Survival Guide: Food and Beverage Industry Edition

Survival Guide: Food and Beverage Industry Edition

by | May 10, 2017 | Sirvo Stories

Up to 60 percent of restaurants do not survive past the first year.  Running a successful restaurant and surviving in the food and beverage industry may be challenging because of intense competition, shifting demographics, rising food costs, high turnover rates, changing labor laws or constant health hazards. However, talented managers and decision makers can use their business skills and experience to make better decisions that lead to success and profitability.

Use Financial Tools

All business decisions will require accurate financial data, food costs operational information.  You may not need a comprehensive accounting performance audit, but you must continually review and revise the costs of sales, labor and major expenses. If necessary, consider employing a financial consultant to analyze the books to uncover minor issues that may lead to major future problems. Continually review every menu item to understand the meal costs compared to the supplier prices. If the cost of producing a dish is too high, adjust the ingredients or choose another supplier. A very small restaurant may get away with using a spreadsheet to track supplier prices and menu costs, but the standard solution is to use food service management software.

Quantify Customer Feedback

Restaurants often receive a steady stream of both positive and negative feedback. They are both important sources of information that should be quantified and analyzed. Consider performing a regular review of online complaints and social media comments about your restaurant. Social media platforms are the best way to elicit feedback and engage customers. Always respond to negative social media comments within 24 hours. Take advantage of this opportunity to apologize and invite them back. Categorize and rank complaints, identify reoccurring problems and take appropriate action to resolve them. Use positive feedback for advertising content and marketing purposes. Re-branding decisions for existing organizations should be intuitive to changing customer demographics. There are many inexpensive, online survey services available, such as SurveyMonkey, which allow organizations to quickly understand consumers.

How to Cook Up New Insights

New tools, such as sentiment analysis and predictive analytics, are being used by restaurants to understand trends and drive performance.  For example, Big Data and advanced analytics will optimize menus by streamlining selection and profitability. Menu engineering refers to using analytics to enhance profits, operations and customer satisfaction. Understanding demographic segments will help to personalize promotions. Analytics will help with demand forecasting, staff optimization, and HR management by breaking down customer numbers by the hour and measuring individual performances. Advanced analytics may improve operations, service speed, and customer experience by predicting product usage, adjusting inventory and reducing food waste. Comprehensive evaluations of different time segments, such as lunch, dinner and post-dinner periods, will provide deeper insights and accurate metrics.

Create a Recognizable Food Identity

Food products make up a restaurant’s identity. Anyone who wants to survive in the food and beverage industry must present themselves in a definable and memorable way for customers. Failure to properly establish a food identify means you will be indistinguishable from the competition. If the local area is already inundated with similar bistros or Italian restaurants, the food must be uniquely differentiated from the competition. First, attract potential customer’s attention with original dishes that will inspire experimentation and stimulate appetites. Second, use local farm produce to broadcast the fact that you support the local economy and use the freshest ingredients. Third, if you purchase the best ingredients available, but go with a mediocre chef to save money, you will not be successful. The best investment you can make is to hire the best chef and staff.

Choose people who are passionate about the industry and customer service. They should possess a sense of urgency, a pleasant attitude and a willingness to be part of the team. After the food quality, the service experience is the next important factor that will guarantee an excellent dining experience.

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7 of the Craziest Reasons People Have Been 86’d From Restaurants

7 of the Craziest Reasons People Have Been 86’d From Restaurants

by | May 8, 2017 | IndiNews

If you have worked in the restaurant industry for long, you have likely encountered customers you would like to kick out. While working in a restaurant sometimes requires you to interact with annoying customers, sometimes kicking people out is completely justified. Consider these seven reasons customers have been 86’d from restaurants as shared on a Reddit thread and through a Quora discussion.

1. A customer was stealing tips off tables when the wait staff were not watching. The thief may have continued to get away with this, but he proceeded to brag about his actions while he was at another restaurant. The owner of the original restaurant was dining at the same restaurant where the thief was bragging about his actions. The thief was then no longer allowed to dine at the restaurant where he had been stealing tips.

