Blog / April 21, 2021
Preventing and Solving Conflict at Your Restaurant


Bianca Esmond
The restaurant industry revolves around people. When you own or manage your own restaurant, it’s your responsibility to make sure your patrons are happy and taken care of. But, it’s also important to make sure you know how to prevent and solve conflicts as they arise. Conflicts within restaurants aren’t something that gets frequently talked about. But, they do happen. Handling team conflicts involves mediating the problems between staff members to ensure that everyone gets along as much as possible. You can reduce the risk of conflicts forming by creating a positive and encouraging work environment. But, you’re not always going to be able to control what your employees think or how they act. So, what can you do when conflicts arise, and how can you nip problems in the bud before they really find their footing?
Dealing with Discrimination
A 2019 survey by Glassdoor found that 3 in 5 employees in the U.S. have either seen or experienced discrimination in the workplace. Discrimination is often fueled by:- Race
- Gender
- Age
- Sexual orientation
- Religion
Managing Microaggressions
Microaggressions can be a big problem in any workplace. Unfortunately, they can also be harder to stop because some people don’t even realize what they are. Simply put, microaggressions are subtle behaviors that can be offensive, hurtful, or disrespectful, especially to a marginalized group. Microaggressions can be behavioral through your actions, environmental through a lack of representation, or verbal when someone says something disrespectful about a person or group. As a manager or owner, it’s crucial to recognize microaggressions in the workplace. Some of the easiest examples to spot include:- Microassaults – Indirect bullying or put-downs, slurs about race, gender or age
- Microinsults – When a target is considered an “exception” to the stereotyped demographic they’re a part of
- Microinvalidations – A dismissal of an employee’s negative experiences
Calming Down Customers
You can do everything in your power to create a positive and peaceful environment in your restaurant. But, sometimes employees aren’t the ones causing conflict. Despite your best efforts, customers won’t always be happy. On occasion, you might even have to deal with an irate customer. That can seriously shake up your front-of-house operations and cause a scene throughout your whole restaurant. Thankfully, there are things you can do to handle an angry customer and deescalate the situation, including:- Listening to their complaint
- Stopping yourself from getting defensive
- Using their name when speaking
- Showing genuine empathy
- Offering a solution