Many ops leaders assume their managers are forecasting sales, planning labour to match demand, and reviewing performance daily. But the data tells a different story: 

• Only 46% of managers forecast sales on a day-by-day basis
• 38% of managers don’t deploy their teams to maximise sales
• 41% of managers don’t stagger start and finish times or deduct time for breaks
• 26% don’t formalise their shift allocation when writing their rota
• 15% of managers don’t use quiet periods productively
• 54% do not review sales forecasts and labour schedules daily
• 15% of managers don’t accurately track their hours for payroll

Assuming your managers are doing the right things can be costly. Every missed forecast, every misaligned shift, every unreviewed rota contributes to profit leakage. The gap between the rota and reality is where money is lost — and where service suffers. 

“You can’t manage what you can’t see.” As an ops team, you need tools and processes that give you real-time visibility into what’s happening on the floor. That means: 

• Seeing how labour is deployed hour-by-hour
• Understanding how sales forecasts align with staffing
• Identifying where shifts are overstaffed or underutilised

 Ask yourself: “Do I know what habits my managers are practicing every day?”

The truth is, excellence isn’t built on assumptions – it’s built on habits. That’s why we’ve developed our Operational Excellence Programme: a structured way to benchmark your venues, embed best practices, and turn good intentions into daily behaviours. By engaging with the programme, you’ll be able to:

 

• Gain clear visibility into the habits shaping performance across your venues

• Identify where good habits are strong – and where bad habits exist

• Equip your managers with the tools and training to build consistency across every shift

Peach Pubs began in 2002 with a simple vision: to create gastro pubs that combined fantastic food with outstanding service. Starting with a single tenancy – the Rose & Crown – the founders wanted to build a scalable business that felt personal and welcoming. 

Hamish admits he wasn’t a typical industry insider. “I pulled my first pint at 38,” he says. But his passion for service and culture drove the business forward. From day one, Peach focused on shared ownership, giving general managers equity and encouraging every team member to feel like they owned the pub. This sense of pride became the foundation for exceptional guest experiences. 

Many businesses talk about values, but few make them stick. Peach Pubs embedded its purpose—“Making Life Peachy”—into every aspect of operations. For 15 years, the team lived by a set of values that weren’t just words on a wall. They were front-of-mind every day. Hamish explains: “We taught ourselves to create a structure around the values so people could remember and live them. We even worked with a world-class memory champion to help staff recall them.” 

This commitment meant that even short-term team members could recite the values and share stories about how they applied them. The result? Guests walked into a Peach pub and felt instantly welcomed—because the team knew why they were there and what they stood for. 

Building a culture of great service doesn’t happen overnight. Here are Hamish’s top tips: 

• Define Your Purpose and Values Clearly – make sure everyone knows why they’re in the building. A strong purpose creates alignment and motivation.
• Invest in Training and Reinforcement – don’t just announce values – embed them. Use creative techniques to make them memorable and actionable.
• Create Joy Internally – hospitality is about passing joy to guests. That only happens when your team feels valued and enjoys their work.
• Commit Time and Resources – culture requires meetings, training, and leadership involvement. It’s an investment that pays off in loyalty and reputation.

While service is fundamental, Hamish reminds us that success in hospitality requires more than smiles and great food. Finance, operations, and leadership all play a role. “You spin a lot of plates in this game,” he says. But if you get culture right in the first few years, it becomes easier to maintain – and harder for competitors to replicate. 

At its heart, hospitality is about creating moments of joy. “You pass joy on,” Hamish says, “but only if you’re enjoying yourself and know why you’re there.” When every team member shares that sense of purpose, guests feel it – and that’s what keeps them coming back. 

Operational excellence isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the backbone of successful hospitality businesses. From managing peak-season chaos to driving sales and creating memorable guest experiences, strong operational habits make the difference. Based on insights from our recent webinar, here are 12 habits that will help you boost efficiency, improve team morale, and grow revenue.