“The wise adapt themselves to circumstances, as water moulds itself to the pitcher.” Chinese proverb
Good bye winter and hello construction season in Chicagoland. With the onset of construction season and its accompanying warmer weather, people are turning away from comfort foods and towards healthier, lighter fare. Are you poised to take advantage of this shift in the dining habits of your consumers? With the warmer weather people start thinking about swim suit season and everyone makes a mad dash for the gym and the health food aisles in the grocery stores. Why not be an extension of their healthy mindset and become a dining destination for the newly health conscious?
As people put their snow blowers into storage and start pulling out their bikes and other outdoor activity equipment, they start to think about shedding their winter weight. Now is the time to start offering low cal and healthier specials for your LTOs (limited time offers) to take advantage of their new found desire to trim up and get in shape. Salads, fish, half sandwiches, smaller portions, and smoothies are all great ideas to tap into as the seasons change and people start thinking about their waistlines.
Diners love to go out to eat for foods that are too difficult to create at home or are too labor intensive or that they don’t know how to create at home. With that fact in mind, now is the time to freshen up your salads with some different blends of salad greens. Why not try an artisan lettuce, or some mesculine mix to spice up your ordinary house salads. People are more likely to try a gourmet salad at a restaurant than they are going to try to create one at home. Salads are great margin opportunities for operators as well. Why not spice up your regular salad with some nuts or a new house dressing?
People love to go out for seafood and fish because they are too afraid to try cooking it at home. Fish is generally seen as a healthier protein option than red meat, so why not combine those two incentives to try to lure new diners in with a seafood special each week? Since people rarely muster up the courage to cook fish at home, you can always build in some extra margin into your seafood specials. Why not combine both of the aforementioned trends and offer a salad topped with a salmon filet or some tuna?
Now is the time to get out in front of the trends and provide some excitement to your menu with adapting specials and LTOs to the relevant seasons. Take advantage of shifts in taste and trend to add profits to your bottom line.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Who Is The New American Diner?
I found this wonderful article in a trade publication and thought it worthy of sharing with everyone. From the article we can get some ideas on what consumers are looking for as well as some ideas for strategies to attack some of the changes consumers are making when they are dining out. One thing that jumps out at me from the article is diners' new found resistance to desserts, drinks and appetizers. To me, it seems like that is where we should start trying to break through consumer resistance with new and improved methods of marketing those segments to the diners that are already in our restaurants. People just need the reason to purchase those segments, and it is our job to find them a reason! Enough of what I think - here is the article.
Who is the New American Diner?
R&I's exclusive 2010 New American Diner Study shares insights into what today's diners really want from restaurant experiences and how the economy is affecting their dining-out habits.
By Kelly Smith Killian, Editor-in-Chief -- Restaurants & Institutions, January 1, 2010
Consumers generally have high regard for restaurants and what they deliver, but the economy continues to shape their views and behavior. About 70% see going out to eat as a treat or an indulgence, and as such, they value highly the quality of their overall experience (58.7% consider it as important as the food). And though most say restaurant visits are worth the expense, 65.4% acknowledge they’re looking for value. Additionally, regardless of whether they’re offered a deal, consumers are finding ways to shave dollars from check averages.
Diner Profile
According to R&I’s New American Diner Study, today’s diners …
… purchase a meal away from home 2.59 times a week on average.
… have higher expectations for the level of service in restaurants than in the past (53.5% say their standards are higher now).
… want choices—65% of diners want to be able to choose their own sauces, dressings or toppings; 68.7% like having options in portion size.
… put price before everything. Nearly 60% agree with the statement “In choosing a restaurant, price is usually my first consideration.” And diners across the board name lower prices as the top incentive at breakfast, lunch and dinner that would encourage them to eat at restaurants more often.
… say value is about more than price; 51% consider décor, music and furniture in determining whether a restaurant is a good value.
Word of Mouth Rules
Percent of diners who say they are drawn to restaurants by word of mouth. Recommendations from people they know well outweigh the word of strangers—only 17% say their choices are influenced by critics’ reviews, and just 12.9% are swayed by online consumer reviews. In addition, 45.3% say they choose restaurants because of coupons and specials; 26.3% are lured by television or radio commercials.
Dealing with the Downturn
More than seven in 10 consumers who say the economy has affected their dining-out habits say they’re choosing less-expensive restaurants; 87.2% say they’re dining out less. When they do go out, diners are adjusting their usual orders to cut costs. Nearly 69% say they’re cutting back on alcohol—up from 58% who last year said they were doing so. Among other changes diners are making:
79.9% don't order dessert
75.2% don't order an appetizer
68.7% don't order or limit alcoholic beverages
45.1% don't order sides
44.7% order smaller portions (i.e. lunch sizes)
44.6% don't order a beverage
44.4% share entrées
Opportunities for Operators
Give them something to talk about. Word of mouth matters: Operators should be leveraging the friend-to-friend power of social-networking sites such as Facebook by encouraging and incentivizing fan-site members to spread the word online about the brand.
Step up to the combo plate. It’s possible to nudge up check averages by offering full-meal deals: 58.3% of consumers say that if presented with the opportunity to order an appetizer, an entrée and a dessert for one set price, they would be likely to take it.
Consider coupons. More than half of consumers say they’re taking advantage of coupons or special deals as a result of the economy, and 45.3% choose restaurants based on the discounts they offer. Coupons and deals also are what people most want to get when they connect to a restaurant’s Facebook or Twitter account (63% said so).
Attack snacks. Snacks remain a golden opportunity for operators. More than half of consumers say they snack between meals at least once a day, and only 8.7% say they never snack. But 81% say they rarely or never stop at a restaurant to meet their noshing needs.
Who is the New American Diner?
R&I's exclusive 2010 New American Diner Study shares insights into what today's diners really want from restaurant experiences and how the economy is affecting their dining-out habits.
By Kelly Smith Killian, Editor-in-Chief -- Restaurants & Institutions, January 1, 2010
Consumers generally have high regard for restaurants and what they deliver, but the economy continues to shape their views and behavior. About 70% see going out to eat as a treat or an indulgence, and as such, they value highly the quality of their overall experience (58.7% consider it as important as the food). And though most say restaurant visits are worth the expense, 65.4% acknowledge they’re looking for value. Additionally, regardless of whether they’re offered a deal, consumers are finding ways to shave dollars from check averages.
Diner Profile
According to R&I’s New American Diner Study, today’s diners …
… purchase a meal away from home 2.59 times a week on average.
… have higher expectations for the level of service in restaurants than in the past (53.5% say their standards are higher now).
… want choices—65% of diners want to be able to choose their own sauces, dressings or toppings; 68.7% like having options in portion size.
