Fund Management, Business and Marketing Resources at Pubdef Weekly

Three Tips For Restaurateurs Creative

When you have made this choice because the most difficult phases of owning his own restaurant – turn – there are still challenges that every restaurant owner will face over time. When you start a restaurant can be an arduous process, maintain momentum and expansion can be equally difficult. It is therefore important to integrate new ideas into your business strategy to ensure that your restaurant business remains profitable and efficient, while being unique.

1) Take into account new trends in customer behavior

In that time, there are many foods and diet-related trend that customers want a menu. Among these include buzzwords such as “vegetarian,” “organic,” “low calorie” and “locally grown.” The fact is – and more customers want to know if they are able to eat out without sabotaging their health and diet. While this can be costly to integrate these types of options in the menu, the good news is – you do not have to renew everything you cook. Just include some of these occasions, customers concerned about their health or so clients with dietary restrictions and the feeling of having your menu options. This will also lead you remember a restaurant that they were able to eat without going against their own food preferences.

2) Mix the marketing tactics of old and new

Although the field of marketing is not quite the same as before, many of the traditional rules still apply. restaurant owners are already aware of how valuable marketing tool and to ensure that employees are friendly and personable with customers – can keep them coming back for, and also bring new customers to enjoy the friendly atmosphere. One strategy you can use the restaurants, so that together with this old marketing technique is trying to get people you know loves contact the restaurant. In today’s technological age, where the e-mail client, or to ensure that they are “similar” the restaurant’s own Facebook page is accurate enough to use direct marketing strategies for a later date. Put the sticker says customers will find a restaurant Yelp, Facebook or Twitter, or better yet, including a business card with a receipt.

You can even ask customers to fill out a short survey, including their email address (and perhaps include mints or candy as a reward) with receipt – know their e-mail is invaluable for marketing by e-mail later. Visit this link to learn more about using social media to promote your restaurant business.

3) Put a new spin on traditional cuisine

There is a reason why “New American” became one of the most popular types of cuisine in this day and age – it takes a lot like “American” fare, and adds the modern twist always healthier. Be creative with traditional menu items are guaranteed to put you off – especially if you can come up with creative recipes themselves. Remember the important fact that when people go to eat out, they want to know they are paying for something they could not prepare. So if you can take food that you already know people like, and add a little personal enthusiasm in playing with the spices, sides, portion size, or add new ingredients, you’re on the right way to make your restaurant stand out from its competitors.

With the increase of information on healthy eating and staying healthy, customers have become more reluctant to go out and eat in restaurants. Therefore it is crucial for success in your catering company to ensure that your restaurant is to be creative, original and keep abreast of trends in customer behavior.

For Hospitality Professionals Only!

Retire and restaurant don’t even belong in the same sentence! What do they think? That they’re going to put their feet up and sip martinis while their business runs itself? You and I know that’s a completely unrealistic scenario. There have probably been about a ba-jillion separate moments, already, where you found yourself wishing that you’d chosen something easier, less chaotic, less demanding to do with your life. But you can’t walk away from the restaurant business. And do you know why? Because you love it! We’re a strange bunch, we hospitality folks. We work too hard. We’re a little bit nutty. But we remain in this business for one simple reason: passion. Now, what if there was a way for you to simply focus on this passion of yours (creating amazing dishes) by eliminating all the tedium that goes along with owning a business? What if there was a free hospitality directory where you could not only source products for your restaurant, but also advertise your hospitality business? Well, you may not be able to put your feet up and sip martinis all day, but that would definitely make restaurant ownership more of a dream and less of a nightmare. If you’re nodding your head in complete understanding of the scenario I’ve just described, then, for you, seasoned hospitality pro, I have some good news…

Advertise Your Hospitality Business on directories

It’s marketing 101, really. In order to have a successful business, you need customers. In order to gain customers, you need to advertise your hospitality business. There are many ways to do this. In fact, the options are so many that the advertising task can be rather daunting, if not completely overwhelming, and, let’s face it, we do not generally become hospitality professionals by exhibiting an extraordinary prowess in the field of marketing. You’ve got better, more creative things to be concerned about than where to advertise your hospitality business. I’ll make it easy for you.

