CRP Restaurant Operations & Staff Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A new line cook consistently takes 12 minutes to plate an entrée that should take 6 minutes. What is the FIRST step a manager should take?
- Document the issue and issue a written warning
- Observe the cook's technique to identify specific inefficiencies (Correct answer)
- Reassign the cook to prep work immediately
- Schedule the cook for fewer dinner shifts
Correct answer: Observe the cook's technique to identify specific inefficiencies
Observing the cook's technique allows the manager to identify the root cause before taking corrective action.
Question 2: Which scheduling approach best controls labor costs while maintaining adequate coverage during variable-traffic periods?
- Fixed schedules with the same staff every day
- Demand-based scheduling aligned with sales forecasts (Correct answer)
- Maximum staffing at all times to avoid shortfalls
- Rotating every employee through every shift equally
Correct answer: Demand-based scheduling aligned with sales forecasts
Demand-based scheduling matches labor hours to projected guest counts, minimizing over- and under-staffing.
Question 3: A restaurant's actual food cost percentage is 34% against a budgeted 28%. Which operational review should happen FIRST?
- Raise menu prices by 6% immediately
- Audit receiving, portioning, and waste records (Correct answer)
- Reduce the number of menu items offered
- Cut kitchen staff to lower overhead
Correct answer: Audit receiving, portioning, and waste records
Auditing receiving, portioning, and waste records identifies where food cost variance is occurring before implementing fixes.
Question 4: Under the FLSA, tipped employees must receive at least what combined hourly rate when tip credit is applied?
- $5.15 per hour
- $7.25 per hour (Correct answer)
- $10.00 per hour
- $2.13 per hour
Correct answer: $7.25 per hour
Federal law requires the employer to ensure that the tip credit plus the cash wage equals at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
Question 5: A server calls in sick 30 minutes before a Saturday dinner rush. Which action best balances guest experience and labor cost?
- Call in an off-duty server at overtime pay without checking availability
- Redistribute tables among on-duty staff and alert the manager to monitor pace (Correct answer)
- Close a section and reduce available covers for the evening
- Ask the host to take a server station in addition to seating guests
Correct answer: Redistribute tables among on-duty staff and alert the manager to monitor pace
Redistributing tables while monitoring pace maintains service levels without automatically incurring overtime or over-burdening non-server roles.
Question 6: Which document formally establishes the agreed-upon standards employees are expected to meet and is signed at hire?
- Operations manual
- Job description and performance standards acknowledgment (Correct answer)
- Employee handbook receipt
- 90-day probationary review form
Correct answer: Job description and performance standards acknowledgment
A signed job description and performance standards acknowledgment creates a mutual record of expectations from day one.
Question 7: During a line check before service, the chef finds the walk-in cooler at 48°F. What is the correct immediate response?
- Allow service to proceed but increase food sales pace to move product faster
- Remove all TCS foods, check temperature logs, and call for equipment repair (Correct answer)
- Lower the thermostat and recheck in two hours
- Discard only dairy products and continue with other items
Correct answer: Remove all TCS foods, check temperature logs, and call for equipment repair
All temperature-controlled-for-safety (TCS) foods must be removed and evaluated, and the equipment failure documented and reported for repair.
CRP Restaurant Operations & Staff Management 2
A new line cook consistently takes 12 minutes to plate an entrée that should take 6 minutes.
What is the FIRST step a manager should take?