… put price before everything. Nearly 60% agree with the statement “In choosing a restaurant, price is usually my first consideration.” And diners across the board name lower prices as the top incentive at breakfast, lunch and dinner that would encourage them to eat at restaurants more often.
… say value is about more than price; 51% consider décor, music and furniture in determining whether a restaurant is a good value.
Word of Mouth Rules
Percent of diners who say they are drawn to restaurants by word of mouth. Recommendations from people they know well outweigh the word of strangers—only 17% say their choices are influenced by critics’ reviews, and just 12.9% are swayed by online consumer reviews. In addition, 45.3% say they choose restaurants because of coupons and specials; 26.3% are lured by television or radio commercials.
Dealing with the Downturn
More than seven in 10 consumers who say the economy has affected their dining-out habits say they’re choosing less-expensive restaurants; 87.2% say they’re dining out less. When they do go out, diners are adjusting their usual orders to cut costs. Nearly 69% say they’re cutting back on alcohol—up from 58% who last year said they were doing so. Among other changes diners are making:
79.9% don't order dessert
75.2% don't order an appetizer
68.7% don't order or limit alcoholic beverages
45.1% don't order sides
44.7% order smaller portions (i.e. lunch sizes)
44.6% don't order a beverage
44.4% share entrées
Opportunities for Operators
Give them something to talk about. Word of mouth matters: Operators should be leveraging the friend-to-friend power of social-networking sites such as Facebook by encouraging and incentivizing fan-site members to spread the word online about the brand.
Step up to the combo plate. It’s possible to nudge up check averages by offering full-meal deals: 58.3% of consumers say that if presented with the opportunity to order an appetizer, an entrée and a dessert for one set price, they would be likely to take it.
Consider coupons. More than half of consumers say they’re taking advantage of coupons or special deals as a result of the economy, and 45.3% choose restaurants based on the discounts they offer. Coupons and deals also are what people most want to get when they connect to a restaurant’s Facebook or Twitter account (63% said so).
Attack snacks. Snacks remain a golden opportunity for operators. More than half of consumers say they snack between meals at least once a day, and only 8.7% say they never snack. But 81% say they rarely or never stop at a restaurant to meet their noshing needs.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Feed Your Fish? Something Like That.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you have fed him for a lifetime." Chinese Proverb
Why are so many people resistant to training? Why when we are at work and the topic of training comes up do we immediately groan and bellyache about being pulled away from our normal jobs? What does all this have to do with restaurants – and servers in particular?
I have always found that compensation drives behavior. If it doesn’t make me money, then I have a hard time fitting things into my schedule. Can’t get anymore honest than that. I recently had occasion to sit through a 4 hour training class. I will be the first to admit that my ability to stay on task is seriously challenged when I am faced with a boring humdrum training exercise. This one was different. As I sat last night reflecting on my day, I couldn’t help but admit that it wasn’t so hard to pay attention in this one, and it got me to wondering why. The first thing that popped into my mind was that they were able to communicate with me in my language. They didn’t tell me what they thought I needed to learn or to get better at, instead they talked about how what they were going to show me today was going to help me make more money (my love language). They didn’t push their private agenda (unless their private agenda was to help me earn more money each year). They didn’t tell me why it was important to them. They didn’t stop at saying this is what we do, instead they went steps beyond and showed us why we are doing it, and how that is relevant to me.
Again you ask – “what does this have to do with restaurants?” Everything. The most successful restaurants have happy employees that generate big ticket averages. So, you say, I will hire happy people. That is a good start, but teaching them to stay happy is where most of us fall short. Servers making decent money in tips = happy employees. Happy employees = committed employees. Committed employees = a well run restaurant. Therefore servers making decent money in tips = a well run restaurant.
Whoa, wait, hold on……I hear you saying, it’s just not that easy. No it’s not easy, but it is simple. Want to grow your check averages? Teach your waitstaff how drinks, appetizers and desserts grow their tips. So now instead of making $5 off of a $30 check they can make $10 off a $55 check in the same amount of time and energy that it took to make that $5 tip. Teach the art of the suggestive sell. Bring dessert by before they order (so that they are mentally committing to a dessert before they even order). Suggest an appetizer to share. It is amazing how a good server can build check averages without the guests realizing that the server is crawling deeper into their pocket.
Do you know what else I have noticed? Servers that make money take pride in the work that they do. They take pride in their work area, and they take pride in their restaurant. They see things differently because they begin to realize that all of the subtle things help make them more money with each table. Again, if you teach and train the waitstaff why it is important TO THEM to have a clean station, make sure their tables have the right accoutrements and that you are there to help them make more money, then you will have a staff that cares, respects and wants to see you succeed.
We are all selfish people. The question burning in all of our minds is usually “What’s in it for me?” If we realize that at the core everyone is truly interested in what they can get out of something, then we can structure training and teaching in a manner that remains relevant to the audience. If we can make the mundane and the ordinary relevant, then we can achieve great things. Try it – when you meet with your staff next try to communicate what you want done in a language and form that is relevant to them and see what happens. If your employees begin to see and believe that they are doing things not just for your (the owner / manager) benefit, but rather they are doing it as an investment in their earnings, then you will see check averages, morale and the environment exceed your expectations.
Why are so many people resistant to training? Why when we are at work and the topic of training comes up do we immediately groan and bellyache about being pulled away from our normal jobs? What does all this have to do with restaurants – and servers in particular?
I have always found that compensation drives behavior. If it doesn’t make me money, then I have a hard time fitting things into my schedule. Can’t get anymore honest than that. I recently had occasion to sit through a 4 hour training class. I will be the first to admit that my ability to stay on task is seriously challenged when I am faced with a boring humdrum training exercise. This one was different. As I sat last night reflecting on my day, I couldn’t help but admit that it wasn’t so hard to pay attention in this one, and it got me to wondering why. The first thing that popped into my mind was that they were able to communicate with me in my language. They didn’t tell me what they thought I needed to learn or to get better at, instead they talked about how what they were going to show me today was going to help me make more money (my love language). They didn’t push their private agenda (unless their private agenda was to help me earn more money each year). They didn’t tell me why it was important to them. They didn’t stop at saying this is what we do, instead they went steps beyond and showed us why we are doing it, and how that is relevant to me.
Again you ask – “what does this have to do with restaurants?” Everything. The most successful restaurants have happy employees that generate big ticket averages. So, you say, I will hire happy people. That is a good start, but teaching them to stay happy is where most of us fall short. Servers making decent money in tips = happy employees. Happy employees = committed employees. Committed employees = a well run restaurant. Therefore servers making decent money in tips = a well run restaurant.
