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Restaurant Management Secrets – Overcoming Economic Hurdles

Jan 20
Posted by Daniel in Restaurant, restaurant tips and advice

Restaurant management during tough economic times is challenging. Every customer is likely to be more critical of the food service establishment where hard-earned discretionary income is being spent. The staff is probably stressed about losing their job and/or they may be working more hours or jobs to overcome financial shortages. The owners are may be financially hypercritical. Finally, the suppliers could be less willing to offer discounts.

However, anyone who has been in the food service business is painfully aware that nothing ever easy for the administration of an eating establishment, even in the best of times. Consider saying, “I better put in some additional overtime this week,” when 65 hours is already your normal workweek. This concept basically defines restaurant management parameters. Accomplished restaurant managers are essentially married to the place, unless they have become enlightened to alternative methods of restaurant management. This can be accomplished by training in a manner that “transforms good intentions into great performance”. By educating in a way that says all employees are honest, dedicated and highly respected, the workload is evenly distributed and success assured.

 What Else Besides Location, Location, Location?

If there was a restaurant management bible hidden in a pyramid or vault, it must have stated: “Rule #1: location, location, location.” Making that statement surely comes through experiences over a long period of time. That is the only restaurant management advice I have consistently heard for 40 years.

Admittedly, I love the story of an exceptional man who was determined to become wealthy selling food. In the 1970s, he rented a 10-foot-by-10-foot corner storefront in what might be called a “red light district.” It was also a popular place for buying and selling marijuana. The man installed a bank cashier’s style bulletproof window with a one-way drawer under the cash slot. As the location was a corner, he installed exhaust fans blowing out into either side street. His sign read, “Fresh Donut Holes – 10pm to 6am – Seven Days a Week.” The first night he made his tiny donuts, there was a line around the block. This location was one factor making it possible for him to retire in two years. However, location was not the only factor in his food service success. (more…)

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Customer Service is the key to Successful Restaurant Management

Dec 19
Posted by Daniel in Restaurant, restaurant tips and advice

Restaurant management can be very difficult in these economic times. Here are several ways to not only weather the storm but actually grow your customer base.

The first piece of advice financial advisors give clients is to boost savings by cutting back on discretionary spending. To be more specific, financial advisors usually recommend limiting restaurant meals in times of economic difficulty. With the US mired in ongoing financial hardships for the foreseeable future, how can restaurant management successfully turn a profit when customers are clutching their wallets so tightly?
 Startling Statistics for the Restaurant Industry

The numbers are depressing. The research group NDP reports that restaurant visits declined from 62.7 billion visits in 2008 to 60.6 billion visits in 2011. Chain restaurants have weathered the tough economic times better than independent restaurants, but the restaurant industry as a whole is serving fewer customers. As long as unemployment remains high and consumer confidence stays low, customers will continue to spend cautiously. With U.S. unemployment at 8.1% and news of economic turmoil spanning the globe, restaurant owners and managers should expect more tough times.

 Can a Restaurant Really Grow in Tough Economic Times? (more…)

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4 Tips to Bring the Millennial Generation Into Your Restaurant

Oct 21
Posted by Daniel in bar tips and advice, Restaurant, restaurant tips and advice

The technologically-savvy and sophisticated younger generation poses a new marketing challenge for restaurant owners trying to keep up with the times.

Restaurant owners are faced with the constant challenge of adjusting their menu, design and marketing strategies to bring new demographic groups in as patrons and to stay ahead of ever-evolving trends. Recognizing and attempting to characterize new demographic groups is the first step in attracting them as customers.

The latest generation which is now coming into its own and establishing itself as a market force to be reckoned with as its buying power increases is the so-called Millennial Generation.

The youngest members of this generation are still in high school, while its more senior members have just entered their 30s.

While it is impossible to generalize and expect that such a large group of people will have common characteristics, there are some indicators that restaurant owners can use to target the Millennial Generation. The following are a few tips for restaurateurs on how to get Millennials into their establishments.

1) Feature more diverse ingredients from world cuisine

As a whole, Millennials are more educated about and aware of a greater diversity of foods than previous generations. With the advent of the Internet, the world has become a much smaller place for Millennials. They grew up with more exposure to different cultures and an increased desire to try a variety of world cuisines. To target Millennials, restaurateurs should consider incorporating into their menus different flavors and exotic spices. As a group used to constant stimulation, the same old fare just won’t cut it.

2) Offer healthy, organic and environmentally-friendly choices (more…)

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How Buying Locally Keeps your Restaurant Relevant in the 21st Century

Oct 17
Posted by Daniel in bar tips and advice, Restaurant, restaurant tips and advice

Today’s generation appreciates restaurants that support the local economy; the secret is cost-effectively integrating local food products into your menu.

 

Restaurant owners seeking to attract new clientele and stay relevant as the next generation comes of age are integrating more and more food from local suppliers into their menus.

A common first reaction of restaurant owners to the prospect of local sourcing is that it will likely cost too much money. Naturally, a restaurant is a business and in order to survive its first consideration must be the bottom line.

However, in the new millennium, with a new, eco-conscious generation at the helm, the costs and benefits of buying locally have changed considerably. Getting 100 percent of food products from local outlets is probably not likely. Integrating in just the right amount of local produce, meat and seafood to make your business most profitable is what restaurateurs must explore. Those ignoring the rising trend of local sourcing altogether are likely to be left behind.

