Where to Look for Restaurant Reviews Based on Your Personality

Where to Look for Restaurant Reviews Based on Your Personality

by | Sep 28, 2016 | IndiNews

Sorting through restaurant reviews and navigating the best-of lists can be maddening; finding one that fits your personality and tastes often takes more time than necessary. So we’ve broken it down to help you navigate restaurant review sources based on common personal preference. 

For the Food Nerd: Opinionated About Dining

Steve Plotnicki, formerly an executive in the music industry, began the first ranking for amateur food maniacs in 2012. The list taps into the expertise of a community of globe-trotting food fans to create the annual list.

Plotnicki says he came up with the system because he didn’t care for the way other rankings like Gault et Millau, Michelin, and Zagat did things. The list no longer consists of a global ranking, but rather it focuses on the U.S., Japan, and European regions.

For the Francophile: La Liste

This list began with support from the French government in 2015. Since then, it has become its own independent commercial entity under its founder Philippe Faure, former owner of the Gault et Millau restaurant guides.

It uses an algorithm to crunch the numbers from around two hundred published sources and create a list of the top thousand best restaurants on the planet. Businesses from Japan and France dominated its very first list. There are plans to add an additional nine thousand restaurants from around the world that were previously unranked.

For the Early Adopter: Food & Wine

After announcing its first class of Best New Chefs in 1988, Food & Wine now boasts some of the biggest names in American cooking (Daniel Boulud and Tomas Keller, among others).

While the publication reviews restaurants regularly, it also releases its list of Restaurants of the Year as well as Best New Chefs which features some of the best rising chefs who have run their restaurant for no more than five years. The magazine’s editor says everyone who works on the list thinks of themselves as talent scouts – and so far, they’ve been pretty accurate.

For the All-American: Eater

Eater came onto the scene a couple of years ago after receiving corporate funding from Vox Media. It follows national food critic Bill Addison as he travels the country in search of “essential” restaurants. 2015 saw the first publication of “National Eater 38,” which favors established restaurants over the new ones. Every summer Addison also puts out a list outlining the best new restaurants around the nation.

For the Scorekeeper: The World’s 50 Best Restaurants

The World’s 50 Best has been around for a while – since 2002. It started out as a minor feature in Restaurant Magazine from Great Britain and has since become a go-to list for millions. It seeks to highlight various regions around the world that either go unranked or do not receive sufficient consideration by other lists and guides.

Recent locations that have garnered a lot of attention include Peru, Spain, and Denmark. The ranking is decided by a group of more than nine hundred anonymous voters who work in the food industry or write about it for a living. There are also smaller branches of the list that focus on restaurants in Latin America and Asia.

For the Hipster: Bon Appétit

After taking over the magazine in 2011, editor Adam Rapoport made some changes to the annual Best New Restaurants list. The focus of the September issue is now almost solely on the year’s top ten and includes recipes from each one.

Two editors spend months at a time traveling to find hidden gems, often searching for those independent restaurants that have something unique to offer. A few weeks before the top ten list is published, fifty nominees are listed online.

Happy eating!

You might also like…

Experience Sirvo for yourself

Sign up now to find hospitality jobs and hire top industry talent.
Sign up
Best Tips to Advertise Your Restaurant’s Happy Hour

Best Tips to Advertise Your Restaurant’s Happy Hour

by | Sep 23, 2016 | Business Toolkit, Management

At the end of the workday, many people have just one thing on their mind: happy hour! They’re hungry and thirsty and as a restaurant or bar of any type, this is a real asset. The thing you need to know though is how to advertise your happy hour so you can make the very most of it. With this in mind, here are the pro-tips.

Understand Happy Hour’s Purpose

Unfortunately, many bar owners think of happy hour as a stand alone part of their day when it’s really not. Happy hour is a transitional time you should use to drive traffic to your bar or restaurant that evening.

Don’t think of a busy happy hour as a success. While it may help you break even, it’s not a success unless you have a busy lucrative dinner or evening. As such, happy hour is actually a traffic and sales driver. You want this traffic to stay for a full-price dinner, which means you need really compelling advertising for that.