2. Several customers ordered three pitchers of beer, which they enjoyed over a 3-hour period while playing pool. One of the men puked in a pitcher and then poured it into a nearby plant. The restaurant, known for their live plants, proceeded to have the man leave.

3. The boss’s girlfriend walked into the restaurant to find her boyfriend talking to a waitress. The girlfriend assumes her boyfriend and the waitress are sleeping together. She spray paints the waitress’ vehicle and smashes the windows in the waitress’ car. While the woman was kicked out of the restaurant, interestingly enough, the relationship was not over yet.

4. A woman, who was apparently racist and did not like immigrants got mad when she found the wait staff were immigrants. When she later returned to the restaurant, she was told they would not serve her since they were immigrants and she hated them.

5. Two young men walked into a bar already drunk. They were being loud, and getting up in the faces of some of the other customers. The bar owner gave each guy a glass of water, telling them he would not serve them anymore alcohol and that they needed to leave the other customers alone. Instead of obeying the bar owner’s instructions, the two men started threatening him. They were quickly thrown out. About half an hour later, the two young men threw a rock through the glass on the front door. They ended up spending the night in jail and having to pay for the damage to the window.

6. A man who had been kicked out of a previous restaurant for grabbing a server’s butt came into a restaurant with his wife and kids. Knowing what had happened, he was politely asked to leave. When he got angry, the Sous chef, clearly stated, for his wife and children to hear, what he had done to get kicked out of the previous restaurant, thereby embarrassing the man and ensuring he knew exactly why he was being asked to leave.

7. A man ate a large meal and had been drinking white Russians for two and a half hours. When he was asked about paying for them, he made an excuse about making a phone call, but he instead slipped out. One of the workers thought he recognized the “dine and dasher” from online mugshots. After a ten-minute search, it was discovered that the man was a sex offender and serial “dine and dasher.” He was arrested an hour later, and his picture continues to hang on the wall of the restaurant, warning employees to not serve the man again.

Of course, there are many other reasons that someone might be asked to leave a restaurant. When deciding if you should kick someone out of your restaurant, it is important to consider the safety of your staff as well as other customers. The lack of respect for staff or customers should also be considered.

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A Few Things to Know When Applying for your First Restaurant Position

A Few Things to Know When Applying for your First Restaurant Position

by | May 5, 2017 | Career

You may hang out in restaurants with your friends and family regularly. But seeing the restaurant from the customer’s POV and from the staff’s are two different perspectives.

Whether you’re considering a taking a job in the service industry to make a few extra bucks, or if you’re thinking of turning it into a lifelong career, here are five things to keep in mind when applying for your first position.

You’ll need to do some research first.

This is good practice for any job. For the restaurant industry, you’ll want to know what the different restaurant types are and what kind of work you can expect at each.

You’ll also want to know a bit about the restaurant itself, what their hours are, what their busy times of the day and the week are, and what kind of food they serve. Believe it or not, all of these will factor into when the restaurant manager schedules you.

You need to have a flexible schedule.

Speaking of schedules. Keep this in mind: the service industry is busy when all other industries are not working. So you may be working nights, holidays, and weekends regularly.

Be willing to work your way up.

Whether you’re applying for a position in the kitchen or for a position in the dining area, you’ll need to understand how each position of the restaurant functions. The best way to do this is to learn things from the ground up, so don’t take it personally if the hiring manager offers you a less prestigious position than you had in mind.

If you can show you’re willing to accept the challenge and work your way up, chances are you won’t be in that position for long.

Be ready to get your hands dirty.

We mean this in the literal and figurative sense of the phrase. As we said above, showing your positive attitude will earn you accolades quickly. But along with that, you may actually be getting your hands dirty.

What we mean is you’ll be cleaning all the time.

Whether you’re cleaning up in the kitchen after the rush, or cleaning up after a patron is done with their meal you can expect to be washing your hands a lot.

You’ll be on your feet for long periods.

This is fast paced, physical industry. Patrons don’t like to wait for their food. People want their food and drinks and they want it now!

