Happy Friday, Hospitality Heroes!

This week, Brandon and Jess are breaking down the one thing most restaurants do every single day … and almost all of them are doing it wrong.

👉 How to turn your pre-shifts into actual training (not just housekeeping).

If your pre-shifts sound like "we're 86 the salmon, 200 covers, have a good shift" … your team is tuning out.

Here's what changes when you fix them:

✅ Servers actually retain what you teach them
✅ Better menu knowledge without extra training hours
✅ A team that prepares before they even walk in the door

Watch the full video here 👇

🎥 How To Perfect Your Pre-Shift Lineups

You can watch the full video training on YouTube, or keep scrolling for a breakdown of Jess & Brandon’s lessons below.

🍸 Jess & Brandon’s No-BS Service Lesson:
How To Perfect Your Pre-Shift Lineups

Most pre-shifts are monologues.

The manager talks.
The team stares.
Everyone says "heard" and walks to the floor.

"86 the halibut. 180 covers. Have a good night."

That's housekeeping. It's not training.

The shift that changes everything? Going from monologue to dialogue.

When your servers know they're going to be called on — asked to describe a dish, handle a mock scenario, answer a real question — they start preparing before they clock in.

Here's how to make that shift:

🍸 Start With This

✅ 1 – Replace announcements with questions.

Instead of telling your team what to do, start asking them.

What's one thing you're going to work on today? Who went out to eat recently and felt like they were interrupted too many times? What does obtrusive service mean to you?

When they're the ones talking, they're the ones retaining. You learn by doing, not by listening to someone else do it.

✅ 2 – Run mock scenarios every single pre-shift.

This is the big one. Have your servers practice real guest interactions — out loud, in front of the team.

I'll have a martini. What do you say? Should I get the rainbow trout or the salmon? My card's declined. What do you say?

They won't like it at first. Give it three weeks. They'll get used to it — and they'll start rehearsing on the car ride in because nobody wants to bomb it in front of the whole team.

✅ 3 – Teach descriptions as facts, not feelings.

Your servers should be able to describe every dish so a guest can picture it. And the descriptions should be facts — not fluff.

Not "it's really popular" or "it's delectable." Instead: 6 oz salmon, broiled, served with roasted asparagus and lemon butter.

Once they know the facts, then they can add their flair. But facts come first.

🍸 3 Quick Wins You Can Try Tonight:

1️⃣ Drill back-questions into every order.

Train your servers to confirm before they ring. "I'll have the artichoke." — Grilled or spinach artichoke?

This one habit eliminates most wrong orders. If your kitchen is refiring, this is probably where it starts.

2️⃣ Run menu mocks during pre-shift.

Sit in their section. Ask: "Should I get the sea bass or the BLT?"

Make them describe both so a guest could picture the food. Not like a college student cramming — like an actor rehearsing lines. If you test knowledge during pre-shifts, they'll start preparing for pre-shifts.

3️⃣ Coach awareness in real time.

Pull a server aside mid-shift.

Point at a table. Ask: "What do you see that I see?"

That one question trains their eyes faster than any lecture you could give.

Your team does a pre-shift every single day.

That's free training time you're either using or wasting.

Make it a dialogue, and you'll build a team that actually gets better (not just older).

🚀 Tactical Reminders:

Jess & Brandon’s Last Three Videos:

• 5 Things You Need To Teach Your Servers: Watch now.

• 3 Things That Are Killing Your BRAND REPUTATION: Watch now.

• Every SERVER Should Be Doing These Habits: Watch now.

You can watch all the past lessons here.

Mike Romaine

Chief Email Ninja at The Restaurant Launch (TRL)

P.S. The restaurants we work with become the gold standard in their market.

• Servers carry themselves with confidence.

• Guests can’t stop talking about the experience.

• And the owner’s name? It carries weight.

If you want your place to be that restaurant, click here and let’s make it happen.