Modern Day Job Listing Advice for Hospitality Employers

Modern Day Job Listing Advice for Hospitality Employers

by | Dec 7, 2016 | Business Toolkit, IndiTips

One of the main ideas we emphasize when training new restaurant and hospitality employees is the importance of making a great first impression with guests, but are we living by that same rule when it comes to our hiring practices? Are we making an effort to provide job seekers with that same great first impression?

Most job listings read the same way and it’s hard for job seekers to differentiate one group from the next. With an influx of a new generation of workers, newly arrived residents, and an expanding restaurant market, we need a renewed focus on how we brand and market ourselves to this vast amount of applicants. Here are a few key points that will help make your open listings as attractive as possible.

Be specific about the position

Posting a job for “All Positions” will do you more harm than good. It scares off a lot of potential applicants who see through the guise of posts like these. You may have a need to fill several positions at once, but your typical applicant may fear being pushed into a position in which they will not be happy nor successful.

Stop trying to hire for today and start hiring for tomorrow.

Why is this important? Because you don’t want to invest in a “maybe”, you will be wasting time and money trying to pawn off less attractive positions to applicants who are not interested. Need a Dishwasher? Then create a listing for that specific position, there is someone out there looking for that type of work who has the background you need.

Emphasize your culture

What makes you different than everyone else? Do you throw employee parties a few times a year? Are you a “green” restaurant that that has a good sustainability program? Then say so because job applicants not only want to know these things but these are the aspects that make one job more attractive than the next. You have invested a lot of time creating and fostering that culture, so tell your story and engage the type of individuals you want to work for you.

Learn more about Sirvo’s tools to increase your candidate reach and engagement.

We need to come to one realization above all else, WE ARE COMPETING FOR TALENT. While you may know that your group is the best to work for, job seekers will have no clue unless you market yourself that way.

Focus on compensation & upward mobility

We understand that compensation isn’t always something a company wishes to reveal. No one wants to write an open check to an unknown entity in fear that it may be exploited. However, you should be confident in the incentives that your group offers.

If there are opportunities for advancement and higher pay, advertise that within the job listing. Do you have employees who started as support staff and are now in management? Tell those stories! Paint that picture in your listing and show job seekers that there are ways to move up within your company.

Often times most job listings read the same way and its hard for job seekers to differentiate one group from the next.

Need-based hiring vs. effective hiring

We need to stop trying to put a band-aid on our hiring issues and instead put a long-term plan together. Everyone keeps looking for that quick-fix, meanwhile, labor costs are rising and our turnover rate is through the roof! We need to reevaluate our hiring practices and plan for the future. Stop trying to hire for today and start hiring for tomorrow. It will pay dividends in the future and ultimately save you a lot of headaches and money.

The days of simply saying “Now Hiring Line Cooks” and watching applicants pour in are over. Now it’s time to modernize hiring efforts so that the focus is on retention, and Sirvo can help.

While you may not have taken advantage just yet, online hiring platforms like Sirvo offer employers the tools and reach they need to effectively recruit in this day and age. That said, job listings must speak for themselves and sell job seekers on your company. Need some help? Use our job listing templates to get started. Your new hires are waiting for you, so post your open jobs today! 

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7 Licenses and Permits Required to Open a New Restaurant

7 Licenses and Permits Required to Open a New Restaurant

by | Nov 28, 2016 | Business Toolkit, Management

Opening a new restaurant is no easy task and the restaurant industry is highly regulated. New eateries face all of the typical new business hurdles, as well as complying with a web of local, state and federal regulations. To ensure that your new restaurant gets off to a good start, find out exactly what licenses and permits it needs to operate.

Business License

The city or state where your new restaurant resides issues you a business license. This license is what gives you the authorization to operate within a particular geographic jurisdiction. Getting a business license usually involves filling out some paperwork (i.e. registering your business name) and paying an application fee.

Employer Identification Number (EIN)

An EIN number is what tells the federal government that you are an employer. It is essentially a tax identification number, and you obtain it by visiting the IRS website, filling out a form and paying a fee. You can also apply by mail or by phone. Your EIN is the number under which you file your business taxes each year.