Whoa, wait, hold on……I hear you saying, it’s just not that easy. No it’s not easy, but it is simple. Want to grow your check averages? Teach your waitstaff how drinks, appetizers and desserts grow their tips. So now instead of making $5 off of a $30 check they can make $10 off a $55 check in the same amount of time and energy that it took to make that $5 tip. Teach the art of the suggestive sell. Bring dessert by before they order (so that they are mentally committing to a dessert before they even order). Suggest an appetizer to share. It is amazing how a good server can build check averages without the guests realizing that the server is crawling deeper into their pocket.
Do you know what else I have noticed? Servers that make money take pride in the work that they do. They take pride in their work area, and they take pride in their restaurant. They see things differently because they begin to realize that all of the subtle things help make them more money with each table. Again, if you teach and train the waitstaff why it is important TO THEM to have a clean station, make sure their tables have the right accoutrements and that you are there to help them make more money, then you will have a staff that cares, respects and wants to see you succeed.
We are all selfish people. The question burning in all of our minds is usually “What’s in it for me?” If we realize that at the core everyone is truly interested in what they can get out of something, then we can structure training and teaching in a manner that remains relevant to the audience. If we can make the mundane and the ordinary relevant, then we can achieve great things. Try it – when you meet with your staff next try to communicate what you want done in a language and form that is relevant to them and see what happens. If your employees begin to see and believe that they are doing things not just for your (the owner / manager) benefit, but rather they are doing it as an investment in their earnings, then you will see check averages, morale and the environment exceed your expectations.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Which Type of Twitter Account Should You Create?
Which Type of Twitter Account Should You Create?
Social Media February 17, 2010 By Lisa Barone
There’s nothing difficult about heading to Twitter and creating an account to represent your business. What is difficult is knowing what kind of account you want to create and the voice you’ll be using with it. That takes some thinking about. There are many different types of Twitter accounts that you can create. You need to decide what’s going to be most effective for you.
Do you want to be strongly corporate and spend most of your time talking about the business? Do you want to create a personal account where you downplay what you do and focus more on relationships? Do you want to go totally left field and tweet as a syrup bottle? Don’t laugh. People are doing it! The type of Twitter account you create will depend on your goals for using it and, to some degree, your comfort level sharing information with your audience.
Below are some of the most common account types SMB owners are using on Twitter, along with some examples of each. Which ones do you identify with?
The Totally Corporate Account
There’s a difference between being a business owner on Twitter and being a business on Twitter. When you take The Totally Corporate Account it means that you’ve decided to tweet as the company itself. There’s no employee or real personality publicly tied to the account in any way. The focus is on promoting business news, blog posts, deals and to offer customer service. It’s not on building genuine relationships with customers. Everything that is done is done from the perspective of The Company.
For example, @JetBlue uses its account to tweet about flight deals, @Starbucks talks about offers on coffee, and we all recently saw @SouthwestAir use its account to do some reputation management when they got themselves into trouble. All three accounts take a 100 percent corporate approach to talking to Twitter users. We don’t know the face(s) behind the account or have any deeper understanding of the company’s voice because of them. The account is just there to keep us up-to-date on news and handle customer service complaints as they come up.
The Corporate-led Persona Account
The Corporate-led Persona allows the business to tweet as a Corporation, but to also include a bit of personality and insight behind the person publicly running the account. Customers will be able to tie a face and a name to the account to help build a community around it. All of the tweets coming out will still be able the corporation, with the exception of a few spice of life tweets to add some flair and personality. However, it will still be very clear that the person tweeting is doing so on behalf of the company and that’s their reason for being there. It is in no way seen as a personal Twitter account.
For example, we know that @ComcastCares is Frank Eliason, @Zappos is Tony Hsieh, and @DunkinDonuts is the cheerful Dunkin Dave. They’re corporate accounts but they include branded personas working to build a community around what’s going on. When we tweet at Zappos, we know that we’re talking to Tony. It provides an outward face to the company.
The Strictly Personal Account
A personal Twitter account is one with no obvious tie to any business or corporation. The person is tweeting as themselves, for themselves. They tweet about what they’re doing and where they’re going; they tweet after hours and on the weekends. The account is there to build relationships and to gain information. We know the person works for someone but that “who” doesn’t play into their daily activity.
Lots of people choose to keep personal Twitter accounts. For example, my little brother is on Twitter. He’s a college student and has no business reason to do be there. For him, Twitter is just another social network that he can use to talk to his friends, comment on his classes or to share links about his favorite TV shows or Apple products. There’s no corporate slant there. Just him communicating with his network.
The Business/Personal Hybrid Account
A hybrid Twitter account is what I see most small business owners creating. It’s an account that mixes both the personal and professional. You can tweet about what’s going on in your industry, what blogs you’re reading and any struggles you’re facing as a person in your field. But then you use the same account to tweet about taking your kids to the movies and what you’re making for dinner. You mix both worlds, even if that means alienating some who’d rather not know about the other. However, you don’t dilute your efforts trying to grow multiple accounts.
This is the approach that I use with @lisabarone, as do many other business Twitterers. Under the Hybrid approach, we share links during the day and talk about work, and then go home to tweet about what’s on TV and what we’re doing with our families. It’s a relationship-heavy approach that mixes both the professional and the spice of life tweets.
The Character Account
Character-based accounts have the tweeter posting from the voice, perspective and insight of an object/animal/plant/whatever. Everything is done through that character and the tweeter never breaks that character. It may sound silly, but we’re actually seeing a lot more businesses take this approach as they look for a way to stand out and connect with customers. If you do it right, it’s often ingenious. If you don’t, well, you just look silly.
Some of examples of this in action? There are plenty. Aflac tweets as a the @aflackduck, the National History Museum tweets as a whale with its @nathistorywhale account, @mrsbutterworths tweets as a syrup bottle, and @ColonelTribune is the voice of the Chicago Tribune and a totally made up figure.
There’s no right way to use Twitter, just like there’s no wrong way. However, there is the right way for you and that’s what you need to determine. You may even decide to adopt multiple account types. The question to ask yourself is, what’s going to help you get your message across? Built your strategy.
About the Author
Lisa Barone is Co-Founder and Chief Branding Officer at Outspoken Media, Inc., an Internet marketing company that specializes in providing clients with online reputation management, social media services, and other Internet services.
Social Media February 17, 2010 By Lisa Barone
There’s nothing difficult about heading to Twitter and creating an account to represent your business. What is difficult is knowing what kind of account you want to create and the voice you’ll be using with it. That takes some thinking about. There are many different types of Twitter accounts that you can create. You need to decide what’s going to be most effective for you.