Free Hospitality Directory

When you advertise your hospitality business you can rest assured that a large portion of your advertising needs are taken care of, and get back to your restaurant…where you belong! The free hospitality directory provides:

Free Directory Listing in one (1) category
Budget-tailored advertising options across our website pages.
Increased web-traffic to your site over time. (backlinks)
Forum: share (show off) your expertise by interacting with your patrons and future patrons on the culinary forum.
Source products for your restaurant from other industry professionals.

Johnny Rockets Will Rocket You to the Top of the Restaurant Industry

Johnny Rockets quick-service restaurants need to hire numerous workers to staff entry-level and professional foodservice jobs at several locations now. Johnny Rockets operates a chain of fast-food diner-style restaurants offering a menu packed with traditional American fare, such as milkshakes, fries, and hamburgers. To fill out a Johnny Rockets employment application, you need to be at least 16 years old. Apply online to locate restaurants hiring new associates near you now.

Jobs at Johnny Rockets restaurants:

Server – Servers ensure customer orders are relayed properly to the kitchen staff and deliver food to the appropriate table while it is still hot and fresh. Servers operate as the primary customer interaction specialists. Servers typically earn hourly wages below minimum but supplement that income with tips earned for providing good service.
Host / Hostess – Hosts and hostess greet new arrivals and seat customers according to the seating chart, deftly keeping on-duty server workloads even. Greeters must remain cheerful and polite to all guests entering a restaurant location. Hosts and hostesses typically earn minimum wage but train to move into server positions.
Kitchen Staff – The kitchen staff at Johnny Rockets consists of cooks, dishwashers, and bussers. Kitchen duties may include preparing foodstuffs, cooking, washing dishes, bussing tables, cleaning, and various other assigned jobs. Kitchen employees typically earn starting hourly salaries between minimum wage and $9 per hour.
Management – All employees have the opportunity to become part of the management team. Mangers typically see to the daily operation of each restaurant location. Managerial positions include shift leaders, assistant managers, and restaurant managers. Supervisory tasks involve overseeing other associates, hiring new workers, scheduling employees, banking, adhering to corporate standards, and other managerial jobs. Managers typically receive starting yearly salaries between $20,000 and $35,000, depending on previous experience, job title, and restaurant location. Committed managers may even earn promotions to the corporate offices in Aliso Viejo, California.
Johnny Rockets associates enjoy the benefits of work schedule flexibility, paid job training, and competitive pay for the fast-food industry. Employees meeting certain eligibility requirements may garner other job benefits, including 401(k) accounts, paid time off, healthcare and other insurance options, and many more perks. Full-time employees and members of the management team often earn the most desirable work benefits. The restaurant chain offers its workers a fun and rewarding work environment with competitive pay and quality job benefits.

You can work to fulfill your career goals with Johnny Rockets restaurants. Though you could complete a Johnny Rockets application form at most of their locations, you can save your valuable time and apply online now. Start the application process today, and you might begin earning the salary and work benefits you deserve soon.

A Simple Way to Increase Your Restaurant’s Profitability

Imagine you are operating a small restaurant, doughnut shop, coffee shop, or a café and you want to, or in some cases need to, increase your net profit by 50%. Many owners and operators might find this a bit of a challenge and might not have a clue as to where to even begin. But if you look at the challenge from a different perspective, a 50% increase is a truly realizable goal.

Instead of saying you want to increase your net profit by 50%, change the goal to three simple, easy-to-attain milestones: (1) increase your number of customers by 10%; (2) increase the number of repeat customers by 10%; and (3) increase your Guest Check Average by 10%. While you may find this challenging, as a savvy restaurant owner, you could probably imagine how you could do it. Similarly, you may also be able to imagine how to increase your guest check average by 10% and to get your customers to come back one extra time.

Interestingly the synergistic effect of increasing the number of customers, the guest check average, and getting each of your customers to come back just once more time could, in some circumstances, result in a huge increase in your profitability, even before making improvements to your operation’s gross profit margin by simply getting a handle on, and controlling, your expenses.

Here is a simple illustration of how this might work in a restaurant:

Let’s say you have 100 customers and each customer visits your restaurant five times and spends on average $20. That equals total sales of $10,000 (100*5*$20). The industry average for Gross Profit is about 68% which, in this example, is $6,800. Industry average Operating Expense is about 60% which leaves a Net Profit of about 8% of sales, or $800.

