SOP Excellence F&B
Building a Standard Procedure System and Operational Excellence for F&B
Turn person-dependent operations into a properly built self-running system: from the 3-tier SOP framework and the 7 steps for building procedures for each area, to QC scoring sheets and a 3-level training handbook. Leave with a working set of SOPs fitted to your own venue model, ready to deploy right after the course.
Struggling with your F&B operations?
7 problems that venue owners, operations managers and F&B chains often face.
Dishes come out differently every shift
Portions depend on each staff member's personal estimate. Customers complain that "quality is different every time", with no standard Recipe Card to ensure consistency.
New staff take 2-3 months to get used to the job
Training is passed on by word of mouth, and everyone teaches differently. There is no clear path to measure whether staff have reached standard, so onboarding is slow and costly.
When a key staff member leaves, the whole shift falls into disorder
The venue depends on 1-2 people who "know how". With no documents or procedures to hand over when someone leaves, knowledge walks out with the person.
Cash discrepancies at end of shift, unexpected stock surplus or shortage
Every shift opens and closes in its own way. With no shift handover checklist or operations log, shortfalls cannot be traced to a cause.
The founder has to be present constantly
Without being there, there is no peace of mind. With no QC scoring sheet, there is no way to know whether staff do things correctly when you are absent, so operations depend on the founder personally.
You know you do well but cannot write it down
"What works" lives only in the founder's head. It cannot be written into SOPs, which means it cannot be replicated or taught again when you want to open a second branch.
Want to open a chain or franchise but afraid of replicating it wrong
The first venue is running well but you do not dare open a second. There is no standard SOP set, training handbook or QC system to make sure the new venue runs at the same quality as the old one.
A hands-on training course: shift from "person-dependent operations" to building a self-running system
From the 3-tier SOP framework and standard procedures for each area, to QC scoring sheets and a 3-level training handbook. Leave with a working set of SOPs fitted to your own venue model.
Directors and Managers at chains including Golden Gate, Phuc Long, Maycha and PEACH Consulting share real experience standardizing operations, saving 3-5 years of "stumbling" when opening a chain.
Learners build SOPs for their own venue. Visit real venues, record real layouts, write SOPs on a real menu. You leave with a validated set of procedures ready to deploy right away.
A full set of more than 10 standard AAU Academy forms: field survey sheets and SOP templates for all FOH/BOH departments, ready to copy and customize.
6 sessions following the real sequence of building SOPs: operations foundation → building front-of-house (FOH) SOPs → on-site survey of Bar and Kitchen → building Bar SOPs → building kitchen SOPs → setting up quality control (QC) scoring and completing the 3-level training handbook.
The AAU 3-tier SOP framework © + 7 steps for building SOPs for each area + the ACHIEVE standard for measuring service quality (Service Excellence), designed specifically for Vietnamese F&B, not copied from foreign textbooks.
Who is this course for?
3 core audiences, and who the course is not yet right for.
F&B owners with 1-3 venues
Already running 1-3 venues and want to standardize procedures to reduce personal dependence and prepare to expand the chain or hand over management. This is the group that needs to move from founder-driven to system-driven.
Operations managers: Store Manager, Ops Manager
Store Managers and Ops Managers running an F&B chain who want to build proper SOP, QC and training systems instead of firefighting one issue after another. Learn to have a professional working framework with your team.
Chains of 3-10 venues that are expanding
Expanding but every venue runs differently, and need to standardize operations before scaling further or franchising out. This is a common breaking point for F&B chains.
No venue yet or no real operations yet
You should have a specific venue or model to apply SOPs to in every session. Without a venue there is no context to build SOPs, so consider the Winning Concept F&B course first.
Looking for a "download-and-use SOP set"
SOPs must be tailored to each brand. No template works by simply copying it. The course teaches how to build standard SOPs for your model, and does not sell a ready-made SOP set.
Not ready for on-site field trips
The course has 2 important on-site field trips (Session 3: Bar and Kitchen survey, Session 6: QC audit). Skipping the on-site work reduces effectiveness significantly.
Not ready to change current ways of operating
Standardizing SOPs requires rewriting the entire operating procedure. If you are not ready to change, this is not the right time, because after the course the SOP set will just sit there.
6-session roadmap in 3 phases
Foundation → FOH → BOH → QC & Training. Follow the real sequence of building SOPs.