Do you want to be strongly corporate and spend most of your time talking about the business? Do you want to create a personal account where you downplay what you do and focus more on relationships? Do you want to go totally left field and tweet as a syrup bottle? Don’t laugh. People are doing it! The type of Twitter account you create will depend on your goals for using it and, to some degree, your comfort level sharing information with your audience.
Below are some of the most common account types SMB owners are using on Twitter, along with some examples of each. Which ones do you identify with?
The Totally Corporate Account
There’s a difference between being a business owner on Twitter and being a business on Twitter. When you take The Totally Corporate Account it means that you’ve decided to tweet as the company itself. There’s no employee or real personality publicly tied to the account in any way. The focus is on promoting business news, blog posts, deals and to offer customer service. It’s not on building genuine relationships with customers. Everything that is done is done from the perspective of The Company.
For example, @JetBlue uses its account to tweet about flight deals, @Starbucks talks about offers on coffee, and we all recently saw @SouthwestAir use its account to do some reputation management when they got themselves into trouble. All three accounts take a 100 percent corporate approach to talking to Twitter users. We don’t know the face(s) behind the account or have any deeper understanding of the company’s voice because of them. The account is just there to keep us up-to-date on news and handle customer service complaints as they come up.
The Corporate-led Persona Account
The Corporate-led Persona allows the business to tweet as a Corporation, but to also include a bit of personality and insight behind the person publicly running the account. Customers will be able to tie a face and a name to the account to help build a community around it. All of the tweets coming out will still be able the corporation, with the exception of a few spice of life tweets to add some flair and personality. However, it will still be very clear that the person tweeting is doing so on behalf of the company and that’s their reason for being there. It is in no way seen as a personal Twitter account.
For example, we know that @ComcastCares is Frank Eliason, @Zappos is Tony Hsieh, and @DunkinDonuts is the cheerful Dunkin Dave. They’re corporate accounts but they include branded personas working to build a community around what’s going on. When we tweet at Zappos, we know that we’re talking to Tony. It provides an outward face to the company.
The Strictly Personal Account
A personal Twitter account is one with no obvious tie to any business or corporation. The person is tweeting as themselves, for themselves. They tweet about what they’re doing and where they’re going; they tweet after hours and on the weekends. The account is there to build relationships and to gain information. We know the person works for someone but that “who” doesn’t play into their daily activity.
Lots of people choose to keep personal Twitter accounts. For example, my little brother is on Twitter. He’s a college student and has no business reason to do be there. For him, Twitter is just another social network that he can use to talk to his friends, comment on his classes or to share links about his favorite TV shows or Apple products. There’s no corporate slant there. Just him communicating with his network.
The Business/Personal Hybrid Account
A hybrid Twitter account is what I see most small business owners creating. It’s an account that mixes both the personal and professional. You can tweet about what’s going on in your industry, what blogs you’re reading and any struggles you’re facing as a person in your field. But then you use the same account to tweet about taking your kids to the movies and what you’re making for dinner. You mix both worlds, even if that means alienating some who’d rather not know about the other. However, you don’t dilute your efforts trying to grow multiple accounts.
This is the approach that I use with @lisabarone, as do many other business Twitterers. Under the Hybrid approach, we share links during the day and talk about work, and then go home to tweet about what’s on TV and what we’re doing with our families. It’s a relationship-heavy approach that mixes both the professional and the spice of life tweets.
The Character Account
Character-based accounts have the tweeter posting from the voice, perspective and insight of an object/animal/plant/whatever. Everything is done through that character and the tweeter never breaks that character. It may sound silly, but we’re actually seeing a lot more businesses take this approach as they look for a way to stand out and connect with customers. If you do it right, it’s often ingenious. If you don’t, well, you just look silly.
Some of examples of this in action? There are plenty. Aflac tweets as a the @aflackduck, the National History Museum tweets as a whale with its @nathistorywhale account, @mrsbutterworths tweets as a syrup bottle, and @ColonelTribune is the voice of the Chicago Tribune and a totally made up figure.
There’s no right way to use Twitter, just like there’s no wrong way. However, there is the right way for you and that’s what you need to determine. You may even decide to adopt multiple account types. The question to ask yourself is, what’s going to help you get your message across? Built your strategy.
About the Author
Lisa Barone is Co-Founder and Chief Branding Officer at Outspoken Media, Inc., an Internet marketing company that specializes in providing clients with online reputation management, social media services, and other Internet services.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Everything I Know I Learned in the Restaurant Business
I came across this list in my readings....don't know who wrote it, but I thought there were some nuggets of wisdom within the list, so I figured I would pass it along.
Everything I know I learned in the restaurant business
This, the second month of the new year, is a critical time of year to sharpen the saw, kick all the cylinders in and grab some traction, because if you're standing still, you're walking backwards. But don't get so busy that you overlook the lessons this great industry teaches every one of us each and every day. Here are 33 things I've learned, and hopefully they sound familiar to you, too.
1) All work is teamwork.
2) If you want to be bigger than everyone else, you'd better be better than everyone else, too.
3) Our business is run first for the enjoyment and pleasure of our customers, then for the convenience of the staff or owners.
4) The secret to winning is not to lose twice in a row.
5) The customer is not always right, but is always the customer, and it's all right for the customer to be wrong.
6) A pat on the back is just a few vertebrae up from a kick in the ass.
7) Challenge the process daily: Are we doing the right things, and are we doing the right things right?
8) Never practice on the customer. Training is your secret weapon.
9) Be tough on standards, easy on people. What you permit, you promote.
10) Be a blowtorch, not a candle. Leaders are never "energy-neutral." You're either giving people energy or draining it from them.
11) Customers will forgive mistakes in the kitchen more than mistakes in bad service.
12) The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
13) Over teach. Managers and employees both under learn and over forget.
14) Unoccupied time passes slower than occupied time. If you have time to lean, you have time to clean.
15) Employees are our first market. Never treat a customer better than you treat an employee.
16) You can have the best product in the world, but if you can't sell it, you still got it.
17) Good service means never having to ask for anything.
18) All behavior is the result of consequences: You get what you reward.
19) Never order Chicken on a Spit from a waiter who seems to get everything backwards.
20) Use the "Sullivan Nod": If servers smile and slowly nod their heads when suggesting a soda, beer, fries, appetizers or desserts, the customer almost always nods back and says, "Yes."
21) Of all the people who will never leave you, you're the only one.
22) If a customer tells you right off the bat to take good care of them because they're "big tippers," they're not.
23) The seafood is always fresh. Even in Wyoming.
