We all know the importance of the first impression and how we’re impacted by someone’s appearance, demeanor and general interaction with us. Crowd review sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor have built companies that allow folks to vent their praises and critiques of service providers. Much of the commentary on these sites is about first impressions. […]
6 Things Your Host is doing to Turn Away Customers Read More »
What’s love got to do with it? Asking the question “is there any place for love in business?” is like asking “is there any place for people who care?” We all believe relationships that have longevity are rooted in love and mutual respect. Since most businesses, including restaurants are built on groups of relationships it
Why Love is the Magic Ingredient for Restaurants Read More »
I embrace the Urban Dictionary’s definition of happy hour: “Where the worst selling and nastiest tasting alcoholic beverages are sold for half price to a bunch of alcoholics too drunk to notice.” Before Dram Shop Laws, this was a very accurate description. Operators gave away low cost alcohol at 2 for 1 prices and made
To Happy Hour or Not to Happy Hour Read More »
Kitchens are opening up everywhere. Restaurants are trading in the swinging doors for clean, crisp counters that aren’t just displaying the final dishes guests are ordering, but also showcasing the entertainment of the chopping, slicing, sautéing, and saucing. When some people think of a functioning kitchen they think of scattered chatter, “yes chef!”, sizzling pans,
4 Lessons Every Chef Will Learn by Working in an Open Kitchen Read More »
“I’ll have another round” is not something you typically hear at Moe’s or Mi Piada. That’s because there is typically no one to say it to. When deciding to enjoy an adult beverage, fast casual restaurants are not the first places that come to mind… if for no other reason than they’re not where you
The Best Approach to Fast Casual Booze Read More »
Hand crafted mixed drinks have been the driving force behind the evolution of most metropolitan area bars for the last six or seven years with no sign of letting up. The movement comes from the resurrection of pre-prohibition mixology using real juices, house made mixers, big ice, and layered flavors. Instead of going away as
New Life from Old Spirits Read More »
As far as a restaurant’s profitability goes, the lowest of the low hanging fruit is often found in a poorly planned tip tracking program. Owners and operators leave money on the table when they don’t accurately plan the incomes of their support staff and schedule employees to deliver results. They also get into lots of
How to Best Manage Restaurant Tip Share Read More »
Truly the best service involves giving your servers what they want: power. I believe folks are motivated by a combination of three things: Affiliation: approval from others… “please like me.” Achievement: simply a job well done. Power: including money, authority over others, and being envied. Let’s face it, servers in America view themselves as fallen
What’s the Best Table Service Model? [Hint: Give Power to the Servers] Read More »
I pulled this morsel from chef Graham Duncan’s blog “From the Kitchen: Graham Duncan” and couldn’t resist throwing in my two cents. The “dine and whine” has become the new “dine and dash” except instead of sneaking out to avoid paying for a meal(which in some restaurants it becomes the obligation of the server to pay for the meal)patrons sit right
