How to Turn Your Restaurant Into a Leadership School

A restaurant that grows leaders keeps staff longer, runs smoother, and frees owners from carrying it all themselves.

For many operators, the toughest challenge of running a restaurant is managing the people who make it work. Without a pipeline of future leaders, owners and managers end up carrying everything themselves. The result is burnout, high turnover, and stalled growth.

The best restaurants take a different approach. They treat their business as a leadership school, where cooks, servers, and junior managers learn not only technical skills but also how to make decisions, lead teams, and run operations. The payoff is stronger retention, smoother service, and a business that does not rest on one person’s shoulders.

The insights in this article come from more than one hundred MAJC interviews on Restaurant Ready and Serving Success with chefs, operators, and hospitality experts.

1. Mentorship Comes First

Leadership is taught by people, not manuals. Chef Gavin Kaysen often credits his mentors with shaping the way he thinks about leading, not just cooking. He emphasizes that real mentorship means slowing down to explain the “why” behind decisions and modeling behaviors for younger staff.

Taylor Scott, author of Lead with Hospitality, put it this way, “We’ve got to connect first and then lead.” Chef Kevin Gillespie puts that into action by jumping onto the line with his team, “I prep alongside them literally right next to them during service. I regularly swap myself out for one of my line cooks and allow them to do a different job. Not to show them up, but to show that I still see myself as a very collaborative and equal standing member of the team.” Mentorship works best when leaders are visible, present, and connected.

Try this: Jump on a station once a week or invite a rising leader into a management meeting. Show them leadership in action, not just words.

2. Give Responsibility Early

Future leaders do not grow from the sidelines. Kevin Boehm of Boka Restaurant Group stresses giving staff ownership as soon as possible, letting them “run plays” even before they carry a manager title. Responsibility, paired with accountability, teaches judgment in a way nothing else can.

Chef Karen Akunowicz points to the importance of middle management, “Assistant managers, assistant general managers, sous chefs, those are some of the hardest jobs in restaurants. Middle management is really hard. It’s your biggest learning space, but it’s also a hard job to have.” Scott adds that recognition is tied to responsibility, “If you see something, say something… letting them know we see them upholding our values. Those are the ways that it hits people right in the heart.” Whether it is running a pre-shift meeting or leading a new project, giving staff real responsibility is how leaders are born.

Try this: Hand off one piece of the shift to a developing manager. Let them run pre-shift, close out cash, or lead a menu rollout.

3. Teach the Business, Not Just the Craft

Many rising chefs and managers never learn how the numbers work. That gap creates stress and poor decision-making. As finance expert Meghan Blair shared during MAJC Office Hours, “If you don’t show your team the numbers, they’ll never understand the decisions you make. Financial visibility is what makes sustainability possible.”

Gillespie takes the same approach, “We are very, very transparent with regards to the performance of the business. We started doing that ten plus years ago because I felt it was important for the team to understand the decision-making. Too many people only see their slice of the operation, and if they don’t understand the bigger picture, it’s hard for them to understand why I might say no.” When you share financials, even at a basic level, you help your team connect their daily work to the health of the business.

Try this: Share one KPI with your team weekly, like labor percentage or contribution margin. Explain how their choices move the number.

4. Feedback and Recognition

Leadership requires honest communication. Chef Duff Goldman explained on his episode of Restaurant Ready that his teams thrive when feedback is consistent, respectful, and specific. Without it, people cannot improve or grow.

Akunowicz sees value in spotting potential early, “We’ll interview folks sometimes with great resumes, and then someone with less experience comes in and says, ‘I really want to work here.’ That’s a gift. Do you want to work at this restaurant? That’s a gift. Those are some of the best people to invest in.” Scott reinforces that recognition must be intentional, “Catch them doing it right as much as or more frequently than you’re trying to catch them doing it wrong.” Recognition focused on leadership behaviors like mentoring, stepping up, growing culture, sets the standard for the entire team.

Try this: End each shift with two quick rounds: one piece of feedback for the team and one lesson you learned yourself. Show that feedback flows both ways.

5. Recognize Growth, Not Just Performance

Promotions should not only reward technical skill. Chef Maria Mazon says, “I don’t just promote the best cook. I promote the person who makes the team better. That’s leadership.”

Scott adds that recognition must be intentional, “Catch them doing it right as much as or more frequently than you’re trying to catch them doing it wrong.” Specific, meaningful recognition tells people their leadership matters and makes them want to keep growing.

Try this: In pre-shift, spotlight someone who mentored a teammate, solved a tough problem, or supported culture, not just someone who cooked perfectly.

Bringing It All Together

Turning your restaurant into a leadership school does not require big budgets or formal training programs. It is about weaving mentorship, responsibility, financial visibility, feedback, and recognition into the flow of daily work.

The return is clear: stronger retention, smoother operations, and a team motivated to grow with you. The leaders you train today will carry hospitality forward tomorrow.

Want more practical strategies from chefs and operators? Join the free MAJC Community to access tools, training, and conversations that help you grow leaders and run a stronger business.

At MAJC, AI helps us organize thoughts and speed up workflows, but every article is shaped, refined, and approved by real people who live and breathe this industry. We think honesty (like hospitality) works best when it’s real.

FAQs:

Why should I invest in leadership training if turnover is high? Because leadership development is one of the best ways to reduce turnover. When people see a path forward, they are more likely to stay.

How do I start building leadership into my culture? Start small. Add mentorship moments to pre-shift or post-shift meetings. Consistency matters more than a formal program.

What is the simplest way to teach financial literacy? Pick one or two metrics, such as labor percentage or daily sales versus target, and review them weekly. Add more over time.

Does this only work for large restaurant groups? No. Independent operators often have the most impact, because they can build close relationships and offer hands-on growth opportunities.