The Counter and Ninety Seconds
Sound familiar?
- Can't keep up at peak and doesn't know where the real bottleneck is.
- Has never timed a drink, so speed is only a feeling.
- Added a second person to the bar and now they get in each other's way.
- Never counts the guests who see the queue and leave.
After reading, you can
Help a drink-shop owner serve more cups in the same peak minutes.
Each chapter answers one question
Chapter 1: Is the time lost in the hands or the steps?
From the moment a customer orders to the moment the drink reaches the counter, how many stages does it pass through?
Preparation time is not in the making itself; it is in the gaps between the steps.
Chapter 2: Do guests leave from waiting, or from not knowing?
How long do my customers wait before they walk away?
Customers do not leave because the wait is long but because they do not know how long it will be.
Chapter 3: Is rush-hour speed bought during the quiet hours?
Before the rush, what has my counter already prepared?
Every second saved at peak hour is bought during quiet hours.
Chapter 4: Does a second barista actually mean more cups?
When two people are behind the counter, what does each one do?
Adding a person does not automatically add drinks; it only does when the two do not get in each other's way.
Chapter 5: How do I know the bar is actually faster?
How do I know the counter has become faster?
Without before and after numbers, every change at the counter is an act of faith.