Ramp Up In-House Marketing

You want to create a special place or, at the very least, have posters and signs around your establishment advertising happy hour. Make sure these show a list of the deals you’re offering. This way, even if your customers missed happy hour, they know to come in for it tomorrow.

It’s important you train your team on running a successful happy hour.

It’s also important you train your team on running a successful happy hour so they can turn it into a profitable experience. By investing in walking your guests through a happy hour to an enjoyable dinner or late night experience, you’ll bring in more business. Make sure your staff is ready to offer recommendations, talk up full-priced signature items, and, of course, answer questions about the specials.

Use Social Media to Your Advantage

Most bars and restaurants understand how important social media marketing is when it comes to bringing in customers. However, what many don’t understand is how helpful it is for advertising purposes, especially when it comes to happy hours.

Why? Because lots of people get antsy towards the end of the workday and start playing around with their social media feeds. By tweeting about your daily specials around 3-5pm, you’re reaching potential customers at exactly the right time – when they’re deciding where to go for that after-work drink!

Take your social media post to the next level by including an enticing image of either a food or drink special you’re offering. The visual aspect goes a long way in this respect.

Create More Deals

Since most people don’t go to happy hour by themselves, but instead go with a group of friends or coworkers, offer group deals on appetizers or pitchers. These turn your happy hour into the place they want to go.

Also, don’t forget about the power of bounce back coupons.

Also, don’t forget about the power of bounce back coupons. Giving your customers additional coupons for the next happy hour gives them extra incentive to return!

A Little Something Extra

Although cheap drinks and food are stars in their own right, they’re not exactly unique. To make your happy hour stand out in the crowd, try adding a little something extra. Think karaoke, live bands, trivia or games of some sort.

Whether it’s once a week or once a month, this will not only draw a wider crowd but also extend the amount of time, and money, customers are spending at your restaurant. Plus, it’s just another perk that you can advertise!

Offer a Special Menu

Most of the time, happy hour discounts are on drinks and appetizers that are already on the menu. However, if you spend time creating a menu just for happy hour, customers are more likely to stop by and try these offerings.

If you spend time creating a menu just for happy hour, customers are more likely to stop by and try those drinks or food.

There’s a lot to consider when it comes to happy hour, but the gist is that it should be a unique and relaxing experience for your customers that’s affordable, so they can enjoy it on the reg. Then, it’s all about spreading the word!

You might also like…

15 Employee Appreciation Ideas that Won’t Break the Bank

15 Employee Appreciation Ideas that Won’t Break the Bank

Sometimes all it takes to make an employee love coming to work is to show them a little appreciation. So how do you show the love? From BINGO to discounts and pizza – we’ve taken the guesswork out of it with 15 employee appreciation ideas that won’t break the bank!

read more
Restaurant Delivery Is On The Rise

Restaurant Delivery Is On The Rise

Restaurants have unexpectedly found themselves in the middle of a recession. For whatever reason, people just aren’t eating out anymore. In order to remain competitive, many restaurants are finding that restaurant delivery is the best way to keep their corner of the market – but is it right for you?

read more
New Ruling on Tips in Colorado

New Ruling on Tips in Colorado

A recent Tenth Circuit Court case decision changes the rules on tips depending on if you take the tip credit or not. Our friends at The Colorado Restaurant Association are on top of the story but due to the complexity of this issue, we suggest you read the full story here before acting!

read more

Experience Sirvo for yourself

Sign up now to find hospitality jobs and hire top industry talent.
Sign up
How to Host an Unforgettable Dinner Event, According to a Sommelier

How to Host an Unforgettable Dinner Event, According to a Sommelier

by | Sep 21, 2016 | IndiNews

Planning a dinner for clients and employees is never an easy task. These personal events can and should create lasting memories for all guests. That’s a lot of pressure! So take the time to create an evening no one will forget. A sophisticated wine paired meal with an elegant atmosphere, adventurous food, and good fun to be had by all.