While adding local food products into the kitchens of fine-dining and casual local restaurants is a no-brainer, even quick serve restaurants which demand a mass volume of food are beginning to local source. The fact is, quick serve restaurants that can boast the use of local produce rightfully win the reputation of being fresher, healthier, more environmentally responsible and better for local communities. Local sourcing is basically a way for quick serve chains to address all of the issues that fast food restaurants have been knocked for over the years.

Customers today demand a certain ethical practice from restaurants that never entered the equation in the past. They feel much more comfortable giving their patronage to an establishment that supports local, sustainable farms. This produce is fresher with fewer preservatives and it fosters better relationships in the local community. (more…)

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3 Tips to Successfully Make your Kids’ Menu Healthy

Sep 23
Posted by Daniel in Restaurant, restaurant tips and advice

Restaurants are facing the challenge of updating their kids’ menus to reflect the growing demand among parents for food that is healthier for their children.

Parents are becoming increasingly aware of the health of their children and are taking into account new factors when deciding where to take their kids out to eat. In order to stay competitive in today’s changing market, and to be more responsible in what they serve children, restaurant owners face the challenge of providing healthier menu options geared toward children.

Traditionally, whether at quick serve restaurants or traditional sit down family establishments, kids’ menus have offered simple, yet unhealthy food, loaded with sugar and salt that children have come to expect. Grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken fingers, pizza and hamburgers, served with French fries and soda, are usually on most kids’ menus, with absolutely no healthy alternatives available.

However, this lack of nutritional balance has led to growing health problems among children in North America. Unhealthy eating has led to a childhood obesity epidemic which can lead to the very early onset of diabetes. In addition, the bad eating habits and the health problems we face as children often follow us into adulthood.

Recognizing the problem of unhealthy eating among our children is the first step in resolving the issue. Child health has gotten a great deal of media exposure over the past several years, educating parents about what they should and should not be feeding their children. Fast, unhealthy food has traditionally been the cheapest and most convenient. However, as the market has begun to recognize parents’ demand for healthy food options for their children, restaurants have changed their kids’ menus accordingly.

Any restaurant owner knows that appealing to families is vital for their business. The following are some tips on how to attract families with children in these times of increased child health awareness.

1) Offer healthy options to traditional kids’ meals (more…)

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Why do Restaurants fail? Unnoticed money pits

Aug 30
Posted by Daniel in Restaurant, restaurant tips and advice

money pits to aviodFor restaurant owners looking to avoid falling victim to money pits, here are 5 things to look out for.

Not every restaurant can be on the 50th floor of the Hilton Hotel, or on the beach in Malibu, or employ a world-renowned, five-star French chef. The majority of restaurants are fighting for their survival in decent, but not great locations, on a limited budget, without a large margin for error.

So, while the old adage “location, location, location” sounds nice and simple, good and efficient management of your restaurant will probably be more likely in determining its success or failure – just like in any business.

Good management means taking advantage of the resources you have, and above all, not being wasteful. In this way, better managing your restaurant, and being kinder to the environment, can often go hand-in-hand. A badly managed restaurant will fall victim to unnoticed and unnecessary money pits that take resources away from investing in and growing the business. What money pits, you ask? The following are five of the major ones:

1) An inefficient menu

Finding the right portion size for menu items can be a tricky proposition. Customers expect to get their money’s worth out of a meal and cannot be made to feel that you are skimping on portion size. On the other hand, if portions are too big, you will end up throwing away a lot of food, which is obviously very wasteful. Much of what determines a customer’s satisfaction with his meal is psychological, and not a matter of him being physically “full.” Monitor your customers, and have your staff take note of what dishes are resulting in a lot of food being thrown away. In addition, smaller plates can make portions appear bigger, as can plates whose color contrasts sharply with the food being served on it. These psychological factors can actually affect the level of a patron’s satisfaction with portion size. If you can reduce portion size without disappointing customers, you can reduce waste, and thusly reduce costs.

2) A wasteful kitchen

Ordering the right amount of produce and meat, and using it in a timely fashion before it spoils and has to be thrown away is essential. This may entail offering spontaneous daily specials at low prices featuring dishes that can be made from items that you have to use before they spoil. You should also strive to use every part of your produce and meat products in cooking menu items. This often involves a new level of creativity. Vegetable peelings, bones and fish heads are examples of often unused kitchen products that can be employed to make stocks or sauces. You can also freeze certain items, such as vegetable parts and herbs that you would normally throw away. Being efficient in cooking means using everything possible and throwing away as little as possible.

3) Cheap furniture and dinnerware that does not last

Restaurant owners are so concerned with food and staff that they often forget the importance of design. Restaurant furniture and dinnerware are both parts of the visual landscape that you create for your customers. Matters of taste aside, cheaply made furniture and dinnerware will end up being a money pit, costing you more in the long-term than a good investment in quality furniture will. Furniture that serves you well for home use will not stand up to the beating it will take in a restaurant. Make sure to buy furniture that is made by a vendor who specializes in making furniture for commercial use. The same goes for dinnerware. These items may cost you more initially, but they will last 10 times longer than shoddily-made products that will have to be replaced every year, continually sucking money out of your business. (more…)

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