How do I train my child to take over our family restaurant?

Start with the jobs nobody wants. A successor who has closed the kitchen, handled a bad Saturday and dealt with a late delivery earns the respect of the crew in a way a title never does. Plan the rotation in writing, with a person who coaches each stage, and ask your child to report back on what they found broken.

Next, open the numbers. Walk them through food cost, labour scheduling, what the weekly sales pattern looks like and which suppliers you rely on. Many family operations run on habit and memory, so record the habits: the ordering rhythm, the equipment quirks, the regular customers who expect certain things.

Then move decisions across in steps. Pick areas, such as the menu or hiring, where your child decides and you only advise. Agree beforehand how disagreements get settled, because a family restaurant will have them. If ownership is changing hands too, treat it as a sale between two parties. Each of you should have your own lawyer and accountant, and the terms should be written down even if the buyer is your child. Check in weekly at first, and ask what your child would do differently.

Key takeaways

• Rotate your child through every station before any change of title.
• Share the financial records early and document the habits that live only in your head.
• Hand decisions over area by area, and agree how disagreements will be settled.