24) Recruiting doesn't end when you hire someone. You recruit your employees daily. 25) It is more fun to eat in a bar than it is to drink in a restaurant.
26) If someone tells you it's the principle of the thing and not the money, it's the money.
27) In this business, you can always tell when it's a full moon without ever looking outside.
28) Tools left in the toolbox never built anything.
29) One definition of insanity is to keep doing the same things over and over again and expect different results.
30) Q: What if we train our people to sell and they leave? A: What if we don't and they stay?
31) Life is short: Don't sweat the petty things … or pet the sweaty things.
32) High performers hate working with low performers. Groom 'em or broom 'em.
33) The restaurant business is a free circus. All you have to do is pay attention.
Everything I know I learned in the restaurant business
This, the second month of the new year, is a critical time of year to sharpen the saw, kick all the cylinders in and grab some traction, because if you're standing still, you're walking backwards. But don't get so busy that you overlook the lessons this great industry teaches every one of us each and every day. Here are 33 things I've learned, and hopefully they sound familiar to you, too.
1) All work is teamwork.
2) If you want to be bigger than everyone else, you'd better be better than everyone else, too.
3) Our business is run first for the enjoyment and pleasure of our customers, then for the convenience of the staff or owners.
4) The secret to winning is not to lose twice in a row.
5) The customer is not always right, but is always the customer, and it's all right for the customer to be wrong.
6) A pat on the back is just a few vertebrae up from a kick in the ass.
7) Challenge the process daily: Are we doing the right things, and are we doing the right things right?
8) Never practice on the customer. Training is your secret weapon.
9) Be tough on standards, easy on people. What you permit, you promote.
10) Be a blowtorch, not a candle. Leaders are never "energy-neutral." You're either giving people energy or draining it from them.
11) Customers will forgive mistakes in the kitchen more than mistakes in bad service.
12) The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
13) Over teach. Managers and employees both under learn and over forget.
14) Unoccupied time passes slower than occupied time. If you have time to lean, you have time to clean.
15) Employees are our first market. Never treat a customer better than you treat an employee.
16) You can have the best product in the world, but if you can't sell it, you still got it.
17) Good service means never having to ask for anything.
18) All behavior is the result of consequences: You get what you reward.
19) Never order Chicken on a Spit from a waiter who seems to get everything backwards.
20) Use the "Sullivan Nod": If servers smile and slowly nod their heads when suggesting a soda, beer, fries, appetizers or desserts, the customer almost always nods back and says, "Yes."
21) Of all the people who will never leave you, you're the only one.
22) If a customer tells you right off the bat to take good care of them because they're "big tippers," they're not.
23) The seafood is always fresh. Even in Wyoming.
24) Recruiting doesn't end when you hire someone. You recruit your employees daily. 25) It is more fun to eat in a bar than it is to drink in a restaurant.
26) If someone tells you it's the principle of the thing and not the money, it's the money.
27) In this business, you can always tell when it's a full moon without ever looking outside.
28) Tools left in the toolbox never built anything.
29) One definition of insanity is to keep doing the same things over and over again and expect different results.
30) Q: What if we train our people to sell and they leave? A: What if we don't and they stay?
31) Life is short: Don't sweat the petty things … or pet the sweaty things.
32) High performers hate working with low performers. Groom 'em or broom 'em.
33) The restaurant business is a free circus. All you have to do is pay attention.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Takeout Your Share of the Profits
Everywhere reports are indicating that the to-go category is booming for restauranteurs all over the country. As people look to dine cost consciously they are frequently turning towards takeout as a new way to save money (no tip – no beverages). Are you riding the wave of this new dimension of the food service industry?
If approached correctly, takeout dining could be a boon for those who capture the market and exploit the opportunity to make new profits through the takeout segment. No longer are people just ordering pizza or Chinese as takeout. The segment is booming to the point that grocery stores are trying to tap into the marketplace with their rotisserie chickens and fully prepared meals to go. Don’t get caught on the sideline watching your potential profits walk on by with their arms full of takeout packaging as they bring home their dinners. But remember, if you are going to get into the takeout business, you must do so with commitment and excellence in mind because it is next to impossible to fix your mistakes and insure that you will have a repeat customer.
What are the keys to a successful takeout program? To have a successful takeout program you need to focus on a few key areas. 1) Ease and accuracy of ordering (nothing worse than getting your meal home to find out that something wasn’t correctly prepared), 2) Does your food travel well? (figure it is at least a half hour from the time they leave your place and get to theirs), 3) Does your packaging hold up and do what it is supposed to do? (is it a mess when it gets home, and is the cold stuff cold and the hot stuff still hot?) 4) How are you positioning takeout in your operations? (who knows what you are offering and how are you getting word out about it?) Let’s take a minute to talk about each of these aspects of your takeout program.
Ease and accuracy of ordering…..This one is so simple and obvious, but in today’s market it is increasingly overlooked. We all want to get what we ordered, just the way we ordered it. Having an English speaking person manning the phones is the first step in insuring that the order is going to be correct when they get it home. Have someone double check the orders before they are boxed and bagged for pick up. One extra step to safeguard your business can pay huge dividends down the road. Many establishments are turning towards on line ordering….customers love it because they can build their meals just the way they like it, and they have an added measure of confidence that their order will be accurate because they created it.
Does your food travel well? Tailoring your takeout menu to items that travel best is something to keep in mind as you develop a takeout menu. Tweaking your existing menu items to travel better is always an option (offering sauces on the side, separating the hot and cold ingredients). Portion size is also something to consider as you develop your menu…sometimes offering the same item in multiple sizes (individual or family size), half portions or whole portions, the combinations are limitless. There is often times much more flexibility in putting a to-go menu together than there is in menus for dining in house.
Does your packaging hold up and do what it is supposed to do? For years cost effectiveness (price) has been the leading factor in deciding how restaurants are going to send you home with your food. It can’t be anymore as you fight for these elusive profit dollars. Packaging is every bit as important as what is in the package these days. It has to look appetizing when it gets home. It has to be hot (or cold) when it gets home. We all eat with our eyes first, and you want that first look (or bite) to be as good as your diner has imagined it would be. I said earlier that if you are going to do takeout, you must do it with a commitment to excellence and trying to save a few dollars by using cheap packaging is not the commitment that is necessary to build a viable takeout segment of your sales. Every penny invested in packaging is worth the extra investment. Presentable, appetizing food is imperative to a successful takeout operation, and more often than not, it doesn’t make it home in cheap packaging. The best meals lose their curb appeal when they aren’t presented correctly in your restaurant and presentation is equally important when they get it home.
