Hi everyone, I’m new here… I have found so much wonderful information, thank all of you for the great forums.
I have some questions, if some of you verterans don’t mind me picking your brains a bit 
I have recently been made the store manager at a small town pizzaria I work in. It is a franchise store, though the company is small. I got this position because I was giving the owner my 2 week notice. I was frustrated at the lack of standards in the store. No portion control, filthy kitchen and dining room, customer base is constantly angry. I think they actually come to the store expecting a problem. When I gave my notice I was a shift manager /leader, and seemed when I made a step foward in the positive direction, we would take 10 steps back. The owner basically told me he hates the place, and wants someone to run it, and offered me higher pay and profit sharing to do this for him. I have had the “Manager” posistion for 4 weeks now (I’ve worked in the store for 8 Mos) I make the schedual, owner “re-arranges it”, and they are not necissary changes, it usually adds more hours and upsets the staff. I try to get people in to clean up, he tells them not to come and doesn’t tell me of this change, then tells me my method of letting them sign up for extra hours won’t work. Here’s where my questions come in.
Am I going about the changes the wrong way? Owner wants me to increase sales (I agree) BUT not before we get all the employees on the same page making pizza, get food cost under control and get the store cleaned up. I feel these changes are the foundation of keeping customers happy.
Am I focusing on the wrong starting point?
He’s got me writting people up over dirty toilets, but won’t let me clean the mold out of the walk-in. Seriously, I think his priorities are whack. Any advice is welcome, even if i’m the one that needs to change.
Because at this point i’m seriously considering just getting a min wage job and doing my shift and going home!
Apply at other places for a management position. This one is untenable.
As an owner, I try not to have on going costs. When you schedule extra staff, all he sees is money going out but doesn’t see a return.
Think about this.
Sit the owner down. Ask him what he would like to see improved. Ask him how he would go about it.(ownership) Then ask him to give you 100% free reign for 30 days. If he does not see a marked improvement in cleanliness, employee morale and food costs in 2 weeks, you will resign (or something). These 3 things are able to see an improvement in this time. The first thing you need to do is hold a mandatory-voluntary employee meeting. Explain to the employees what you would like to accomplish and what do they see needs to be improved.(ownership).
If you can get the employees to buy into the change, your job just got easier. We all like to have guidelines and rules.
The whole idea is for him to see an improvement. Obviously, he is not able to do this. The amount of food savings should offset the extra labor.
The customer morale will take longer to grab. But they should start seeing an improvement in cleanliness and smiling faces right away.
FYI
When the owner is undermining your every move You are not a manager, the owner is the manager and you are just a worker. If you can not put up with this than you should find a better company to work for. Sorry, and good luck to you.
I agree, as on owner my self, I feel that there are certain things you have to trust the shift mangers judgement, I know if I was going behind you and changing things then I would sit you down and tell you why. My geuss is he has become disinterested. You have an up hill battle. good luck
THank you all for the advice and responses.
I’m at the end of my line. I think I will move on.
Get the heck out of there. The economy is in the dump and the unemployment rate is in the clouds. You should have the best staff in the city, not a bunch of slackers who walk right by (or pee in) a dirty toilet. Just look through these threads sand you will see many people reference walk in job requests from people who are a bit under their financial burdens.
Option #2 is to buy the place. Make an offer of $30k, but the problems might just be endemic, so there again, you would need to re-staff the place.
One thing from my experience standpoint, is that you seem to have no clue of the numbers you need to run to keep a profitable store. You talk about ‘adding hours’ as if it was a strategy to an end, what the heck is that? If you need to increase service, then your labor cost would be less than 25%. If you labor is blowing over 30%, you have problems. That is one very clear indicator of management performance, and your owner seems to understand it while you don’t. A scheduled ‘Cleaning Day’ is a no-brainer. If you can’t get the bathroom cleaned, the floor mopped and waxed, the windows washed, the fluorescent lights wiped down, and the walls cleaned in one day, you should be fired. If that sounded harsher than I intended, sorry, it was meant to emphasize that it isn’t such a huge burden of a job, and the positive aspects pay in compound interest. People are more likely to clean-as-they-go if they spent a day cleaning the hoods, and got the pride of looking at a nice clean shop.
Either way, keep us posted. 
