Hiring Millennials For Your Restaurant

Hiring Millennials For Your Restaurant

by | Dec 14, 2015 | Business Toolkit, Management

Did you know more than 40% of restaurant employees fall between the ages of 16 and 24? This means a large number of restaurant staff are millennials, who are just entering the workforce and are re-shaping the world of work.

Are you ready?

The restaurant industry is one of the country’s fastest growing industries, projected to employ an additional 1.8 million people in the next 10 years. Extending from this, millennials are expected to make up 75% of the workforce by 2020.

What does this mean? That you need to develop a recruiting and hiring strategy to attract these workers. To do this, first take a look at some of the perks and benefits millennials want, and expect:

  • Clear growth opportunities and career paths: Career progression is a top priority for this generation —  even above competitive salaries. Millennials are committed to their personal learning and development.
  • Flexible and lenient work conditions: Millennials believe strongly in work-life balance, and many are enrolled in school. They want flexible working hours to fit those needs. Luckily, the industry is one of the few that offers flexible work schedules.
  • A fun and open environment: This generation wants to work in an enjoyable environment where they can have fun and build friendships.
  • Brand is everything: Millennials want to be proud of where they work, which means your brand is key. They want to do something that feels worthwhile, and need to believe in the values and vision of the company.

How do you attract millennials?

It’s apparent from their “wish list” above that millennials are motivated by more than just money. Attract millennials by offering more of what they want!

Put them on rotational assignments more frequently to gain a variety of experiences and give them a sense that they are moving toward something. Offer flexible work conditions so they can balance school and other social activities.

Offer fun incentives like work outings and friendly workplace competitions.

And remember, your brand and what it stands for matters. This means sharing your brand voice and workplace culture everywhere: in your establishment, on your website and social media, and in job listings.

How do you recruit millennials?

First and foremost, know that mobile is the device of choice for younger job seekers. So, make your jobs accessible via phones and tablets. Posting your jobs to social and mobile-enabled job sites allows applicants to react quickly to new postings and apply quickly with less barriers. At Sirvo, we’ve found that posting to social media increases the number of job applications and overall engagement.

Every unnecessary step or click in the application process is a barrier and reduces engagement.

This generation is tech-savvy and will spread their love for their workplace through word-of-mouth and social media platforms, which can help recruit local talent. Social recruiting has some benefits that the traditional, print classifieds lack, such as targeting your jobs to those that are likely to be interested in that position/industry/location. To cash in, be as specific as possible in your job listings.

This will enable you to reach a higher number of candidates that are qualified for the position you’re advertising, with the skill set and experience required, making it easier for you to hire in the long run.

Read more about why Sirvo is right for your restaurant here →

Bartending Hacks: Prepping The Bar

Bartending Hacks: Prepping The Bar

by | Dec 9, 2015 | Career

Contrary to the popular belief, bartending is far more complex than taking orders and pouring drinks. From setting up your bar and maintaining inventory to making mixers and prepping garnishes, there is a lot going on behind the bar. Here are some easily implemented hacks that will help you up your efficiency while prepping without sacrificing finesse.

Chilling drinks on the fly

It may seem obvious, but making sure your drinks are cold is an elemental, and sometimes stressful, part of bar service. If you run out of cold beers, what are you going to do? Definitely not serve them warm or tell customers to wait 30 minutes until they get cold.

What if you someone orders a $100 bottle of Chardonnay and the only one you have is un-chilled in the liquor room?

Here are two great ways to get bottles cold in a hurry:

  1. For bottled beer or soda, wrap the bottle in a damp paper towel and put it in the freezer. In 10-15 minutes, the beer will be cold enough to serve, saving you a great deal of time and grief. (NOTE: avoid putting wine in a freezer. While it may help cool the wine down, if you freeze it for too long you can easily ruin the wine’s structure and taste.)
  1. For both beer and wine, put the bottle in a large bucket of ice and add salt. The salt helps to cool the ice faster and allows you to get the bottle to the customer faster.

Ice hacks

Ice, while overlooked by most, plays a significant role in the composition and presentation of a drink. As pro bartenders know, the type of ice cube you use can make or break a drink and prepping for this needs to be executed flawlessly.