How do you position your takeout segment within your operations? Is it on your menu? Is it on your advertising? Is it on a sign within your restaurant? Are you including to-go menus with every order? Is it on your website? Is it on your outgoing phone message or hold music? Do you have a separate counter for takeout? Do you offer curbside service for takeout? Committing to takeout can reward you with infinite profits, and you need to position it properly within your establishment.
Takeout is tricky. It is next to impossible to correct any mistakes because it is usually too late when the mistakes are discovered (can’t fix it with a free appetizer or dessert because they have already left the premises). Because mistakes are so difficult to overcome, it is imperative that you have the best practices in place to make sure that people are happy with what they brought home. Taking time to check the orders and packaging them in the right containers can go a long way towards earning you repeat takeout business. Getting word out to your existing customers that takeout (as well as catering) is an option for them is instrumental in putting together a successful takeout program. So go claim your share as America brings dinner back home.
If approached correctly, takeout dining could be a boon for those who capture the market and exploit the opportunity to make new profits through the takeout segment. No longer are people just ordering pizza or Chinese as takeout. The segment is booming to the point that grocery stores are trying to tap into the marketplace with their rotisserie chickens and fully prepared meals to go. Don’t get caught on the sideline watching your potential profits walk on by with their arms full of takeout packaging as they bring home their dinners. But remember, if you are going to get into the takeout business, you must do so with commitment and excellence in mind because it is next to impossible to fix your mistakes and insure that you will have a repeat customer.
What are the keys to a successful takeout program? To have a successful takeout program you need to focus on a few key areas. 1) Ease and accuracy of ordering (nothing worse than getting your meal home to find out that something wasn’t correctly prepared), 2) Does your food travel well? (figure it is at least a half hour from the time they leave your place and get to theirs), 3) Does your packaging hold up and do what it is supposed to do? (is it a mess when it gets home, and is the cold stuff cold and the hot stuff still hot?) 4) How are you positioning takeout in your operations? (who knows what you are offering and how are you getting word out about it?) Let’s take a minute to talk about each of these aspects of your takeout program.
Ease and accuracy of ordering…..This one is so simple and obvious, but in today’s market it is increasingly overlooked. We all want to get what we ordered, just the way we ordered it. Having an English speaking person manning the phones is the first step in insuring that the order is going to be correct when they get it home. Have someone double check the orders before they are boxed and bagged for pick up. One extra step to safeguard your business can pay huge dividends down the road. Many establishments are turning towards on line ordering….customers love it because they can build their meals just the way they like it, and they have an added measure of confidence that their order will be accurate because they created it.
Does your food travel well? Tailoring your takeout menu to items that travel best is something to keep in mind as you develop a takeout menu. Tweaking your existing menu items to travel better is always an option (offering sauces on the side, separating the hot and cold ingredients). Portion size is also something to consider as you develop your menu…sometimes offering the same item in multiple sizes (individual or family size), half portions or whole portions, the combinations are limitless. There is often times much more flexibility in putting a to-go menu together than there is in menus for dining in house.
Does your packaging hold up and do what it is supposed to do? For years cost effectiveness (price) has been the leading factor in deciding how restaurants are going to send you home with your food. It can’t be anymore as you fight for these elusive profit dollars. Packaging is every bit as important as what is in the package these days. It has to look appetizing when it gets home. It has to be hot (or cold) when it gets home. We all eat with our eyes first, and you want that first look (or bite) to be as good as your diner has imagined it would be. I said earlier that if you are going to do takeout, you must do it with a commitment to excellence and trying to save a few dollars by using cheap packaging is not the commitment that is necessary to build a viable takeout segment of your sales. Every penny invested in packaging is worth the extra investment. Presentable, appetizing food is imperative to a successful takeout operation, and more often than not, it doesn’t make it home in cheap packaging. The best meals lose their curb appeal when they aren’t presented correctly in your restaurant and presentation is equally important when they get it home.
How do you position your takeout segment within your operations? Is it on your menu? Is it on your advertising? Is it on a sign within your restaurant? Are you including to-go menus with every order? Is it on your website? Is it on your outgoing phone message or hold music? Do you have a separate counter for takeout? Do you offer curbside service for takeout? Committing to takeout can reward you with infinite profits, and you need to position it properly within your establishment.
Takeout is tricky. It is next to impossible to correct any mistakes because it is usually too late when the mistakes are discovered (can’t fix it with a free appetizer or dessert because they have already left the premises). Because mistakes are so difficult to overcome, it is imperative that you have the best practices in place to make sure that people are happy with what they brought home. Taking time to check the orders and packaging them in the right containers can go a long way towards earning you repeat takeout business. Getting word out to your existing customers that takeout (as well as catering) is an option for them is instrumental in putting together a successful takeout program. So go claim your share as America brings dinner back home.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Consistency Matters
“My goal in sailing isn’t to be brilliant or flashy in individual races, just to be consistent over the long run.” Dennis Connor, “Mr. America’s Cup” captain of celebrated Stars and Stripes.
Chances are that if you are reading this, you get extra income based on the success of your establishment. Chances are that whoever is doing your cleaning, food prep, customer interacting and cooking gets paid by the hour. I don’t know about you, but I feel that is a stark contrast in motivating factors. We can’t always assume that what motivates us motivates everyone else the same way. How clearly are do you communicate expectations to your staff? How often do you remind them of your standards and what your expectations are? How often do you check to see if your SOP is being followed as precisely as you would do it?
I know that no one goes into management or ownership with a strong desire to babysit and check up on their employees. It isn’t the most glamorous aspect of the job, but it is an essential one. In today’s ultra competitive marketplace consistency, consistency, consistency, and consistency are uber important. Consumers are feeling the pinch in their wallets, and because of that they are more discerning and have raised their standards of what is an acceptable dining experience. I am fortunate to be surrounded by people that appear to have forgotten how to cook at home because they eat out so frequently. Being in the industry has made me tune in to their impromptu reviews and comments. I am amazed at how some of them who used to extend grace by saying “the cook had a bad night, it’s normally much better than that” are now crossing those restaurants off of their lists of dining options. They want to know what they are getting in exchange for their money, and you had better deliver.
What does all this have to do with expectations and standards? Everything. I recently had a partner in my business ask me to do some research on a particular product they were preparing. They were having consistency issues, and they wanted to find out if they changed a few things in their prep process how that would affect the finished product. I asked some questions and took some notes about his prep process, making sure to be diligent in recording the details. The next time I was in the restaurant, I began talking to his cooks about the issue, and it quickly became evident that what the owner thought was occurring wasn’t occurring quite the way he expected. The consistency issue resided in the inconsistent prep process. Everyone had their own take on how it should be done, and crazy as it may sound, the product was finishing without any consistency. Here is a perfect example of starting employees off with good training and then leaving them to find their own shortcuts and steps without checking back to see if the standards you set are still being lived up to.
