Save Your Restaurant by Saving Your Managers So much has been written about the effect COVID had on restaurant staffing. There was a mass exodus from the industry because hourly employees realized they were being underpaid with no benefits for exceptionally hard work. Expecting no change in the way restaurants were run, many never returned, […]
Save Your Restaurant by Saving Your Managers Read More »
Over 14,000 restaurants open every year, yet women are underrepresented as managers, chefs, and investors. Should we fix that because “it’s the right thing to do” or because we’re seeking to “level the playing field” in a male-dominated industry? Why should men surrender their dominance just to make room for women…because society says so? Sign
We Need More Women in Restaurants! Read More »
A seasonal refresh of the drinks menu is a great way to increase beverage sales, improve margins, and drive engagement to your restaurant. However, without a solid plan, it can be a missed opportunity that fizzles on arrival, stressing out staff and underwhelming guests while failing to improve the bottom line. With some strategic planning,
Seasonal Cocktail Menus – A Six Week Guide Read More »
Kitchens are the engines that drive restaurants. They are wonderlands of food production capacity and capability. But, above all else, they are the factories in which raw materials are converted into products for retail sale. When you look at a kitchen as a production facility, you can easily imagine the need for it to run
How to Run a Kitchen – 11 Critical Systems Read More »
Over the years we’ve helped many restaurants and landlords work with each other and have seen ugliness on both sides. We’re often baffled at the lack of empathy each side can have for one another. For instance, Landlords have a mortgage to pay. When tenants seek rent abatement because they’re not profitable or they are starting
5 Things Real Estate Developers Should Know About Leasing to Restaurants Read More »
One of the biggest problems we find when we’re trying to help struggling restaurants is that they can’t really “see” their business. Their managers work hard, often 70 to 80 hours per week. They enact policies to cut staff when its slow or they endlessly pursue cheaper ingredients and/or portion control, but efficiency often proves
Restaurant Fiscal Calendars – The Silver Bullet Read More »
Every day, local and national news agencies report on the state of the labor market. Governments anchor their discussion on unemployment rate, citing moving average trends or comparing today to a year ago. Business owners lament generational work ethic variances. Progressives blame a lack of career advancement opportunities while Conservatives blame liberal child rearing strategies
Restaurant Gig Labor – A Solution to the Great Resignation Read More »
If you own a restaurant, now is not the time to “just survive” and hope things get better. Rising costs of ingredients, product shortages, added transportation charges, smaller labor pools, less qualified candidates, and higher wages are all working against you. Holding out for things to course correct on their own may be a long
5 Reasons You Should Ask for Help Read More »
The service to customer-expectation cycle has been spiraling down for decades. When service goes down, customer expectations go down with it…then service-offered achieves a new low and is met again with a new lower bar to clear. Each generation blames the next for their sloth, self-loathing, and stunted ambition. I was born in the mid-sixties
The Great Restaurant Labor Shortage…Will Be Over Shortly Read More »
In dark basements, bright garden restaurants, hotel lobbies, food courts, and all spaces in between; great cocktail programs are popping up everywhere. Everyone is getting into the cocktail business, and many are becoming particularly good at it. This phenomenon is making it harder than ever to rise to the top and gain notice for a
Elevating Your Cocktail Program Above a Sea of Competition Read More »