Yes, your post seems a bit harsh as I’m asking for help here. No, I don’t know the numbers. How can I make the desicions I need to make without knowing the numbers. I’m told when making the schedule, keep the hours around 130-134 to keep labor costs on target. This is the information I have to work with. So I see that every shift is covered and manage to keep in the target range. Boss re-arranges increases those numbers then tells me labor costs where too high, especially since I worked 53 hours. If he knows something I’m missing, he’s not sharing it with me. This is the information I’m given. I need better training, I need help!! I need to know WHY/How it was high. (Yes I ask him, he says “It’s fine, you’re doing great.”) I didn’t say I knew exactly what I was doing, I was giving a two week notice. He seemed to think I could help, so I agreed to try. You are right about it all. There is NO reason for the store to be in the condition it’s in, it’s obvious he hasn’t cared about it for a while now. I knew that when I got hired on. I don’t understand why he won’t or can’t let me just get that done, yes it would be a labor hit that week to have extra help to knock it out, but the gains I would think would be well worth it. (correct me if i’m wrong on that). Right now we are doing just a little at a time on slow days.
So far the posts ring the same, as do the words of my family and friends… Get out, this ship is going down.
Harsh? Possibly. Not my intention though.
Would you rather I had said everything is fine, please stand strong, grin, and persevere? Come on buddy, life is pretty harsh, and you need a wake up call or a change of scenery.
I kind of like Pizzamancer’s reply. If you still have a heart for this business and your “owner” seems by your account to have lost his long ago, pop him a way out. Depending on your financial situation you may consider just making him an embarrassingly low offer to let this all be off his shoulders. If he accepts it, great then it’s your baby. If not then I’d have to agree with the majority and suggest you need to find a place where they recognize and support your obvious interest in this business. Good luck Sailor!!
So you are the new manager. Is this a title, a job or a position? Here is the way I look at the differences. If it is a title that you were given to keep you from leaving you have a lost cause. If it is a job you are going to have to always have the boss re-doing things without explaining why. If it is a position you should have the power to make things happen to grow the business.
Work with the owner to get a written description of what your responsibilities and authorities are. If it is in writing both of you will know where you stand.
You need to do some homework here. You say this is a franchise store so find out what the franchises guidelines are. Usually there is a handbook outlining the processes that must be followed. Secondly find out what your last health inspection had to say about the place. Strive to bring things up at least to those levels.
If you are expected to increase sales you need to have a plan. Is there a franchise budget for advertising that can be used? Look at the market you are in for clues as to where you could fill a niche that has been missed.
"A scheduled ‘Cleaning Day’ is a no-brainer. If you can’t get the bathroom cleaned, the floor mopped and waxed, the windows washed, the fluorescent lights wiped down, and the walls cleaned in one day, you should be fired. "
That was the only harsh sounding part, silly thing about forums it’s hard to read emotion.
But I like what you posted and agree with you. Hard part here is I’m not entirely sure what help I’m even asking for.
I love pizza, I love making pizza. My first job was pizza, went to the military, came back and did more pizza (delivery driver is dern good $$) Part of me wants to buy the store (we can do it, and it is for sale). That’s probably the only reason I’ve stayed around as long as I have.
You need to do some homework here. You say this is a franchise store so find out what the franchises guidelines are. Usually there is a handbook outlining the processes that must be followed. Secondly find out what your last health inspection had to say about the place. Strive to bring things up at least to those levels.
Yes!! Pushing the boss to get me in the corporate managment training program.
Last health inspection was 2 weeks ago, they came out at my request. Said the icescoop was dirty, other then that it was fine, and mold is only a problem if you are involved in a lawsuit :shock:
So you are the new manager. Is this a title, a job or a position?
When I agreed to it, it sounded like a position. I have been given the authority of the posistion from Hiring and Firing, to trying to increase sales, to training the staff. Budget for advertising, coupons, mailing, is non exsistant. I asked if a small percentage could be allowed for such things “he’ll have to think about it” was the response. As before though, I don’t know what his numbers are… he always says… do what you need to make it work… how could I go and spend $$ on say… putting coupons in the local paper, without knowing if we have the cash to do it.
He offered me more then just a title and a pay raise, he offered 20% of the profits too. Which he still will not put in writing. That’s why I thought he was serious about wanting my help. I made a personal goal, that if he does come through with what he said, the 20% i get my hands on will go back into the store.
I just realized I was unconsciously shaking me head.
You are getting suckered. Don’t let him do it. 20% of nothing is nothing. You sound like you have a terrific attitude and experience. Don’t sell yourself short. Start looking for an owner that will appreciate you.
Sailor, I hate to say, but I agree with those that are saying to move on.
I am in the exact same boat (great employee, disinterested owner “above” you), just waiting for my “move on” job to line out. Once I’m in for sure, I’m ditching the old place.
I agree. And yes, you lack management skills. Try another gig.
PD