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Matt has let his lifelong passion of food and people lead him to 15 amazing years as a restaurant manager and another 9 years working as a Director with a major food service distributor. He has channeled this passion to help create and run ShiftNote. When he's not dominating the food service industry, he's spending time with his 4 children and cheering on the Tigers as a Mizzou Alumni.
When the dining room is packed, a waitlist is forming, and the kitchen printer is firing relentlessly, the divide between the front of house (FOH) and back of house (BOH) can easily turn into a battlefield. Servers stress over impatient guests, while line cooks drown in complicated modifications. When communication breaks down, ticket times skyrocket, orders come out wrong, and the guest experience suffers.
Training new shift managers quickly and consistently is one of the biggest challenges for any shift-based business. Get it right, and your managers step into their roles with confidence, clarity, and competence. Get it wrong, and your business ends up juggling inconsistent leadership, frustrated teams, and poor performance outcomes.
Closing a restaurant isn’t just about turning off lights and locking doors—it’s a critical operational moment where final impressions are made and tomorrow’s success is set up, yet many owners and managers struggle with accountability during these shifts. With clear systems and a thoughtful approach, closing time can become a predictable, efficient, and accountable part of your business.
Shift scheduling conflicts are one of those problems that quietly drain time, energy, and morale in restaurants. Rarely does a week go by without a manager dealing with a missed shift, a last‑minute call‑out, or a frustrated employee who swears they were never scheduled.
Running a restaurant has always been a juggling act — balancing guest experience, back-of-house efficiency, costs, staffing, ambiance, and now rapidly changing consumer habits and technology.
If you're managing a shift-based team—whether in a restaurant, hotel, or manufacturing plant—then you already know the chaos that can come from a poorly executed shift change.
Accountability doesn’t happen by accident. In restaurants, hotels, or manufacturing floors, it’s built shift by shift through clear communication, shared expectations, and consistent follow-through.
If you’ve ever wandered through Denver’s City Park neighborhood on a sunny day, chances are you’ve passed by the vibrant energy of Vine Street Pub & Brewery. Known for its friendly vibes, fresh house-brewed beer, and some of the best veggie burgers and nachos this side of the Rockies, Vine Street is more than just a pub—it’s a community cornerstone.
Twice a year, the clocks shift—and so do your operations. While most people just lose (or gain) an hour of sleep, for shift-based businesses, daylight saving time (DST) brings extra challenges: schedule confusion, fatigue, and even dips in productivity.
For restaurant and hotel managers, every shift tells a story. It’s the story of how your team communicates, how your guests are served, and ultimately how your brand is remembered. Shift planning isn’t just about plugging names into a schedule — it’s about creating flow, reducing stress, and building a culture where people can thrive.