One easy way to make your ice look clean and crisp is by boiling the water before you freeze it.

This removes the dissolved gas, making it clear and not cloudy. Clearer ice allows the colors of your cocktail to flourish. The best example of this is in an Old Fashioned, which uses one big ice cube, and the clearer the better.

Using crushed ice will also help take your cocktails to the next level. Many summer-time drinks thrive when served with crushed ice. Make your own as needed by taking a ziplock bag with your cubed ice and beating it with a rolling pin or strong muddler. Simple as it may seem, your patrons notice the details, especially when they enhance the drinking experience.

Making syrups

No bar is complete without mixers and syrups, but they don’t grow on trees. Bartenders spend countless hours prepping before their shift, making their syrups and mixers. Here are some simple tips for enhancing your mixers and making them last longer.

There is no bar without simple syrup and, as any bartender can tell you, it’s an easy recipe: combine equal parts sugar and water, and boil until the sugar is dissolved.

The real trick here is about making it last; by adding a splash of vodka, you can extend the life of your syrup.

Everyone knows about the bar staple, Rose’s grenadine, but you don’t have to use the brand-name stuff. Making your own grenadine syrup is an easy task. Whether you’ve run out of your Rose’s or want to use your own version, simply boil one part sugar in one part pomegranate juice to achieve the classic taste, then add your own twists to put a spin on it.

To change it up, and add some pizzazz to your drinks, use a jam-like mixture instead of syrup. Marmalade or raspberry jam are perfect examples that will sweeten up your drink and add a little viscosity; add a tablespoon to 2 oz of liquor and 3/4 oz of citrus (lemon, lime, grapefruit juice).

Garnish like a boss

Garnishes should bring a cocktail’s ingredients together, not be used carelessly as decoration. From an olive in your martini to a bourbon cherry in your Manhattan, there is rhyme and reason for every garnish, so make it count!

Here are some garnish ideas that will bring the wow factor you’re looking for:

  • Adding edible flowers to ice can enhance your cocktail’s flavors with its fragrance while also creating an aesthetically pleasing accent. The key here is using the right flower and quantity without going overboard, so be sure to play around with the technique.
  • Sticking a rosemary sprig or an aromatic leaf, like mint, to the top of a cocktail can bring out the sweet and earthy tones in your drink that previously had gone unnoticed.

By placing the herbs on the top of the drink, you can take advantage of both its smell and taste, adding another layer of complexity to your cocktail.

  • To add a bit of flare to your cocktail (pun intended), burn the outside of an orange peel to give your drink some sharpness and unique character.

Chase the taste away

While most people will ask for a soda or juice to help eliminate the burn of a shot, offer a homemade pickleback as a chaser to change things up. The salty, acidic taste will instantly take away the taste of alcohol and add a distinctive note that will bring customers back.

Try making a traditional pickleback with cucumbers and something hotter, like pepperoncini or jalapeños, for those who want a bit of burn. If you need somewhere to start or some inspiration to get you going, check out this pickleback recipe.

We hope that these tips and hacks will help make your life behind the bar easier. By using a little bit of foresight, some creativity, and a few tricks, you can take your game to a new level and transform any old drink into an artistic cocktail creation.

And if you’re finding yourself short on time, check out  Bartending Hacks: Managing Your Time →

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So You Want To Be a Bartender?

So You Want To Be a Bartender?

by | Dec 7, 2015 | Career

While being a bartender may sound like the perfect job, it definitely has its challenges that are more often than not left unconsidered, making for a truly rude awakening for the unsuspecting suckers that don’t do their research before jumping into a job.

To save a few from learning the hard way, here are a few misconceptions about bartending that tend to get overlooked:

1. It’s not as easy as it looks.

On average, bartenders probably do 10-12hr shifts, sometimes with no break. There are hours of prep work, hours of clean-up, and hours of catering to the demands of people who have no concept of a bartender’s actual hours.

2. Their lives are not an endless party.

The bartender is like the parent at a slumber party: they are working to make sure everybody else is having fun, while trying to keep them from getting in too much trouble. And once the kids go to bed, they’re up late cleaning the mess.