But if we were to increase the number of customers by just 10%, we get 110 customers. One more visit from the customer makes the number of visits six, and a 10% increase in Guest Check Average is $22. This small increase equals a total of $14,520 (110*6*$22). Using the same industry averages for Gross Profit, we get $9,874. Subtract average Operating Expense of 60% leaves a Net Profit of $1,162! That’s nearly a 50% increase, and all it takes is a simple 10% increase in customers, visits per customer, and guest check average—three things that are easily achievable with the right strategy.

We can see in this example that by setting the easily attainable goal of 10% growth in Customers, a 10% increase in Guest Check Average and getting your customers to come in just one more time resulting in overall increase in net profit of the restaurant of almost 50%! Sounds a lot better than the original challenge, doesn’t it?

Restaurants: All Important Ambiences

Ambience is defined as the mood, character, quality, tone and atmosphere of an environment. It is the single most important word that people can use when describing a restaurant. I know what you are thinking. At first it is what I thought also. What about the food? What about the services? Aren’t these things important too? Yes, of course they are important but ambience is the most important part. The feeling that people get when they are in your establishment will make them return or not. A restaurant could use the best ingredients, hire only the most experienced servers and without the stage being set you have lost that customer forever.

When developing the space for seating within your restaurant take into consideration the size and placement of your tables. Are you going to use square tables or round? Chairs with high back that are soft or hard chairs with low backs? Do you want to be able to have quaint quite tables for two or is your restaurant intended for bigger parties and families? Make sure that your space has maximum seating while maintaining the warmth and feel you are choosing to express in your restaurant design.

Noise also needs to be minimized. Make sure that the sounds that are heard within your restaurant are the sounds that you are meaning to be heard. Do you really think your guests want to hear toilets flush or pots and pans banging from the kitchen? Make sure those sounds are muffled and silence is limited. Make sure your music fits the ambience you are creating. Don’t play rock if you are going for an environment inviting to families just like you wouldn’t play Mozart at a bar. Little things like this are so important in the overall picture you are creating.

Something most business owners don’t take into consideration is the temperature of their establishment. Make it pleasing to the majority and make it a temperature that makes people want to stay and eat. Make sure your heating and cooling elements are not hitting customers directly. Also take into consideration that certain spaces will heat the establishment in different ways. Tables set by the kitchen will be warmer so take this into account when placing tables and vents. In order to have an even temperature you will need to have several different thermostats so plan accordingly.

Ambience is also created in the way restaurant facilities are kept. Make sure your cooking areas and restrooms are presentable and inviting to customers that will use them. Another thing you might need to do is rearrange your facility to accommodate for the position of wait staff areas and bathrooms. Customers enjoy sitting in areas where their privacy is maximized and that traffic is minimized. Most guests will not choose areas in the middle of the restaurant so make sure every seat feels like a cozy cove meant just for their party.

People are looking for certain things when they eat out. It matters how an establishments smells, looks and feels. It is important that a customer be relaxed and gable to get what they would like to out of the meal. It is important that if you are serving customers on paper plates and plastic cups your ambience is a backyard bbq. There is something about the way the seats are placed, the type of music that is played, the temperature and even where the bathroom is located. Ambience is the key to making a restaurant successful. Ensure you have the correct ambience for you clientele and the food and service will find their way.

Choosing the Right Cake Stands

If you are in the catering business, you are sure to be well aware of the importance of displaying your goods effectively. Whether you run a bakery, cafe, restaurant, hotel or outside catering firm, you need to find a way of displaying your food that combines making it look good with hygienic storage.

Fortunately, there is now a wide range of cake stands and shop displays available that can help you to do exactly that.

Many of them are flexible enough to work in every environment from domestic catering to silver service restaurants and from high street cafes to lavish wedding buffets. Pick the right product and you will help to ensure your customers see the full range of cakes you have to offer.

What type of cake stands are available?

When you come to choose the style of cake stand you want for your establishment, you will find they range from straightforward plates with clear covers to stylish tiered stands. Most of them share the same practical benefits – they help to keep food fresh, are durable, portable and easy to keep clean – and can be used for a wide range of products as well as cakes. So your choice is likely to come down to the look you want to achieve.

