How to Prep Your Restaurant for the Holiday Season

How to Prep Your Restaurant for the Holiday Season

by | Oct 26, 2016 | Business Toolkit, Management

This time of year everybody’s thinking about how to hire restaurant staff in time to be ready for the holiday season. While you are getting your hiring program in gear, there other steps to take now to satisfy holiday demand spikes.

Encourage early bookings

Market your special services early, and provide incentives to clients to get their orders in as soon as possible. Tell everybody that you are ready to take early orders and will offer coupons with serious discounts for comfortably early bookings. If your catering program racks up extra reservations, you have time to staff properly.

Earlier catering orders from your customers will allow strategic moves such as staffing additions, schedule changes and supply sourcing.

Promote early using the social media tools that your community prefers. (Thinking of expanding into another social platform? Do that early, too!) Mention that you offer 10% off on early reservations for holiday party catering on your printed menus and add the pitch to your recorded phone messages, too.

Use annual trends to plan ahead

Yes, you must hire enough people and give them enough time to learn your systems. When restaurant guests wait for long stretches to place an order because you provide only one waiter on a shopping weekend, there’s a possibility that they’ll never come return to your establishment. Understaffed restaurants do significant damage to their brands.

Having those year to year records to compare makes your judgment call much easier. If you know from annual trends that you will need a certain level of help for the holiday season, you can line up quality seasonal staff by starting outreach early.

Understaffed restaurants do significant damage to their brands.

If you have been in business for under a year, or have been open at a particular location for less than a year, be bold and invest in generous holiday season customer service. You can cut back next year, but you may not be able to make up for the diminished reputation that a bad holiday experience can engender.

Start hiring earlier rather than later

Now that you’ve started planning for the holiday season, you should have a better idea of how much additional staff you’ll need and when you’ll need it, so don’t wait until the last minute to actually get the word out.

Also, decide what channels you’ll be using to hire. Online hiring platforms, like Sirvo, are great because they’re easy to use and can increase your reach to potential candidates. Not to mention, having a talent library to search through can help you, the employer, be proactive during the process.

Prevent your staff from getting in the weeds

During heavy demand, your staff will walk a tightrope, having to balance providing great service with turning tables quickly. Conflicting impulses and tired shoppers can create stress and alienation among your servers.

For exceptionally busy times, consider offering a shorter holiday menu to make decisions easier

You can help prevent holiday burnout and even address slowed service during a rush with just a few suggestions to your staff. For example, encourage servers to make compelling verbal suggestions when or even before a menu is presented. For exceptionally busy times, consider offering a shorter holiday menu to make decisions easier.

Keep the kitchen stocked

Running out of advertised dishes is never the mark of a solid restaurant operation, but it is much worse at the time of special splurges and meaningful holiday meals.

Keep a healthy inventory, and don’t run out of your signature dishes. Ordering what you need for increased demand will instill confidence and show that you take the season seriously.

Your employees want to make a good living in a good restaurant. Providing them what they need to keep your holiday diners smiling will help everybody win.

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While some people look forward to summer as a time to relax, go on vacation, and maybe hit the beaches, for many others, it’s the time to look for work. So how do you maximize your hiring efforts during this time? Let’s look at 7 ways to make this summer your best hiring season yet!

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7 Ways To Save Food From Landfills

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The US wastes about 30% to 40% of the food supply, and that uneaten food goes right to landfills, where it produces methane gas and takes up space. How you decide to stop food waste is up to you; just remember that every little bit counts.

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Why You Should Become a Restaurant Expeditor

Why You Should Become a Restaurant Expeditor

by | Oct 21, 2016 | Career

Have you ever wondered how even the busiest of restaurants are able to coordinate kitchen and service staff while ensuring orders are accurately recorded and cooked to perfection each time? More than likely, those establishments that are able to accomplish this have hired effective restaurant food expeditors.

What exactly is a restaurant expeditor?

At its most basic, the job description of a restaurant expeditor is to serve as a middle-man between the workers in the front and back of the house – in other words, the service staff and the kitchen staff. Expeditors work to ensure that service staff accurately communicates customer orders and that the cooks are preparing those orders properly and promptly. The principal goal is to keep solid communication between the two groups so that customer service is the best that it can be.

Their principal goal is to keep solid communication between the service and kitchen staff so that customer service is the best that it can be.