Ask a Professional for Planning Help

Wine is a little world for a huge topic! Sommelier’s train for years and there is always more to learn. No one expects you to know it all right away. So, ask for help when planning a wine-centric event. Caterers, wine merchants, websites, wine forums online, the sommelier organization are all great resources for guidance in the planning stages.

Treat All Guests Like VIPs

Modern entertaining is certainly more relaxed than it used to be, but there are a few hosting rules that never go out of style. The most important entertaining ‘rule’ is that it’s the host’s job to make every guest feel special and welcome.

Be available when a guest arrives to welcome them and make sure they are comfortable right from the get go. If your event has a theme or is organized in a specific way, make sure your guests are aware and excited so that they are never lost or unsure as the evening progresses.

Some people are uncomfortable mixing socially with colleagues and clients, so make sure everyone is comfortable throughout the evening.

Some people are uncomfortable mixing socially and it’s up to the host to make sure everyone is comfortable throughout the evening. Introduce nervous guests to those you know will be welcoming, and encourage conversation about the wine and food to get your guests to relax.

Start With A Bang

Set the tone for your event by wowing your guests right out of the gate. Have a special cocktail, champagne, or apéritif ready for your guests to enjoy. Pair it with small but elegant bite-sized snacks to whet appetites and set the tone for the meal to come.

Think luxury and comfort for these initial snacks – creamy truffle mac and cheese bites, velvety smoked salmon and whipped mascarpone on a pumpernickel crouton, caviar deviled eggs. Yummy!

Take Care of the Wine

When wine is the centerpiece of your evening it’s vital that it is presented at it’s best. For both red and white wines this means paying attention to temperature. Serving white wine at too low a temperature deadens its subtle aromatics. Pull your white wines out of the refrigerator about 20 minutes before they will be served.

Offering options in this way will inspire your guests to try new things and talk about the wine with fellow guests.

Inversely, refrigerate red wine for about 20 minutes prior to serving. This removes the harsh edge or finish found in improperly tempered red wine. The proper temperature for whites is about 50 degrees Fahrenheit and about 65 degrees Fahrenheit for reds.

Encourage Your Guests to Have Fun

The best way to do this is to both pair wine and food and serve them in pairs. For example, serve different vintages of the same wine with differently aged cheeses. Or a New Zealand wine and a French wine of the same grape at the same time. Or even pair both a red and a white with one dish to highlight different aspects of the same ingredients.

Pair both a red and a white with one dish to highlight different aspects of the same ingredients.

Offering options in this way will inspire your guests to try new things and talk about the wine with fellow guests. Depending on your food progression you may want to offer multiple wines with each course, each one displaying intriguing differences between vintage, grape, price, location, brand, and more.

End the Evening With Thanks

Hosting a business wine dinner is so much more than event planning. It is a strategic marketing move and brand awareness tactic that presents your brand in a sophisticated and open way. Hopefully, events like these will be the beginning of strong client relationships and strengthen relationships within your company.

So end your evening with thanks. Publicly thank those who helped you, tip any waitstaff or caterers, thank clients for attending. And then, end the evening with fruit, nuts, chocolate and the last of all the wine. Sometimes these final relaxed moments are when the deals are made!

But, most importantly, have fun playing host!

You might also like…

Experience Sirvo for yourself

Sign up now to find hospitality jobs and hire top industry talent.
Sign up
Proactive Hiring: The New Age of Recruitment in Hospitality

Proactive Hiring: The New Age of Recruitment in Hospitality

by | Sep 16, 2016 | Business Toolkit, IndiTips

For hospitality employers, especially in restaurants and foodservice, the days of simply posting a job and receiving a large pool of talented applicants are over. In this competitive hiring market the need for another method of engaging job seekers is imminent. The time for active recruitment is here and this is how you can do it on Sirvo using the Search Candidates feature.

Why it’s Time to Recruit

So you’ve posted a job listing that has it all – it explains who you are and what your company represents and describes the available position and the qualifications necessary to fill the role, it’s basically the perfect job listing.

So now you should be able to just sit back and watch the candidates roll in right? Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

It can be confusing sometimes why some job listings receive several great candidates while similar posts by similar companies do not. Often times it is due to an over-saturated market.