Phase 1: Foundation and FOH
FOUNDATION · Sessions 1 & 2
Session 1
SOP foundations and building OrientationUnderstand SOPs correctly · 3-tier procedure framework · Orienting new staff
- Clearly distinguish SOP, Procedure, Checklist and Form, avoiding common confusion
- The 3-Tier SOP Framework for F&B: Group · Brand · Store Operations
- Standard SOP structure: What to do · How to do it · Pass standard · Handling deviations
- The 8-component Orientation framework + 30-60-90 day roadmap
- Practice: Draw the 3-tier SOP framework and the 8 Orientation items for your own model
Session 2
Building Service and Sales SOPs (Hall)7 steps to build Hall SOPs · A-Z service procedure · Handling complaints
- 7 steps to build Hall SOPs: Layout → Tasks → Equipment → Tools → Staffing → 4 shift stages → Consolidation
- The standard 7-step service procedure: Greet → Seat → Take order → Serve → Check dishes → Cashier → Close
- Tableside upsell scripts and the L-A-S-T framework for handling complaints
- The Hall forms system: order slips, shift handover sheets, incident reports
- Practice: Write the service department SOPs for the various positions
Phase 2: On-site survey and Bar/Kitchen SOPs
SURVEY and BOH · Sessions 3, 4 and 5
Session 3
On-site survey: Bar and KitchenFOH and BOH Market Visit · Record layouts and the procedures of the Bar and kitchen zones on the standard AAU form
- How to run an on-site survey: 7 steps from drawing the layout, tasks and equipment to the 4 operating stages
- Bar/FOH survey: observe real staff service, selling and drink-making behavior during peak hours
- Mapping the 9 F&B kitchen zones: Receiving · Prep · Cold storage · Dry storage · Hot kitchen · Cold kitchen · Plating · Washing · Handover
- Observe the flow of ingredients, avoiding dirty/clean cross-flow + 4 HACCP control points
- Identify real operational problems and risks, recording them on the standard AAU form so nothing is missed
- Practice: Survey a real F&B venue, fill in the on-site Survey Sheet + draw the 9-zone diagram and the BOH Risk Map
Session 4
Building Bar / Beverage SOPsBar SOPs · Recipe Card · Beverage quality control
- 7 steps to build Bar SOPs: Counter layout → Tools → Mise-en-place → 4 shift stages
- Standard Recipe Card: including ingredient quantities, yield rate, food cost and a photo of the finished product
- 3-point control: ingredient preparation · drink making · checking the item before it goes out
- Bar logbook template: start and end of shift ingredient count, expiry dates
- Practice: Write SOPs for the Bar department
Session 5
Building Kitchen SOPsSOPs for 9 zones · HACCP log · Food cost control
- SOPs for each kitchen zone: from receiving to plating, with a detailed checklist for each area
- HACCP log: record temperature, expiry dates and daily sanitation
- Manage by first in, first out (FIFO) / first expired, first out (FEFO), combined with standard stock levels (Par Level) to prevent overstock and sudden stockouts
- Standard Recipe Card: quantities, yield rate, food cost and a photo of the finished product
- Practice: Draft SOPs for the key kitchen zones
Phase 3: Quality Control and Training
QC and TRAINING · Session 6
Session 6
Building the ACHIEVE QC sheet and the 3-level training handbookACHIEVE standard set · 100-point audit · 3-level L1-L2-L3 training handbook
- The AAU ACHIEVE © standard set: 7 axes for measuring Service Excellence
- Design a 100-point QC scoring sheet for FOH, Bar and Kitchen
- From scores → a SMART Action Plan + a periodic audit procedure (frequency, scorer, follow-up)
- 3 staff levels: L1 Basic · L2 Independent · L3 Leading, + a 30-60-90 day roadmap for each level
- Training handbook: Orientation → Skill → Certification (end-of-course test)
- Practice: Go score the QC of a real venue + write a 3-level training handbook for a key position
5 key deliverables you take home after the course
Leave with a set of practical, ready-to-use documents, not generic theory.
3-tier SOP framework + Orientation
A complete SOP map and Orientation file: draw the 3-tier SOP framework for your own model, with an 8-component Orientation set to welcome new staff properly. A clear 30-60-90 day roadmap.
A complete FOH SOP set
Service / Hall SOPs + Bar SOPs written down: a 7-step service procedure, upsell scripts, L-A-S-T complaint handling, and Recipe Cards for signature drinks.
A complete BOH SOP set
SOPs for 9 kitchen zones + HACCP log: a map of 9 kitchen zones + detailed SOPs for each zone + a HACCP log to ensure food safety. A clear operating flow and food risk control.