One simple and effective type of shop display for muffins, cupcakes and sandwiches is the cake plate. It consists of a durable porcelain plate and a bell-shaped clear glass cover, enabling you to showcase your goods without having to worry about keeping them fresh.

They are simple to keep clean, making them a hygienic solution, and sit easily on any shop or cafe counter, allowing you to place sweet treats and the day’s specials next to the till where all your customers will see them.

Cake boards are a similar concept, but pair a clear glass or plastic cover with a wooden board instead of a porcelain plate. The use of wood makes the boards a particularly robust display solution for food, meaning they are a practical choice for everyday use in busy cafes and restaurants, as well as for keeping food fresh at outdoor events. Despite the name, the boards are not only for cakes and are equally useful for displaying sandwiches, cheese and fruit.

The classic cake stand is another option. The simple design – a plate on a pedestal accompanied by a clear domed cover – looks stylish and is every bit as practical as the cake plate and board. As well as helping to keep the food fresh, cake stands are light enough to be moved around whenever you want, enabling you to change your display as often as you like.

Such stands look great with a large cake or gateaux for slicing on top, making them an ideal way of showing the desserts in a restaurant. But they could just as easily be used for small cakes, pastries, scones or fruit in a cafe or at a buffet.

Cake platters are very similar to cake stands and can work well as part of shop, restaurant or cafe displays. They are available in either glass or porcelain in elegant designs that can help to give your business an upmarket look, while being every bit as practical as the alternatives.

For the most stylish type of cake display, a tiered stand is the best choice. These three-tiered stands can be used for showcasing small cakes, snacks, sandwiches, fruit and cheese, while reminding your customers of the elegance they may experience while indulging in afternoon tea at a high-class hotel. It is that kind of look that makes them perfect for catering at business meetings and plush wedding receptions, but they will also fit in well at any kind of restaurant or cafe.

What are the benefits of using cake stands?

A good cake stand has a number of practical benefits, as it will help to keep food fresh, is easy to clean and flexible enough to be placed in any position in your cafe, shop or restaurant.

It will also help to draw your customers’ attention to the full range of goods you sell – which may assist in driving sales – and improve the look of your premises, leaving clients with a more positive opinion of your business.

Automatic Shift Scheduling Using Web Based Software

Scheduling shifts for employees can be a long and tedious task. Thankfully there is web based software that can automatically assign shifts to employees only when the employee is available to work – saving the shift manager potentially hours of work.

Usually each week each employee can specify the times they are available to work. The shift manager can also make changes to what shifts are available or use the previous schedule as a template. Using this information a successful shift schedule can then be generated for all employees. The algorithm used to assign shifts to employees can be complex. Some shift scheduling software can take into consideration the minimum and maximum working hours of each employee and other scheduling rules.

Since each employee has specified the hours they are available to work this information can also be used to find replacement employees if a employee cannot make a shift they were previously assigned.

Furthermore since the system is web based this brings a new level of freedom with shifts. Employees can view the shift schedule from any internet connected computer – they no longer need to contact their workplace to find out if they are working. It is also possible to swap shifts with another employee – usually with the manager’s permission.

Employees can also request what shifts they would like to work when the next schedule is produced. If multiple employees request the same shift, the employee with the highest ranking will get the shift. The ranking is assigned manually by the manager and is usually based on how long the employee has been employed for. If an employee has a part in the decision process of what shift they are assigned they are likely to be more happy with what shifts they are allocated.

In addition most of the shift scheduling software will manage the time taken off. When an employee is added to the system the amount of days off they are allowed is specified in their profile. If a manager approves an employee’s request for a day off they are automatically removed from the shift schedule on this day.

Another popular feature is the ability to remind employees of their shifts via text message or email. If the shift schedule changes frequently it can difficult for employees to remember when they are working. This reminder system can substantially reduce the amount of missed shifts.

Start Earning Tips Like A Professional Waiter

Start earning tips like a top waiter without having to do extra ordinary things. You can get larger gratuities even if you stick to your regular hours at work. You just have to be nicer to your clients and be more thoughtful. Another thing is, you need to show your thoughtfulness in an obvious manner so that your customer will notice the extra effort you put into your work.

You don’t have to shower you customers with too many compliments or fill their plate with food to get larger gratuities. Just be a pleasant waiter. Predict what the diner would need and do your job efficiently. If you change to a more pleasant attitude, you can count on earning tips.