…the restaurant industry is highly regulated…

Certificate of Occupancy

A new restaurant must have a certificate of occupancy to show that the building it is safe for employees and customers. The town or city that your restaurant resides issues the certificate and usually requires a building inspection by local authorities. Most restaurants must have a certificate of occupancy before opening their doors to the public.

Food Service License

No restaurant can operate without a food service license. This license usually involves and on site visit by city or county health department officials and ensures that your restaurant meets all food preparation, food storage and food safety regulations and laws. In some cases, employees must complete a food safety training program and have a food handler’s permit.

With the right licenses and permits, you will get off to a flying start and a whole new culinary adventure.

Liquor License

If you plan to sell liquor at your restaurant, then you need a liquor license. Liquor laws vary from state to state and sometimes from city to city. Local authorities do not want just anyone selling liquor, so most liquor laws are fairly strict and regulate everything from when and where to serve liquor to how much it costs. Depending on your restaurant’s location, you might need both a beer and wine license and a liquor license.

No matter what type of liquor license you need, apply for it early because it can take up to a year to receive it. Application fees can range from a few hundred dollars to many thousands of dollars, and you must renew the license each year.

Music License

Music in the background of any public eating establishment helps create atmosphere. Copyright law, however, protects music, so if you plan to play it in your restaurant, then make sure you have a music license.

Check out Sirvo’s Business Owner’s Toolkit for more information on operating your own place in the hospitality industry.

Get the license from companies that hold performance rights for copyrighted musical works. Two of the largest such companies are the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI). You can face some pretty stiff fines without a music licence.

You can also opt for a restaurant music streaming service that covers all your bases like, Soundtrack Your Brand.

Sign Permit

You need signage to draw attention to your new restaurant. So before you put up that placard, sandwich board or illuminated banner, make sure that you have a sign permit from the city or town where your new restaurant resides. This permit allows you to use signage, but it also regulates the size and location of your signs.

Opening a new restaurant is exciting! With the right licenses and permits, you will get off to a flying start and a whole new culinary adventure. Check out Sirvo’s Business Owner’s Toolkit for more information on operating your own place in the hospitality industry. 

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How to Choose a Memorable Name For Your Restaurant

How to Choose a Memorable Name For Your Restaurant

by | Nov 23, 2016 | Business Toolkit, Management

You’ve readied your space, hired your staff and now the only thing standing between you and opening night is thinking of a great restaurant name. It’s almost like naming your baby… with a few big differences. Name your kid Apple, and you get a few eye-rolls from the adults in the playground. Name your restaurant Rat’s Nest Kitchen, and you just lost whatever money you invested. So how do you go about choosing the right name for your restaurant?

Good characteristics for names

A good name for a business has a couple of traits. Remember that it is all about branding and you want to choose a name that will be easy for your guests to remember. No one wants to be known as “That one place with the sandwiches”. Make it is easy to spell too, so that people can write about you. Keep it simple and choose a name that can possibly be utilized effectively as you potentially grow someday.

The most important part of a good name is that it targets the audience you want to draw. You’ll need to research your potential clientele to find out what will make a good impression on them before thinking up names.

Your restaurant, like your baby, needs a good name.

Location is a great starting place

People who love your town will appreciate a place named after it or some piece of their history. Visitors will like the historic appeal and may even come to conclusions about the historical importance of your establishment, even if there isn’t much past the use of the name. In other words, choose a timeless name.

You can take the location inspiration in many directions. For example, The French Laundry got its name from the French Steam laundry that was housed in the same building in the 19th century. Go ahead and dig deep in local color. It’ll do your name good.

Keep the theme in mind

Have you ever seen a Chinese Restaurant named Joe’s? No, and you won’t because a restaurant serving ethnic food wants potential customers to know what they are in for. Your restaurant’s name should reflect the theme of your business. The name is the first impression people get, and you want it to be accurate.

Keep it simple and choose a name that can possibly be utilized effectively as you potentially grow someday.

… And the cuisine

While naming your pizzeria Pepperoni Pizza With A Soda may be a bit restrictive, calling it Just Pizzas is pretty effective. It may even help in marketing your brand, as it tells the customer exactly what to expect from the menu. A vegetarian will know to avoid something with ‘steakhouse’ in the name, and people in the mood for tacos will gravitate toward a restaurant named ‘taqueria.’