In this instance the original standards were set so that a consistently quality product was served to the customer because that is what the owner thought would generate the greatest return on his investment. What happened was that hourly employees took over the process and began to perform the tasks with finishing in mind rather than having the finished product in mind. The difference is subtly significant, and happens all over the place. The key is creating a culture where excellence matters. It’s not easy and needs to be a focus for management. The key is in not assuming that what matters to you matters to everyone else that works with you or for you. If it’s important to you, make it important to them. Without clearly stated SOPs and expectations, you have no one to blame about the predicament but your self. No one wants to be perceived to have Gordon Ramsey like qualities, but if you want excellence, you have to demand it (even if you can demand it a little more tactfully than Gordon does).
How many of you have a written recipe book with clear, concise directions on how to prepare your meals? What happens when your cook takes a vacation? Does the replacement make it the same way? I remember going to a restaurant on a pretty regular basis and realizing that when a particular guy was working the line that I shouldn’t order eggs, but when the other cook was working the line the omelets came out fantastic. Does that happen at your place? With a clear training manual and recipe book with step by step directions that should never happen. You can’t afford to have that happen in this economy. In my town alone, that breakfast place now has 4 different competitors to choose from that might have a consistent omelet making it to the table.
Consistency matters. If you think it doesn’t you are fooling yourself. With some many dining options available to consumers, customers don’t speak up with their voices; they speak loudly with their dollars. Invest in your place by finding out from your customers what is working and what isn’t. Invest in your place by putting together a clear concise training manual with clearly defined expectations. Make consistency matter.
Chances are that if you are reading this, you get extra income based on the success of your establishment. Chances are that whoever is doing your cleaning, food prep, customer interacting and cooking gets paid by the hour. I don’t know about you, but I feel that is a stark contrast in motivating factors. We can’t always assume that what motivates us motivates everyone else the same way. How clearly are do you communicate expectations to your staff? How often do you remind them of your standards and what your expectations are? How often do you check to see if your SOP is being followed as precisely as you would do it?
I know that no one goes into management or ownership with a strong desire to babysit and check up on their employees. It isn’t the most glamorous aspect of the job, but it is an essential one. In today’s ultra competitive marketplace consistency, consistency, consistency, and consistency are uber important. Consumers are feeling the pinch in their wallets, and because of that they are more discerning and have raised their standards of what is an acceptable dining experience. I am fortunate to be surrounded by people that appear to have forgotten how to cook at home because they eat out so frequently. Being in the industry has made me tune in to their impromptu reviews and comments. I am amazed at how some of them who used to extend grace by saying “the cook had a bad night, it’s normally much better than that” are now crossing those restaurants off of their lists of dining options. They want to know what they are getting in exchange for their money, and you had better deliver.
What does all this have to do with expectations and standards? Everything. I recently had a partner in my business ask me to do some research on a particular product they were preparing. They were having consistency issues, and they wanted to find out if they changed a few things in their prep process how that would affect the finished product. I asked some questions and took some notes about his prep process, making sure to be diligent in recording the details. The next time I was in the restaurant, I began talking to his cooks about the issue, and it quickly became evident that what the owner thought was occurring wasn’t occurring quite the way he expected. The consistency issue resided in the inconsistent prep process. Everyone had their own take on how it should be done, and crazy as it may sound, the product was finishing without any consistency. Here is a perfect example of starting employees off with good training and then leaving them to find their own shortcuts and steps without checking back to see if the standards you set are still being lived up to.
In this instance the original standards were set so that a consistently quality product was served to the customer because that is what the owner thought would generate the greatest return on his investment. What happened was that hourly employees took over the process and began to perform the tasks with finishing in mind rather than having the finished product in mind. The difference is subtly significant, and happens all over the place. The key is creating a culture where excellence matters. It’s not easy and needs to be a focus for management. The key is in not assuming that what matters to you matters to everyone else that works with you or for you. If it’s important to you, make it important to them. Without clearly stated SOPs and expectations, you have no one to blame about the predicament but your self. No one wants to be perceived to have Gordon Ramsey like qualities, but if you want excellence, you have to demand it (even if you can demand it a little more tactfully than Gordon does).
How many of you have a written recipe book with clear, concise directions on how to prepare your meals? What happens when your cook takes a vacation? Does the replacement make it the same way? I remember going to a restaurant on a pretty regular basis and realizing that when a particular guy was working the line that I shouldn’t order eggs, but when the other cook was working the line the omelets came out fantastic. Does that happen at your place? With a clear training manual and recipe book with step by step directions that should never happen. You can’t afford to have that happen in this economy. In my town alone, that breakfast place now has 4 different competitors to choose from that might have a consistent omelet making it to the table.
Consistency matters. If you think it doesn’t you are fooling yourself. With some many dining options available to consumers, customers don’t speak up with their voices; they speak loudly with their dollars. Invest in your place by finding out from your customers what is working and what isn’t. Invest in your place by putting together a clear concise training manual with clearly defined expectations. Make consistency matter.
Monday, January 4, 2010
January Fun
“To state the facts frankly is not to despair the future or indict the past. The prudent heir takes careful inventory of his legacies and gives a faithful accounting to those whom he owes an obligation of trust.” John F. Kennedy 35th President of the United States.
Well, we made it. We made it through another holiday season intact. We survived the holiday insanity for this? A slow January?!! What is this God’s cruel joke on operators? Thanks for nothing! January isn’t always the best month for revenues. It can be a brutal month for customer counts and ticket averages too. January is cold. January is dreary. January is a lot of things and many of those things are unpleasant.
What can January mean to you? January is the perfect time to position oneself for even greater success in the coming year. Put this retail respite to work for you. This is a great time to look at your goals, best practices, your menu, your help, just about every aspect of your business. Why don’t you break it down weekly….1st week look at your help, 2nd week look at your menu, 3rd week look at your best practices and the 4th week look at what you are doing to drive more customers into your facility?
Start with an honest assessment of where you are today. What is your true labor cost? Do you even know? Are you allocating man hours to your greatest efficiency? Is there somewhere you can trim hours? Are there times when you can boost efficiency and productivity by adding hours to the schedule? Just because you have always done it a particular way doesn’t mean it’s the best way to do it. Is there a growing day part that needs extra attention? Is there a day part that has been declining and that you might be able to get away with less? Now is the time to make those calls.
