How to Make Your Social Media Content Stand Out

How to Make Your Social Media Content Stand Out

by | Jul 8, 2016 | Management

If you run a hospitality business, marketing yourself is a large part of your success. To do that, you’ll need to be active on social media. With so much going on, it may be difficult to know just how to get started, but there are nuances that make each platform stand out–use the best practices for each platform in order to truly grow your business without extra effort, with these tips below:

Facebook

With the largest digital population of all social media sites, Facebook is where you will reach the largest segment of your customers and potential customers. Facebook also has the largest variety in terms of content you can post.

Facebook also has the largest variety in terms of content you can post.

Take advantage of the easy shareability the platform provides by posting an enjoyable mix of entertaining posts, from special event announcements to fun foodie facts and behind-the-scenes photos, and encourage your followers to share with their friends. With a small budget (starting at $5 a day), you can boost your posts, which will spread them to a much wider audience, outside your own internal network.

Facebook also allows you to source reviews and post them on a special tab. Since word of mouth is the best way to find new customers, don’t miss this chance; invite customers to review your business on Facebook as often as possible, including messaging on flyers, posters, your website, and more. Include these reviews on your website as well.

Twitter

Twitter is an of-the-moment platform. Followers see your posts in real time, so Twitter is the perfect place to react to customer comments and provide statements on relevant events as they happen. You’ll show that your business is up-to-speed, responsive, and attentive.

Make Twitter your forum for public service.

Make Twitter your forum for public service, and ensure that you respond to any customers’ mentions, tweets, or comments about your brand as soon as possible. By quickly reacting and offering commentary or assistance, you’ll be able to set your business up as a leader in the industry for client needs.

Instagram

Instagram is a highly popular platform that works best when the images do the talking for you. Use this platform to let your products shine! Showcase beautiful images of your business’s food, set-up, and fun employee moments as well, since followers love to see original and enjoyable behind-the-scenes snapshots and feel a connection.

Use Instagram to let your products shine!

Instagram is also a great place to source user-generated images, as people love to post their own material. Use this to your advantage by hosting contests on Instagram: invite followers to post an image of dining at the restaurant (or their favorite meal, or activity perhaps), then tagging your profile in order to win a free meal.

It’s an easy-to-enter and fun activity that will generate wonderful brand awareness to your followers’ followers, as well as a plethora of fan photos that you may be able to share and use, too.

Social Media Tools

By focusing on the aspects of each channel that will work best for your hospitality business, you can grow your brand without too much exertion. To make it even more seamless for your marketing team, consider using a social media scheduling tool or monitoring tool, where you keep an eye on all platforms at once.

To make it even more seamless for your marketing team, consider using a social media scheduling tool.

One of the best tools out there is Hootsuite, where you can schedule posts and track all of your activity at once. To watch multiple topics and conversations in real time on Twitter, you can also look into Tweetdeck, which will easily show you all topics, accounts, and conversations of interest in one simple layout.

Another option, if you’re looking to automate any posts from one channel to show directly on another, is IFTTT. If you’re looking into this, consider the relevance of each post for multiple channels to be sure you want to post that content widely.

With these platform-specific tips, you can begin to post and share to social media now, growing your business strategically – and enjoyably!

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How to Behave at a Sushi Restaurant

How to Behave at a Sushi Restaurant

by | Jun 17, 2016 | IndiNews

Everyone seems to be eating sushi these days. What some people do not realize, however, is that eating this traditional Japanese food comes with its own set of rules, most of which are in regards to showing respect to the chef that prepared the food. If you would like to learn how to behave at a sushi restaurant, here are some things you should know.

Sushi is Art

Traditionally, one learns to appreciate art by going to a museum or gallery to observe it. The beginning sushi chef starts his or her career by watching other sushi chefs for as long as the first month of training. Chefs use certain body movements and ways of cutting and arranging the food that results in beautiful arrays that vary in color, texture, size and taste, and, therefore, a true culinary art. The appearance of the sushi is as important to the chef as the flavor, so one should take his time to observe and appreciate the food when it is served.

If seated at the bar, it is proper etiquette to order sushi directly from the chef, but to reserve drink orders for the wait staff.

If one would like to see the artful process involved in making the sushi, he or she should request to sit at the bar in front of the prep area. If seated at the bar, it is proper etiquette to order sushi directly from the chef, but to reserve drink orders for the wait staff.

If a tip jar is provided at the bar, it is proper to place tips into it. However, if no jar is available, tipping the regular way when the check arrives is perfectly acceptable.

Chopsticks

Although some people prefer to eat sushi with their fingers, which is perfectly acceptable, it is most commonly eaten with chopsticks. There are all kinds of chopsticks. However, unless the sushi restaurant is a particularly high-end establishment that provides high-gloss, finely carved chopsticks, the sticks are usually provided in thin paper packages that diners open and extract themselves.