Use personal inspiration

A common naming trope is to use the name of the person who inspired the owner. For instance, Wendy’s was named after the owner’s daughter. Naming your restaurant after a loved one makes for a great advertising hook, and people will eat up the story along with the food.

You can also name it after a time or place that holds personal meaning or your favorite play on words. Everybody loves a joke, and puns work on many levels. It conveys a relaxed attitude, and it puts people In a sunny mood. It also gives you a chance to get creative.

What to avoid

For both legal and branding reasons, you will want to avoid trademarked names. You’ll confuse customers and get yourself sued.

As a general rule, run potential names past other people and look to their reactions.

As a general rule, you should run potential names past other people and see their reactions. They will think of associations that you might have missed. Plenty of people have come up with what they thought were lovely names, only to have everybody assume they were insulting someone or referencing something off-color. Getting input from peers or local industry leaders keeps you from getting embarrassed later.

Your restaurant, like your baby, needs a good name. Your restaurant needs a name it can stick with for life. Take the time to research the market, brainstorm ideas, and test it on people. Getting the right name will be worth every minute. 

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5 Tips for Taking Your Restaurant Website From Good to Great

5 Tips for Taking Your Restaurant Website From Good to Great

by | Nov 16, 2016 | Business Toolkit, Management

A good website is no longer enough to compete in the crowded restaurant environment. To stand out to potential patrons in the age of internet ubiquity, you need a digital presence that sets your business apart from its competition. To help accomplish that goal, here are 5 steps you can take to take your restaurant website from good to great.

1. Make it Responsive

To say that we live in a world of smartphones and tablets is no longer an exaggeration. Mobile internet usage surpassed its desktop counterpart for the first time last year, and the gap is only expected to widen in the near future. Increasingly, your patrons are deciding whether to visit your establishment on the go.

For your restaurant, that means a crucial adjustment: make sure your website looks equally well on all devices and screen sizes. The process, called responsive design, allows the layout of each page to adjust dynamically so that even smartphone users can still find the information they need. The result will be better visibility in search engines in addition to improved user experience.

2. Allow for Online Reservations

Nobody likes even the chance of waiting in line. And yet, especially during peak hours, exactly that might happen for many restaurants. So why not set yours apart with an online reservation system?

A number of platforms, such as Tablein and Nextable, have begun to offer services that allow restaurants to integrate online reservations into their websites. The result is a more interactive experience that allows your audience to more easily reserve tables, and you to better plan your busy evenings.

…don’t underestimate the power of personalizing the web experience for your audience.

3. Add Your Own Style

To be successful online, your restaurant website cannot look like its competition. You need to stand out, ideally in a visual style that is congruent with the brand you’re looking to promote. Above all, that means losing the stock photos and using photos of your own locale, staff, and guests instead.

Try to use the website to convey the actual atmosphere and type of food your audience will encounter when they visit. We’re visual learners, so a large percentage of your web visitors will never bother to view your menu or read your writing if you cannot grasp their interest and attention within the first few seconds on your website.

4. Include Social Proof

Nothing is more convincing to potential guests than their peers telling them about the greatness of your food and atmosphere. Social proof in all of its forms is scientifically proven to work, thanks to our subconscious need for social validation.

Customer testimonials on your website are a crucial first step in leveraging the power of the masses. But so are social shares, especially if you decide to feature dynamic content such as blog posts or videos. The more easily your visitors can share the content, the larger of an audience will find out about your restaurant and be prompted to visit your website.

You need to stand out, ideally in a visual style that is congruent with the brand you’re looking to promote.

5. Share Behind-the-Scenes Content

Finally, don’t underestimate the power of personalizing the web experience for your audience. Especially first-time visitors, who can only rely on your website for information about your restaurant, will appreciate learning more that helps them better understand what they’re in for.

For example, you may want to share a profile (or even cooking video) of your cooks to give your audience a better understanding of how their food is made. You can do the same for servers, or even include a timelapse video of a typical night that better conveys how popular your restaurant truly is. The more of a peak behind the curtain you allow your audience to take, the more likely they’ll be to actually visit and check out your restaurant for themselves.

Do you have a good restaurant website? Don’t rest on your laurels – your competitors might as well. Instead, work to make it great, using the above tips. Ultimately, your audience will have to decide whether they want to eat at your establishment or at an alternative down the road. An effective website can make all the difference in helping them make that decision.

