🍸 You're Doing Pre-Shifts Wrong

Happy Wednesday, Hospitality Heroes!

This week, Brandon’s breaking down why most pre-shift lineups are a waste of time — and how to fix them so your team actually shows up ready to perform.

• ✅ More buy-in

• ✅ Better energy

• ✅ Higher check averages

Watch the full video here 👇

Master Your Pre-Shift Line Ups

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

🍸 Brandon’s No-BS Service Lesson:
How To Run A Pre-Shift That Actually Changes Behavior

Let’s be honest …

Most pre-shifts suck.

❌ They’re dry.

❌ They’re rushed.

❌ And nobody retains a thing.

Brandon’s fix?

Make them interactive. Inspiring.

And money-motivated.

Start With This:

✅ Text or post all the info ahead of time.

Specials, 86s, notes? That’s a group text or bulletin board item.

✅ Use pre-shift for performance, not info-dumps.

Mock sales convos. Ask questions. Let your team talk it out.

✅ Upgrade pre-busing to manicuring.

Tonight, challenge them to remove everything from the table that’s not part of the current course. App plates, straw wrappers, sugar packets—gone.

Here’s how to make pre-shifts a game-changer instead of a time-killer:

3 Quick Wins You Can Try Tonight:

1️⃣ Ask, don’t tell.

Let them describe the specials to you. Ask, “Would you order this or that?” and listen to their answer.

2️⃣ Spotlight someone.

Highlight a server who nailed a review, got a 30% tip, or tried a new upsell line. Recognition builds culture.

3️⃣ Require 1 question per pre-shift.

Force curiosity. Reward engagement. It raises the floor for everyone.

Your pre-shift should be the warm-up, not just the clipboard time.

This is where culture, coaching, and performance get 10x’d—before the first guest walks in.

✅ Less eye-rolling
✅ More ownership
✅ Better tips

🚀 Tactical Reminders:

Our Last Three Lessons:

• How To Get Your Team To Actually Listen: Read More.

• Stop Making This Training Mistake: Read More.

• 3 Habits To Ditch ASAP: Read More.

You can read the rest of the past lessons here.

Mike Romaine

Chief Email Ninja at The Restaurant Launch (TRL)