So many businesses are hiring right now and looking for the same type of candidate to fill the same position that you are. Plus, with all of the new restaurants opening each week, job seekers have more than enough job opportunities from which to choose.

So what can you do to ensure that your positions are filled? Beyond marketing your company’s brand to job seekers, the answer is by actively recruiting industry professionals that you think would be successful in the role you’re looking to fill.

Utilizing Sirvo’s Search Candidates Feature

This tool not only allows you to engage with job seekers based on the qualifications you’re looking for but also, by doing so, you’re showing them that your company can give them exactly what they want in a job – feeling valuable.

Taking the time to identify a candidate’s talents and reach out to them directly is a sign that you care about the people that work for you and that’s a powerful incentive for job seekers.

Getting started is easy, just toggle the “Search Candidates” tab from the main search page and from there, you can scroll through our list of Sirvo users.

You can also search for those that match certain criteria by typing in a keyword such as job title or skill. For example, type “Line Cook” to find users who have that listed in their work experience.

To take a closer look at candidates, view their profiles by clicking on either the name or picture on the search page. User profiles include work experience, education, certifications and more so you can identify who you think may be a good fit for your company and available positions.

We suggest finding at least 5-10 users to reach out to. Remember that a lot of our users may not be currently seeking a position or may be content with their current employer. The good thing is that many are always looking for that next great opportunity or a second job to pay the ever-increasing rent.

Once you’ve selected some potential candidates, reach out by messaging them on Sirvo – simply click the send message link in the header section of the profile.

Don’t know what to say? Start by introducing yourself and your company and expressing your interest. From there, suggest a time to meet or ask them to apply for your job on Sirvo.

Start Your Search Today

Sure, this is a relatively new tactic when it comes to the hospitality industry, but it’s one that is widely used in almost every other industry out there and there’s a reason. Stop relying on job seekers to make the first move and go find who you are looking for!

You might also like…

15 Employee Appreciation Ideas that Won’t Break the Bank

15 Employee Appreciation Ideas that Won’t Break the Bank

Sometimes all it takes to make an employee love coming to work is to show them a little appreciation. So how do you show the love? From BINGO to discounts and pizza – we’ve taken the guesswork out of it with 15 employee appreciation ideas that won’t break the bank!

read more
Restaurant Delivery Is On The Rise

Restaurant Delivery Is On The Rise

Restaurants have unexpectedly found themselves in the middle of a recession. For whatever reason, people just aren’t eating out anymore. In order to remain competitive, many restaurants are finding that restaurant delivery is the best way to keep their corner of the market – but is it right for you?

read more
New Ruling on Tips in Colorado

New Ruling on Tips in Colorado

A recent Tenth Circuit Court case decision changes the rules on tips depending on if you take the tip credit or not. Our friends at The Colorado Restaurant Association are on top of the story but due to the complexity of this issue, we suggest you read the full story here before acting!

read more

Experience Sirvo for yourself

Sign up now to find hospitality jobs and hire top industry talent.
Sign up
Sirvo Says: Best Restaurants to Have Brunch in Denver

Sirvo Says: Best Restaurants to Have Brunch in Denver

by | Sep 12, 2016 | IndiNews

Who doesn’t love brunch? It has everything – friends, stories, drinks and, most importantly, delicious food! But choosing where to brunch… now that’s a different story. With an ever growing number of options in Denver, it can be a tough choice. So, we’re here to offer a little guidance with our list of top 10 brunch spots in the Mile Hight City.

 

1. Beast + Bottle

best brunch Denver

Are there really people out there who haven’t eaten here yet? Not only do they serve up one of the best dinner experiences in town, but their brunch menu is phenomenal. Chef Paul Reilly uses a combination of flavors that create an unforgettable experience. Our recommendation? The Pork Shoulder Tostada: charred tomatillo, queso panela & sunny eggs…yes please!