It is considered insulting to the sushi chef to rub the chopsticks together to remove these splinters, because this indicates that the sticks are inferior, so just leave them.

Upon opening chopsticks, one often finds they are joined at one end. A quick pull about midway down the stick will liberate one from the other, which is good, but sometimes, one detects small splinters of wood protruding from the area where the sticks were broken apart. Believe it or not, it is considered insulting to the sushi chef to rub the chopsticks together to remove these splinters, because this indicates that the sticks are inferior, so just leave them, unless they appear in areas that obstruct the fingers, or there is a danger of consuming them.

If one is dining from a communal table where the sushi is served on a shared platter, the chopsticks should be reversed to their wider ends to remove the food, and then flipped to the pointed ends for eating.

Condiments and Dipping

Sushi is usually served with certain condiments, such as soy sauce, a green horseradish called, “wasabi,” and thinly-sliced, preserved ginger. Diners are provided with small, shallow bowls to hold the soy sauce, and often use their chopsticks to place a little of the wasabi into the sauce and mix it with their chopsticks for an added flavor kick. However, This practice is considered incorrect. The wasabi should be dabbed onto each piece separately as it is eaten, and used sparingly.

 When prepared correctly, sushi is finely crafted with perfect, delicate balances of flavor that are overshadowed by the flavor of the ginger.

Dipping the fish side of the sushi into the soy sauce keeps the food in place. Dipping the rice side in can cause the rice to dislodge and fall into the sauce, which can again, insult the chef. However, the bites should be eaten with the rice side down, so the taste buds will not be overwhelmed by the salty flavors of the sauce.

Never place ginger directly onto the sushi. When prepared correctly, sushi is finely crafted with perfect, delicate balances of flavor that are overshadowed by the flavor of the ginger. The pink condiment should be consumed between bites to cleanse the palate in preparation for the next bite.

Gratitude

In addition to a tip, a polite “thanks” should be given to the chef and/ or staff. A quick, “domo arigato” is sufficient, but “thank you” will also suffice.

Sidenote: If you love sushi and you’re looking for a job, find opportunities with top sushi restaurants on Sirvo!

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Top Food Products Started In Colorado

Top Food Products Started In Colorado

If you didn't already know, Colorado is the birthplace of more than just a few food and beverage-related businesses. From Coors to countless craft breweries to casual restaurant chains like Chipotle and Noodles & Company. Let's not forget the higher end...

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9 Types Of Intelligence: Which Are You?

9 Types Of Intelligence: Which Are You?

If math or linguistics came easily to you, school was probably a far more enjoyable experience for you than others... After all, these two types of intelligence are the primary focus of our educational systems. Other types of intelligence, like the ability to discern...

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Host Hacks: How to Deal with Angry Customers

Host Hacks: How to Deal with Angry Customers

by | Jun 15, 2016 | Career

Unfortunately, there are many situations at a restaurant where a visitor may expect more than they’re given, and as a host, you’ll need to rise to the occasion and act as the face of the restaurant. Use the following tips to keep your cool and handle angry customers like the pros in the meantime!

Remain calm

The number one thing you can do is take a deep breath and bite back any indignant responses or angry feelings. Remember that you are at work, and the customer’s concerns aren’t personal to you: you’re there to keep as many people happy as possible.

In addition, your anger will likely make the situation worse, by fueling your customer’s negative feelings even further, rather than bringing them down to a manageable level.

Show them you care

Go a step beyond nodding and calmly responding to your customers. Truly reach out to them by finding their real concerns from what they say. When you can respond by letting the angry customer know that you hear and understand exactly what upsets them, they’ll feel much more taken care of, acknowledged, and thus, helped in their situation.

You may not be able to solve every issue, but do answer all complaints by saying, “I understand, Mr. Smith.”

You may not be able to solve every issue, but do answer all complaints by saying, “I understand, Mr. Smith. You had hoped to be seated sooner and want to know what we can do about it. I will speak to a manager/see what I can do/follow up with you in a moment.”

What you do here is twofold: you both make the angry customer feel heard, and you help stem further explanation of the issue from them by making it clear it’s been taken seriously.

Show empathy and apologize if appropriate

The next step is to show that you, as a representative of the restaurant, care for the customer’s concerns. Whether or not you personally feel for that person, you need to be professional in your ability to take care of the situation, and part of that is to show empathy for frustrations.

This can vary depending on the situation. For a customer intent on causing a scene, no matter what the case, you may decide to apologize for the difficulty they’re having and suggest they return when the restaurant is less busy and their needs can be tended to more thoroughly.

For a customer with valid frustrations that you can’t personally fix, apologize for their situation and show your sympathy. Then, move on to the following step.

Resolve the issue, as best as you can

Show that you’re working to fix the problem, and take what steps you can to address any customer issues, within reason. When you’re faced with a conflict that can’t fully be resolved, but requires action, offer what you can: a free meal, a drink, etc.

