operations. They hire employees, ensure the restaurant is up to code with food safety and even jump in on the action when the kitchen is very busy.
Executive chef
The executive chef works closely with the kitchen and general managers. Also known as the head chef, they create all the specials for the menu and oversee ordering food for the restaurant.
Sous chef
The sous chef is the next in charge after the executive chef. The two work very closely together. The sous chef also tends to be in charge of scheduling the staff, supervising the kitchen workers and training new staff.
Line cook
There are often multiple line cooks in the back of house. This is the most common position in the kitchen, and the line cooks each have a position in the line by the stoves. They often divide their work by station or type of food, such as fry cook, grill cook or pastry chef.
Prep cook
The prep cooks do what their name suggests: They prepare the food. They do a lot of the routine tasks such as chopping vegetables and prepping ingredients.
Kitchen caller
The caller is the person who places the orders to the cooks. Sometimes the executive chef acts as the caller during peak busy times.
Dishwasher
Last but not least is the dishwasher. The dishwashers operate the cleaning equipment and are responsible for cleaning the dishes and glasses to help turn over the dining room quickly. They also wash the pots and pans.
A kitchen checklist for BOH employees
Running a successful BOH requires the kitchen to run as smoothly as possible. Here are a few things that your employees can do to streamline processes and provide patrons with the best service possible.
Daily kitchen checklist:
- Sweep and mop the floors
- Take out the garbage and recycling
- Disinfect surfaces where food is prepped
- Clean the grill, range and fryer
- Wash tools such as the meat slicer, can opener and others
Weekly kitchen checklist:
- Wash and sanitize the walk-in freezers and refrigerators
- Clean the oven racks, doors and walls
- Boil out the deep fryer
Monthly kitchen checklist:
- Clean the coffee makers
- Empty grease traps
- Wash the walls to remove any buildup from splashes or grease
- Switch every other month between cleaning the ice maker and washing the vent hoods
The difference between the front of house and back of house
Now that we’ve explored the back of house staff and responsibilities, you might be wondering, is there a front of house? There is, and it’s equally as important. The front of house is all the places customers see, visit and interact with during their time at your restaurant. It encompasses the waiting area, host stand, bathroom, dining area and the bar.
The purpose of the front of house team is simple: to ensure every guest enjoys a memorable dining experience. Servers, bartenders, and other FOH staff act as the vital connection between customers and the kitchen, with each role playing an essential part in delivering excellent service.
Learn more about how to effectively manage your restaurant front of house.
Improving collaboration with your FOH and BOH
Every employee on your staff affects how customers perceive your restaurant. Communication and collaboration between front-of-house and back-of-house staff ensures both areas of your restaurant run smoothly.
Address conflicts between the FOH and BOH
The majority of the time, tensions between the FOH and BOH are caused by a lack of understanding.
For example, front-of-house staff may get frustrated about delays or mistakes, which can affect their tips, while back-of-house staff may feel overwhelmed when orders are “stacked” or interrupted with last-minute questions about allergens or modifications. FOH team members may also have to deal with dissatisfied customers sending dishes back to the kitchen — and the negative reactions of their BOH colleagues when that happens.
Discuss these typical problems honestly to build an understanding of various challenges and situations among team members. Establish shared goals and schedule frequent meetings to foster collaboration.
Prevent and resolve conflicts between FOH and BOH
Onboarding is an opportunity to set the right dynamic from the start. Set expectations early to avoid issues like order stacking.
Conducting group training sessions helps everyone operate under the same rules and guidelines. Let both sides of the house see what the other does. It also helps the team see how each individual affects the customer experience. To foster empathy, you could even try role-swapping for a day, giving BOH employees a taste of customer-facing roles and FOH employees a taste of kitchen work.
Communication goes beyond just training. Offering a free meal for staff during work hours helps build camaraderie between employees during breaks when they can talk casually. Employees who are friendly with each other work better together.
Fair and transparent tipping practices boost morale and prevent conflict. Consider using staff management software to manage tips and tip pooling, and stay up-to-date with local labour laws.
Improve communication between BOH and FOH
To improve communication between BOH and FOH, brief both teams regularly. Everyone should know about updates such as specials, ingredient changes or guest comments.
Give managers and supervisors the tools to set up communication channels and offer training that emphasizes mutual respect and teamwork. The right technology can streamline communication and give team members more visibility.
A POS system like Square for Restaurants, which integrates with other tools you may use, such as reservation platforms or inventory management software, keeps everything organized under a central hub. Everyone always has access to the same information thanks to real-time updates. It prevents misunderstandings, reduces wait times and improves order accuracy. All orders are routed to the kitchen in order of priority and sent to the right prep stations through Square KDS, whether they were placed online, through a third-party delivery app or in person.
The BOH team can focus on fulfilling orders without overwhelm, while FOH staffers can serve guests confidently without interrupting the kitchen, easily answering questions about ingredients and allergens.