This leaves no time to rest or sit down. And as we touched on earlier, every position of the restaurant is important and can’t function without the other. Expect to push yourself a bit to ensure great service.

A few other quick tips to make sure you get that job:

  • You don’t have to wear a suit and tie, but you still need to show up looking serious about getting the position. Leave the shorts, flip flops, dirty, and torn clothes at home.
  • Show your personality. Whether you’re in the front of the house of the back, managers want to see that you’re going to get along well with others and that you’ll be able to provide great customer service.
  • Having a pen and a resume with you when applying is always a good idea.

With these tips in mind, you shouldn’t have a tough time finding the right fit at all. When you’re ready to get that first industry job, feel free to visit our job search page and kick your new career off.

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Marketing Tips for Your Restaurant’s Best Mother’s Day Ever

Marketing Tips for Your Restaurant’s Best Mother’s Day Ever

by | May 3, 2017 | Management

According to the National Restaurant Association, more than one-quarter of American adults celebrate Mother’s Day by dining out. This, as well as Valentine’s Day, results in one of the busiest days of the week for many restaurants. Get your share of this all-important market by following a few tried-and-true tips and convert new guests into loyal customers.

Brunch

Brunch is still the most popular meal for people who are age 65 and over. To target this audience, consider an exclusive Mother’s Day no-holds-barred brunch. What draws this crowd in? Quality often surpasses quantity and traditional items hold nostalgic memories. Consider a unique twist on the classics such as salmon with eggs benedict, lobster frittata, roasted chicken on crispy waffles, or challah French toast. Incorporate fresh herbs and edible flowers into soups and salads. While some restaurants offer an a la carte menu of favorites or a buffet, others choose prix-fixe three-course brunch specials. Choose the format your restaurant is best set up for in order to make this day a success.

Treat Mom Special

Treating mom special is what this day is all about. Consider bottomless mimosas or sparkling apple cider and don’t forget to hand out the flowers. As florists find themselves on the brink of crazy, be sure to place your order early. Your mother’s day goal: to convert first time customer’s into long-term loyal repeat guests.  To this end, consider giving out special Mother’s Day cards that offer a complimentary appetizer on their next visit.

You only get one chance at a first impression, so be sure mom and her family are pleasantly surprised when they enter your establishment. Make flowers the motif of the day and choose colors that go with your ambiance. If your design is such that most colors work well, consider classic combinations such as violets and yellows.

Kid Friendly

This holiday is a family outing so expect an over-abundance of little tykes. To help your adult guests enjoy their outing and keep the little one’s from going stir-crazy, consider a special area designated for kids. This section has little tables with paper tablecloths and massive crayons as well as etcher-sketchers, coloring books and blank cards they can color for mom. You’ll need one staff member to keep an eye on the little people’s section, but your guests will truly be impressed that you went the extra mile for them. And don’t forget a kid-friendly menu with easy finger foods such as chicken tenders, raw vegetables dipped in ranch, and anything cheesy.

Get the Word Out

Be sure to use your social media platforms to get the word out. In addition to traditional Facebook posts and twitter tweets, consider Instagram and Pinterest as ways to actually show your delectable offerings. “A picture paints a thousand words. “ —Arthur Brisbane.

Other advertising portals include Urbanspoon, Yelp, and OpenTable. YouTube is the place to post a video of kids playing in their designated area, your chef preparing a delectable item and happy customers enjoying a relaxing shared meal.

Traditional marketing methods still work, despite digital marketing’s overbearing presence. Consider making classic flyers regarding your special offerings and ask your local floral shop to display them (the one you’ve ordered your flowers from). Other display venues include office buildings, libraries, community centers, and gyms. Make sure you’ve got your specials posted out in front of your restaurant well in advance to attract passer-bys.

Make your Mother’s Day special stand out on your website and, if you don’t already know the importance of blogging in your marketing strategy, now is the time to start. Blogs are less about advertising and more about sharing valuable information. Consider a blog on the local activities your community is sponsoring for Mother’s Day.