3. When you’re in an environment that’s extremely high volume, everything goes out the window.

A skilled bartender always wants to make the best drink possible, but in a busy bar there’s a balance between meticulous craftsmanship and breakneck efficiency. This is particularly true of inexperienced bartenders who don’t have their recipes memorized. If they’re slammed with Negroni, Manhattan, and Old Fashioned orders back-to-back, they’re immediately in the weeds and will be much less excited to discuss the intricacies of their tiki menu.

4. Bartending is largely about multi-tasking and quick memory recall.

Bartenders do everything at once. A home-cocktail-enthusiast might be able to make a good Manhattan, but it’s an entirely different thing to make three at once while taking a beer order, running a credit card, and being eye-pulled by 10 strangers. Most decent bartenders can multi-task like maniacs, good ones can do it while keeping their drinks to a high standard, and only the best can pull it off while maintaining a hospitable smile.

5. Some bartenders drink during their shift, but not all of them.

Some bars don’t allow it. Some bartenders don’t care about that rule. It’s not uncommon for a bartender to do a few shots during a shift to take the edge off and as hospitality lubrication. But many have a general policy of not drinking with customers, and will go so far as to pour water in their own shot glass instead of vodka to maintain the illusion that they are fun party dudes.

6. Bartenders pay taxes too.

The overwhelming majority of bartenders pay extensive Federal, State, and local taxes. Almost all bar/lounge/club/restaurant owners these days are under extreme scrutiny, and as a result, many owners will report their bartenders’ individual incomes as a percentage of sales – whether you’ve been tipped or not. That goes for every single check. Practically everyone, from the smallest pub to the largest multi-bar hotel chain, makes use of Point of Sale systems to track every single aspect of cash flow. So, yes, you’ll still have to pay up come April 15th.

7. Girls, and guys, don’t actually want to sleep with bartenders.

Ok, well, some do. But the reality is that most aren’t patient enough to wait until 4:30am for their bartender-crush to close up shop, return home, down a pair of cheap beers, and catch up on their /r/cocktails Reddit feed.

Source: Thrillist

Bartending Hacks: Managing Your Time

Bartending Hacks: Managing Your Time

by | Dec 2, 2015 | Career

Bartending is a balancing act, which requires the ability to juggle several responsibilities while under some serious pressure. So, that’s why December’s hacks series is all about tricks of the bartending trade and we’re kicking it off with some time management tips that will make your life so much easier!

Keep a cheat sheet behind the bar

While most bartenders should have the typical recipes down pat, there are those times that the mind skips a beat and you forget. There are also those particular customers who want their esoteric, rarely-seen cocktails that can take a bartender off their game.

For this reason, have a handy cheat sheet to help you instead of taking precious minutes to ask someone else or look it up on your phone.

Whiskey, on the fly

Bartenders are responsible for a plethora of knowledge, the most basic of which is knowing their liquors. Here is a quick guide to the variations of whiskey to help you quickly explain a particular type to a customer:

USA: “Spicy-oak firmness”. Tennessee whiskies tend to have a caramel taste.
Canada: “Light, new, perfect for mixing”
Ireland: “smooth, spicy, fruity”
Scotland: “smokey, peaty” (if Islay). “Sweet and fruity” (If Speyside). “Spicy, salty” (if Cambletown).
Japan:“quality, perfected” Japanese whiskeys are detailed and carefully crafted for structure.

Acknowledge customers ASAP

As many of us know, when you’re bartending, you can’t always get to everyone as soon as they want a drink. When that’s the case, simply acknowledging your customer can go a long way. It assures them that you’re aware of them and that you’ll be right there.

It may even clue them into the fact that they are not the only customer at the bar…crazy!

This little trick will buy you some extra time, relieving some of that pressure we’re all too familiar with. Plus, it will do wonders for your customer satisfaction. And your tips!

When in the weeds, breathe

Your bar is piling up with guests, you’re in the middle of making six different drinks, trying to handle a credit card payment and need a new bottle of well vodka. Welcome to “the weeds” my friend.

All of us who work, or have worked, in the industry has experienced it at least once. So, what to do in this situation: just breathe. It’s almost counter-intuitive but absolutely effective because the best thing you can do is slow yourself down.