Expeditors typically work in the kitchen and are often seen checking order tickets to confirm that orders are being called and prepared accurately. These individuals are also responsible for ensuring any incoming special requests are done correctly. When they find something being done improperly, the expeditor is to inform the kitchen staff before the food is taken out front to the guest.

What skills do you need to be an expeditor?

To be effective at their jobs, expeditors must be excellent communicators with top-notch customer service skills. When a restaurant is regularly busy, it is often not productive for the front and back staff to communicate with each other directly. That is where expeditors come in. Besides checking tickets, it may also be their responsibility to read them and call out the orders as they come in.

While not a requirement, basic cooking skills can be assets to expeditors. As is familiarity with the menu because it’s expeditor’s job tell whether or not a dish has been prepared correctly with just a glance and update service staff regarding any changes to the menu

Managers will frequently ask the expeditor for their opinions on how service is going and if something needs to be changed.

Many restaurant kitchens are fast-paced environments, so it’s vital that an expeditor is able to handle the pressure, as they may spend their entire shift moving between the front and back of the establishment with no break, particularly on busy nights.

Because this individual is in such a unique position, managers will frequently ask the expeditor for their opinions on how smoothly everything is going and whether something needs to be changed to improve the flow of customer service. This input is extremely helpful and important to the continued existence of the restaurant.

How do you become a restaurant expeditor?

In many cases, it is as simple as putting in an application, which you can do on Sirvo in just minutes. However, in busy high-end restaurants, at least some experience is likely to be required. Individuals who have worked in both the front and the back of the house will be at an advantage.

Most of the time, hiring managers are less concerned with credentials and prefer to find individuals with the right personality for the position.

Generally, the more experience an applicant has in a restaurant setting, the better. Most of the time, though, hiring managers are less concerned with credentials and prefer to find individuals with the right experience and personality for the position.

The job of restaurant expeditor is the perfect position for those who possess strong communication skills and enjoy working in all aspects of a restaurant setting. It is also a solid step forward for anyone who wants to work toward a long and rewarding career within the restaurant industry. To search for expeditor jobs on Sirvo, click here!

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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!

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Open Call for The Stanley Marketplace Career Fair

Open Call for The Stanley Marketplace Career Fair

by | Sep 13, 2016 | Career

Sirvo is proud to announce that on Saturday, September 24th we will be at Stanley Marketplace’s Career Fair, located at 2501 Dallas St., Aurora, CO. Residing in a hangar formerly owned and operated by Stanley Aviation (once Aurora’s largest employer), this new marketplace is sure to be one of Colorado’s hottest locations to shop, eat, drink and have fun!

STANLEY MARKETPLACE CAREER FAIR

Saturday, September 24th 2016

2501 Dallas St., Aurora, CO

1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Pre-Registration is Required-Head Here to Register

More than 50 independently owned and operated businesses will all be gathered under one roof looking for that next great hire to join their team in one of the most anticipated openings of 2016. This is the place to work!

The marketplace has two levels of retail shops, restaurants, microbreweries, coffee shops, ice cream, bakeries, salons, health and fitness studios and so much more! Located in northwest Aurora, The Stanley Marketplace is part of a continued revitalization effort that seeks to take older structures located in the city and restructure them in a way that pays homage to their former glory. A lot of thought and effort is put into these types of spaces and it is meant to be a modern gathering place where you can bring friends or family and spend a day enjoying yourself.

More than 50 independently owned and operated businesses will all be gathered under one roof looking for that next great hire to join their team in one of the most anticipated openings of 2016.

Denverites are already accustomed to this type of scene, as many of us frequent The Source or Industry, both located in RiNo. So when you are wondering what Stanley will look like, think of those buildings and triple the amount of things to do and places to visit. The space is so huge it will also play host to some of the best art, food, music and cultural events (or “Happenings“) we all love to partake in as Coloradans; including CherryArts at The Stanley and 5280 Eats hosted by 5280 Magazine!

So, if you are looking for a fun and exciting environment to work in and have been waiting for an opportunity like The Stanley Marketplace to arrive, then come see us on Saturday, September 24th with your Sirvo resume printed and ready to go! With a place this popular, this is your chance to get your foot in the door. If you have any friends that you think would be interested in applying to work at The Stanley or are looking for a position in hospitality in general, share this blog post and tell them to head over to Sirvo and create their profile.

See you there! 

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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!

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