You can start earning tips by being extra thoughtful to your clients. If you see your customer’s glass empty ask him if you can refill his glass. If he is just having coffee, ask if he needs anything else. Make suggestions about good tasting dishes, you don’t always have to take orders. Have some initiative, by suggesting a good dish, you show that you care that they enjoy their meal.

Smile as a new customer walks into the restaurant. Greet customer and lead him to his table. As soon as he is seated, introduce yourself as his waiter. Give your first name to put yourself in a more personal level. Being more friendly is an easy way of earning tips. All you need to do is say a sentence or two to make them feel welcome.

Keeping your area clean will help you make bigger tips. Nobody wants to eat in a dirty restaurant. As soon as a diner leaves, clean up the area immediately before the next customer comes. Be discreet when cleaning the floors or tables because other diners may still be eating nearby.

Each table should have a complete set of condiments so that the diners don’t have to call you each time they need something. It’s nice to enjoy a meal and having everything you need within reach. If you were the diner, would you prefer that or would you rather wait several minutes for your condiments to arrive?

Late food can make a customer very dissatisfied. If your customer’s food is taking too long, go to your customer’s table and explain that his food will be out in a bit. It’s not uncommon for customers to feel irritated when they have to wait for their food for a long time.

Earning tips is something you can do by put a little more effort to please your customers. Your work involves food and people. The best waiters are able to interact with customers in a very friendly level. People who come to dine at a restaurant are often hungry. When they are hungry, tempers can easily flare up.

A good waiter will make sure that their customers have no reason to become upset. If your customers are happy, they will be more than willing to show appreciation by giving bigger tips.

Training Restaurant Servers

Here is the new approach to training servers.

The author operated table service restaurants as pancake houses, coffee shops, family theme, steak houses, International gourmet, Polynesian, Tex-Mex, Delicatessen, Seafood and others too numerous to designate. What they all had in common was that they had waitresses or waiters, now referred to as servers. These servers were expected to perform the duties of handling guests, gathering orders, communicating these orders to the kitchen, assembling the orders for delivery to the tables, delivering these orders, correcting snafus, handling complaints, collecting the payment of the checks and all of the other activities associated with making a restaurant visit a pleasant experience.

To the uninitiated this seems to be an insurmountable task requiring a wide range of food handling talents, a good psyche, a calm inner strength and a genuine liking of people. Where do you find such a talented person and how can he or she be turned loose in your specialized dining room, entrusted with the life blood of your business – your customer? Yes, it is possible to recruit, train, motivate and supervise such fine people to respond adequately to the needs of your food establishment. The newest approach is to train servers from the view point of a trainer taking on a new server recruit on a one- on- one trip to a successful conclusion, ie; making great money for the server and the establishment!

Here is solid advice for every food server everywhere… Deliver the orders as soon as possible. Check the quality of the foods carefully before serving them. Never serve any food you believe to be spoiled, soured, or tainted, that you think might be dangerous to the customer’s health. When you discover spoiled, sour, or tainted food, don’t throw it away – call the manager and have him double check you. If he agrees with your detection, he will agree to the disposal of the questionable food items. Always serve the correct portion. Observe to learn the portions for each item listed on the menu portions sheet posted in the service area. You can’t keep customers happy and your restaurant functioning properly if foods are over or under- portioned. Management, in setting a price for a food item, takes into account that a certain weight or size of that item will be served for the price to be charged. Exceeding that portion short changes the business and makes it difficult to make the cash return to pay wages and stay profitable. On the other hand, if a guest sees a smaller than usual portion they will resent it and may not return again.

Understand your employees that you are training.

How can you inspire people to work harder and produce more? After years of research, Success Motivation Institute found that these seven basic actions are still among the strongest motivators. There is nothing here that you don’t already know. But in your daily work, how many of these actions do you forget to practice?

1. Flatter your people with your personal interest: There is nothing wrong with flattery when it is sincere. Genuine flattery, as opposed to mere “buttering up,” will give your people a lift, and will give you a boost in their eyes. Cash in on your personal interest dividends today. Learn the first names of the husbands and wives of your people. Find out about their children, their family problems, outside interests. Get to know them as human beings, not just workers.