Taking 2-5 minutes to step away, collect yourself and regain your thoughts will help immensely. Despite leaving your responsibilities for a couple minutes, you will benefit in the long run by returning to work with a clear head.

Don’t know the drink? This Hail Mary will save you

Say someone comes in and orders a drink you’re unfamiliar with. What do you do? For some, this can cause a major brain fart and send you into a tizzy trying to figure out the ingredients and how to properly mix the drink. A quick fix for this:

“I’m sorry, we actually don’t have all the ingredients to make that here.”

While this is a cop out, it’s a handy last resort that can save you from getting backed up and spinning out of control. When taking this route, be sure to be apologetic and have a go-to suggestion to tell the customer.

Most importantly, while working behind the bar, keep your cool, keep your pace and help yourself to manage your time with these sweet and easy tricks.

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Restaurant Hiring Questions to Ask your Applicants

Restaurant Hiring Questions to Ask your Applicants

by | Nov 30, 2015 | Business Toolkit, Management

 If you were to poll your neighborhood foodservice managers or restaurant owners and ask them what their biggest challenges are, you’ll likely find that hiring and keeping the best staff members is at the top of their list.

Turnover is high in the Food and Beverage industry, particularly for restaurants – averaging  66.3% annually, according to the National Restaurant Association – and all that turnover is expensive.The payroll cost standard is 30-35% of your restaurant’s total sales, according to Baker Tilly’s Restaurant Benchmarks. On top of that, training falls into the hands of not only your managers, but your strongest staff members as well, taking valuable time away from their own tasks.

While it may sound daunting, you’ll find that your money and time will be well spent when you can suss out the candidates who will reflect the culture of your establishment and who are dedicated to giving your guests a fantastic experience that keeps them coming back again and again.

So, how do you find someone that is worth the investment?

Get to the heart of your potential new hires by asking these questions during your restaurant hiring interviews:

1. Why do you want to work in the food and beverage industry? 

The best restaurant employees take pride in their ability to provide guests with a wonderful experience. Whether you’re hiring a server to handle a white-tablecloth dinner service or a line cook to make pizzas during a busy lunch rush, the desire to make people happy is a must!

Are your candidates having trouble coming up with an answer? Or are they excited to tell you why they want to be a part of this challenging industry? Hopefully, it’s the latter!

2. What does “hospitality” mean to you? 

The dictionary defines hospitality as “the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.” A great candidate will sum this up in their own words, giving you a warm and fuzzy feeling.

3. Tell me about your most memorable hospitality experience. 

Tack this on to question #2, and see how it connects. Do you feel the candidate is being genuine in their answer? Does the person go into great detail? This should give you insight into what type of service they feel they should provide to your guests. A thoughtful, detailed answer, be it a positive or negative experience, shows that you’re interviewing someone who will put a lot of thought into their job.

4. If a customer presents you with a coupon that clearly states “not valid with other offers,” and they try to use it with another offer, how would you handle that? 

It’s a given that the candidates probably don’t know the policy when it comes to special offers at your restaurant, and you may not even have offers in the first place! The “correct” answer lies in their reaction. Do they clam up, get nervous? Or do they stay calm and keep a smile on their face?

How they react to this question is a great indicator of how they’d react under pressure; if  a candidate can’t keep their cool here, how are they going to do so in the middle of a busy service, when the level of pressure is much higher?

5. What do you do when you’re not working? What are your hobbies? 

This is a great question, especially when hiring a server or bartender! The ability to build a relationship with guests throughout their experience can make the difference between a one-and-done guest or a loyal advocate for your establishment. Having interests outside of work is essential for making small talk, as well as maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Any of us who have worked in F&B can attest to how easy it is to burn out when your job is to make others happy!

6. Tell me about a conflict you’ve had to deal with involving your co-workers, and how you handled it. 

Much of the focus on hiring is on guest satisfaction, but being a team player, behind the scenes, is just as important. With this question, you can judge someone’s maturity level, and the ability to overcome difficult situations and hold themselves accountable for their relationships in a team setting. Patrons absolutely love to be taken care of by a staff that is clearly having fun and enjoying the time spent with their coworkers.

While the best answers to these questions will depend on your food business’s specific needs, they will certainly help you gain much better insight into a candidate that you won’t be able to get from a resume.

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