The back of house is concerned with the part of a hospitality enterprise that is not usually visible to guests and plays an essential role in running the enterprise behind the scenes.

Back of house includes many of the operational functions of the enterprise. No hospitality enterprise can function without the support of the team responsible for managing these operational functions.

Learning outcomes

• House-keeping and cleaning:
  Keeping rooms, bathrooms and common areas clean and hygienic it also includes keeping work areas neat, tidy, orderly and food safe.
• Stock control and inventory:
  Monitoring, tracking, and managing supplies within the enterprise to ensure the right amount of stock is available to meet the guest's and enterprise's requirement while minimising waste and maximising profitability.
• Introduction to finance and budgeting:
  Budgeting (annual, daily), analysing financial statements, record keeping, reporting and POS management.
• Staff management and human resources:
  Staff scheduling and roosters, personnel hiring and training, employee relations, labour laws and regulations, performance appraisal and feedback, staff motivation  and enterprise culture.
• Kitchen and room management:
  Managing both the food production within the kitchen (food preparation, inventory, staff rostering etc.) and the guest rooms or common areas within the enterprise facility (cleaning, maintenance, guest requests, customer service etc.) to  ensure the smooth and efficient service delivery to guests across all aspects of the enterprise.
• Maintenance:
  Maintaining the enterprise's infrastructure (facilities, equipment, and technology) in good working order to ensure that a enterprise is safe and comfortable for guests, to preserve the value of that infrastructure and to maintain the operational functions of the enterprise.
• Occupational health and safety:
  Basics of occupational health and safety in an hospitality environment including general first aid.

Group Activities to
Encourage Team Work