2. Be consistent in your treatment of your people: This may sound easy, but it’s not. It takes practice and constant self-examination to remain impartial.

3. Build up the confidence and pride of your people by consulting with them regularly: Seek out the ideas and advice of your people. Show your respect for their opinions and judgment. Show that they can learn from you but that you also want to learn from them. Make your people feel they are participating, not just taking orders.

4. Be generous with credit: When one of your people performs well, don’t keep it a secret. Let others know about it.

5. Treat ideas with interest, consideration, and respect: When one of your people comes up with a suggestion-even a poor one-make him/her feel glad he brought it to you.

6. Own up to your errors honestly: Don’t strut around like a superior being. If you make a mistake, admit it and take full blame. If one of your people is right and you are wrong, tell him so. And let others involved know that the mistake was yours, not his. Show the people who work for you that you are just as human as they are.

7. Make facts flow freely: Knowhow is a man’s link to opportunity and advancement. Sharing your facts, your knowledge, and your experience will convince your people that you are on their side. And it’s only human to reciprocate.

In short, to double the output of your people, treat each individual as a person first and as an employee second. The greatest need of the food service industry today is teamwork by agreement. Our industry is a vast complex of many different businesses and widely varied views. Yet our differences fade into insignificance when we consider our many over-all mutual interests.

Hot Dog Cart Menu Ideas

Most hot dog vendors rely on getting some level of repeat business from their customers. The ability to attract regulars is what can make the difference between an average cart and one that makes a killing on a daily basis. This is where your menu comes in. Your menu must be just right if people are to enjoy your food, go away happy and spread the word.

In the following article we look at the importance of hot dog cart menus and how to put them together. We also offer some ideas on what to include in your menu.

Menu Design

The best menus offer customers enough variety to satisfy them while still being simple enough to avoid complications. A simple menu is easier to understand and it can help you to avoid errors and wasted time as people ask questions. A simple menu also means that you won’t have complications when ordering the stock that you need.

Marketing with Menus

Don’t forget that your menu can do much more than simply convey information. It should also be an advertisement for your products. Having some ‘mouth watering’ images on your menu can really boost sales, especially if they have been done by a professional photographer.

You may want to offer ‘combo’ deals whereby customers can get a full meal for a special price. The most common deal is to offer a hot dog, a bag of chips and a soda for a price that is much more attractive than if the items were ordered individually.

Research

Tastes can vary from state to state so you may want to do some research at the local level to find out what is popular. You will also have to check the provisions of your license as these may restrict your menu to some degree.

The Main Attraction

Your hot dogs are obviously your main attraction so you must do all that you can to ensure that you have a five star product. Here are some things to consider.

1) The common frankfurter is your key ingredient, although you can also offer variations like Polish or Italian sausages. You can also get Kosher hot dogs or even vegetarian hot dogs if you think that their will be sufficient demand in your area.

2) Look for a local supplier and do some taste testing. In general, you can’t go wrong by using a national brand like ‘Nathans’.

3) Some people may want to order ‘double’ dogs with two frankfurters instead of one. Others may order a ‘hot dog’ without the bun, especially if they are trying to limit their carbohydrates intake.

4) There are many regional variations in the US. A ‘Chicago Style’ for example never contains ketchup and in New York they often use a special ‘brown onion’ sauce.

5) Hot dogs can be boiled or grilled. In the Northern states grilling is more popular while boiling is common in the south.

6) Always use quality, fresh buns. Some vendors simply steam their buns while others toast them. Some regional specialties have specific bun requirements such as the ‘Chicago Style’ which typically comes served on a poppy seed bun.

7) The sauces and toppings that you can put on hot dogs are endless so you should look for recipes online to get some inspiration. You may be limited by your license though and you may not be permitted to use toppings like cheese or mayonnaise that require refrigeration.

Other Common Menu Items

Apart from hot dogs you will want to sell beverages. Soda, diet soda and bottled water offer excellent profit margins and require little effort to serve on the part of the vendor. Chips and candy bars are even better as they won’t take up your valuable refrigeration space.

Hot dog stands often also sell salads, coleslaws, French fries and nachos to name just a few common hot and cold food items. You may decide that it is not worth complicating things by adding too many other products. Your license will also limit you to some extent. However, if you have a busy location then you may as well test as many products as you can within reason to see what sells well.