ACHIEVE QC sheet + Action Plan
A 100-point operations measurement tool: a 100-point QC scoring sheet for both FOH and BOH, and a SMART Action Plan after the audit. Measurable, assignable, verifiable.
3-level L1-L2-L3 training handbook
A proper staff development path: the L1-L2-L3 training handbook, a 30-60-90 day roadmap and certification tests. Train new staff 2-3 times faster.
Hands-on Learning Experience
5 elements that make a course memorable and effective.
Small classes of 10-15 learners
Ensures every learner gets personal attention. Instructors have time to hear each person's real case and give direct feedback.
Practice exercises in your own store
No simulated cases. Every exercise applies directly to your real model: the SOP framework, Recipe Cards and QC sheet are all built on your own venue.
2 on-site sessions for FOH/BOH and QA/QC
Visit real venues to survey FOH/BOH and QA/QC, recording layouts, procedures and issues on the standard AAU form. Learn from real operations, not from slides.
Coaching during sessions
In every session there is coaching on the learner's own F&B model, building SOPs for the actual business model.
AAU Alumni Community
Connect with restaurant owners & F&B experts who have studied at AAU: Q&A, sharing operating experience and opportunities to collaborate and grow.
Course Instructors
Directors and Founders from Vietnam's largest F&B chains.
Mr. Tien Tien
Founder AAU Academy & PEACH Consulting
15+ years of strategy and operations consulting for Vietnamese F&B chains. Has led 100+ F&B projects, from small chains to large groups expanding through franchise and central kitchens. Philosophy: "transfer the system so the business can run itself", not depend on the founder personally.
Mr. Khanh Long
Training Manager — Popeyes
10+ years in F&B, in Training and Talent Development. Head of Training & Development, training staff for F&B groups. Specializes in building systems for recruitment, onboarding, training and developing teams from staff to management.
What do learners say after the course?
Feedback from venue owners and F&B managers who completed the AAU SOP course.
Before the course, every venue ran in its own way and I had to run back and forth. After the course, I wrote an SOP set for all 3 venues to the same standard. Opening venue number 4 is no longer a nightmare.
The course gave me a systems perspective that I never had in many years of opening venues. Most important: I left with the exact 100-point QC scoring sheet, applied it right away across the chain's venues, and saw the difference after 30 days.
I have attended many F&B courses before but most were theory. This SOP course is different: 3 on-site sessions and writing SOPs directly for my own restaurant truly changed the way I operate.
AAU Offers and Commitments
1-on-1 Coaching in Every Session
In every session, 1-on-1 coaching builds SOPs for the learner's own business model, so you are not left to "finish learning and then fend for yourself".
Free retake of the next course
If you are not confident applying it, you can retake the next SOP course free of charge, with no extra cost.
AAU commits to training quality and 3 months of support after the course. We do not guarantee business results, as these also depend on the market and how you implement.
Frequently asked questions
Answers to common questions before you register.
I do not have a venue yet. Can I still join?
To get the most from the course, you should have a specific venue model to apply SOPs in practice. However, you can study in advance to prepare knowledge for a venue about to open, and you can review the materials and lecture videos after finishing the course.
Will I have SOPs ready to use after the course?
Yes. After the course you have an SOP framework covering FOH + BOH and a QC sheet personalized for your own venue, ready to apply right away. Not generic theory.
Is the class big or small?
Limited to 10-15 learners per class so the instructor can give feedback on each learner's real case. This is a hands-on class: learn and apply right after each session.
What is the schedule?
6 sessions × 3 hours. The specific schedule is sent after you register for a consultation, with several time slots suitable for working professionals.
Can I learn online?
The SOP course is an in-person class in Ho Chi Minh City (due to the Field trip and on-site Workshop). However, hybrid support is available for learners in other provinces.
Is there support after the course?
Yes. Lifetime LMS access + joining the AAU Alumni community, connecting with venue owners and F&B experts who have studied at AAU.
Is there a discount for a group of 3 learners?
Yes. Groups of 3 or more learners get a 15% discount. Contact the hotline for details.
Does the course come with a certificate?
Yes. A SOP Excellence course completion certificate is issued by AAU Academy after you complete the course.
Let AAU Academy walk with you
Turn person-dependent operations into a properly built self-running system. Leave your details and the AAU team will contact you for a free consultation within 24 hours.
Or call now 0565 66 76 86 (Mon–Sat, 9h–18h)