Week 2 – The MENU….start by asking yourself “who are you as a restaurant, what are you known for and why to people come to your establishment?” Answering those questions honestly will make the rest of your decisions so much easier to deal with….is this appetizer, entrée, dessert, side or extra reinforcing the answers to those questions or are they taking away from your identity? If they are detracting, why are they on your menu? If they are enhancing your identity, what other products are there that you can offer to extend that identity even further? Don’t get caught trying to serve too many masters. Find your identity and expand upon it organically. Become the best _____ that you can by building your brand through your menu. This is your big chance to drive new revenues with new ideas while reducing revenue suckers by alleviating the dogs. Talk about reshaping your bottom line! All of your items should be pulling in the same direction.
Week 3 – BEST PRACTICES….how do you do what you do? Is the way you’ve always done it, mean it’s the best way to do it? Often times not. We are all stuck in our familiar ways. They are easier and a lot less scary. Change is difficult. What if a new way of doing things saved labor but costs a little more on the invoice? Is it worth it to you? I can’t answer that but you can. Look around at many of the successful operations, and you will see that many of them are using value added items rather than commodity items in the early steps of their preparation. For example, many of the chains are using a premixed salad blend for their salads rather than tying up cooler space and man hours chopping and cleaning fresh vegetables and instead utilizing those man hours and space to find ways to make money and drive revenue rather than focusing on saving money one item at a time. Think about it….survey after survey shows that bathroom cleanliness is a leading factor for why customers will or will not return to a given establishment, but we all leave bathroom clean up for the end of the night when the chance to make the right impression has already passed us by, instead using those man hours to chop onions or lettuce or mushrooms……doesn’t make sense if you ask me. How locked down is your policy and procedure manual for the front of the house? Is it always done the same way? Is someone charged with checking accuracy and follow through? The opportunities for improvement are almost limitless here. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that the way YOU want it done is being followed consistently.
Week 4 – MARKETING….what are you doing today to drive more people into your establishment next week, next month or next year? Social media (Twitter / Facebook / Chow Baby / Yelp) isn’t going away. In a world of growing connectedness people are becoming more and more dependant on their computers and smart phones for their information. What are you doing to control or influence the information that is available about you on the internet? How are you positioning your brand? What are you doing to boost your brand identity and recognition? How are you shaping your image within the community? Are you creating good will amongst the natives? Don’t take it for granted that word is getting out about you. One step further, don’t assume you know what they are saying about you. Google yourself. Surprised by the results? More or less than you expected? Better or worse feedback than you expected? Did your address and phone number come up? How about your menu? Shouldn’t they?
Nothing I have said in the previous paragraphs is anything new. And because they aren’t new ideas, they often get skipped over or overlooked. Don’t make that mistake in 2010. As the old saying goes….”when life gives you lemons, make lemonade”…..rewritten it means “When life gives you January, start planning to make the next 11 months great.”
Well, we made it. We made it through another holiday season intact. We survived the holiday insanity for this? A slow January?!! What is this God’s cruel joke on operators? Thanks for nothing! January isn’t always the best month for revenues. It can be a brutal month for customer counts and ticket averages too. January is cold. January is dreary. January is a lot of things and many of those things are unpleasant.
What can January mean to you? January is the perfect time to position oneself for even greater success in the coming year. Put this retail respite to work for you. This is a great time to look at your goals, best practices, your menu, your help, just about every aspect of your business. Why don’t you break it down weekly….1st week look at your help, 2nd week look at your menu, 3rd week look at your best practices and the 4th week look at what you are doing to drive more customers into your facility?
Start with an honest assessment of where you are today. What is your true labor cost? Do you even know? Are you allocating man hours to your greatest efficiency? Is there somewhere you can trim hours? Are there times when you can boost efficiency and productivity by adding hours to the schedule? Just because you have always done it a particular way doesn’t mean it’s the best way to do it. Is there a growing day part that needs extra attention? Is there a day part that has been declining and that you might be able to get away with less? Now is the time to make those calls.
Week 2 – The MENU….start by asking yourself “who are you as a restaurant, what are you known for and why to people come to your establishment?” Answering those questions honestly will make the rest of your decisions so much easier to deal with….is this appetizer, entrée, dessert, side or extra reinforcing the answers to those questions or are they taking away from your identity? If they are detracting, why are they on your menu? If they are enhancing your identity, what other products are there that you can offer to extend that identity even further? Don’t get caught trying to serve too many masters. Find your identity and expand upon it organically. Become the best _____ that you can by building your brand through your menu. This is your big chance to drive new revenues with new ideas while reducing revenue suckers by alleviating the dogs. Talk about reshaping your bottom line! All of your items should be pulling in the same direction.
Week 3 – BEST PRACTICES….how do you do what you do? Is the way you’ve always done it, mean it’s the best way to do it? Often times not. We are all stuck in our familiar ways. They are easier and a lot less scary. Change is difficult. What if a new way of doing things saved labor but costs a little more on the invoice? Is it worth it to you? I can’t answer that but you can. Look around at many of the successful operations, and you will see that many of them are using value added items rather than commodity items in the early steps of their preparation. For example, many of the chains are using a premixed salad blend for their salads rather than tying up cooler space and man hours chopping and cleaning fresh vegetables and instead utilizing those man hours and space to find ways to make money and drive revenue rather than focusing on saving money one item at a time. Think about it….survey after survey shows that bathroom cleanliness is a leading factor for why customers will or will not return to a given establishment, but we all leave bathroom clean up for the end of the night when the chance to make the right impression has already passed us by, instead using those man hours to chop onions or lettuce or mushrooms……doesn’t make sense if you ask me. How locked down is your policy and procedure manual for the front of the house? Is it always done the same way? Is someone charged with checking accuracy and follow through? The opportunities for improvement are almost limitless here. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that the way YOU want it done is being followed consistently.
Week 4 – MARKETING….what are you doing today to drive more people into your establishment next week, next month or next year? Social media (Twitter / Facebook / Chow Baby / Yelp) isn’t going away. In a world of growing connectedness people are becoming more and more dependant on their computers and smart phones for their information. What are you doing to control or influence the information that is available about you on the internet? How are you positioning your brand? What are you doing to boost your brand identity and recognition? How are you shaping your image within the community? Are you creating good will amongst the natives? Don’t take it for granted that word is getting out about you. One step further, don’t assume you know what they are saying about you. Google yourself. Surprised by the results? More or less than you expected? Better or worse feedback than you expected? Did your address and phone number come up? How about your menu? Shouldn’t they?
Nothing I have said in the previous paragraphs is anything new. And because they aren’t new ideas, they often get skipped over or overlooked. Don’t make that mistake in 2010. As the old saying goes….”when life gives you lemons, make lemonade”…..rewritten it means “When life gives you January, start planning to make the next 11 months great.”
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