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 »
There are a lot of restaurant consulting companies out there and they come in all shapes and sizes. Some are good, some are not so good. Some solve your problems; some leave you with more problems. In the search for the consulting company that is right for you, look first at the company culture to
It’s Our Company Culture That Makes Us the Right Choice Read More »
When creating a restaurant concept, the stage I look most forward to is design. We’re not designers but instead we get to work with different designers across the country – usually chosen by the client. Each designer has their own collection of superpowers, non-negotiables, and pet peeves. During design phases (kitchen, architecture, and design) our
Restaurant Lighting – 13 Philosophies Read More »
A few weeks ago, the temperature spiked from the regular 40 degrees at noon to a beautiful sunny 72, and it was SUNDAY. Without hesitation my brain screamed find a patio!!! I should have known better. Few restaurants are prepared for that first warm Sunday. The tables were dirty, the plants were dead, the food
Avoiding Patio Nightmares Read More »
When you think of ambience in a restaurant, or anywhere for that matter, you often consider things like music, lighting, temperature, smells, materials, and acoustics. Those are certainly components of great ambience (which, by the way, I learned can be spelled ambience or ambiance). But in our series discussing a restaurants “LAMA” (lights, atmosphere, music,
6 Pillars of Restaurant Ambience Management Read More »
“Check Your LAMA!” was something a colleague drilled into my head many years ago. He had worked for Maggiano’s, and it was/is a reference to the four pillars of guest comfort. It’s an acronym for Lights, Atmosphere, Music, and Ambience. I’ve always found it very easy for restaurant employees to become desensitized to these things
Getting Guest Comfort Right Read More »
The tea leaves have settled and it’s time to read them: The Pandemic has provided a Petri dish in which to test third party delivery services like Grubhub, DoorDash, and Post Mates… and the verdict is in. According to Fortune Magazine, most (71%) of consumers prefer to order and pickup their takeout food from the
Where to Invest Your Money in Restaurants – Post-COVID Read More »
So far, 2022 feels like quicksand. Stocks are frowning, my crypto wallets are shrinking into a pile of worthless electronic blips, mask mandates are back, restaurants are asking for government assistance, and Russia seems poised to invade Ukraine. Last year at this time we felt like we were blasting out of the Death Star after
Optimism is Worth the Effort Read More »