Specials

Consider going in with a local business to create “Mother’s Day packages.” This can include a massage at the local spa or tickets to the local theater, museum, planetarium or botanical gardens. As a special offering for your mother’s day guests, and to promote another stream of income, consider branding items that your restaurant commonly uses and that people rave about, whether it’s your homemade salsa, blue cheese dressing or scented lotion you supply in your restrooms.

If you’ve been in the restaurant business for any length of time, you know the worst feeling is having your business full to overflowing and not having the necessary staff to care for your patrons. Make sure you’re prepared for a busy Mother’s Day—providing the service and quality food and ambiance your regular customers have come to expect and your new clients will come to cherish.

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Staff Retention: Keeping your Employees Motivated

Staff Retention: Keeping your Employees Motivated

by | May 1, 2017 | Business Toolkit, Management

Over one-quarter of the year is over. The thrill of a New Year has begun to fade and employees that once appeared motivated and engaged are now looking at the clock with regular frequency.

Keeping employees motivated is a year-round endeavor, and coming into the second quarter is a good time to take stock of the year ahead and what you can do to ensure success. After all, your employees are your greatest asset.

Ownership

Employees need to feel that they are a part of the business—that they have some skin in the game. To this end, sharing the numbers and providing incentives based on performance each quarter contributes to a sense of ownership. Your servers need to see themselves as your sales team. To this end, consider a quarterly reward to the one that has the highest ticket sales.

Engaged

With the advent of social media, keeping your customers engaged has become a part and parcel of your marketing strategy. If not, it should be. Keeping your employees engaged is just as important. Gallup recently released the latest State of the American Workplace report. According to this survey, 70 percent of U.S, workers do not feel engaged at work. That’s a large portion of your workforce that may be slipping away.

Engage employees by openly communicating and encouraging communication between the BOH and FOH. Ask their opinion. Encourage them to make suggestions. Millennials are looking for a company culture that promotes health and happiness and understands that leading a balanced life between work and personal life sustains long-term commitment.

Develop a Team Spirit

While promoting interaction among your employees can improve camaraderie, offering team challenging activities outside of the company has shown to improve overall attitude—inspiring employees on the field and in the restaurant. Consider contacting surrounding businesses and setting up a baseball or Frisbee golf league. You’ll be surprised at the motivation this one small thing promotes.

Personal Achievement

Today’s employees want to feel as though they are contributing at a deep level and making the world a slightly better place while they’re at it. They want to feel that they are using their talents to the best of their abilities. Train them to be the best cooks, the best bartenders, the best wait staff and they will reward you by exceeding your guest’s expectations.

Continually Learning

This is one of the great motivational recipes. Help your employees to continually better themselves, extend themselves, and reach beyond what they thought possible. Without this upward climb, they will slink down in their chairs and pretend they are looking up a potential customer’s data when they are really checking out Craigslist job ads.

Company Culture

We may have already addressed this, but it’s so important to the age of Millennials, that we thought it bears repeating.  Company culture is a topic almost every job seeker addresses in this age of the desire to lead a well-balanced life. To this end, consider a gathering place that promotes interaction. This could mean a ping-pong or pool table or gaming center.

Job Security

No one feels very motivated in a job they feel may be pulled out from under them in the coming months. To instill job security, share your history and what inspires you as you look to the future. Let them know that this is not a fly-by-night operation. You’re here for the long haul and appreciate those employees that are willing and able to take the voyage with you.

A Great Leader

“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” –Warren Bennis.  A good leader can make up for almost all other motivational techniques that may be missing. A good leader inspires by their actions and leads by example. Your employees want to do their best by you because you do your best by them.

The Ultimate Goal

“There are only three measurements that tell you nearly everything you need to know about your organization’s overall performance: employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and cash flow. It goes without saying that no company, small or large, can win over the long run without energized employees who believe in the mission and understand how to achieve it.” – Jack Welch, former CEO of GE.

Creating a work environment that promotes excellence as well as joy will ensure a long-term commitment from employees that see the bigger picture, understand your vision, and want to contribute to both the company and each other. It may take some ingenuity, but it is well worth the effort. Taking care of your employees ensures that they will take care of your customers.

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