2. Snooze

best brunch Denver

This Colorado staple is an obvious choice on any brunch list, but Snooze is more than just a pretty face. The minute you walk in the door you are met with a smile from a staff that has been slinging eggs to multiples of people before you and your crew strolled in at 9 AM. Yes, the line is long-but many of the locations have games like Cornhole and complimentary coffee to keep you occupied and awake while you wait. If you can’t decide which Benny to eat, then choose the Benny Duo and combine your two favorites. Our duo would be the Chilaquiles and the Bella Bella.

3. Steuben’s

best brunch Denver

Did you already forget who helped (with others) create this whole food scene we are enjoying today? Many of our wonderful transplants may not know that Steuben’s has been offering some of the best brunch options for ten years now (Happy Anniversary Steubs!). With a revamped brunch list and a new location in Arvada, Steuben’s is as relevant as ever! Our choice? Simple, the Buttermilk Chicken & Waffles and a Ramos Gin Fizz while we wait.

4. OneFold

best brunch Denver

Yet another great Uptown brunch option! It’s not the largest of places, but it is well worth the wait. As cliche as it sounds we recommend the Breakfast Burrito. Seriously, it’s one of the best in town! An in-house handmade flour tortilla, choice of Tender Belly bacon or housemade breakfast sausage, green chili, eggs, duck fat fried potatoes & asadero cheese. Wash it down with a Sophisticate’s (local) Black Chai Latte.

5. Root Down

best brunch Denver

This Lo-Hi establishment was the first concept given to us by Justin Cucci and his wonderfully talented team at Edible Beats. With a focus on sustainability and using local growers and purveyors, you know you are getting the best/freshest ingredients. The Banana Bread French Toast will remain in your taste bud registry for months and lucky for us if we are ever traveling out of town we can justify heading to the airport early to visit their DIA location.

6. Lola

best brunch Denver

With plates like the Horchata Pancakes, Griddled Green Chile Bolillo or Smoked Mushroom Tamale, how can one not put this amazing establishment on a top ten brunch list? Chef/Owner Dave Query and his Big Red F Restaurant Group have been essential to the diverse scene we as eaters get to partake in. A trip to Lola for brunch is a great way to-Treat. Yo. Self.

7. Denver Biscuit Company

best brunch Denver

In 2009 Denver experienced a flavor explosion when Denver Biscuit Co. entered onto the scene. The concept can be a little to confusing, but basically Owner Drew Shader has created three concepts in one, Atomic Cowboy, Fat Sully’s and of course DBC. One of our favorite plates is the The Franklin, buttermilk fried chicken, Tender Belly bacon, and cheddar cheese smothered in sausage or vegetarian mushroom gravy. Delicious. Seriously.

8. Sassafras

Two locations, one in the Jefferson Park and one in Cap Hill, both serving some of the best Southern style food in Denver. Sassafras also has some of the best housemade Bloody Marys you’ll ever have, with eleven on the menu to choose from. Our favorite dish? The Chicken Fried Eggs with Buffalo Hash, local Buffalo smoked over Pecan wood, fried six-minute eggs (not a minute under or over), housemade cornbread & a Fresno Chile Hollandaise. YUM!

9. Linger

best brunch Denver

This list is definitely representing the classics in town, well there is a reason places like Linger stay consistently popular with Denver residents. Located in LoHi, with one of the best patios and ambiances in the state. Another Edible Beets concept and the second one on this list. Are we biased, yes we are, for delicious food that is prepared and served by one of the best staffs in Denver. The obvious choice on a Saturday morning is the Hangover Ramen, pork belly, soft boiled Shoyu egg, duck confit, mushrooms, sesame & Lots o’Condiments. Enjoy.

10. Revelry Kitchen

best brunch Denver

Top ten lists are so difficult, especially when the last restaurant on the list could very easily be at the top. This is one of the best new restaurants in town and you need to make it a top priority to check it out! Order the The Benny: rajas tamales, braised kale, guajillo hollandaise & pork chicharron. When should you go? Any day because they have brunch every day of the week!

You might also like…

Experience Sirvo for yourself

Sign up now to find hospitality jobs and hire top industry talent.
Sign up