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How to Run a Successful Wine Program

How to Run a Successful Wine Program

by | Nov 11, 2016 | Business Toolkit, Management

There’s nothing quite like a glass–or a bottle–of wine with dinner when you’re out to eat. Unfortunately, all too many restaurants are failing to take advantage of this great source of income. You have a wine list, but you’re not using it to its full potential! Below we offer some suggestions on refining your wine program in attempt to offer your guests as dynamic of an experience possible!

Choose Your Wines Carefully

Ideally, you want to have a rotating selection of wines that reflect the trends your customers will enjoy most. Some customers are eager to check out the new wine that you’ve just added to the menu, others have old favorites and won’t often branch out.

Choose your wines with care, being sure to offer them at a variety of price points to attract as many customers as possible. Always keep in mind the cuisine you offer and ensure that your wine selection can be paired with any dish you serve.

The excuse of, “well we just don’t sell that much wine” is essentially inexcusable.

A great resource for information is your liquor sales representative/consultant. Liquor distribution companies train their staff very well and provide them with a multitude of educational sessions throughout the year.

Don’t get us wrong, they are always trying to make the sale and get you to purchase higher priced bottles or ones they can’t seem to unload out of the warehouse. But they are also very, very knowledgeable of their product and can walk you through the selection process.

Watch Your Prices

Base your glass prices on market value/competitive pricing as this will encourage customers to consider your particular wine options. By pricing your glasses of wine reasonably, you encourage more guests to (at the very least) try a glass. A well-chosen glass can easily lead to a bottle, as well as a satisfied guest with the intent to return!

A well-chosen glass can easily lead to a bottle.

As for bottle pricing, an effective strategy is to offer a reasonable price on bottles of your house red or white; select a price point that makes it cheaper than it would be by the glass. Your house wines are great options to include on happy hour menus as well and are an easy choice for many of your guests who are not picky about their wine.

As for the higher end bottles, charge market price because these should not be discounted and won’t ever have to be as long as they are attractive options.

Educate Your Staff

It’s crucial for your waitstaff to be knowledgeable about your wine selection and be able to properly talk about wine with guests. A waiter who is uncomfortable speaking about wine and/or guiding guests through the selections will be a poor salesperson, and that’s not necessarily their fault!

It’s crucial for your waitstaff to be knowledgeable about your wine selection.

Ideally, you want as much of your staff possible to have tried the wines that you’re offering. Not only that, they should have an idea of the characteristics of the wine, what wine pairs well with the signature dishes on your menu, and how to choose a wine that will fit your customer’s preferences.

Discussing the wines you carry during any type of pre-shift meeting is an ideal time to provide information for your staff. Maybe even consider a bi-annual all-staff meeting to go over your entire beverage campaign and include a wine education portion in those meetings.

Improve the Experience

All waitstaff should be presenting and offering wine service in a professional and proper manner. There are traditionalists out there that will refuse a bottle or ask for a replacement if it is not presented properly.

Wine service takes practice and a first timer is always going to be nervous. It’s a pretty simple process, made easier by following these steps:

  • Always carry a wine key and not a cheap one either, they don’t last and often don’t work all that well.
  • Carry the bottle with the label out with the palm of your hand placed on the bottom of the bottle
  • Ensure that all wine glasses are polished and feel free to carry the glasses on a tray or in your other hand
  • Bring a linen folded and draped neatly across your arm to help with small spills
  • Present the bottle to the guest who ordered it prior to uncorking
  • Always be talking to the guest as you are uncorking the bottle (this avoids awkwardness and allows time to talk menu options)
  • Pour a small sample and present to the guest who ordered the bottle
  • Once an approval is given, pour for each guest (ladies first)

Selection, price, variety, pairings, presentation and education are essential to a restaurant’s wine program.

Selection, price, variety, pairings, presentation and education are essential to a restaurant’s wine program. The excuse of, “well we just don’t sell that much wine” is essentially inexcusable. If you do not have an attractive wine presence on your menu or a staff that is uneducated about wine you are letting money walk out the door as a business owner. Make it a priority and be passionate about an age old beverage selection that will not only attract a certain audience but will also make many of your guests feel that they were provided with an experience and sometimes an education. 

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Experience Sirvo for yourself

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

Sign up