What is a Department?

A department is a division of a larger organization, government, or corporate establishment that oversees a certain function or task. It organizes people who do related work.

In a restaurant, a department is an area of the restaurant's business that handles certain responsibilities. Departments make work simpler and more manageable for a restaurant by allocating specialized teams.

Common restaurant departments include:

  • Front-of-House (FOH)
  • Back-of-House (BOH)
  • Kitchen Operations
  • Bar Operations
  • Delivery & Take-out
  • Catering
  • Management & Administration
  • Accounting & Finance

How Restaurants Use Departments?

Restaurants use departments for different work:

  • Allot tasks to employees.
  • Monitor employee labor costs.
  • Observe operational performance.
  • Control restaurant scheduling.
  • Create specific departmental reports.
  • Manage and allocate expenses.

Many POS systems will enable you to report on departments and your business.