Be sure to check with management to know ahead of time exactly how you are authorized to assist in these types of situations.

Be sure to check with management to know ahead of time exactly how you are authorized to assist in these types of situations. If you do find yourself in a conflict that you can’t resolve alone, too, do be sure to bring in a manager, server, or some type of assistance–both to show you’re doing what you can to resolve the problem and to have a support system yourself.

From time to time, customers will show their frustration with you, as the face of the restaurant. By remaining calm, empathetic, and reactive, you can keep the situation light and diffuse tension, often ending the issue. Use your support system when you need it, and remember to remain unflustered and authoritative; you’ll control the situation like a professional every time.

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5 Challenges Faced By New Restaurants

5 Challenges Faced By New Restaurants

by | Jun 6, 2016 | Management

The restaurant industry continues to be a difficult place for entrepreneurs to explore business opportunities, but by understanding common challenges, future owners may be able to develop unique strategies to increase their chances of success.

Effective inventory management

Restaurant owners should keep a keen focus on managing expenses. One crucial component of keeping costs low is effectively managing inventory. Failing to do so may result in unforeseen expenditures and supply overages or shortages throughout peak business periods.

Those responsible for managing the inventory and menu pricing should fine tune the ordering process to limit waste and to continuously monitor fluctuating costs which impact gross profit on menu items.

Pro-tip: Ingredient costs fluctuate frequently, so check prices regularly.

Keeping up with market trends

Before a potential business owner decides to open a restaurant, he or she must become familiar with the market. In addition, conducting periodic research into current and projected future trends is critical to staying a step ahead of competitors. A comprehensive analysis of existing trends and the viability of similar restaurant ventures in the community is a good way to forecast potential revenue in each quarter.

Hiring staff

Successful restaurant owners know the importance of having the right employees; an organization must be sure to have a good team in place to make it in the hospitality industry. Placing greater emphasis on hiring and training staff can help meet this requisite and also reduce costs over time.

This starts with sourcing high-quality candidates by not just advertising open jobs but also having detailed job descriptions that include specific responsibilities and requirements. And, it ends by thoroughly reviewing each and every applicant so that when it comes time to hire, it can be done with confidence.

Pro-tip: Take advantage of the interview; by asking candidates questions that allow for assessment of their knowledge and skills, it can provide powerful insight into whether or not he or she will make a good addition to the team.

Minimizing turnover

It is important to keep in mind that once the proper employees are both hired and trained, keeping turnover to a minimum should be a top priority. Why? Because turnover is expensive; the cost to replace an employee is about 16-20% of their annual salary.

One key concern is maintaining a positive corporate culture that will keep employees engaged and wanting to come back. For workers to remain enthusiastic and motivated, they should be given a clear set of processes, manuals and procedures as well as specific goals and rewards for meeting those goals.

Staying on top of technology trends

Technology is constantly evolving in the restaurant industry and smart restaurant owners will jump on the bandwagon. From hiring to inventory to customer service, technology can help to maximize business outcomes.

Pro-tip: Utilize a software program that is compatible with your existing POS system to track customer trends and demographics. These can provide great insight about customer likes and dislikes!

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Final Rule on Overtime Pay Eligibility for Salary Employees

Final Rule on Overtime Pay Eligibility for Salary Employees

by | May 25, 2016 | Business Toolkit, Management

It’s official, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) long-awaited rule on overtime pay eligibility was made final this past Monday, May 23, 2016. And, when it goes into effect on December 1, 2016, it will automatically extend overtime pay protections to over 4 million workers within the first year of implementation.

While the actual rule is 508 pages in length, the DOL released a 3-page summary, which boils down to these points:

  • Guarantees time-and-half pay to any salaried employee earning under $47,476 a year ($913 a week) and who works more than 40 hours in a week.
  • Automatically updates the salary threshold every three years, tying it to the 40th percentile of full-time salaried workers in the lowest-income Census region. The first update would be Jan. 1, 2020. Furthermore, the DOL projects a salary threshold of $51,000 by Jan. 1, 2020.
  • Makes no changes in the duties tests used to determine whether a salaried employee above the threshold is considered exempt from overtime pay.
  • For the first time, it allows certain bonuses and incentive payments to count toward up to 10 percent of the new salary level if the payments are made on at least a quarterly basis.

Several industries will be affected by this change, but there’s no doubt that the biggest impact will be on the service industry including restaurants and hospitality businesses. As such, there’s no shortage of controversy surrounding the issue.

In fact, lawmakers, employers and non-profits are joining together and calling for “immediate legislative efforts to defund, block or nullilfy the rule,” the reason being that “the threshold for exempt employees in the final regulations is still too high.”

For more information about the final rule on overtime pay for salary employees, click here →